no pain relief

Good morning Janette

So sorry to hear about your pain. Have you asked your doctor about a TENs machine, this might help in managing your pain. It doesn't work for everyone but it is something certainly worth trying. Ask your GP if he thinks you would benefit from one.

Melbi x

Hi Jan

Sorry to hear about your problems. I'm taking 1800mg gaba pentin and 1x100mg tramadol (slow-release) in morning and 2x100mg at night. I had a lumbar laminectomy in Oct '06 which left me with lots of back pain and 2 damaged neck discs. I get horrible pains in the arms (brachalgia) and neck and shoulder aches. Had a cervical discectomy with a bone graft fusion in Mar '07 which didn't do much good, so I'm waitiing for another in Sept this year.

I've tried a vavriety of painkillers, but find tramadol causes less constipation than morhine or oxycontin, and doesn't suppress my appetite. If anything the gaba makes me hungry and I've put on weight since the ops as it's difficult to be very active.

I tried pregabaline, but it was very weak and I went nack to gaba pentin.

I've had to increase the dosages of both drugs recently as the pain has got worse. I think it's because of tolerance to the drugs. I also find my legs swell up because of the gaba so I'm trying to decrease the dosage.

I often feel dizzy and listless and can't get much done. I'm hoping the next op is successful so I can take less medcine.

Hi Jan

I am on 200mg of Tramadol twice a day & I am having alot of pain in my hips at the moment, so the doctor has put me the Gabapentin, at the moment it is just 100mg three times a day, but I am concerned on reading yours & others with similar experiences, does this REALLY work or not, as you say I can hardly do anything at all, the pain is so bad, lack of sleep as well is really beginning to tell on me now!

I have had this since 1985 which stemmed from a back injury that moved to the hips & then neck, shoulders, etc.. so overall it is getting pretty serious.

I was given a T.E.N.S machine years ago however it didn't work for me sadly, although I do know that it can be good for others & a variety of other painful health problems.

I have now got to a stage where I have even tried acupuncture, herbal remedies, massage & cupping from a chinese herbalist & again with very little success & also £500 worse off in my pocket, this is how desperate I am to get some form of GOOD pain relief.

If anyone else has any other good ideas or realistic suggestions I am willing to accept help to free me from this chronic & acute pain.

best wishes, essex girl :cry:

:D I have taken Gabapentin 200mg + 100mg of Tramadol 3 Times a day for the last two years. Before that I had the nerves fried, that helped a while. Then gradually the pain worsened and now I have had Cortasone steroid injections into the Facet joints to see if that will help.If you can talk to the Doctors at the pain clinic please do, the one I go to now is wonderfull, the one before could never understand why I had the pain so bad. He thought I was faking it. The Doctor I saw before this one actually knew why I felt the pain as he had the same problem. Some people can't benefit from certaian drugs so it may be you need to up the dosage or try some other mixture of pain killers. I hope the pain goes as I have lived with mine for over 9 years and it can cause depression as well.

Hi jan i am kind of new to all this as i have only had my injury for the past 20mths now. I thought i would share my experience with medication though as it is so worrying that you are still in so much pain so far down the line and i worry is this going to be the same or similar pattern for me?? :cry:

I currently take Tramadol 100mg 2 lots 4 times aday....Pregabalin 150mg 1, 4 times aday...Diazepam 20mg 1, 3 times aday and Venlafaxine 75mg 2 in the evening...i have just recently been taken off Amitriptyline which i was taking 20mg 2 a night.

I had a work related accident originally i had slipped disc and severe muscle and tissue damage iv now been told my nerves are all shatterd and they really have no idea how to treat me.

I suffer with pain to my lower back left side and left leg all day everyday and have done since the accident. This pain varies in terms of how aggressive it can be. Some days although it never ever goes i can cope but other days i want to sleep and never wake up where it is so AWFULL!!

It gets so bad that i am physically sick,it has also put me in hospital as i went through a stage of blacking out and ended up blacking my eyes splitting my lip and having severe concusion...great advert i am hey ha!!

I am obviously registered disabled and have to use crutches to walk as my mobility is so poor on bad days i should use a wheelchair as the pain totally disables me but im reluctant to use it,which some say is stupid.

My bowel and bladder are both affected yet i have never been offered help with this or any serious medication just lactulose which is a joke!!

I get scared as im only 31 [even though age does not come into it as we all have a right to be treated properly whether we are 31 or 131!!]

I feel now they think i am just imagining all this even though they have medical proof. As if we have nothing better to do with our time then make up stuff like this it really is so HURTFULL and INSULTING!!

I have an appointment on the 1st september for a second opinion as i do not belive this is it for me in life and although my consultant is saying that i want to hear it from someone else.

Attitudes have to change regards pain...i mean we have to treat the so-called proffessionals with respect and belive in what they are telling us so when are they going to show us some courtesy and start doing the bloody same for us??

Anyway i hope you dont mind me writing this i know iv been no help i just wanted you to know your not alone...and although that still does not take your pain away im here anytime if you would ever like a chat.

Good luck i hope you soon gets some answers i will hold you in my prayers take care Jaimie x x God bless x