SCI and pain

[mnorth01]

I am 11 months post and have severe pain in my legs. I have the "pins and needles" feeling. My DR doesn't feel I should have any pain below my injury level and won't give me anything for the pain. Surprisingly, this doctor is a C7 quad.

I have a dentist who gives me vicadin for tooth pain. I took a couple of vicadin and the pain went away. I went to another doctor with the intentions of switching. He asked if I needed any scripts renewed. When I said vicadin, he said nope since he thought I was "Doctor shopping".

Is this a normal occurence...or do I need to go to another doctor....which makes it look more like doctor shopping.

BTW...does anyone else take vicadin for the same pain? I am on neurontin but it doesn't do anything for the pain.

[alan]

You'll probably have to go to a pain clinic. Make sure it's one that will prescribe opiates - some won't. Sounds like your pain responds to opiates, since vicodin helps. Vicodin is hydrocodone plus acetaminophen (tylenol), so you'd probably be better off with a pure opiate. Talk about this with whatever doc you wind up getting pain meds from. Your current doc may be a quad, but he sounds like an idiot - I thought that "you can't have pain below your level of injury" BS went away years ago.

You can use www.rxlist.com to read more about vicodin (including how much hydrocodone and acetaminophen is in each pill), as well as every other medication.

[Suzie Q]

I have taken Vicodine . Although due to intestine and colon probs i stopped. But what a difference they make, I am going to a new doc on the first. Insurance kicks in on the first and all i can say is i hope the pharmacy is stocked! I also found out about them by accident, lol. I burned myself in a gas fire (i am danger prone) and was on Morphine and then they gave me Vicodine. WOW, they worked so awesome!

All I can say is be honest on why your there and ask some friends or a nurse you know on what doc will RX you. Normally people will talk and know who does and who don't. Good luck.

[jplw]

How much nurontin are you taking? Vicoden worked a little in the beginning. It didn't hold up long though. I take 2400mg of nurontin. It made me drool on myself for a while, but it keeps the senseless pain in check.

[mnorth01]

I'm on 1800mg of neurontin....but it doesn't make me drool. When I am having a lot of pain I will take an extra pill but that only makes the pain bearable. However, when I take a vicadin the pain goes away and I feel better. My friends notice the difference. I am more willing to do things and go places because I am painfree.

My doctor is afraid I'm going to become an addict or a pusher. He's afraid I'm going to take a bunch of pills and just sit in my chair drooling.

[metronycguy]

definitely find a doctor that understand sci pain , a pain management doctor.
since you respond to neurontin , you probably need your dose raised, side effect stay the same with the higher dose after a 2 week adjustment period. you need meds for breakthrough pain, hopefully if the neurontin levels are correct , you have less pain, but you may always have breakthrough pain.
ultram works pretty well also with this neuropathic pain during daytime, i rarely can sleep on ultram at night. most people on pain management do not sit around drolling all day.
as you found out less pain= more positive life.

[SoFla]

Go to a pain specialist, but be forewarned that these doctors really like to try the newest drugs. After a short time of experimentation on a designer drug, I had to get firm, and let him clearly know, that I did not want to live my life drooling in LaLa Land! I just wanted some relief. Also, expect to take a drug test before any Rx is written.

I was about a year out when I visited a pain specialist. He goosed up my neurontin to 900 3x a day. I found that 3x a day is not good for me. Instead I take 600 4x. It maintains me fairly well. I use vicodin several times a week for breakthrough pain. Now, my primary care physician handles my meds. I tell her what I need, she nods, and writes the script.

Good luck to you in your search for a caring doctor. It's a shame that abuse of vicodin makes anyone who asks for it suspect!

[metronycguy]

so fla,
what kind of designer drug did they try?
usually the newer meds have less side effects than the older meds, and that is why they are preferred.
cymbalta was tried on quite a few people with sci pain , its the first anti depressant actually approved by fda for diabetic neuropathic pain, however about all of us that tried it found it didnt work on the sci pain, most chronic pain suffers are desperate and will try anything.
tricyclic antidepressant in low doses such as amitriptyline work on a lot of us, however there are the side effects such as cavities from reduced saliva flow, urine retention. and even though amitriptyline works well on a lot of sci pain its a off label use.