It feels like I've gotten a little relief, but I'm not sure if it's just because they added lyrica and percocet to my laundry list of prescription meds. My injuries happened about a month apart, the work injury occurred on super bowl sunday and the bball injury happened in early march during the NCAA conference championships (I'm a huge sports fanatic). I work in deconstruction for a architectural salvage/antiques company and we were de-constructing an old church that had a lot of nice architectural elements. Anyways some of the windows were broken and there was some ice build up on the stairs, I was carrying about 60lbs of crown molding and slipped on a step and tried to catch myself so I wouldn't drop all the molding and ended up partially tearing my illiotibial band (tendon on the outside of your knee, very thick and tough to tear). I was getting better and re-habbing it and decided a little basketball would be good for me both physically and mentally. I went up for a rebound and collided with a bigger guy than me and fell down right on that leg and re-tore the tendon and also received a bad bone bruise.

I live in the US (NY) and to my knowledge ketamine is tough to obtain or isn't a first option. I will ask my dr about it though as it seems a lot of people say this is very effective.

Thank you Juli for the reading suggestion, I will try to pick it up but my funds are quite tight right now with all these medical procedures, dr's appts, and prescriptions. Not to mention bills and rent.
I don't want to go after worker's comp as I work for a family business that is rapidly expanding and can't afford to deal with that hassle. My mother (partial owner) is paying me under the table and helping out a lot.

I would love to find a batch of ketamine as I have tried it twice in low doses recreationally and it was very pleasurable, and I have read about it's effects on the NMDA receptors which seem could be the issue. I have lidocaine from an old injury and have been using that with some help.

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Unfortunately I used to have an opiate problem after a car accident last summer (which hurt the same knee, opposite side of the knee though and the kneecap). I was prescribed percocet 10's for 2 months and the dr did not ween me off at all and I started withdrawing badly (and was still having knee pain anyways) so I turned to a friend who could get some roxicodone and headed down a slipperly slope.

I went to rehab in Calif and really turned my life around and got myself into incredibly good shape and continued that when I got back home to NY. That's why this injury has been so frustrating as it has killed my physicality. I also have no desire to be an opiate addict again but my tolerance is so high that I have to take the maximum prescribed dose or more just for pain relief as it seems to be the most effective pain reliever for me at this point. But honestly I'd rather be on them than experience this raw gnawing burning pain. At least on them I can walk around without too much pain. Although lyrica seems to help or at least the mix of the two with anti-anxiety meds.


This seems to be at least a percentage of a mental issue, as I can have sex in a couple positions that don't hurt and when I'm doing it (or receiving fellatio) the pain is almost non-existent or only a 2-3 instead of the usual 6-8 (that's including meds). Thankfully I have an amazing girlfriend who is an angel and is really helping me through this.


Sorry for rambling I'm just very confused and a little scared as I really want to get back to the gym and working physically as that's 75% of my work duties.

-Dan

Hi Dan,

So sorry to here you are suffering with RSD. It's a really tough disease to get under control but many do and early intervention is very important.

From my experience with Lumbar Epidurals and what I have been told by my doctors is if you don't get relieve or your pain is worse then maybe it's not the correct treatment. But it is only the first one sometimes it takes a few.

I just want to ask you a few questions if you don't mind. First I hope you are bringing one of your parents with you when you have your PM Appointments, I've seen the good, bad and the ugly you always should have someone with you especially at your age, I also have a 20 yr. old son, does your doctor when administuring the epidural use flourosopy guidance which is a type of tool that allows the doctor to see on a screen exactly where the injection will go , what does your doctor say when you say "you can't twist, or bend or ride in a car" and last how long have you been going through this?

My personal experience with spinal epidurals is as such: I had 4 over the last 4 years. The 1st was great total relieve but 6 months later I needed another which didn't work at all, then I switched doctors same office my insurance changed and this guy did the last 2 and it was absolutly complete relieve, my last one was April 2010,so that's pretty good. So, yes it can go up and down and each persons situation is different. Most doctors don't like to sedate a patient when doing an epidural, they like the patient awake so he/she can ask if the injection is hitting the area of discomfort, but truthfully I have asked to be sedated and yes they do sedate me when I have them done, but I have known these doctors for 7 years, I would never do sedation unless I felt comfortable with the doctor and facility.

Try not to let it get you down. It's a tough road and if you read on this site many go into complete remission and you are young which gives you so much more of a chance of remission. I have read for some reason young people are
more likely to go into remission then someone like me who was 43 when I got hurt. Keep positive this is a great site with many people who are going through the same thing and there are some young adults like yourself on here also.

Gabbycakes

I only have my mom and it's tough for her to come to all the appointments, but she does her best. She'll be there today.

And thank you for the questions I don't mind at all it's relieving to know that someone who gets what I'm going through can ask constructive questions. Yeah he uses some kind of x-ray thing or something to see where the fluid is going. He doesn't ask if I can twist or bend but the sheet they leave me with after says not to ride in a car for 8 hours after. The first one was pretty clinical I was kind of in and out, they gave me lyrica then I had to call back and wait a day of terrible pain for a script of percocet to be filled (god forbid they give me something that actually works) since I'm technically not a patient until tuesday when I sit down with the Dr himself as the they think the Dr who referred me is my Dr, but he is just a family friend who was helping out and rushing me in there so I could be seen as he couldn't take me on as a patient for 2 weeks. It's confusing I know I don't really understand it either, as I thought time was of the essence with this.

They used a local anesthetic last time but it only lasted for maybe 45 minutes then my back killed on top of my knee & calf still killing me. And all that has happened since the first one was an increase in pain in my calf muscle and the feeling that it's spreading. To be honest I would rather be sedated as it's not like I could feel anything there at the moment of impact, and once I saw the size of that needle my only thought was "Holy $#*1, you're sticking that big thing in my spine?".. Now I know that most people go through this, I just hate needles and this was no IV needle, unless you're sticking a grizzly bear.

Thanks again for your support I'm trying to stay positive it's just tough going from being 6' 185 in excellent shape to under 175 and skinny as hell. It also sucks when you had a small drug problem that you're over with but caused you to have a high tolerance. So they act like they're doing me a favor by giving me perc 5's which don't touch the pain unless I take at least 2, usually more like 3-5 when I'm really flaring up, but then I run out and spend a day or two in excruciating pain. And those don't even touch the muscle spasms.

Sometimes I feel like I'd almost be better off saying &%& it and canceling my health insurance saving that money and getting meds that actually work. I know that sounds stupid but it seems more pro-active than this useless stuff. The first one didn't help anything and if anything just made it worse, so I'm pretty disenchanted especially when I read so many people not getting relief or it even making it worse with these spinal things.

I understand the whole "we don't want people hooked on meds" stuff but honestly I'd rather be hooked on something that works so I can go back to work and at least exercise in some capacity, instead of being 20 and walking around with a damn cane like I'm 92 yrs old.

/rant

You can get ketamine in NY. Call the RSDSA for a list of doctors in NY. 877-662-7737.
Insurance paid for my daughter's and many others. Sometimes you have to appeal but the FDA has approved ketamine for breakthrough pain so it is getting more and more acceptable all the time. Can't hurt!!!

Hi Dan,

It all comes down to clinical indications as whether or not your insurance will spring for another MRI or if it's even ecessary. If your exam findings are suggestive of a disc issue, for example in your lower back, then your doc may feel compelled to order a lumbar MRI. It's not so much that your insurance counts how many per your you have and basis a decision on that merit.

Hi Dan,

I'm so glad I was apple to help.

I would be lying if I said I don't take any pain meds. but I have come from 35 pills a day in 2003-2007 to almost nothing. I have done ketamine 3 - 5 day inpatient infustions which did help tremendously. But I had to do 3, which was a drag, believe me.

As I think I mentioned I have been with the same group of doctors for 7-8 years and I was always preached to "once all this is over you will be getting off the medication" and I did. My doctor would always tell me to much of pain killers will actually make you worse in the long run you really have to keep it in check. So, please don't say "I'll cancel my health insurance and buy from someone else", thats really not a solution.. Remember I have a 20 yr. old college student and he tells me everything, sometimes I don't even want to know. But we where all 20 at one point so I get it.

I actually have never seen the size of the needle, I'm a big baby.

What part of NY do you live? Are you close to Manhattan? I hope you appt. goes well today . Keep us posted.

Gabbycakes

I guess we might have found a Dr. that does it, a family friend named Dr. Argoff, but his schedule is wicked packed so I'm not sure it's a definite.

I wish I could just do it myself cuz honestly I can get ketamine easier than a pain patient seeking a legitimate route. Now I'm not going to do it cuz I don't know how to do the procedure, but just goes to show how stupid this country is.

Well I had all this typed out and accidentally hit the back button.

Basically long story short I sat in a hot waiting room for way too long, got funneled in like a dog being put down, then accused to dr. shopping even though I have had a prescription to anti-anxiety meds for 2+ years now, and they help tremendously with my anger and anxiety (often related, and when I say anger I don't mean swearing I mean breaking thousands of dollars worth of **** and beating the **** out of people that cross me).

He then goes on to say that if the first block didn't take, that I shouldn't have another, something I thought all along but everyone else including his own employees said I should stick with. And then, he says in order to get another script of percocet (pretty much the only thing keeping me from the street right now), and a consult with him tomorrow, I have to submit to a drug test. So whatever, I already wrote cannabis on my check in paper, so I **** in this cup just so I can meet with him tomorrow to tell him how much of a f*****g c***s*ck** he is. He said all of this in a very domineering tone as if I'm not a man.

And yes, my mom was there, but I wish she wasn't I woulda stabbed that *** **** with his own horse needle.

And sorry for my language edits but that's the only way I can convey my emotion here

And I live in Albany.

So sorry for what you are going through....

I have a 20 year old daughter. it sucks that you are faced with this are your age. on the other hand, remission is more likely when you are young and when it has been caught early.

the street version of k may not give you the same benefits as the k that's administered by a medical facility. You should be REAL careful thinking that you can duplicate the effects...the dosages need to be titrated at a certain rate over a certain period of time. And side effects can be nasty, I get terribly nauseous without Zofran added to my IV. in addition, the most effective treatments have been demonstrated to be the multiple day protocols. For instance, I started out at 10 days in a row. You really should have good medical care when doing a drug like k for that long...


Most of us have experienced arrogant, egotistical docs who don't listen to us and don't care about our pain. Try to bring someone with you to your appointments for support - a parent or a sibling or a dependable friend.

The RSDSA has a list of pain Mgmt doc on their website. Go to RSDS.org. I really hope you get the help that you need quickly. keep in touch....

Good luck, Sandy

I'm so sorry to hear this. I had a block done on January 31st this year and I now have terrible, severe pain in my entire upper body. It has been a nightmare with things just getting worse and worse and worse. We're still looking for other explanations besides a spread of the CRPS...but I am really scared that CRPS may be the explanation for the new pain...especially after so long with no answers yet. But so far I am hoping I have just had incompetant doctors and that there is another explanation besides CRPS spread.

I really wish I had not let this doc convince me that blocks were the answer. I was doing so well before with meds and physical therapy. Not pain free...but functioning. I'm a stubborn person and will do anything that I need to do to keep that function...but this latest stuff has been a major setback. physical therapy was probably the best thing for me...but without the meds I wouldn't have been able to DO the PT. I was on Lyrica, Mobic, Ultram, and Doxepin along with Lidoderm Patches when I was doing well. Even once I 'finished' physical therapy I still continued to do all the exercises every day at home. It was hard...but totally worth it. I got hurt at work when I was 25 (am now 27) and I am not willing to let this thing get the best of me.

I wouldn't continue the blocks if I were you. I would try the meds, physical therapy, and possibly using a TENS unit and see how those treat you. I've heard good things about Ketamine...but haven't tried it myself so I can't really speak to it. There is so much information here on the board and it's been a great resource for me.

I hope things start looking up for you soon.