GABAPENTIN

Hi Judith, I think the effects of Gabapentin took about 5 days to show as I think I started on 1 a day, then next day 2, then 3 etc etc until I was on quite a few a day - I got a swollen and raw face - this drug is famed for the side effects - you may not get any - the shame was it did stop the awful sharp nerve pain down the legs and supress it - I took it about last March when I was at the lowest point with the whole back business and the week before had a ripped a toe nail from my foot and felt nothing as the feeling in the foot had gone - the Gabapebtin brought the foot back to life and it never went numb again.

The operation after marth is very sore and painful at the wound site but it will be and it is only temporary - I also have 9 metal staples in at the moment that dont help matters either - but the nurse came today to change the dressing and I looked at it and it is healing very well. Unfortunately I had very bad sciatic leg pains back this morning which have now died down....last night was the first night since the op I laid on my back so it probably upset things a bit...I am sure it will all go away soon!

In answer to your question about waiting - I've had problems for a long time and it was mis-diagnosed last year as sancriolitos - now I have spelt that wrong and I'm typeing standing up too so I'm allowed haha! but then I was off work by August in a state and got a private MRI done in October and consultation and was told I had a very herniated disc that had leaked it's contents out and it needed surgery 'urgently' - then went back to the NHS and well - was on the waiting list as 'urgent' - waited from October to July...well thats 10 months(it was nearly 11) - I have nearly been off work a year - I am sorry to hear about your all too familiar scenario just trying to get going in the morning - I KNOW what a complete drag down the whole business is - are you on a waiting list - what stage are you at??? Lee

Hi, I have been like it for 8 weeks,(seems for ever though), I hav not even seen a consultant yet still waiting on the list for a scan, ( 6months),, do you mind me asking how much was it private, I have been told if I want to go private I have to go to Cheltenham for it, quite a way to sit as I live in South Wales. The mornings are really bad takes me a good 45 min to get my leg out of the bed what with the nerve pains, really bad worse than labour pains, then a good 3 hours before I stop getting the nerve spasms when I am trying to walk, once I get walking they seem to stop, I just have an ache in my back all the time, I manage to go to work for a couple of hours. My side affects are I just feel not with it, and shaky I take 3 a day now,just don't want to put on weight, I tried to have a glass on wine the othe night no way was I bad, was you able to have a drink, will just have to hope it happens soon and carry on with my traction , that is probably the best 35 mins a week, speak to you soon

Jude

Hi Judith, Heavens I know exactly what you are going through - that has been me for the last 10 months....I was lucky (ish) I got my MRI and consultation done by a private medical insurance BUT they would NOT do the op! They said they didn't do those ops - so hence why I went to the NHS and then I got penalised for 15 weeks for an appointment as I was seen as a 'queue jumper' to get on the waiting list - apart from the fact I had saved them £1000 by getting a scan and diagnosis and also pay my stamp too I got made to wait and had to wait from October to Feb to see their consultant on NHS - the joke is - last week I actually had the op done in a private BUPA hospital paid for by the NHS !!??!! I think scan prices vary and BUPA etc will give you a quote and they have hospitals all over the place - I had mine done at London Bridge Hospital in Canary Wharf. They are about £500-800 ish I think.

I really do sympathise with you and my lord you are still working - cripes!! So you havn't had this confirmed yet to what it is (but it does sound very very slipped discy) I know about the weight thing I went from a 10-12 and I am now a 16. And as for wine! I was doing a bottle, maybe nearly 2 a night when things were bad as after a year of it I was losing it as you know it affects everything (I have lost my job, am in the middle of buying a house etc nightmare). It all sounds grim but there is light at the end of the tunnel - I did push things along by going to my MP otherwise I would still be waiting. If you cannot get a scan done soon try that one - 6 months is unacceptable.

I never had traction or even traction suggested to me - maybe because the disc had herniated and leaked. I am glad you get some relief from that - are you still driving? I haven't driven my car since last september and it is dead and rotting on the driveway. Apart from painkillers and wine nothing helped - though don't get hooked on codeine as I did and had a hell week coming off it - be careful with that - also don't become a bloated semi alcohlic like I was - I can't believe I've not drunk for a week - unthinkable 10 days ago!! You main goal at the moment is finding out exactly what is going on in your back - then you know what you are dealing with. It makes me so mad so many of us are in this position grrr sorry I wont start ranting!

The main thing is be careful with these pills they dole out - since April I have only taken normal shop bought paracetamol - and actually just went back on it today. I really didn't like popping all the pills after months and months but then I just subsituted them with wine that wasn't good either! If you can get the scan done privately at least you know what you are up against and can skip that part of the NHS waiting game - even if you get penalised it will still be shorter than waiting for their scan you can do what i did - take the scan to your GP and get them to refer you to a good surgeon and get on his/her waiting list asap.

Lee

Hi Thanks for that, the physio said it is deff the dis but as yet do not know which one, no I am not driving, can't even get in and out of a car prop, as for work they are very good it is only 5 mins frm my houseso I get a taxi n when I feel like, and really just do what I can and go home.. I just don't want to put on load of weight i the last 2 years I have gone from a 10 to a 16 I can't affoed to put on any more think I will have another word with my Gp about changing tabs, I have no private health care in this job my last job we had it, so looks like I will have to wait.

What part of the UK are you from, I was originally from Peterborough but movede to Wales about 30 years ago with my parents :roll: .

At least it is good to speak to people on here you do not feel so alone, prob made loads of spelling mistakes in this as the mornings are the worse, tried a couple of largers last night didn't make me feel so ill. well will speak to you soon

Jude

hi judith &lee what a lot of waiting we seem to do , judith i like you have had to wait for a scan my wait was from sept2006 to feb27 2007 but before that i had to wait for an xray when i origanally ijnured myself oct2005 i had that done in the jan but that was inconclusive so i had to wait to see a consultant in pow i had my appointment through for sept 2006 in feb this year the orthopedic doctor i saw said i needed to see a neurologist for surgery so he would write to swansea i asked how long i would have to wait, he said a few weeks well that few weeks turned into 18 and now i have to wait again on the \" urgent\" list what a joke . i wished id paid private to see the orthopedic doc about £100 and he could have got me on the list a lot quicker. I think like you lee im going to speak to my mp as i think 21 mths to get treatment is totaly unacceptable and i might even lose my job over it they arnt going to keep it open for me indefinate ive been off since feb as it is. all the best both let us know how things progress gail

Hi Judith & Gail....hope your weekend isn't too full of pain!! I am feeling born of frustration again as all I want to do is sit outside and I cannot at this stage after the op - silly isn't it - I knew the weather would improve the minute I got the op done and I know I must stop moaning lol! I think I have become a professional moaner! On a better note in the last two days my back wound has become more comfortable but the leg pains are still rumbling around - it is only 9 days ago since the op. I also got an appointment to have the staples out on the 14th August.

In answer to your question Judith I am in Westerham on the Kent/Surrey border - I had the op done in Redwood Hospital (BUPA centre) in Redhill, Surrey - lovely place and lovely staff.

I found writing to my MP got things done a lot quicker but it didn't help me get any higher on the waiting list - I've had several meetings with my employer and they are now going to dismiss me as they have said there is no guarentee I will not take lots of time off again for my back. To be honest I have a job where I was sitting for 12 hour shifts and I don't think I will be able to do that anyway. The MP helped me get an appointment with the consultant quicker - I met up with him at one of these local MP 'surgeries' they have at local town halls. There is no harm in trying this and I recommend it - I emailed him 5pm on a Sunday evening - 8.30am the next day I had his secretary on the phone from the House of Commons taking up the case. I didn't mention to you both that that I saw a consultant before the one that just did the op at Farnborough Hospital in Bromley and he said it 'would go away in time!' - anyone even with no medical training can see on the MRI the disc had herniated everywhere - the reason they said this is they know the scans have been done privately and they suggested I could afford to get the op done too!... so I got the MP to help me get another appointment with a Surrey surgeon but the hospital kept losing the 'pain questionare' they send out to see how much pain you are in (I KNOW!!!) they score it and this is how urgent you will get an appointment - well they kept repeatedly losing it - it was a joke and this is then when the MP stepped in and sorted it. I hope all that made sense as typing standing up is making me ramble!

Lee

Hi Lee

How are things with you now, has the pain got an easier. I had a telephone call yesterday from the hospital and I have an apointment tomorrow at 2.30 with the rheumatologist, think maybe they have refered me to the wrong place but will go and see what happens.

Today the pain was bad this morning but has eased off during the day that is until I go to bed and then my legs come back with avengance.

Let me know how things are with you.

Hurrah! Wow an appointment - excellent! Rheumatologist is fine - they know all about the ole lumber discs - and if he/she cannot help they can refer you and it is a step on the ladder to action. Let me know what happens. Are you still taking the Gabapentin - if so any joy?

I am doing well - walked into town yesterday which was good....nurse came today and signed me off and did a special water resistant dressing so I finally had a shower and washed my hair - bliss! Next step is getting rid of the staples next Tuesday.

I hope your appointment goes well, Lee

hope you got my message Lee sent it by PM

Hi Lee and Gail

Went back to physio again to-day just expected the normal traction but oh no, load of stretching exercises could not walk after, in agony to-night in places I have never had pain, apparently its because of holding myself with the back ets the muscles can start to waste, have to do these exercieses every day, next time I go to physio one and a half hour visit traction and the gym !!!!!!!!,

How are things with you both, did either of you have traction, and Lee which disc was it again that you had done, will speak to you soon, and hope you both have good weeekend.

Jude

Hi,

I hope you are not in too much pain....I didn't have traction as the disc was herniated - it was disc L5/S1 - in answer to your question on PM about age - I am 34 - there seems to be a lot of people on this site aged 34 too which is spooky.

I haven't taken pain killers yet today - this is the first time in over a year - what a milestone - there IS light at the end of the tunnel but it is all the uneccessary s*** that goes on before that really wears you down.

Thinking of you!

Lee M

Hi Lee

Glad you are feeling a little better to-day, what is the difference between a bulging disk and a herniated disc, I am beginning to wonder if I have either or is it something else, well have a good day tomorrow hopefully another day without the painkillers

Jude

Hi Jude....a bulging disc is a slipped disc that has not - well basically exploded and leaked out - that is a herniated disc - the contents of the disc spills out - traction will not help a herniated disc to my knowledge so if you get releif from it - you may have a slipped disc....my disc had herniated and spilled - it could be quite clearly seen on the MRI in pieces and the rest of it dehydrated and dead. All the other discs on the MRI are white ish and ok the dead one is black and you can see it has broken up an dis sitting on the nerves.

Boy I hope you get a scan soon - as just knowing what you are dealing with will be so much better.

speak to you soon,

Lee