Those with Back problems

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jd99

jd99

Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
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764
Location
Ontario, CA United States
I just saw my new doctor (the others were a joke) and explained my back problems (L4-L5 & L5-S1 herniated) to him, and explained how nothing is working (epidurals stopped working two years ago) and he started me on some new meds he said it's somewhat expertmental but what the hey...

I'm taking "Nortriptyline", any of you with back issues ever take this to combat the pain?
 
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Danny,

You have the same area that has affected me for over 10 years due to a work-related injury I received. I went with the conservative approach for the first 6-7 years by having epidurals injections, facet joint injections, rhizotomy, etc. until I had a foraminotomy in April 2009. That at least took away that "ice pick" stab away but we knew there were still some underlying issues. Started being unbearable again earlier this year and the doc had a CT scan ordered that showed it was actually NOT the L4, 5, and S1 but actually the SI (sacroilliac) joint that was the generator of pain. Studies have shown that about 25% of patients are misdiagnosed with L4, L5, and S1 pain when it is actually the SI that is the cause of their pain, so I would suggest that you speak to your doc about that. I had the iFuse implants done on June 26 and I feel better than I have had since this injury occurred. I got off crutches last week and looking to go back to work the first-second week of September.
As far as medicine, a lot of docs prescribe an anti-depressant that serves also as a pain releiver and that is what Nortriptyline is. I took Neurotin for just a short time and that made me loopy. I'm in a profession that I can't take anything during work hours, so that was not an option. For the last few years I take Hydrocodone for pain, Flexeril for spasms/pain (great results) and ocassionally Elavil for sleep/rest.
Good luck to you and I hope you find a solution. Nobody knows what back pain really is until they experience long term, and I don't wish that on anyone.
Again, good luck with your treatment and speedy recovery!

Oh and as a side note, I talked the doc and his PA out of one of the implants. It is titanium and will make a great looking pen body if I can figure out the mechanics of it. A pen out of my pin! Ha!
 
Drugs definitely affect people differently. I take Neurintin noww and it works great with no side effects. The only thing I have found with it is that if you skip a dose, you are gonna be hurtin'. I can't take Flexaril at all. If I take one, I'm asleep 10 minutes later with no exception. I take hydrocodone as little as possible. That being said, if I cut the grass or do anything with any sort of twisting motion, I'm having one with a beer just to get to sleep.

I'm 40 and I truly hope medical science can get to a point to help me in the future. I don't think I'll be standing at 70 otherwise.
 
I'm an L4/L5. My doc who is a PA that knows more than any doc I have ever been too said after my third visit. "Go to a specialist." So I did. The specialist said that there were 3 ways to treat a herniated disk. PT, Shots with meds, and Surgery. Then he told me the first two would not work for me. SO I went under the knife for a microdiskectomy (sp). I was able to stand up straight right after, walk without dragging my right leg, and the numbeness in my right shin and big toe are going away.

Some of the nerve pain started coming back, so I am now back on Gabapentin (neurontin), and ibuprophen. The doc said the nerve pain returning was not abnormal because of how pinched it was. Lortab to sleep. I took Gabapentin earlier this summer and it at least allowed me to function and I did not have side issues. Now that I am back on it, I was WAY spacey this morning after having taken the pill 8 hours earlier.

I cannot imagine having to deal with the pain as long as some of you folks have. I was bent over all day, dragging my foot, and nothing helped the pain.
 
I have had two back surgeries. I had good results from the first and started abusing it because I could do things again carpentry wise that I couldn't for several years. I ruptured the same disc L5/S1 again in 5 years. This time I had great results. Different surgeon but same surgery. I have been good for 5 years again, but this time, I am older and wiser and am limiting my lifting and am surviving much better.
I am home this week recovering from bilateral hernia surgery. Easier surgery and faster recovery. No pens for a couple weeks, but I can glue up a lot of blanks and cast some new ones as well.
Just my opinion, surgery is better than pills. Don't like pills.
 
I'm bone to bone from l1-l2 l2 to l3 and l3 to l4 . My neurosurgeon and chiropractic doctor gave me several opinions. I didn't have surgery I do my exciseres in the morning I take zero meds its been five years from the second accident. I just watch everything closer and do not go outside my limits. Just so you know I just finished a kitchen remodel; and that's a lot of work!

I work smart knowing your limits and adjusting to those limits is the first step. Keeping things loose is a key element for no pain.
 
My sympathies...

Danny,

Had an injury at L4-5 & S1, in spring of '91. Off and on problems ever since. Did the physical therapy thing for 8 months 3 x a week. Then once or twice a year ever since.

Nortryptaline. About 15 months ago a Neurologist gave me that for persistent headaches. It didn't do anything! Friend with whom I work with told me about a Chiropractor. Had always heard good and bad. He straightened me out. Just left there about an hour ago. Has me under much better control now. Lots of mis alignments. Now only minor adjustments and things pop back into place easily, now that the my body inflamation has been reduced. Weight loss is great too that he is helping me control.

Charlie
 
DestinTurnings said:
Drugs definitely affect people differently. I take Neurintin noww and it works great with no side effects. The only thing I have found with it is that if you skip a dose, you are gonna be hurtin'. I can't take Flexaril at all. If I take one, I'm asleep 10 minutes later with no exception. I take hydrocodone as little as possible. That being said, if I cut the grass or do anything with any sort of twisting motion, I'm having one with a beer just to get to sleep.

I'm 40 and I truly hope medical science can get to a point to help me in the future. I don't think I'll be standing at 70 otherwise.
Click to expand...

I was put on Neurotin and after two weeks both of my legs below the knee were swollen beyond belief! It's one of the side effects. That plus the loopiness was enough for my doc to take me off of it. I couldn't finish most sentences without pausing to get my thoughts together.

Haynie said:
I'm an L4/L5. My doc who is a PA that knows more than any doc I have ever been too said after my third visit. "Go to a specialist." So I did. The specialist said that there were 3 ways to treat a herniated disk. PT, Shots with meds, and Surgery. Then he told me the first two would not work for me. SO I went under the knife for a microdiskectomy (sp). I was able to stand up straight right after, walk without dragging my right leg, and the numbeness in my right shin and big toe are going away.

Some of the nerve pain started coming back, so I am now back on Gabapentin (neurontin), and ibuprophen. The doc said the nerve pain returning was not abnormal because of how pinched it was. Lortab to sleep. I took Gabapentin earlier this summer and it at least allowed me to function and I did not have side issues. Now that I am back on it, I was WAY spacey this morning after having taken the pill 8 hours earlier.

I cannot imagine having to deal with the pain as long as some of you folks have. I was bent over all day, dragging my foot, and nothing helped the pain.
Click to expand...

I'm glad the surgery seems to be working for you! My first set of injections hasn't done anything and the pain is somewhat worse than before. I get my 2nd set of injections Friday. They said these would be the ones that'd have the best chance of helping. I hope it does! I bite through it all so I can hold my lil girl but I know I won't be able to do it much longer and thinking that is killin me.
 
Brooks803 said:
I'm glad the surgery seems to be working for you! My first set of injections hasn't done anything and the pain is somewhat worse than before. I get my 2nd set of injections Friday. They said these would be the ones that'd have the best chance of helping. I hope it does! I bite through it all so I can hold my lil girl but I know I won't be able to do it much longer and thinking that is killin me.
Click to expand...


I have had the nerve blocks about 4 times now. I get four-five done on my left side, then go back a week later and get three-four done on the right. For me they work GREAT for the pain from my damaged vertebra. For the nerve impingment from my three bulging discs, it doesn't do anything. I have had steroid injections and those seem to work well, but it takes a good three days before I can walk right after having the steroids. My doctor told me it was a fluid dynamic issue since the medication being injected takes up any room left next to the bulging discs and liquids don't compress. He told me that it was typical to be in more pain directly after the process and that is for sure the case with me.

I have five year old and two year old sons and nothing scares me worse than the thought of not being able to throw the football around with them as they get older and my condition deteriorates.
 
After 2 surgeries for ruptured discs and 1 shifted vertibrea fuzed from L3-S1, I still had serious pain with just the slightest work. FINALLY got to see a pain mgt Dr and everything has changed. 10mg lortab, 300 mg neurontin, Mobic 3 times a day has actually gave my life back. Sometimes its just the right combination to make a difference. Something you might want to consider.
 
I had the l4-l5 and s7 removed and arthritis and bone spurs all in the backand neck, have been on everything ,now on morphine, still get facet shots, only last a day or so, some days the wife has to dress me,I use making pens therapy,some days i can do a little ,most day none, I fixed it where all my turning is in a office chair,The delta stand, I cut 8 inches off it and its perfect for the chair, the Jet i got first is boards coming off the wall with legs just right ,dont have to stand up,Its a pain, every 3 months the pain dr,Then the heart dr for degenerative heart disease,I know there are people out there who are in worse condition,We do what we can then its the bed,with walking canes and sticks,
Carpblaster
 
I'm a penturner... and a chiropractor, and I know for a fact that there are some options to medication and surgery. I have a spinal decompression unit in my clinic and it works fine for hernisted discs and degenerative discopathy ( we get around 80% results !!! ) Of course, we don't heal everybody and we don't accept all the patients that come in the clinic. My recommendation : find a good chiropractor that has a spinal decompression unit and try that before surgery. Go for a complete exam that will determine if your a good candidate for spinal decompression and try it before the knife goes in. I must tell you that I'm scared at the stories that you tell about all those pills and all those multiple surgeries that may have been prevented with much more conservative methods.
That beeing said, I think that I will go turn a pen to relax...
 
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