back pain

[tec2tec]

ive been put on gabapentin 900 mg 3 times a day along with amitriptyline 20 mg at night baclofen 10 mg x 3 oral morph im at a loss to still be in pain im feeling very low at the moment i have just swallowed 100 ml of oral morph but don't feel any different these side affects of gabapentin is really getting me down because of they way i feel with the pain can any one suggest anything else that might help but with out the suicide feelings im on 37 different tablets a day and it getting to me now when i told the doctor how i feel he said basically grim and bear with it so im at the point now where my 30 yr marriage has fallen apart because the pain is slowly wrecking me thank you for reading but i hope things will change but not holding my breath

[FFUDON]

I don't know what to suggest, I feel your pain, and wish you to stay strong.

Please remember, tomorrow is another day, it just might be a better day, and it's worth a gamble to find out if it is.

Hoping you have some relief very very soon

[andyglasgow2016]

He with those meds you must be feeling all over the place... I take gabapentin too and can feel very whoozy on that.

Back pain is not good st all and I suffer with it too from a car crash. Don't give in despite feeling suicide is the answer, it's not it'll just wreck your family more and leave them with the shattered pieces.

I'm really praying you find peace in this c****y time.

Keep going to your doctor and pressing him for a solution...

And talk to him how you are feeling as the. Tablets can cause these thoughts

God bless and praying for you

Andy

[Moshe]

I don't know if you are aware of pregabablin? It's the alternate drug to gabapentin. You could try rotating to that. Are you in a pain clinic? I had to ask to be referred and my GP did and now I see a pain nurse and have just had an assessment for the pain management programme. I'm so sorry you are feeling so awful. It's really hard and isolating. One of the side effects of gabapentin is that it can give you suicidal thoughts. I would definitely talk to your GP and think about coming off it. Also you could try a TENS machine if you haven't already and there is a really good book (I think it's good anyway) called Mindfulness for Pain and Illness by Vidyamala Birch. She is the founder of Breathworks and lives with pain every day following a spinal injury and is in a wheelchair. Also if you can face it and there is a class in your area check out Feldenkrais. I've been able to do it thoughout my illness and it helps with back pain but very few people seem to have heard of it.

[pump321]

I am so sorry to hear that you are suffering with such terrible pain. I can only agree with all that other people have said already. I urge you to go back to your GP and tell him how you feel or see another Doctor at your surgery who may be more helpful. Pain is a terrible thing to endure. I don't have any medical qualifications but I am concerned about the amount of pain killing medication you are taking and I do know that Gabapentin can make you feel very low indeed. I was given this but after reading the side effects I decided not to take it. I really hope you are able to get some help soon and don't give up even though your life is so difficult at the moment. Seek help and I'm sure you will get it. Saying a prayer for you, God Bless You

[grumpylittleuterus]

I'm so sorry that you are in so much pain. My heart really goes out to you. I would say go straight back to your GP - fight for yourself one more time - and if you don't have complete confidence in your GP to pursue some new strategies for you, then find a new one. Your GP should have you under the care of a pain clinic too.

Lots of those pain meds have a possible side effect of depression and maybe this is unavoidable but it's something to keep in mind because that is a lot of different meds you are taking!! A different GP or a pain specialist might be able to cut down your pill load and get better pain control at the same time.

I agree with others that mindfulness helps, it certainly helps me to feel that the pain doesn't own my whole life, and even if you are skeptical it's worth a try.

Good luck xo

[ginger31]

I'm so sorry for the awful suffering you are experiencing, and as others have said, my heart goes out to you.

I have suffered with severe central neuropathic pain for the past 18 months. I'm prescribed pregablin and although I get some side effects (short term memory a mess and can't always find words I want to say) I find this better than the pain. I was also on amitriptyline which did nothing for the pain but I've had good relief since attending a pain clinic and switching to Duloxetine.

In the past I've tried oromorph but my sort of pain, or maybe it's just me, doesn't respond to opiates. I also read recently that once the opioid receptors in the body are saturated it doesn't matter how much opiates a person takes, the relief is very limited but the side effects continue to build up.

Maybe now is not the time but I've also benefitted from reading Coping Sucessfully with Pain by Neville Shone, himself a chronic pain sufferer.

Relaxation is so important but so difficult when in the middle of agony.

I just hope some of the replies help a little if only by engendering a feeling of mutual support, and hope.

[Kjohnso45]

Call your doctor immediately!!! Some of the meds you are taking cause these negative feelings. Take one day at a time. If I didn't have a relationship with Jesus Christ and receive the peace He offers, I'd be thinking the same. I believe His promises, I receive them and trust them. It's not easy but He leads me to still waters, gives me peace. Call on Him, then call your Doc! And tell him. Praying for you!

[Esther12 in reply to Kjohnso45]

Yes it's Jesus that have see me through l had sciatica that cause numbness from my right waist down to my feet. I was also give all kind. But l did not depend on the medicine alone but used pray to support it. The chronic pain is gone thank God l an now on prageblin 75g one twice a day but it was later increase to two capsules twice daily because of discomfort from numbness that never goes away.

My gp told me my nerve has be damage so the numbness will not go awayl have to live with it.

I told her with God all things are possible and my walking is terrible.so please don't give up give all your pains and battle to Him that gave wisdom to this doctor's. He will see you through as help me.

l will put you on my prayer.

[Kjohnso45 in reply to Esther12]

Amen!!!! We don't always understand, but we trust in His wisdom

[SazRah]

Hi! Sorry you feel like this, I know how you feel, you're stuck in a catch 22, the tablets make you feel like hell and don't fully take the pain away, but you can't not take them! I have just been referred to my third pain clinic as I have moved quite a way away from my home as I need to use a wheelchair indoors now and couldn't afford a bigger house where I lived! My new pain team emphasise pain 'management', and they all work together having a weekly meeting to discuss patients, so the pain specialists, physios, occupational therapists, nurses etc all meet up. I have recently been introduced to the work of Lorimer Mosely, he specialises in pain and is based in Australia. He's written 2 books one is called "explain pain" the 2nd edition is £55 on amazon, and the "protectometer" is cheaper, but you need to have had pain education first. If you google him there are a couple of YouTube videos of his lectures. They are very good for anyone to be able to follow, you don't have to be a medical professional. the theory is that once you fully understand pain and where it comes from, you can start to take control of it and get your life back. It sounded a bit wacky to me at first and I was very sceptical -I have a PhD in medicine and it all sounded a bit made up...but it is well grounded in science and actually all makes sense. I had nothing to lose, so I'm giving it a go. I have already begun to change the way I think about the pain and it's made me a lot more positive, and I've begun planning the future, something I hadn't done for a long time as there was no point!

It will be hard to do on your own, but lots of pain clinics don't help much anyway, I think my new one is def in the minority from what I've read on here and my own experience!

I know someone else recommended pregabalin but I would urge caution with that if you ever suffered from migraines. There is a high chance of triggering individual migraine symptoms with this drug....I kept blacking out, I did this coming down the stairs, went to hospital and saw a consultant neurologist as my arm had also gone numb, and she had been part of a research team looking at pregabalin and migraines. She told me that soon a recommendation will be sent to all Drs not to prescribe it to migraine sufferers, but not sure if it's been sent yet!

A tens machine can also help as someone else said, I have found that if you turn it all the way up you can start to go numb and pain decreases...ignore the instructions to only use for 1hour as this is rubbish (I've been told by several Drs)

Hope I've helped a bit, not sure what else I can say, other than you aren't alone! Take care, hope you get some relief soon xxx

[tec2tec in reply to SazRah]

Thank you I will looking into that

Pregabalin is not available where I live

[Lima6MCT]

Just a thought - have a word with your local Pharmacist to make sure that none of the medications you are taking are fighting with each other. A pharmacist is more likely than a GP to know of any contraindications caused by combinations of drugs.

[tec2tec in reply to Lima6MCT]

I have spoke to the pharmacy because most of the table are for pain and angina and blood pressure I have to let them know if I get any side affects I'm at loss

[Nikk-1]

Ok I get where your coming from arcoxia works wonder with clonazepam with 4 day transdermal patch plus many other things. I am never pain free but not as much foggy head plus my cognitive function has improved. I am doing a degree and that keeps me motivated. I find that distracting myself helps. I know it's very very difficult but don't fight the pain and when it's at its worst say to those around you my code word is that the pain monsters are here then people understand why your biting there head off.

[Sazntef]

Definitely ask your doctor for a medication review. If they keep adding on new meds without looking for drug interaction issues you can end up with side effects including the depression and suicidal feelings. The Amitryptiline is an anti depressant, but may be blocked by some of the others. Where abouts are you, pregabalin isn't restricted so should be available most places.

Stick with it, there's a light at the end of this tunnel. Xx

[helenalmond150450]

Don't give up i know how you must be feeling. Please ask dr for an antidepressant that will work its a long road but it will get better to manage. Like you i am on a lot of painkillers. As a thought have you tried diclofenac it can help.