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I'm so mad at my Dr right now

Posted , 10 users are following.

stacyrenee
stacyrenee

So I have chronic lower back pain, sciatic nerve pain, joint pain, frequent headaches, and cystitis around that time of month.

My main concern is my back and sciatic nerve pain as it sucks basically.

My Dr knows my history of chronic back pain. Even after doing an xray and MRI on my lower back he says everything's fine, I do have facet arthritis in my l5 disk which I think is a main cause of my pain in my back hips and legs.

Aside from all that, he's been trying to put me on antidepressants. Which I really really don't want to take, they're not good, he wanted to put me on amitriptyline, I made it VERY CLEAR to him i did not want to take antidepressants. He has suggested it four times. For anything from chronic headaches to nerve pain. Then he suggested taking lortabs for my cystitis, not my back pain...... Anyways, I told him I wanted the loratabs for pain, and he again suggested antidepressants. I told him I didn't want antidepressants so then he said he sent out a prescription. I went to go pick it up expecting lortabs and it was tramadol. I looked it up online and it's a pain killer with an antidepressant!!!!!!

I looked up the side effects and it's a list as long as my arm and many of the same side effects as amitriptyline including: suicidal thoughts, anxiety, agitation, irritability, feeling ill, lack of sexual performance our sex drive, insomnia, hallucinations, change in walking or balance, chest discomfort, indigestion, loss of memory, pain, basically everywhere, seeing hearing or feeling things that aren't there, trouble performing routine tasks, discouragement, feeling sad or empty, loss of interest or pleasure, muscle aches and pains, restlessness, abnormal dreams, trouble concentrating, decreased interest in sex, feeling jittery, joint pain, back pain, tightness in chest, trouble sleeping...

Most of these side effects are from the snri ,the antidepressant part. I for one don't want to take something that altars serotonin and that sort of thing. I just need a simple solution for pain. He has the nerve to prescribe something with an antidepressant in it after I've told him six times I don't want that. Rrrrrr . I was even taking st John's wort and it helped with the pain but it messed with my mood and sex drive, I'm sure add he'll not going to take a stronger version of that.

Oh and I'm writing this at almost three in the morning because I can't sleep on Christmas eve and this is my first day of taking it......

1 like, 28 replies

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  • stacyrenee
    stacyrenee

    Posted

    Thanks guys for the input.

    1. I'm not saying my Dr is wrong, but I'm not saying we agree on things either. He has tried to put me on anti depressants for four different things, I've told him several times I don't want to take anything that alters my brain chemistry. I don't trust antidepressants. I'm not saying tramadol is an antidepressant but it does have an snri, which affects serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain.

    http://www.healthline.com/health/pain-relief/tramadol-vs-hydrocodone#Overview1

    "Tramadol has two different actions in the body. It is an opioid analgesic, which means that it attaches to receptors in your brain to change your perception of pain. It also works like an antidepressant, prolonging the actions of norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain"

    I asked him for lortabs for the pain. And he gave me tramadol. Then he told me that it's not an anti depressant. Even though I found much evidence on web MD and the like saying it is.

    I would much rather take a cleaner pain killer I don't care about tolerance because I won't take it all the time.

    I used to drink bourbon every day for the pain, which worked. But isn't a healthy or sustainable habit.

    2. Yes I do think cystitis contributes to lower back pain, mine only occurs right before my hormones change for my womanly cycle but that comes with back pain all in itself. Most of my pain originates from the nerves in my lower back and hips connected to my sciatic nerve.

    • thebird55
      thebird55 stacyrenee

      Posted

      It is not at all unusual for health care providers to be ignorant of the dual action of tramadol. And I have found that some providers are reluctant to learn anything from a patient. (What can you tell me? I'm the doctor!)
  • m._r.31253
    m._r.31253 stacyrenee

    Posted

    just be very careful with tramadol.  I took oxy for 6 years for lower back pain.  I've had three surgeries...my spine is fused now L5/S1.  So i have pain a lot!  I went through a treatment center to get off the oxy.  I actually had much less pain once i got off that crap! That was in September 2010.  This past June I started having pain in my side...test after test shows nothing wrong.  I'm in severe pain...but doc knows i don't want any narcotics or opiats.  So...........she gives me tramadol.  I take it for 7 months.  Finally had my gallbladder out.  Pain still comes off and on in my side and back but can live with it.  I stop taking the tramadol and get EXTREMELY SICK...i thought, i know this feeling.  It's withdrawal!  I freaked out, call the doc.  She said wean off.  I tried.  Every time i lowered my dose I'd get sick as hell.  So now i'm taking methadone.  Started at 4ml twice a day.  Down to 3 ml twice a day.  It's easier so far.  Just hot flashes and anxiety.  Still struggling some, but i have to work.  No sick leave at this job!  Bills got to be paid.  Anyway...just be careful.  These damn doctors have no idea what the long term effects are with tramadol.  Oh, and it just changed in the US.  Is now a narcotic! 
    • Zio10
      Zio10 m._r.31253

      Posted

      I know exactly what you are going thru. Same thing happened to with the pain on rt upper side. Started in March of this yr. I was on Tramadol for a short time. Didnt help went to ER an ultrasound came back normal an bloodwork normal. So sent for Papida scan (function of gallbladder test)& it came normal. So had an EGD down throat. Normal. So only explanation was gallbladder. So had it out an 2appendix in June. Still have that pain off an on but not to bad. Tramadol is a slippery slope. Be careful with it. I think no matter how long you take it you have withdrawls. The longer you take it the worse withdrawls. I had to go to detox facility in May of 2014. I had a bad addiction to Tramadol .an took it for yrs. Horrible withdrawls even with med help. An depression an anxiety followed ever since. Horrible
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