neck burning HELP!
 

My neck and upper back is burning really bad. It feels almost like indian burn. I just started cymbalta and already on gabapentin. I dont know what to do. Its sensitive to touch and creams and liocaine do nothing or make it worse. IS there anything else I could try?

Lyrica helped out pain sensitivity to touch with me. I first tried Neurotin but that didn't help much. Now I find much more relief with Lyrica and Cymbalta.
If you try this I hope it helps...

What doses gave you relief? Is it full or partial?

The Lyrica by itself brought on relief in the burning pain a lot. But my flare ups still got the best of me. I was already at the max at 600 mgs a day so my neurologist added Cymbalta to the mix. I'm starting at 30 mgs then after two weeks going to 60 mgs. It's been one week so far. Neither one is an opiate which is what I prefer to stay away from if possible. I still notice the presence of pain but except for flare ups it's more doable...

With lyric i see people take dosage two or three times a day.

How do you take yours and what times?

Also you mentioned flare ups. I assume you have other issues other then burning?

As far as how I take Lyrica it has to be spread out because it only stays effective for around six hours. So my doses are 300 mgs at 9 am, 150 mgs at 3 pm and 150 mgs at 9 pm. The Cymbalta once between 10 and 11 pm before bed.
Other issues are my RSD spreading to my entire left side making putting weight on my leg hard and everything is complicated by also having degenerative cerebral atrophy...

Is the lyrica strictly for the burning?

Lyrica dulls the nerve pain signals and the burning is a large part of it...

Yes, I know. I was asking if you were taking the lyrica strictly for the burning or do you have other symptoms you take it for?

My RSD spread to my upper back and neck earlier this year. So far I haven't been able to find anything to help the burning pain (but there were problems with my meds so hopefully we can try to find something else to help soon). I even had to cut my hair so it wouldn't touch my neck at all. Does it feel better at all when you (for example) take a warm bath? I found heat helped a little (I know...heat for burning pain...weird)...and If I have to go when it is cold I will put a disposable heating parch and wear that under a scarf (which aggravates the pain on one hand but helps on the other to protect it from the cold air).

I'm sorry to hear that this is happening to you. The burning in my back and neck has driven me more crazy than anything else. Over time it has now become the "norm" for me so I deal with it a little better now but it is not any better than it was 9 months ago when it started.

Good luck...I hope you are able to find meds that can help. When it was just the burning in my ankle the Lyrica was the best for the burning pain. Neurontin did zip for me...but as with everything we have to try different meds until we find one that helps.

Where did you burning orginiate? Thing is I dont have RSD. I dont know what I have, this is nuts.

Started in my left ankle where I have RSD. After I had a lumbar sympathetic block at the end of January the burning pain spread to my back and then up to my neck, then down my arms into my hands, my sides, stomach...pretty much everything between my waist and neck. But it's the absolute worst in my neck and back...don't know why those areas are particularly sensitive even more than the others.

Sorry, My heart goes out to you.

I had burning in my chest but it moved to my upper back and neck.

Its drives me crazy because its sensitive where it wasnt when it was in my chest. I am so depressed and itn so much pain.

Yes...the pain will do that to you. But don't let yourself get too down as you still have things that you can try that will help. I just keep telling myself that it will all work out eventually...these things just take time...and once you're better this bad period will just be a small blip in the scope of your life. Keep the focus on what you can do to get better.

Is there anything that you can do to try to take your mind off your pain? I know it doesn't ever go away and it's a lot easier to say than it is to do...but if you can find something that can distract you then at least it might help you cope with the pain in the mean time while you are trying different things to get rid of the pain. Don't get me wrong...I still have really bad days where I feel depressed and the pain gets the better of me...but when I can get myself focused on something else it does help me deal with the pain better.

Hey Bent,
I'm curious about how you know it's not RSD?

I don't have any of symptoms other then burning. I had burning in chest for 9 months and then moved to my upper back.

No injury. No muscle issues.

Bent98,
Have you tried a TENS unit? I get relief sometimes. Also when I get ramp up pain, I take a brisk walk. I don't know if you can walk, but cardio output reduces the burning and helps me not fuel the fire emotionally. Sadly sometimes nothing works, I take xtra meds, use the tens, walk, cry, pace whatever, till it passes. I use DSMO cream and lidocain together sometimes, it helps absorb the medication in the skin. I also use DSMO cream daily with diclofenac gel all over for neurogenic inflamation. I use a 70% DSMO rose scented cream, I get through Amazon.com. They have unscented too. Don't buy the industrial solvent type, use the cream or gel. Some people get lidocain infusions, I have never had it offered to me. I asked for a clonidine patch to help calm my SNS, VA wouldn't do that either, but some pain clinics know about it. Ask your doctor after you research it on line a little to see if it would be indicated for your situation.

Now that its cold outside I dont walk much. I did today. Cry alot.

My foot and leg hurts a lot when I try walking too. Even with my cane...