SI
 

"SI"sacroilliac" the liagmentous juncture or 'joint' between the sacrum and illiac bones of the pelvis.

For the mental part and not just for you but for others have you thought about a therapist. I have been in therapy for 12 years on and off for other issues. I will say it helps to feel less alone and work on coping mechanisms.

Thanks
 

For all of the responses. The unfortunate aspect of my job leads me to deal directly with psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists on a pretty regular basis. I remember after suffering a panic attack several years ago, I went to the emergency room...this was before I was placed on SSRI's and went to a treatment group for depression/anxiety.....the clinical social worker was to evaluate my condition and determine what needed to be done. Well, after an hour of conversation, she thanked me for the advice I gave her on her dysfunctional marriage, and would take the steps I recommended in order to begin improving her lot in life. So much for an invervention. I, obviously have a difficult time, not only finding someone that I entrust with my mental health, I also work in an agency that makes it even more difficult to find someone that isn't connected to our department in some way. I am concerned, also, about signing a contract with my local HMO doctor for narcotics. Since this HMO is provided to our unit with our contract. The ebb and flow of my foot pain is so exasperating. I will be on Lyrica for a couple days and seem to notice an improvement, only to find that my feet will than begin to ache again. I will be off the meds, and doing okay, and blam!, the pain returns. This, along with my inner groin pain that is lancing in nature, and goes away as soon as I shift my body. Oh brother!

Jack
have you ever been checked for a hernia re the groin pain?

I ask becasue my husband experienced intense, lancelike pain there that also changed with movement, and they discovered he was herniated and needed surgery to repair it

just a thought as I read your symptoms that it reminded me of what he had

uhoh!!
 

I am not sure I understand this. Did you say you will be off and on the Lyrica? Lyrica is one of the classes of drugs that has to be taken consistantly. You must keep a constant level of this in your blood for it to work. Are you just taking it in an on and off dosage?

Billye

Regretably
 

I am.....I take it for a while and being type A.....not seeing any change in symptoms...I will think about the side effects...weight gain...and the fact that it is an anti-seizure med....and quit taking it. I'm just so leery about taking a med that hasn't conclusively pinpointed my problem.
As far as the hernia which was mentioned....a gp did suggest that it might be that. I don't recall doing any kind of lifting that created a strain or any pain. I also am not tender in that area, and it just doesn't seem logical...but what does these days.

jakatak--
 

--you may be inadvertantly contributing to your pain rebounding by going up and down on the Lyrica dosage.

All of the anti-epileptic drugs, such as Lyrica, should be titrated up and down somewhat slowly, so that oen does not get rebound effects due to upregulation. As Billye says, these drugs need to be at a farily constant level to work effectively (if they will work for an individual); suddenly dropping the dose can result in fairly significant symptom uptick as the body, which has upregulated its signalling rate due to the presence of the med, now has no med, or significantly reduced amounts of it, to react against. It's pretty much the same mechanism that happens with a lot of other drugs, even caffeine--stopping them or greatly reducing them suddenly tends to cause symptom recapitulation.

If you don't think the Lyrica is helping, you would probably want to work with your physicans to work out a schedule of gradual reduction, to give the body time to react more smoothly and to prevent rebound symptoms.

I know from my own experience, as I've gradually been reducing my Gabapentin, that if I make too big a drop and/or go off schedule for several hours I will experience "flares". I am currently at 1600mg/day, down from 2400/mg day ten months ago; I am searching for the minimal level to keep symptoms tolerable, but when I do drop, I drop 100mg at a time and observe my reaction to that level for days.

Totally agree
 

I totally agree with Glenn. You are making yourself worse. If you decide to totally stop do it gradually or make up your mind to take them. Stopping gradually gives your nervous system time to learn to do without the med. Work with your doctor in doing this. If you don't want this med, try another one, but really give it a try before you decide it doesn't work.

Billye

Yes
 

I have to agree as well. Jack i had to be downtown today and wondered
into the Birkenstock Shop and they did have Dress shoes. You may
want to look at these for Court. They cost, but in MN. you would
have more places to look. Being type A can be exhausting,as you well
know. Nice of you to help out the therapist though,i love that,bad
for you but may change her like forever. My Psychiatrist for the last
5 yrs. was going through divorce and had 6 young sons,at first i found
myself patting her on the back,saying it's going to be ok!! :)
And it was,and i would hate to loose her. I'm glad you posted again,and
try the meds.a little at a time but not off and on,defeats the purpose.
:hug: :hug: Sue