hi everyone,
so i've had DDD forever... Im 33 and I'd say about once a year i totally throw out my back (either slip a disk or tear fibers) that leave me in horrible pain and bed ridden for close to a week and then in pain for a long time after. This just happened on Dec 25th... not ever sure what I did, but I was bed ridden for a week in terrible pain, back spasms etc... and Im still not able to sit or stand without being in a ton of pain.
During the course of the year, my back will give me smaller issues and may throw out one more time... it totally sucks as you all know...
I take percs 10/325, usually relafen but it hurts my stomach so im now taking 3-4 advils at a time instead, and I am now trying baclofen for a muscle relaxer. It seems to work ok.
I'm doing a standing MRI next week as Im in so much pain when I stand for more that like, 5 minutes, or even sit for too long. Ive done regular MRIs in the past.
My question is (and of course I'll ask my doctor when I see him in 3 weeks) - what other options besides meds, PT etc are there? Like, what kinds of surgery could I look up online or read about on this board and learn about so I can be educated for my next meeting with my doctor? Im terrified of any surgery, especially on my back, but I think I'm realizing Im too young to live like this... this weekend Im still in bed, I've missed work and dont know what Id do without my meds, I think i need to possibly try something else.
hi! thanks for writing me. :)
yeah - i have some bulging disks too, numbness/tingling/icy feelings in my left thigh when im in certain positions, sciatica that comes and goes, arthritis etc... it's really fantastic. :rolleyes:
My pain comes and goes during the year (in between flare ups) although not to the level it is now. This situation Im going through now feels like a disk herniation, although i think it's just a tear. However, during the course of the year i think i can get away with the percocets when i have pain... but in this situation i wish i had something longer lasting. I'll probably ask my doctor about the oxy when i see him after my standing MRI. something must be getting compressed due to the pain i feel when im sitting/standing.
yeah i take topamax already for migraines. It worked great for a while but i think it is starting to not work quite as well, and I dont want to up my dose. So I mostly rely on percs... cause a lot of other typical migraine meds dont work for me. It also did really helped me with the tingling numbness in my leg, which is a bonus. and the Baclofen sometimes can help with migraines my dr. said, so if it does, Im going to go of the topamax for sure.
Anyhow - I'll take a look at the pain management board. I didnt think of that. thanks!
Has anyone discussed any surgical options with you? Or that injectable disk material i think they can do now?
thanks again for writing me back! sorry for such a long response! no one I know has this issue and it can make you feel lonely to be going through all this pain and that it isnt just some ache. and of course, being basically trapped indoors for 2 weeks isn't so hot either.
:)
wendy
[QUOTE=Wendy88;3376281]hi everyone,
so i've had DDD forever... Im 33 and I'd say about once a year i totally throw out my back (either slip a disk or tear fibers) that leave me in horrible pain and bed ridden for close to a week and then in pain for a long time after. This just happened on Dec 25th... not ever sure what I did, but I was bed ridden for a week in terrible pain, back spasms etc... and Im still not able to sit or stand without being in a ton of pain.
During the course of the year, my back will give me smaller issues and may throw out one more time... it totally sucks as you all know...
I take percs 10/325, usually relafen but it hurts my stomach so im now taking 3-4 advils at a time instead, and I am now trying baclofen for a muscle relaxer. It seems to work ok.
I'm doing a standing MRI next week as Im in so much pain when I stand for more that like, 5 minutes, or even sit for too long. Ive done regular MRIs in the past.
My question is (and of course I'll ask my doctor when I see him in 3 weeks) - what other options besides meds, PT etc are there? Like, what kinds of surgery could I look up online or read about on this board and learn about so I can be educated for my next meeting with my doctor? Im terrified of any surgery, especially on my back, but I think I'm realizing Im too young to live like this... this weekend Im still in bed, I've missed work and dont know what Id do without my meds, I think i need to possibly try something else.
Thanks!!
Hi Wendy, sorry you are having to deal with DDD. I was diagnosed with DDD in 2004. It was at the L5 S1 level. Every subsuquent MRI was worse than the first and like you I was not in chronic pain at first. I would have three good weeks one horrible one. Then that began to change until I got to the point that I could not sit down for more than five mintues or so and then standing long periods was an issue, tossing and turning all night in pain trying to get comfortable, I was not able to enjoy any of the things in my life that I once was able to do. I tried pt, injections, medication, rest. I had a discogram done two months prior to surgery.
Have you tried injections? They helped me for awhile but then even they failed. Also, Lidoderm patches helped me for a bit too.
Also, about the migraines, I have migraines as well, pretty severe ones, I have needed infusion at home on two occassions because they could not stop them. I have never taken percocet for a migraine. I take Maxalt and Fiornal#3. I find that the triptan Maxalt was the best one for me, some of those triptans are so harsh and if the Maxalt fails then I have the Fiornial as a back up. I use the Topamax as my preventative (200mg) a day. The topamax has been a lifesaver for me as far as migraines go.
Anyhow, good luck to you, keep us posted
Lori
[QUOTE=Wendy88;3376588]hi! thanks for writing me. :)
yeah - i have some bulging disks too, numbness/tingling/icy feelings in my left thigh when im in certain positions, sciatica that comes and goes, arthritis etc... it's really fantastic. :rolleyes:
My pain comes and goes during the year (in between flare ups) although not to the level it is now. This situation Im going through now feels like a disk herniation, although i think it's just a tear. However, during the course of the year i think i can get away with the percocets when i have pain... but in this situation i wish i had something longer lasting. I'll probably ask my doctor about the oxy when i see him after my standing MRI. something must be getting compressed due to the pain i feel when im sitting/standing.
yeah i take topamax already for migraines. It worked great for a while but i think it is starting to not work quite as well, and I dont want to up my dose. So I mostly rely on percs... cause a lot of other typical migraine meds dont work for me. It also did really helped me with the tingling numbness in my leg, which is a bonus. and the Baclofen sometimes can help with migraines my dr. said, so if it does, Im going to go of the topamax for sure.
Anyhow - I'll take a look at the pain management board. I didnt think of that. thanks!
Has anyone discussed any surgical options with you? Or that injectable disk material i think they can do now?
thanks again for writing me back! sorry for such a long response! no one I know has this issue and it can make you feel lonely to be going through all this pain and that it isnt just some ache. and of course, being basically trapped indoors for 2 weeks isn't so hot either.
:)
wendy
[FONT="Comic Sans MS"][COLOR="Indigo"]Hi Wendy,
I don't mind your long response or writing you back. Feel free to post anytime for any reason, to to ask questions or just to vent, we all know how you feel :bouncing:. I certainly know all too well what it's like to feel loney and housebound :). I have a big family but no one else has back problems, so while they can say they know how I must feel, they really have no idea. Finding this website was a Godsend for me, in fact, I actually have no idea how I found it, which is funny now, but I do remember how I lurked for mths b/4 joining. I spent a lot of time reading other people's stories :D.
I think what triggered my DDD was pregnancy. After the birth of my first and only child is when my back problems started. I'm glad I didn't know I had DDD before I became pregnant, (even though looking back there were signs of DDD) b/c if I had known I would have never made the decision to get pregnant and have a baby. My son is now a happy, active toddler and I wouldn't trade him for anything. He is such a blessing! I believe God gave me and my husband our son so we could get through this terrible back mess. I hurt chasing after him everyday but it's worth it.
It's interesting that you have DDD and migraines b/c I've always had terrible headaches but have never had them officially diagnosed. There must be a connnection between the two. There are many people on this board and the pain mgmt board that have migraines and back problems.
I have never heard of any procedures involving injectable disc material, but would welcome any information you have about it. I've tried other treatments though, PT (physical therapy) and ESI's (epidural steroid injections). Physical therapy made me feel worse. Have you tried ESI's? That might also be something to discuss w/your doctor. It's an easy, quick, painless procedure my PM does in his office. Steroids shrink the disc causing it to back away from your nerve. It can be a temporary way of relieving some of your pain. How long the ESI last varies from person to person but can be anywhere from 2 wks to 6 mths according to my PM. Personally,I've never received any pain relief from ESI's but it doesn't mean you wouldn't. I've read many different articles written by top notch doctors that people who have both back pain and sciatic nerve pain usually benefit from ESI's. I only have back pain. Due to a herniated disc (L5-S1) compressing my sciatic nerve, my left leg and foot have been numb for almost 2 years now.
I have also had surgery. I had a level 1 spinal fusion at L5-S1 almost a yr ago and I'm in more pain now than b/4 surgery. I feel bitter about my surgery experience but to tell you the truth I don't think my NS (neurosurgeon) necessarily did anything wrong, I think it's the typical progression of DDD. At my pre-op consultation w/my surgeon I had 3 herniated disc - L1, L3, L5 - my NS wanted to take a conservative approach b/c of my age. He told me if fusing L5-S1 didn't help my pain then we would address L1 and L3. During surgery, when he was actually able to see my back, I think he was shocked at it's condition, I think it scared him off. He told me after surgery that I had the back of a 60 yr old's and that it looked worse than any test had previously shown. Seven mths after my fusion instead of trying to fix me and lessen my pain he instead sent me to a PM doctor. During the 7 mths his nurse and secretary were very unkind to me several times and I felt like getting an appt to see him was like breaking into the CIA. I honestly don't think he's a bad surgeon, I think he didn't know what else to do once he cut me open and took a look at my back, mainly b/c of my age. The good thing that came out of this is the PM doctor my NS referred me to. He is wonderful. He's not a typical PM that just writes scripts and pushes ESI's. He did tell me I was a "failed fusion syndrome" statistic and that 70-75% of fusion surgery patients have failed fusions, meaning they spend the rest of their lives living w/chronic pain. You can bet my NS is not telling his pre-op patients how high the failed fusion statistics are. I'm sure he has included me in his sucess statistic, b/c his goal going into my surgery, as told to me by his nurse several times, "was to relieve my nerve pain"...lol...(I'm shaking my head right now) I've NEVER had nerve pain. My PM tells me that right now I'm too young for additional surgeries. He definately thinks more surgeries are a strong possibility in my future but to go ahead with them now would be a waste of time b/c fusions generally don't last for more than about ten yrs. So, I'm stuck w/trying different treatments and meds in an attempt to manage my pain.
I do think that your back problems are probably going to keep getting worse. That seems to be what happens with those of us with DDD. I definately think it's a good idea to discuss different pain meds and treatment options with your doctor now, before your pain gets too out of control.
I'm sorry my post is so long. I hope your pain subsides so you can get out of your house for a while.
thanks scrappin'! I'm chilling out today... taking advil, percs and baclofen... trying to rest up so maybe i can do a half day of work tomorrow. My boyfriend has been waiting on me, which has been lovely!
Anyhow .... Wish me luck! :)
so sorry you've had to go through all that. It must have been so frustrating to say the least... although it has been very interesting to read. I always wonder about getting pregnant and having kids. I feel like i'll push out my disks as well as the baby!! At least you got a lovely little treasure before things got really bad.
gosh - all i want to do is go to the gym. that was my new years resolution.
yes - i feel like there must be some type of connection b/w migraines and back issues... maybe something with the muscles and nerves? hmm....
you should look into your headaches... cause for some people, there are meds out there that are very helpful and you may not have to suffer with those too. I've found the migraine board here helpful here since I've had such issues getting mine under control.
I dont really know a lot about that artificial disk material injection that I mentioned. My parents told me about it (they would like me to have surgery and not rely on meds) but i tried to do a search on ****** and had trouble finding exactly what they were talking about. Perhaps it's still in trials. I thought it was an injection where they put in artificial cushioning between the disks for those of us who don't have it anymore.
I'll ask my Dr. about it and post what I find out.
Yeah, I've heard/read a lot, probably too much, about failed fusions... (im so sorry yours didnt work)... so Id be reluctant to do it unless I was desperate, which I guess at times I feel like I am. As far as injections, my Dr. wanted to do the cortisone injections last time this happened, but I was too scared. Im a huge baby when it comes to procedures, HUGE. But, I'll ask him about it i guess. I have to suck it up and think about injections if Im considering surgery! Just the thought of a long needle in my back freaks me out. I get worried somehow he could hit something and make it worse. But logically I know that doesn't really make a lot of sense.
Anyhow - i hope you are having a nice and somewhat pain free Sunday!
hi all
so i have been back to work, although its been hard. I can only put in a few hours.
However i discovered if i take a baclofen and a percocet, i can get through a 5 hour day ok. I never really thought taking pain killers at work was an option. But its been very helpful and I can still think clearly.
My insurance has denied my doctors request for my standing MRI!! :mad:
so he is appealing it. so insane! I have pretty good health care. my last MRI was 2006.. ugh. i dont understand how they could do that. I dont know the basis in which I was denied...
Well if it doesnt get better soon I will possibly do the ESI... and Im going to start acupuncture. I find that to be pretty helpful when my back is so tight and spasming. I can totally suggest that to anyone having a bad time with their backs. I know it doesnt work for everyone, and it's not inexpensive... but i find that i leave feeling very relaxed as if i had a massage... and it has helped control my pain in the past.
anyhow thanks for all the support. I feel a bit better. Being able to leave the house and knowing that as long as i take meds i should be able to go to work, has been freeing.
I hope you guys have having a good week so far! ;)
