New mem have pn,dr.says i need scs
 

Glad to be here as a new member. Needed some advice. Jan 09 diagnosed with diabetic neuropaty. Started Metformin,tramadol, lyrica, cymbalta, nortryptylene,vicodin,for burning feet and hands in Feb. 09. Pain worsened. Nuerologist put me on Fentynyl Patches 100mcg every 24hrs. plus percset for breakthrough pain.Went to emergency rm 3 times.Pain so severe i wanted my legs cut off. this would have been a relief,Believe me. After 4 mos. told Doc something has been wrong. So Dr. changed me to Opana. Wrong thing to do,I went into withdrawls and in hospital for a week. Then 10 days later i had a breakdown and went to physiatric hosp. for a week. Doc there put me on Nuerontin or gabapentin. It was a miracle a drug that had been around for more than 30 yrs and took almost all of burning away. I was still taking percoset 7.5/325 and 10/325hydrocodon and 900mg nuerontin 3 times a day. This was so great.After exiting hospital May 29th 09 was doing fine in June.Also after every possible test known to man. They said every time I am normal. Even Bloodwork absolute normal and still is to this date.Anyway my Muscles started returning and was gaining wt. Life was Great!!! I thought

On Aug 7th 09 was going to pick up a trailer load oh hay,50 or 100 bales. I was in that good of shape. on the way another pickup hit me while i was doing 60mph broadside. totaled my truck&trailer. By the grace of God I wasnt killed. My neck was hurt the worse so next day went emergency room for ct scan,all ok.

Then my feet started burning on bottom,toes numb, hands and side of arms burn plus the sharp pains also but couldn't and still cannot squeeze either hand with any type grip. Got a new Nuerologist and he said I had to have pain management because he couldn't treat me. He tried amyltrptyline and it made me burn worse. So now for the past 5or6 mos. I have been taking 115mg morphine,1600mg gabapentin,0.5mg xanex,10/325 percoset for breakthrough pain. all these 3 times a day. I am still in pain. The Dr. knows this and just 2 days ago at visit he said you look terrible. He is forcing me to have a SCS or I stay the way i am.I asked him to show me some kind of proof of sucess in using SCS. He just says its my only option. So I'm desperate:confused:

I have done research on this and the SCS works great on spinal and other type injuries but not PN when it comes to just hands and feet. The possibility of loosing complete use of hands and feet is way to great. So I would like to know if anyone out there can enlighten me on this. I'd rather stay in constant pain than lose what use of my hands and feet that i have. I'm 57 yrs old and never had a sick day in my life.I have been a rancher the last 12yrs. and a commercial carpenter for 25yrs. before that until these past 2 yrs. Never been afraid of anything up until now.It's hard to take when you are told you will never work or drive again.

I'm glad to have found this site.Just what I've read so far I don't feel so alone anymore. It's hard to deal with when your family looks at you like your crazy because they can't see the pain. So Thank All of Ya'll !!

Hi,
So no issues at all showed with any of the spine imaging ?

We have some other forums that might be of help or interest to you.

PN of course, but possibly Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) sometimes all over or feet/hands mirroring pattern pain, -
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum21.html

& maybe even Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS)- neck, hands, arms pain -
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum24.html

and we do have a SCS sub forum too.
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum118.html

be sure to check the sticky threads at the top of each forum for useful info/links

Welcome to NeuroTalk....

I notice that you take metformin... Did any doctor test you for B12 levels? That drug commonly reduces B12 in the body, in about 40% of people.

When that happens PN pain develops. I'd get that run ASAP, and get your number result.. Do not accept "normal" since many lab ranges in US are very low and NOT normal. While you are there get a Vit D3 test run also. Chronic pain patients are often very low in D.

I'm sorry after being in hospital I was put on insulin. I never use over 3 units at a meal. Half time no insulin at meals. i take 6,000 units D-3 every day and my b-12 is fine that is what is so puzling. My A1c is 5.7 and colesterol ranges from 147 to 170 in past yr. and 1/2. By rights nothing is wrong with me.

Do you know the number for your B12? Significant pain and neuro damage can be present in the 200 range. You should have at least 400 for a normal reading.

Hello and Welcome!!
 

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Happy to see you have come to be with us. Just let us know if we can be of any help.

As you can tell there are great number and caring fellow members here to assist you. Our shoulders are here for support in many ways.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Darlene :hug:

I was the same
 

I was the same as you, but in the last 6 months all my numbers have gone insane. So I know what your going thro, by rights I was alright too.

Shoe

Do you take Medformin at all now? Or any of the other diabetic drugs
along with the insulin. For some reason the fact that you don't need
insulin at times makes me think something is off.

I'm diabetic too, and have pain. Not the burning type.

I'm on the following 1800 of neurotin, zanaflex, cybalta, topamax,
full time. Medformin, simvastin, h for blood pressure. at night full time. I also take the following calcium,
multi-vitamin with extra vit d, magnesium, and sometimes cinnamon.

The magnesium was a suggestion from my primary, when I told him that
my pain was maxed and not getting better. He said, taht magnesium
helps. He was right, I can tell when I don't take it.

Also have prescribed hydrocoidene.

Maybe try different drugs
 

My doctor has tried many different drugs on me and I have found some work and some just do nothing. We seem to have the mix good for now. I'm taking Gabapentin 2400 mg, doxepin 20MG, Vicodin 7.5/750 four times a day, cyclobenzapr 10 mg at night, qualaquin 324 mg at night, fentanyl patch 75 mg, Lidoderm patch and voltaren cream. At one time we tried Oxycodone, but that had absolutly no effect. The mix I'm on now seems to be working, but it took a long time to get there. Everyone is different what works for one doesn't work for the next person, so I guess what I'm saying is you have to just keep working with your doctor to find the right mix of drugs. I gave up on Neuro docs, I found they didn't think outside of the box. My family doctor is the one who keeps working with me and coming up with the new ideas. I wish you luck and maybe the SCS will work for you. My mother in law has it for nerve pain in her leg and she said it works for her.

Just a reminder... drugs from a doctor do not heal any PN.

In order to support your nerves you need to consider some nutrients. There is much medical research to support healing in some cases of diabetic neuropathy.

Come to our PN forum and LEARN about this approach.

Hello leford18
 

Welcome to NT!
Your post really struck a chord with me......I actually had to read it twice, as I could have sworn it was the very post I had written when I first found this site.
I also got to a place in thinking that cutting off my legs made sense, that it would be the only way to get rid of the constant pain that was eating away at my sanity. My life seemed over. I was 44.

You have been given some fantastic suggestions and support here in your introductory post. I hope you log back on and are able to see the heartfelt things people have written. And this is only the beginning.
I never dreamed there could be so many caring people all in one place.
Not only caring, but understanding and really 'comprehending' what you are going through.

I would strongly suggest going to the peripheral neuropathy forum. It is very active and LOADED with information on how to combat this horrible condition.
There ARE ways to combat this very elusive medical nightmare....even if the best diagnosis that can be achieved is 'idiopathic'.....

Also, regarding the SCS.....I know it sounds very 'creepy'. When I was first presented with this option, my first thought was "there is NO WAY I will opt for this...NO way". I finally got to a place of realization that I had become nothing more than a prisoner of my own home, watching life pass me by.
If your Dr feels this strongly - that you are a prime candidate for this procedure .... I would recommend at least considering the trial. By doing the 'trial', you will get a pretty accurate idea whether or not this is something worth pursuing. You can read 'real people' testimonies by checking out the SCS/Pain Pump forum. It is listed in the main menu as a sub-forum in the "Medications & Treatment" Forum.....
Here is the shortcut link to get you there.....click on:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/fo...ysprune=&f=118

You do have options and your life IS worth fighting for.....
Neurotalk has plenty of ammunition to keep you afloat. Please feel at home here and peek in any of the forums here. You'll be amazed at how many people actually can feel the pain you describe.
It IS real. The most frustrating part about it is, like you said, family and friends (and even many doctors) can't 'SEE' it, therefore, to THEM, it doesn't really exist. That is the sad reality.
That is what this forum is all about. Helping those of us who would be completely alone in our battles if it weren't for the fighting force of HOPE that keeps us going.

I wish you the best.
Truly Caring
Rae
:hug: