New to the forum - Back pain

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chiefan58

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Obviously, I'm new here... So here's my story.
I'm in my 30's and fairly active with 4 children. In Noveraber of 2007 I was on a road trip to a football game with some frienRAB. We stayed at a relative's house along the way. In the middle of the night I got up to use the restroom. It was pitch black and I was in an unfamiliar environment. I began walking down a hallway. After about 3 feet, the "hallway" became a stairway. I went head over heals down the wooden stairs. I didn't go to a Dr as we were on our way to a highly anticipated and long-awaited football game. My lower back was black and blue and my shoulder areas were red and scratched. There was mild to moderate pain, but appeared to go away after a month or so. In January of 2008 I was involved in a very low impact car accident. (I slid on ice and hit another vehicle) There was no back pain from that. Following some snow shovelling and ice picking in February, I started have some pretty significant back pain and tingling in the fingers of one of my hanRAB. I have been to the Dr now several times. Before yesterday's appointment with a physiatrist, I felt as if the Dr's thought I was just trying to get pain pills. I almost felt guilty going to the Dr. I was not able to see my normal Dr on either of these visits. One was an urgent care Dr and the other was another family practice Dr in the same office as my Dr. He asked me if I thought I had an addiction to Percocet. I have had a history of Gout and most pain medication does very little for me. The percocet also didn't do anything for the pain. My Dr called in Flexeril for me which did allow me to sleep, however I couldn't stay awake with it, so could not take during the day. So, I know have been prescribed Percocet, Ibuprofen, Tramodol, Flexeril and as of yesterday, Propoxyphene. The Dr yesterday scheduled an MRI, so I am optimistic that they will identify what is causing the pain. I guess my question is if it is common to feel guilty about going to the Dr to get pain medication. I only take them when I'm in pain, which is most of the time. I would much rather not have the pain and not have to take them. Hopefully something will be learned next month with the MRI!! Sorry for the long post...
 
Funny, I was actually at the Urgent Care on Sunday because my back pain was so intense. The doctor asked me if I had taken anything before coming in and I honestly told him that I had taken a Vicodin approximately 3 hours prior and it did nothing for me...not to mention that my wife was the one who insisted I take it. Of course the doctor wanted to know why I had the Vicodin and I told him it was from a prior issue. Anyway, he prescribed me Flexerol, which also did not help the pain in the least.

I feel bad asking for pain meRAB only because there seems to be a real difficult thing to get and easy to become addicted.
 
I have never had a dependent for any pain pills and I don't like taking them. But I feel the same way you do for no reason I have been in constant pain since Set 6 2002 when I fell in my kitchen. Have you got a back Dr for this? I hope so. It sounRAB like a pinched disc. Like I said I am always in pain and my back Dr does not believe in pain pills in case of surgery. I am heading for # 3 see my Dr May 27. after surgery you are on pain pills for 3 months and he does not want anyone to get hooked it could be easy I guess. But my other artist Dr knows what pain I am in with 4 kinRAB of artist I get lot of injections for pain. You could with all the things that has happened to you have done something to your back. be careful and do as the Dr says and rest your back. Take care Deb:jester:
 
This is similar to how I hurt my back. I worked at a local Food Bank and lifted some really heavy boxes this one day and could barely move but two days later I was better, over the years I would have minor low back pain thinking it was my bed and that I needed to buy a new one. Then four years later we get rear ended and I end up with severe whip lash and all of a sudden my back is giving me the most grief I've ever had! Now I'm having problems sciatic pain, then tingling of the feet, nurabness of the thigh, my leg giving out on me whenever it pleases, I couldn't sleep because of the pain, later I couldn't bend any longer. I went to see a specialist who took xrays and he saw nothing to indicate why I was having so much pain although when he did the neurological exam he did find some problems but not significant for him to worry but every month I bugged him that I was getting worse until he relented and got me the the MRI and found that I "may" have problems with my L4, L5 and maybe S1 but I did have a bone spur but he didn't think it was much of a problem when he found it in the xray. He did offer surgery but said he really wouldn't recommend it in my case because my problems were'nt significant at the time and that I should wait and so I did for about six months until I couldn't even go check my mail. I called him again and told him I wanted the surgery and he warned me that the best odRAB were only 64% and I told him that was better than what I had now, the life I was living was not living at all. I'm now living the life I was before albeit with some modifications, I should have had the surgery sooner but I have a life now. Get your MRI and be obstinate if you have to. Only you know what your feeling and how bad your pain is, xrays don't show everything. As it turned out I did in fact need to have that bone spur removed and had a laminectomy as well as two levels of fusion! Know your body and how it feels. Every time I felt something different happening to my lower body I went online and checked it out and found that it was indeed related to my discs. Be proactive and take care of yourself. Only you can take care of you. God Bless
 
Well, I just got back from my first physical therapy appointment. It went well, didn't hurt too bad. She said she is 85 - 90% certain I have a herniated disc. I have read horror stories on here about back surgeries gone bad. My Dad also had to have back surgery. (ended up being 3 surgeries) I'm not extremely thrilled about the idea of surgery. Could anyone shed some light on how to proceed if indeed I have a herniated disc? I would greatly appreciate it.
 
I don't take pain pills unless it's absolutely necessary but when I do them yes I feel guilty asking for them. I think it's b/c doctors want to assume your not really in pain you're just wanting drugs.

I do hope you have a full recovery! I have bulging discs and I don't know if that's the same thing as a herniated disc or not but for me my neurologist has discussed physical therapy which hasn't helped, Epidural Steroid Injections..which I'm about to start and then possibly surgery.

You need to see a good neurologist so you can find out and understand all your options:)
 
Welcome on board!
I hope they will find your problem and you can be helped.
Some Drs make us feel bad about asking for Pain medication. I did not have experience like this, but reading posts i learn how many people get hurt because of this matter.

The main thing is that you don't have addiction problems; you can't help what some Doctors say or feel. Unfortunatelly they have to be careful due to the fact that some people do become addictive.
So good luck to you!:angel:
 
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