Lyrica and stupid doctors
 

I need some feedback. Had my followup visit with the spine doctor today about my lower back pain. Remember last time he tried to brush me off.

So I told him that I don't want to take pills, that I do not show MS clinically, that I have been found to be a 'well-rounded person' and that I don't like being brushed off ( I didn't say it quite like that). I reminded him that this pain point has been active for 3-4 years, that I hoped it would go away on its own, and that I continue to have pins and needles in hands and feet...bla bla bla....

So he asked if I want to continue PT, I said I saw value in it, so yes. He harrassed me for NOT taking zanaflex every night. Then he throws Lyrica at me (gives me a prescription). I said isn't that for Fibro? He said yes, but for nerve pain too....I said well, I don't think I meet the criteria for Fibro and he said to give it a try for nerve pain. I don't have PAIN associated to my hands and feet, just annoying. Then he scheduled me for a "Nerve Conduction Study" and ran out the door. I also told him that the only relief I've had was the cortizone shot in December....he didn't offer up another one.

I'm feelling like this guy's anwer to everything is pills. Because HE can't figure out the source of my pain, then I must be crazy. I think he's wasting my time. I looked up the Lyrica and it dose not look like a user friendly drug and could casue me MORE problems.

Meanwhile, still sick over my kitty cat.....

Any words of advice or wisdom?

Thanks

If you dont want to take the Lyrica, dont take the Lyrica.

My doctor gave me Baclofen, told me to take one pill twice a day.

I dont take it every day, probably once or twice every few weeks if I notice some nasty nasty spasticity...and I dont even take it full strength. I'll break it in half and either take the half, or I'll break the half in half and take 1/4 of a dose. (I dont like how it makes me sleepy all the time. I did try to take it as prescribed, and I ended up sleeping for two days in a row)

When I went back to see him, he asked how the Baclofen was working. I told him how I take it, and why. He said that it was there if ever felt the need to take it more often. He didnt seem disturbed that I dont take it as often as prescribed.


If you dont take it, and you go back to the doctor and he asks how the Lyrica worked, tell him the truth, you didnt fill the Rx, because you didnt feel like he listened to you when you saw him last.

Oh, and Lyrica is prescribed for Fibro, but it's got a few other usages (controlling epileptic seizures) I dont think it's just for Fibro tho...a lot of medications can be used for many different medical problems.

My point is Erin that I think this doctor is a wacko. I told him today that I don't think he is listening to me. That I may not be his worst paitent, but I am hurting, that maybe he is missing something....I think he thinks its all in my head. He has that deer in headlight look when I talk to him...

We all know that Fibro is a condition that many doctors don't think exist. I do NOT have the area's of pain associated to Fibro...none! Just this one spot on my back. I don't know about the lyrica, it says it makes you fat....I don't need it!

So I guess the answer is to just forget it all, never go to a doctor again and give up. Live with it. All of it and let the morgue figure it out when I die.

I'm going to see my PCP tomorrow, and maybe consider a Neurosurgeon....and then I'm done with everything. Done done done!!! I've had it!!!

I take lyrica for nerve pain. I do not have fibro. In fact, because I don't have fibro or diabetic neuropathy I had to fight and fight to get the insurance company to pay for it.

It works wonders for me with the nerve pain.

A nerve conduction study may give the answer as to what is causing your pain.

Dont tell your regular doctor that you think the other guy is whacko...just say something like you think he's not taking you as seriously as you think he should.

It does seems that the whacko doctor is trying to address the pain that you told him about. He's not trying to treat you for fibro, he's trying to help you with the pain. Lyrica is used as a treatment for nerve pain, and it does sound like he's trying to help you with that. The Lyrica isnt made to specifically help nerve pain in your hands and feet...if you have nerve pain anywhere on your body, it should help whatever nerve pain you have.

I've thought about asking my neuro or my regular doctor for some Lyrica, I have low back pain that is either from a back injury that I got in 1999, or it's caused by MS. If it's caused by MS, it's probably nerve pain, and maybe it would help.

I saw the side effects when I looked it up, and I dont like them either...mostly the whole thing about dependance on the drug. I dont like taking meds that I could potentially become dependant on. Which is why I havent asked for Lyrica yet.

But, whacko doctor has offered you an option (the Lyrica) for your pain. Is it just the potential side effects that are keeping you from trying it, or is it something else that's making you to not want to try it?

Not everyone is going to experience a side effect. It's just a list of things that were reported by people during the trials they did when studying the drug. It's something to watch for, but it's not a guarantee that everyone will experience the side effects.

I have to ask, is one spot in the spine related to nerve pain? Again, my pins and needles in my hands and feet do not hurt....I didn't think I have nerve pain, but spine pain....Maybe I don't know what I have :(

I don't take lyrica, but I do take the generic form of neurontin for nerve pain (numbness, tingling, and burning) and it does help. If you do not think it will help or if you do not think you need it, you don't have to take it. But it is described for nerve pain. Sounds like you need a doctor who listens... are there any out there?

Your spine is full of nerves. If those nerves pathways have been disrupted somehow (MS lesions, trauma from an injury...) then it's a nerve pain. A medication for nerve pain, Lyrica, Neurontin, Cymbalta, might help. Your doctor has suggested Lyrica...you can always tell him you dont like the sound of the side effects, and you can ask him if there are any other medications for nerve pain that dont have the same side effects.

I was Rx-ed an antibiotic a few years ago. I read that one of the side effects of that particular antibiotic was numbness/perhipheral neuropathy. Seeing as how my toes were numb, and I had numbness in my right thigh at the time, I asked for something else...since I already had numbness, how would I know if the antibiotic was causing it, or if it was a new symptom. They wrote me a script for something different.

You are allowed to ask if there's something else you could take. You're also allowed to ask if you can have them change the dosage. Ask if you can start off with a lower dosage if it's allowed.

My thoughts on Lyrica!
It helped me a lot at first, but than by one month we (Dr & me) had to up the dose. Than had to up it again & again, well at 6 months I was at the max and it wasn't helping much at all and I had gained 60 pounds. It toke me 6 awful months to get off of lyrica. It was hard and I had bad with-draws. It than toke me over a year to loss the weight.

Oh and I toke it back before they labeled it for fibro.

Been there; Done that!! :(

One Neuro said there's nothing wrong with you. Another said stay off the internet. When I mentioned symptoms of MS he said one said you don't want MS because the only treatment is worse than the disease.

My last Neuro was just staring at me as if I was wacko! He just kept me medicated and not trying to find out the reason for my symptoms just treated them and not me. As I was leaving his office I asked for a final bill to be sent and I finally found a Neuro who listened.

She looked at ALL my MRI films and went over them with DH and I and read other reports. She finally said since all your spinal taps (5) didn't show anything I can't diagnose MS even though you fit the criteria.

She did diagnose me with CIS (Clinically Isolated Symptoms) which is a pre cursor for MS. At last a diagnosis! It took about 10 years several Doctors and seven Neuros to get an answer.

People in "limbo" know how it is because all we ask for is an answer and if the Doctor doesn't know they should say so and refer to someone who can help.

I have my answer. I feel better knowing.