Thank you both so much for the replies.

The IBS diagnosis was given after a couple of bouts of RUQ agony that landed me in hospital for a week or two each time. I had ultrasounds and an endoscopy which showed mild gastritis/redness of the stomach lining but nothing around the gallbladder, which they had initially suspected. I do get a "stressy stomach" sometimes and there are some foods that set it off, but I feel this is pretty normal with most people, it was the pain that was terrifying. As they couldn't find anything, they tested me for coeliac and some food allergies and all were negative. What is interesting is that after the 2nd facet joint injections, my back pain and nerve symptoms spread upwards and included rib pain that was incredibly similar to the RUQ pain I had - I do wonder if it's more a neurological issue related to my back rather than the gastrointestinal issue it was presumed as. That said, the hospitalisations came at a time I was on strong oral painkillers and was the reason behind me going on the patches.

I have tried to get hold of my MRI report but they have told me it is not allowed, it only gets sent to the doctor that requested it, not to patients. At my last hospital (under a different NHS area) I was sent a copy of an old MRI, so I think it's a local "rule" rather than a legal issue. I have asked to be sent a copy by the consultant once he receives it, he might be more forthcoming. Saying that, I won't see that consultant til AFTER the neurosurgery team.

I know what you mean about finding the right doctor, and I do think that half the problem is that these doctors are looking for what they specialise in, rather than the whole picture and history which might be out of their specialty. Once they have ruled out what they know, it's not their problem any more. I often feel like they are just thinking "What do I tell this woman to get this over with til next time?" and that it's more about time management to some of them than "fixing" me. Because of the amount of time between appointments it sometimes feels like I am meeting them for the first time each time I go and that the majority of the time is spent going over old ground again. Does that make sense?

As for the SCS, I have a hunch that is what the doctor was hinting at. When I shared this hunch with the GP he agreed but that's mainly because that's the only op we can think of that the Chronic Pain Service would be talking about under my circumstances and lack of diagnosis. It's a big thing to consider though, especially if there's an option that deals with the cause itself. Of course we won't know if there is without a diagnosis.

Swimming is the only exercise I can think of that is low enough impact for me. A 15 minute walk around the local park has my heel and back in a lot of pain even on sticks. I feel that if I don't find a suitable exercise solution that I *can* actually do without too much repercussions, this problem is going to get worse. That said, I have been this way for months and it's only since the Pregabalin that I started gaining weight, as I try to eat healthily. More so now! Portion control is everything, which is quite hard when you're awake 20 hours of the day and fairly "stoned" on meds that aren't taking the pain away. I used to comfort eat a lot but have knocked that on the head, although some nights I lie awake remembering the days when I could get away with snacking through pain lol. I think overall my calorific needs must be minuscule because of my inability to move around much lol.

I used the Nefopam again last night and the last two times I have used it (not at the full dose I'm allowed either) I have had quite frightening experiences. The night before last I had it in my head that if I shut my eyes I would see something terrifying, and ended up awake most of the night with the room spinning, something that sounds really silly when I'm not "under the influence" but shows the psychological effect on me at the time. I just wasn't mentally capable of telling myself what an idiot I was being. Last night I woke up nearly being sick in my sleep and had moments where even sat up in bed I was falling back asleep and dreaming very vividly within minutes, then waking. This repeated all night with each dreaming period being between 10 and 20 minutes. I have been feeling very nauseous and have had a killer headache much of the day, but that's not surprising when I have lost so much sleep. It's gone now but what a hangover! I won't be touching it again. I said that the night before last though and last night turned to it in the hope the previous night had been a one off, it's so hard to not try anything when you're in that much pain. I just want one night of good sleep, it has been months now. I don't know how much of my exhaustion is that, the medication or whatever's going on with me!

On the plus side I said 6 months ago that I would not be able to go on for another day and I've done 6 more months. There have been milder days and there have been really bad ones but I must be stronger than I thought, even if I feel like wailing "Woe is me" all the time and spend my life apologising for being useless!

Thanks for all the support, it really means a lot xxx