Hurting worse than ever.

[Lanakay]

The rheumatologist and my primary care doctor both agreed that I should see a physiatrist. I had 2 MRIs, X-rays of my neck and lower back and bloodwork. I have degenerative disc disease and as a bonus bilateral apical pleural thickening that doesn’t seem to be causing a problem. I am still tapering off prednisone and am at 4mg I also have been prescribed 400mg gabapentin 3 times a day. I’ve had 2 injections for my neck. Each helped for about a week. The gabapentin is helping with my headaches. I was waking up nearly every night with a headache. Now I have manageable pain in my neck and shoulders that the physiatrist said he was most concerned with. My lower back, thighs, groin and calves are very painful at night. My lower back, buttocks and back of my thighs hurt all the time to some degree but at night everything hurts and it is hard to sleep. I don’t know where to turn anymore. I haven’t felt really good for about 3 years. I’m on my second gp, second rheumatologist and first physiatrist. I keep trying! Now physiatrist has ordered a month of physical therapy 3 times a week. Does anybody have any advise for me?

[SheffieldJane]

Not really Lanakay. It sounds like you are in good capable hands and they are actively trying things. The trouble with co-morbidities apart from the fact that you have them, is that they make it very much a trial and error mission to obtain pain relief. It must be so lowering. I hope and pray that you get relief soon. You are on such a low dose of Pred now too. Fingers crossed for the physical therapy. 💐

[Lanakay in reply to SheffieldJane]

Thank you for your reply. The rheumatologist had me try going back up to 15 mg of prednisone but that didn’t help at all so started a slow taper again. I am praying that this physical therapy helps. Mornings are the terrible right now. I am really not a cry baby but this is bad.