To appropriately answer your question, I need to know a few things. First, did your .M.R.I report indicate whether there was encroachment on either neural foramina? Is there any stenosis mentioned at the levels where the disc is herniated? Was your scan of the cervical (neck) and thoracic spine, or just cervical? The reason I ask is because you speak of the T3-4 level, and I am wondering if you actually mean the C3-4 level. That would be helpful to know. I can give you a better indication of your prognosis with this information.

I copied the mri report excactly as its typed...

It was a cervical spine MRI, but they found the T3-4 on it as well..

There was no mention of encroachment on either neural foramina? Is there any stenosis mentioned at the levels where the disc is herniated?

Thanks for replying..

Trying to figure out what I can do to correct this problem of mine, I'm so sick of being in pain... I injured in 11/2006 and had the mri done 3/2007..

Been out of work the whole time and I feel like I get the run around from the dr's....

For pain meds I am currently taking hydrocodon 7.5/500 every 4-5 hrs and I take lyrica 100mg three times a day...

I also have flexeralls which I take sometimes..

Tried trmadol,celebrax, arthotec, darvocet, oxycodone... the list goes on...


I've also have a cervical epidural injection which actually made the pain worse for me

currently waiting on approval for 3 cervical medical branch blocks and epidural for the T3-4 site...


What do you think would be a good pain med combo ??

anyone ?

so much for being a "helpful" forum....

JALK....sorry I didn't see this post. I replied to one of the other ones.

I took hydrocodone, morphine, oxycontin, demerol, lyrica, tramadol and some other heavyweight drugs over a four-yr. period. Some worked, some didn't, but I got hooked on hydrocodone (norco) and was taking as many as 12 tabs a day.

One of the hardest things I have ever done is to get off the pain meds and start pain management. The pain is there constantly and I am trying several different strategies to control it.

I think you should find one pain med that works for you and then take only enough to take the edge off the pain. My pain is in my lower back but I think cervical pain just as acute. Whatever you do, don't get yourself into the fix I did where I had to have the meds just to function.

I found out that I have an additive personality even though I don't smoke and don't drink (sometimes). A psychologist told me that I don't drink because both of my parents were alcoholics but the chronic pain syndrome is a tough one to avoid for anyone, especially me.

The epidural injections and nerve blocks never worked for me either, and surgery was not a viable option, so unless some miracle drug hits the market, I am facing pain for the rest of my life. Hopefully, you can get your pain under control.

lsg

Look, this is a health forum, not a physician's office. I cannot be here 24/7 to answer all the posts that appear here about back pain. i actually attempted to answer your question twice, but was hijacked by my children, so have a little patience. If you need immediate assistance go to your physician.

As far as medications go, it would be impossible for me to give you a magic combination. You indicate that most of the oral narcotics are not helpful. in that case, you might ask your physician for a trial of Durgesic or Lidoderm patches. If you are needing more thatn that, you may well have to consult a physician who works in a pain clinic.

No need to get moody with me miss sillyak, you act like your the only person here that can reply to these posts...... I understand, I just figured there would be a quicker turnover here...

I've alread been to the physician, the orthopedic surgeron, the pain management clinic... I have the lidoderm patches as well, the only thing they work good with is my spazm areas...

I'm trying to work with my pain clinic but they dont like to prescribe anything other then crap that dont work, I had to go to my primary dr for the hydrocodene 7.5's and even he gave me a hard time, these people must not understand the pain some of us are dealing with...

all I want is some relief and to learn what kinda options I have with other then dealing with this day in and day out...

Its extremely annoying as I'm sure you've already gathered....

Update :

Pain Management is keeping me on the Lyrcia 100mg 3x daily, and today I started Cymbalta 30mg 1x daily for this week, then 60mg daily next week, with taking the lyrica still as well.. She says all my pain is nerve damage related and this is why hydrocodone/oxycodone etc is not working for me...

Can anyone concor with this ??

I should be in better spirits with the cymbalta as its a anti-depressant as well as something that will help my constant nerve pain...

Any thoughts?

JALK....I'm also taking Cymbalta and it seems to ease the depression which comes with chronic pain. So, with the Lyrica, you should start feeling better soon. My pain is also nerve damage in several discs.

The second part about the hydrocodone not helping, I'm not sure except to say that not all of them worked for me either. You might be one of those rare people for whom the drugs do not work. Or perhaps you were not taking a large enough dose. It takes a while to hone in what drug works for you and then which dosage does too.

In my case, by the time I found out what worked, I was already dependent on it. Remember, it does take up to a month to feel the full effects of Cymbalta.

Good luck

Update :

Still taking cymbalta, not taking the lyrica anymore. No differnence without the lyrica... at week 2.5-3 of the cymbalta I was feeling really good, now it just seems to have leveled off, I am taking 60mg a day and I missed a dose one day, OMG what headaches I had.. On 8/10/2007 I had 4 medinal branch blocks done on C4-5-6-7, The pain went away somewhat until 8/13/2007, I was moving some boxes on 8/14/07 and I have worse pain then I did from the begining of my injury in 11/2006. I saw my primary dr yesterday 8/15/2007 and explained the hydrocodone 7.5/500's are not working and I wanted to be on a stronger more suited med with long acting relief and he refused to give me ANYTHING, he referred me back to the pain management place that does my injections, I had an appointment with her today and went over everything I did with my primary dr, that I feel I am being undertreated for my pain, I have legit document supported injuries, conservative treatments arnt working and I need stronger pain meds, they just refuse to give them to me, I was given cortazone tables and some controlled substance ointment to rub on the area, I am extremely frustrated, why do these people not want to treat my pain? I filed two medical misconduct complaints against both doctors this evening as its NYS law to treat a persons pain. My doctors are NOT doing this and I'm angry, upset and the worst, IN PAIN STILL..