The quick and short response is "Pain mgt. doc the best that ever happened to me."

The longer response......... I was very skeptical about going to a pain mgt. doc. It was not the "miracle" I wanted or expected after first few treatments but continued visits proved to be the best thing ever for me. I just wish I had met my pain mgt. doc 30 years sooner. My life would have been so different. Guess better late then never. Not everyone has the same experience but I adore my pain mgt. doc for the relief he has provided for me.

Sure hope you have a similar experience. Good luck to you.

[QUOTE=Hopeless;1165912]The quick and short response is "Pain mgt. doc the best that ever happened to me."

The longer response......... I was very skeptical about going to a pain mgt. doc. It was not the "miracle" I wanted or expected after first few treatments but continued visits proved to be the best thing ever for me. I just wish I had met my pain mgt. doc 30 years sooner. My life would have been so different. Guess better late then never. Not everyone has the same experience but I adore my pain mgt. doc for the relief he has provided for me.

Sure hope you have a similar experience. Good luck to you.

Wow Hopeless, that is some response. Glad to hear your Doc is helping you! How did PM doctor help you? I have been going for over two years now, all my PM doctor says is I already tried the "first & second line" meds (Cymbalta, Neurotin, Amitriptyline, topamax, Trileptal, Lamictal. etc.) None of those meds worked, or the SE's were bad...Tryed Calmare treatments (similiar to TENS only bigger) , He says Acupuncture wont help for this kind of pain. Nothing works for "my" SFN symptoms.. Im stuck on 300 mgs of Lyrica which is not helping. How is your Doctor helping you and what meds and treatments do you get for your pain?
Ty

I think we all try to put off this step as long as possible. I have dealt with neuropathy for 19 years now and tried everything under the sun for the pain and other symptoms. About 5 years ago I found low doses of narcotics to be helpful...but still suffered to some degree. It was just last month (at the advise of my neuro at Hopkins) that I finally got to see a real pain mgmt doctor (after a long 3 month process to get in) to properly address my pain and give me back some quality of life. I left the first visit crying, not from the pain, but because someone actually talked to me about my pain, listened to me about my pain, and in the end, cared about my pain. That had never happened before. Now I can honestly say I have less pain on a regular basis...I really don't remember the last time my pain level was this low on the scale. I'm sleeping better, feeling better and doing more. I still have flairs and moments with higher pain level, bout overall, I'm happy with my choice and feel like I can (and will) make the most of every day I have now.

[ Now I can honestly say I have less pain on a regular basis...I really don't remember the last time my pain level was this low on the scale. I'm sleeping better, feeling better and doing more. I still have flairs and moments with higher pain level, bout overall, I'm happy with my choice and feel like I can (and will) make the most of every day I have now.

Hi en bloc, Glad to hear you are doing better!! What did they do for you at the pain management Place? I have been struggling with painful buzzing, tingling, burning, all of the sfn symptoms for 4 years. Would you mind sharing what you are taking for your pain. I can not find relief. Lyrica is not helping. Im stuck at this dose (300 mgs) and have become home bound and very depressed.. My quality of life is deteriorating..I don't know what to do anymore. My PM Doc and Neurologist are giving up on helping me..Its disheartening to hear them say, they don't know what else to do for me.. sigh!!

I used Neurontin for about 5 years, but maxed out on the dose. Lyrica made me a zombie and others (cymbalta, lamictal, Namenda,...the list is long) I couldn't tolerate or they did nothing for my pain.

This pain mgmt doctor put me on the Fentanyl patch....which delivers medication 24/7!! It works great on the neuropathy. He had told me it is very effective on nerve pain and to be honest I didn't believe him at first. But once I started with the first patch (takes a couple days to start wokring), I was pleasantly surprised and grateful. It doesn't help as well with my joint pain, but it does take the edge off of it.

I was glad to hear someone else is on this patch - my husband has had neuropathy for 12 years and has just started on this (about 2 months now) after everything else stopped working and he was "falling apart". He's on 125mg every other day.

He still finds he has to take the Oxycodone for breakthrough a few times a week. You mention "it takes the edge off" - does it ever go away? I think my husband was looking for it to do more, but is now accepting that this is probably as good as it gets?

I'd appreciate any input.

Thanks, Linda

Do you mean 12.5 mcg...instead of 125mcg? 125 mcg would be super huge dose. Whereas 12.5 mcg would be a starting dose (and you said he just started), with room to go up.

It just takes the edge of my joint pain, but it significantly helps my nerve pain.

If you husband isn't getting the relief he was looking for, then maybe he needs to move up to the next size patch (25 mcg).

Hi All... I was recently prescribed the Butrans patch at my first visit to the PM doctor. I had to discontinue it after 2 two-week attempts at wearing it because the nausea and extreme almost constant hot flashes and sweating to the point my clothes and hair would be wet. I was so disappointed because, as Madison Girl said, I "caved" after four years of battling this barbaric neuropathic pain with just Gabapentin. I had so hoped that I was going to be able to escape at least some of it. I tried Cymbalta and Lyrica and felt so spaced out I didn't even feel safe driving a car and just couldn't function. I too have reached the point of "Despair's" post. I will return to the PM doctor next month and see if there is yet something else to be tried. I can't keep trying. Reading all your posts always informs me and helps me with ideas.

[QUOTE=en bloc;1166092]Do you mean 12.5 mcg...instead of 125mcg? 125 mcg would be super huge dose.

Yes, he is on 125mcg every 48 hours after previously being on Hydromorph Contin 90mg, Gabapentin 3600 mg, as well as the Amitriptylene, daily. Lyrica did nothing for him. So this is not his first course of action for the pain.

These meds had been increased gradually over the last 10 years or so. About 2-3 months ago, over the period of a weekend, they just seemed to just stop working. His feet had always been the main issue and gradually his hands became effected as well, but that weekend the hands got 600% worse. He couldn't even hold a cup without it setting the pain off. He then seemed to reach the end of his coping mechanisms and completely broke down.

Thank goodness for a wonderful doctor (GP, not Neuro) who when I got him in after the weekend put him on 50mcg of Fentanyl, and gradually increased it.

My reason for asking is that he does have some quite good days, and compared to how he was that weekend, he is 100% improved. But he still does get days when his hands are bad and the smallest things set them off - holding a cold drink, holding anything rough etc. He really doesn't want to increase the meds, and is wondering if he is expecting too much?

He is lucky in that he has very little side affects and is able to function well.

Linda

The waiting time is a bit ridiculous. I know that there is a 6 month wait here after they review your case and decide to accept you.