Pain meds?

[Matthew74]

My 15 year back injury decided I wasn't paying enough attention to it over Christmas, and since then I have been in disabling pain. I've been having all sorts of trouble with doctors, mostly because I really need something for the pain. The doctor gave me Norco (5mg hydrocodone / 325mg acetaminophen). It helps initially, but then after about three hours when it starts wearing off it makes the pain about 10 times worse. I've tried taking it occasionally as needed, once a day, and every four hours. The more often I take it the worse the rebound pain. I tried Oxycodone, it made me feel terrible. Ages ago when I had my wisdom teeth out the stuff they sent me home with was also a nightmare.

I'm taking Tegretol XR, Keppra, and Felbatol for my epilepsy. Frankly, I feel the least pain after taking my seizure meds. I think that I am much more sensitive to meds than most people, and whatever I take adds to the seizure meds.

I will probably be having back surgery (discectomy) soon.

What are your experiences with pain meds, epilepsy, and AEDs? When I get out of surgery I don't want the pain meds to make everything worse. Doctors get hostile when you try to discuss the subject.

 

[valeriedl]

I had back problems for years. I was mostly given Oxycodone and muscle relaxers. The Oxycodone didn't seem to do anything for the pain. I know I was talking way more than I should have at times but it didn't help. All the muscle relaxers did was make me sleep.

I took steroid pills and had steroid shots in my back but they were causing me to have seizures.

I'm on Depakote, Tegretol, Keppra and Lamictal. I don't know if it was any one of the meds that could have counteracted with the pain meds, having epilepsy or if it was just me.

I'd end up going to the ER by ambulance several times because I literally couldn't move. I went to several different drs through the years and had several different tests done but all of the drs told me there was nothing wrong. They'd just send me to physical therapy and give me meds.

I think it was about the 5th dr that I went to and he was a new dr to the area who was young. He took an x-ray in the office and told me I had two herniated discs in my back. They were so bad that they were almost bone on bone. He said it takes years for it to get that bad and one of the other drs should have seen the problem way before he did.

He said that I could either keep taking meds and going to the therapy or have surgery and screws put in. His suggestion was to have the surgery because the other things weren't working and my back would probably only get worse.

He told me several times that if I had a seizure while they were having surgery on my spine that I could end up paralyzed. He said it's very rare that people have seizures while under anesthesia because you are so relaxed, but it could still happen. I decided to have the surgery because at the rate I was going I wasn't going to be able to move in a few years anyway.

Everything went fine after the surgery. He gave me some pain meds but I don't even think I took any of them. It's probably because if I was hurting I didn't even notice it because it was nothing like it was before the surgery. Was walking around a day or two after the surgery with no problems.

Since I've had the surgery I've been doing great. I'll get sore in the area where they took the bone marrow out to put between the discs in my spine. It's the same kind of hurt if you were to bump your knee on something hard. It's very rarely it hurts, usually only when there are changes in the weather or if I've been sitting in a hard chair for too long.

All the drs I went to at first were older and I think they were afraid to deal with me because I had epilepsy. Since the last dr was young I don't think he had any problems with it. I'm just glad that I finally found him!

 

[Matthew74]

Thanks Valerie!

I don't mind telling you I'm terrified. This is way scarier than when they found my brain tumor, even though I was a kid. The pain seems to get worse everyday. I'm afraid to be here alone. I often rest face down with my stomach and chest on the bed, and my feet on the floor, reading. Yesterday I fell asleep, slid off the bed, and landed on the floor. I could have easily been knocked unconscious. I can still prepare meals but its getting harder. The worst thing is the pain. If the surgery is simple it might be ok, and I might feel better than I have in years, but I am terrified it won't go well. I don't know how I can face living like this, or worse, for the rest of my life. I just can't imagine 30 or 40 years of constant pain. I called my insurance nurse line yesterday, and am thinking maybe I should be in the hospital. I have an appointment at the Mayo on Tuesday, and may just ask the doctor if she can get me admitted. That might get me into surgery sooner, and I would have someone to take care of me, and they might make the wait less painful.

 

[Nakamova]

Have you tried lidocaine patches or something similar? Those gave my father some relief when he was suffering from spinal stenosis and herniated discs. I haven't had to take painkillers myself (except for some percocet after shoulder surgery) so I don't have specific recommendations for meds. Some of the anti-seizure meds have been prescribed for pain, so that's probably why you feel a bit better after taking yours.

Below are some CWE threads that might be helpful:
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/anyone-else-immune-pain-pills-23236/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/oxycodone-other-mind-numbing-drugs-12668/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/what-do-i-do-about-painkillers-23896/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/epilepsy-pain-meds-13166/