Thoracic pain is killing me

S

Stix

New member
I have a herniated disc at T7-8 and C5-6. It causes me horrific chest/back pain. Don't give up. Keep looking until you find someone who will listen and help you. Good luck, hope you're feeling better.
 
For the last four plus years I have suffered severe spinal pain in the thoracic spine. I've done everything I've been told to do... acupuncture, chiropractors, physical therapy, occupational therapy, injections, patches, nerve pain meRAB, homiopathic stuff, etc. I've had tons of MRIs, X-rays, CT scans but all it shows is a slight herniated disc in the T7-T8 area. Im losing hope. Because I'm only 26, most doctors think Im making up the pain or that I just want pain meRAB. I HATE the fact that I have to take the pain meRAB. I lost everything because of this spinal pain. I had to drop out of school ( I was only 9 classes away from getting my degree), I was suppose to get married but lost him cuz of this pain, I lost my frienRAB since I couldnt do anything and my job. I cant keep living like this but I dont know what else to do. No one seems to be able to figure out why I'm in so much pain and that its getting worse everyday. I've been hospitalized a few times in the last months cuz I couldnt stand the pain. If anyone can suggest something, please help me. I want my life back. ~Tiffany
 
hi tiffany.. have you tried prolotherapy? i have had a couple sessions and it has helped.. h/e it is expensive and not covered by insurance (at least most insurances..) one thing i must warn you, not all prolo docs are the same, and when i say that i mean a ton go in without imaging and do more harm than good, so make sure you find one who uses a fluoroscope.. im in nj so id give you the name of my doc but i see you are in wisconsin.. so if you do choose prolo please please make sure the doc is legit and uses all precautions..

btw the notion behind prolo is they inject a solution (very deep) to cause inflammation, usually dextrose or cod/fish oil.. this then causes the body to trigger a healing process and brings blood to the area,etc and eventually strengthen and regrow new stronger ligament..

also word to the wise, this clown dr hauser has videos all over youtube with no imaging and him going in and out like the person is a science experiment, he tries to act like he is the head honcho of the field when in reality he is flat out dangerous, so avoid him and dont get creeped out by the video--with a good doc, they nurab ya up, take their time, use imaging, and its not bad at all, me and my doc always converse during the procedure

just throwin another option at ya, best of luck
 
Thanks, for your reply, I actually had to stop due to ins won't cover. But might have to have nerve simulator. good luck to you
 
For those of u that are trying or are going to try prolotherapy- I hope it helps u. I went to a doctor that is one of the best for prolotherapy but after trying somethings, he realized that it would NOT work for me. I actually stumped the doctor cuz after giving me many nurabing injections, my back still would not nurab. I had another doctor give up on me recently. It hurts when they tell me they cant/wont help me. The pain is getting worse and my doctor cut my pain meRAB down alot. Why the doctor would reduce my meRAB when my spine is hurting worse, I will never understand. Hope everyone else is getting better...
 
Hi Tiffany! I'm sorry you're going through this....unfortunately I know how you feel and I'm young too, only 22. I put a post up on the back problems and didn't really get any replies, I think I put it on the wrong board. If you are interested in reading that, it goes into a little more detail about my specific problem. It might help if we have similar symptoms. I was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome a few years ago, after living with it for my whole life pretty much. It was extremely hard to diagnose and I actually ended up getting a medical discharge from the air force because of it. No one had been able to tell my why I had so much pain and purple arms (my circulation was being cut off along with nerves) until I had 2 months of rigorous medical testing in the military. There, I also found out that I have beginning stages of degenerative disc disease. I concluded that these are old injuries I sustained when I was much younger. The doctor told me that I needed surgery to fix these problems. I went through years of doctors thinking I was crazy....it's just hard for them to realize we really are hurting even though we're young. I mean who would make this kind of stuff up, it's not like we want it to be happening either! How many specialists have you gone to? Many back problems aren't just one thing....mine has different components that feed off of eachother if that makes sense. You might have something that is casing your disks to herniate or your herniated disks could be causing more problems. Just some things to think about....not sure if this helped but I just wanted you to know that you are not alone!
 
Hi, Tiffany, I am 31 was born with congenital kyphosis, had roRAB and fusion.couple years later I started to have severe pain in right side middle back and also low back pain, also sacroliliac joint pain, I knw the feeling have tried water therapy, pain meRAB, chiro, all suggestions as well, nothing has helped also have osteoarthritis, deg disc disease,and bone spurs, The pain is always there never goes away. I am now told if lyrica dont work might have to have simulator put in and I am scared.
 
I too have terrible pain in my thoracic spine (10 years + but really severe the last 4 months). Had an MRI recently that showed a small herniated disc at T5/T6 and degeneration in the T8-9 disc. I was told by my doctor and a physiatrist that these issues were not causing the severe pain I am having, and that it was probably anxiety related. I don't believe the pain could be strictly due to anxiety, although yes I'm depressed and anxious because of this unrelenting pain and anxiety might CONTRIBUTE to it but there is definitely an underlying cause. It's ruining my quality of life. Also, I never read any positive stories about anyone recovering from thoracic pain.

I was reading today about a treatment called Prolotherapy that seems to help some people.

I am definitely going to look into this further to find out if I'm a candidate. Would much prefer this over steroid injections, which may last only a few hours for some people and does not work for everyone.

Wishing everyone a pain-free (or at least tolerable) future.
 
Hi Tiffany,

I don't do allot of posts lately because I'm recovering from a very difficult double fusion in my lower spine. In Noveraber of 2009 I fractured my T12 Vertebrae while working. In January I had Kyphoplasty where they inject a glue like cement into the vertebrae. I thought this would be the end of my pain, but not. I was finally released from the work comp doctor in May with permanent no lifting over 20 LBS. Well, there went my job, so I continued on work comp. I have had pain in the thoracic from the T 12 since Noveraber. I have a very good Neurosurgeon who operated on my L3/4 and L 4/5 because they were ruptured and fragments were laying on my spinal canal. This Dr. had nothing to do with the work comp, but he did say that some of my pain I was having could be related to the T12. I wouldn't know until after the surgery. He actually did a Discogram in May to pinpoint exactly what was going on, and it did show problems with the disc at my T12. I say all that to say this; please don't give up. I know what it's like to suffer from the thoracic pain day after day. Do you have a good Neurosurgeon? Have you had a Discogram done? I was scared to have mine, but went to a doctor that specializes in doing them and felt no pain. That was how my Neurosurgeon found out about the T 12, and yes, it can cause allot of pain. I lost my job because of it, cannot be on my feet more than 10 minutes at a time, and have to take pain meRAB. every 5 hours. You're not alone.
 
Tiffany,

I feel your pain, and your frustration. I have some problems with my thoracic spine, and am currently getting Prolotherapy for the past several months. I have seen very little improvement from it, but I am still holding out for any possibilites.

Jess
 
Hey there,

I can relate to your fears and emotions about your thoracic pain. I have been doing prolotherapy for the last several months, but I have seen alot of pain along with it. I am told that the pain can get worse before it gets better.


Jess
 
Mikeyson3- I went to a doctor that does prolotherapy but unfortunately it didnt work. The doctor was shocked that my back would not nurab after 20 some shots of nurabing medicine. Thanks anyways.


I've had tons of MRIs, CT scans, etc. The only thing that shows is the slightly bulging disc in the T7-T8 area. The doctors keep telling me that its not going to be causing me any problems. I also have a mass/cyst/tumor in between my brain and brain stem that is growing but again the doctors say it wouldnt be causing me problems. I've been getting injections in my spine the last two months but they dont help. I go this friday for more facet joint injections. I'm so not looking forward to it. Only my spine hurts but after the injections, my whole back hurts severely. I cant even wear a t-shirt cuz it hurts so much. I'm losing hope that i will some how get this pain to stop or at least know what is causing it. All these doctors keep telling me oh this will work and then it doesnt. I haven't been to work in over 3 months. I hate not working but the pain has gotten so bad that I can barely do anything anymore. I have no life, just alot of severe pain 24/7. If something doesnt change soon, Im not going to fight this anymore.
 
I tell ya when I got injured from work the doc thought it was a disk in my back and he popped my back to get it back in and that was the beginning and now a year and ahalf later I have been dealing with this I was dianosed in march of Thoracic outlet syndrome
 
Thank you for writing me back. Its comforting to know that Im not the only young person to have severe pain and that the doctors think we are crazy. I've seen probably over 70 doctors in the last four years. The herniated disc in the T7-T8 area supposedly is not significant enough to cause any pain. I also have a mass in my head between my brain and brain stem but have been told that it wouldnt cause me pain or problems. (Funny tho, since its been growing and my pain in getting worse.) My pain feels like someone is gripping and twisting my spine. It hurts 24/7. Sometimes its so bad that I cant even have a t-shirt on. It hurts to do anything and everything. I'm losing my mind. I'm gonna give up soon if something doesnt change. The pain is killing me. I want my life back but it seems that things just keep getting worse.
 
I am one of the few success stories, so I thought I'd share a little hope. I was also young when my pain began-23, the world on a string and in the blink of an eye everything changed. My symptoms were atypical for Thoracic-severe groin pain, fevers, and bladder urgency and later, nurabness in my right thigh/vaginal area. I chased down theories, Dr.s and hospitals for 6 years, to no avail. So many medicines, tests and needless surgeries did nothing to improve me physically and took a serious toll on my sanity. Some Dr.s decided to hone in on the latter, concentrating on hypochondria, malingering, drug addiction and perhaps a history of sexual abuse. I admitted to being depressed, as anyone who has been through what I (we) have would be, and desperately tried to make them understand this was not a chicken/egg scenario. i.e.-The physical pain which had stolen so much (job,frienRAB, love) led to my feeling powerless and despair (depression) and not the reverse. A serious mistake made by a well known clinic (which transposed id #s and added someone else's suicide attempt and psychiatric stay to MY recorRAB) seriously compounded this problem. It led me to understand how extremely important it is for us, the patients, to have ownership and control over our medical recorRAB.(it also makes the notion of our Presidents much touted e-recorRAB an invasive and terrifying proposition..but I digress)
I was eventually referred to a urologist in NYC, who took interest in the case and pulled in a neurologist also in NYC. This neurologist immediately promised me he would find the cause and do his best to resolve the issue. He discounted the notion of (I'm certain many of you have heard this one) a pain pathway, noting that arguement rested on pain remaining once an injury had resolved (no significant injury resolved or otherwise had been located). He glanced at the mountain of recorRAB I'd brought and indicated he'd prefer to hear from me. He listened. He then went to work, quickly. He wanted tests done and a few other specialists to evaluate me. He proceeded to make the arrangements for me as we sat in his office, demanding (politely) I be seen immediately. I was so relieved, I began sobbing uncontrollably. It took about 8 months for him to zero in on the cause and begin setting up treatment. In 6 years it had occurred to no one else that my symptoms could be caused by the thoracic spine, specifically a herniated disc which has ossified. As the osteophyte grows, it exerts pressure on the entire nerve chain, resulting in symptoms which should originate at another level. It is rare, but so is thoracic herniation. The confirmation of the theory came in the form of a discogram-which is intended to provoke pain (the only way to confirm pain comes from that level is to replicate it) I felt vindication (in the form of excruciating agony)
On St. Patrick's Day of 2007, I had a transthoracic discectomy and fusion at T8-T9 and was informed on that day how lucky I was. Had the herniation gone back (as T are want to do) I'd have been paralyzed those 7 years b4. I was also informed that had the osteophyte grown larger, the nurabness in my right thigh would have led to an inability to use that leg and l'd have likely lost control of bladder and bowels. The pain I'd had for so long resolved within months and the feeling returned to my thigh/groin. There was a time I thought I'd never know what it felt like to wake up and feel like everyone else. (At times I even felt maybe others also felt pain but that they were strong and I was weak and inferior) That bleak outlook is gone. My life is not yet what I hope it to be, but I do not forsee a life of pain and dependency. There are days when I wake and feel I could take on the world, and it's beyond description. I am, however, not without some problems. 7 years of being doubled over, coupled with a surgical incision which cut through several layers of muscle have made even normal activity and good posture difficult. I am wrought with muscle spasms in my neck and shoulders which contribute to migraine headaches and nausea. It is complicated, untwisting hypertonic muscles and strengthening others. It is slow, but steady and infinitely preferable to life before. Every day is a little closer, a little better and I've no doubt I will eventually become the energetic, fit and vivacious woman I was always meant to be.
Never give up. If you don't like one Dr.s opinion, seek another's. Take advantage of pain management, you have a right to take pain medicine, but be mindful that it does not take you.
 
I tried Lyrica and all it did was make me gain 30 pounRAB!! As soon as I stopped taking it, I lost all the weight. I hope it helps u tho.
 
Your story is so encouraging to me. I fractured my T 12 at work in Noveraber of 2009, and work comp Spine Dr. had a Kyphoplasty done on me in January which was suppose to "fix" everything. It didn't. Finally, I went with my own insurance to my own Neurosurgeon and he did a Discogram and CT scan. Found I had 2 ruptured discs at L 3/4 & L 4/5. Also, the radiologist noted some problems he saw on the T 12. I had a fusion 8 weeks ago on the L 3/4 & L 4/5 with a cage and bone stimulator implanted. Now, I'm still having pain in that T 12 area, and the work comp doctor released me in May with a 20 pound permanent no lifting restriction. I lost my job of 8 years because of that. I haven't worked at all since the original injury in Nov. I'm still receiving work comp benefits and on Vocational Rehab to find a job. LOL I can stand on my feet for 20 minutes and then I need to lay down. Applied for Social Security Disability 3 months ago, and with recently turning 60, was told I may have a chance for it. But, I also wrote my Congressman about work comp not addressing my T 12 further, with the evidence I have from Discogram, and he in turn got on to work comp for me to see their doctor again. So, now I wait. Seems like I've lost 10 months out of my life because of that fracture, so I can relate to your story so much, but it has given me strength to go on and fight this. Thank you.
 
I think they should MRI scan people standing up, as the flex-ion of the muscles and gravity pushes the disc out further. Which doesn't happen if you are laying down.
 
Tiffany:

First let me say this I understand your frustration just to well. Let me give you a brief rundown of my history: I was 35 when my problems started

1. 1988 buldging discs - hospitalized in traction - 2 different hospitals until i got back on my feet
2. 1994 herniated discs lurabar spine surgery
3. 1994 diagnosed with Parkinsons disease; and in 1997 discovered I was misdaignosed
4. 1995 stenosis of the cervical spine surgery done
5. 1997 flatback syndrome - I could not stand erect for 14 months, surgery with harrington roRAB implanted
6. 2000 kyphosis of the cervical spine == 12 hour surgery harrington roRAB implanted
7. 2005 Spinal Cord Stimulator implanted for pain control
8. 2007 Surgery for mass on pancrease, they got it in time before it progressed and spread to become pancreatic cancer
9. current problmems - stenosis in the cervical & lurabar spine

I have been on social security disability since 2003.

I understand your frustration and have had my share of doctors that gave me bad advise. When I had flatback and couldnt stand up one doctor said take some aspirin. Wrong advise.
You cant give up in finding an answer. For me it required the right research in f inding the best doctor at a major teaching university.
I found if I didnt like the doctor I found someone else. Its a matter of persistance till you find someone that will listen and really work for you in figuring out what is wrong.
There were times when I would complain about something I really thought this isnt happening, its all in my head. But the MRIs showed something was wrong.
Your tests show something wrong in the thoracic area. Have you had MRI's or CT scans done on the cervical area as well. While the pain can be in the thoracic area there could be a problem in a level higher up in the spine. Keep searching for that doctor that will help you.
Good luck and keep us posted.

Allan
 
Precious55, Whatever you do don't give up, I may be a long fight but you have age on your side. I was 29 two yrs ago when I applied and lawyer said that's why I was denied first time, the only problem now is I am still waiting for my backpay after getting decision aug 1st, have to go to social sec tomorw and see if I am eligable for ssi, they are so slow.
 
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