[Equine Dentist]

I am back in desperation as usual.. Having the worst flare up yet. My right side is catching up with my left. As I lay here with my wrist and elbow braces on and my lidocaine cream all over, I find an article about nerve blocks for nueropathy pain. I went down this road for years before back surgery and it got me through just fine until the damage was too great. Any thoughts?? Keep in mind that I work with racehorses and can get tested at any time. My nuerologist suggested marijuana, but I can't even have a percocet in me. I always soldier through like a rockstar, but times like this make me want to freak out. It hurts so bad. Pinched nerves in both elbows and wrists and someone is setting me on fire with this heat. Holy crap. Anyway, please let me know if you have any thoughts.

[Cliffman]

Originally Posted by Equine Dentist

I am back in desperation as usual.. Having the worst flare up yet. My right side is catching up with my left. As I lay here with my wrist and elbow braces on and my lidocaine cream all over, I find an article about nerve blocks for nueropathy pain. I went down this road for years before back surgery and it got me through just fine until the damage was too great. Any thoughts?? Keep in mind that I work with racehorses and can get tested at any time. My nuerologist suggested marijuana, but I can't even have a percocet in me. I always soldier through like a rockstar, but times like this make me want to freak out. It hurts so bad. Pinched nerves in both elbows and wrists and someone is setting me on fire with this heat. Holy crap. Anyway, please let me know if you have any thoughts.

I don't have any advice since I'm new here but I wanted you to know I feel for you! I hope & pray you find some relief soon!

Cliffman

[zkrp01]

Originally Posted by Equine Dentist

I am back in desperation as usual.. Having the worst flare up yet. My right side is catching up with my left. As I lay here with my wrist and elbow braces on and my lidocaine cream all over, I find an article about nerve blocks for nueropathy pain. I went down this road for years before back surgery and it got me through just fine until the damage was too great. Any thoughts?? Keep in mind that I work with racehorses and can get tested at any time. My nuerologist suggested marijuana, but I can't even have a percocet in me. I always soldier through like a rockstar, but times like this make me want to freak out. It hurts so bad. Pinched nerves in both elbows and wrists and someone is setting me on fire with this heat. Holy crap. Anyway, please let me know if you have any thoughts.

There was noise about injections that showed improvement for PN. I'm not talking about steroids that help for a couple of weeks with sciatica. This was something else that involved ankle blocks. If you search ankle blocks you might read up on it. I did not give it much consideration as there was no people from this forum that stood on the rooftop and shouted it down the mountain. I don't know your take on pain management but the name is self explanatory. I had been driven into a corner by my pain and my Dr. TOLD me how to take the Hydrocodone 10-325. With the combination of the Hydro during the day and Ambien to induce blissfull sleep, I began to be less depressed. I as well as anyone needs time for this geologically slow process of healing. As for being under the threat of random drug testing, I believe that an RX for whatever shows up in your blood would be sufficient to keep you out of the user category. I got off the Hydro after about 6 or 8 mo and didn't have much trouble. I'm having a little more trouble getting off the Ambien. I reserve the right to take it back up as my sleep these days is hit or miss. I believe that your body needs a minimum of 5 hrs straight sleep for healing. I did have a better time after I started the Ambien. Long story shorter, do what you need to do to get to the next day because time combined with nutrition and excercize and rest will all be needed. Good Luck, Ken in Texas.

[Equine Dentist]

Thanks, guys. Well, I spoke with the nuerologist's office today and they are gladly sending my records to the pain management office. I COULD NOT BELIEVE they said that yes, injections for nueropathy do exist. So far I have had to present them with things I find on my own instead of hearing about things through them. Even symptoms! I thought I was done with the legs, didn't know my hands, arms, wrists and face were coming. Still don't know what is next, if anything. Anyway, I am doubling down on injections if it will help. Block everything, why just the ankles? Ha ha. I will keep you guys posted. I am not sure about the pain meds with the track, they kind of handle it like the police can with a DUI. Driving heavy machinery/handling an 1100 pound racehorse. I guess even with liability since I have to harness them for professional drivers, etc. Trying to power through here, extremely hard right now. Hopefully this passes and it gets a little easier. I haven't missed a day of work yet, hanging on by a thread. I take Gabapentin at night only; it makes me pass out like you wouldn't believe.

[Equine Dentist]

No luck today. Pain management doctor was quite cruel. I am not giving up. Found the article, it's written by an ortho in Texas. I am going to contact him.

[Equine Dentist]

Ok. So I just posted this somewhere else too. I am going with ano epidural in my neck (anti-inflammatory) for a minor bulging disc. They say it's possible that the neck is causing the corbital and carpel tunnel? I don't know because I have heard 428,729 different things thus far. So I am doing the epidural coupled with PT. They seemed promising at PT; told me that my body is a mess (no crap). We shall see, going to work hard; the weakness and pain are severe. Not giving up on dentistry, saving up for power tools instead. Rocky Balboa, God help me

[Hopeless]

Originally Posted by Equine Dentist

I am back in desperation as usual.. Having the worst flare up yet. My right side is catching up with my left. As I lay here with my wrist and elbow braces on and my lidocaine cream all over, I find an article about nerve blocks for nueropathy pain. I went down this road for years before back surgery and it got me through just fine until the damage was too great. Any thoughts?? Keep in mind that I work with racehorses and can get tested at any time. My nuerologist suggested marijuana, but I can't even have a percocet in me. I always soldier through like a rockstar, but times like this make me want to freak out. It hurts so bad. Pinched nerves in both elbows and wrists and someone is setting me on fire with this heat. Holy crap. Anyway, please let me know if you have any thoughts.

I was a little surprised to hear that YOU would be randomly drug tested as an equine dentist. The race tracks in my area only test the horses of course, and the jockeys, but not other personnel that attend to the horses. It has been many years since I was on the backside of the track so maybe they do test others now. Do they test all the hot-walkers, grooms, vets, blacksmiths, etc. where you work?

I guess I am really out of touch on track matters since it has been so many years. When I was there, it was long before the days of cell phones, and I remember there was NO telephone service once racing time came.

We were always escorted to the spit box with the winning horse by someone from the racing commission.

Back to the subject at hand,.... couldn't you talk with the racing commission and advise them of your medications and the need for them to avoid any problems that could arise during a random drug test?

I also worked in a hospital, subject to random drug testing, and never had a problem as long as I had given them a list of all my medications and had paperwork to document it.

I would think the racing commission would care most about drug testing the HORSE, not the people that handle the horse. How could any drug use of yours affect the racing ability of the horse? Isn't that why they test the horses after a race, ....to be sure the race was fair and nothing was used to enhance the performance of "the horse"?

I was just really astounded that people working on the backside are now being drug tested. We were finger printed by the commission in order to get our license each year to work on the backside but that was the only thing we were subjected to by the racing commission back then. Oh, did I mention "back then" was a VERY long time ago? (Probably around 40 years ago.)

Sure hope any blocks you receive provide you with relief. Wishing you the best. And very sorry to hear the pain mgt. doc was so unkind.

PS I bought a 5 year old maiden cheap just before he turned 5. He turned out to be a great pleasure horse. He and my American Saddlebred became great buddies. I got to stand in the winner's circle on several occasions but I was always holding someone else's horse. My thoroughbred was a sweetheart, just not too good at racing.

[Equine Dentist]

Hi! Well to start, I am currently going through the medical marijuana process. I do not wish to inquire with the racing commission in case the answer is unfavorable. I can she's some light (and you are not totally off). I work as a groom at the track. I paddock harness horses. I have been led to believe that it's less likely that I will get tested. It's most often the drivers and the trainers. There has been an epidemic with the drivers taking pain pills. At this point, it's zero tolerance even if you have a script. Same goes for the trainers. Huge fine, drug classes and suspension. They really are not having it. Doesn't matter if you are leading driver in the country or not. That being said, I am going to go through the process and see what happens. The pain is so unbearable. Beyond. I am turning into a different person with this. I am off the cymbalta and the nuerontin too though. So yes, it kind of should be about the horse, but it isnt. Each track has their own guidelines and some are so strict and crazy. They send undercover people to watch out for horse trailers at nearby rest stops in case they are injecting the horse. I don't feel sorry for those people though, we work 8 days a week to produce athletes, not drugged up animals. Things are so bad though that I have to constantly throw vitamins out the window because you can't have loose pills in your pocket or the truck. We are subject to search at all times. Honestly, I would be ok if I couldn't paddock. Its just that things are progressing so fast and I have trouble with absolutely everything. My limbs are so painful and weak. I just want to hold on to my life for as long as I can. I see it all slipping away. Maybe the power tools will help me with floating teeth. I extracted one wolf tooth today and thought I was going to die. Love the runners, I worked as a hot walker in high school.

[dancinglady]

Originally Posted by Equine Dentist

No luck today. Pain management doctor was quite cruel. I am not giving up. Found the article, it's written by an ortho in Texas. I am going to contact him.

What do u mean by cruel. What did he say?