Back Pain Community

hi distance137 - welcome to the support group - first would want to give a big THANK YOU!!! for serving our country - I just had my nephew return from Afghan and am thankful he is home and hope and pray others return safely.

now for the pain part - depression is not so much causing the pain - on the other hand pain does make us depressed because we are in pain all the time - there are a lot of antidepressant meds out there that do help with back pains - sometimes it takes going from one to another to find the right med - just like pain pills -

pain pills - there is mental addiction and physical addiction -

for most or all of us we have gone from one doctor, surgeon, pain management to another trying to get answers or just relief - so you are not alone - there are more of us out there than anyone really realizes - and it's a shame too that we had to succumb to tests just to show that we are truthful and taking our meds the way they should be and not abusing them.

i know how slow the VA can be - would it be possible for you to get all your records and go to either an orthopedic spine specialist or a neurosurgeon spine specialist - get a few opinions - once you see them then they can give you the right course of treatment that is needed - pain management which has a lot of different types of procedures and physical therapy - chiropractor care - any of these should be sought out before any types of surgery are done - once you have surgery and if something does not heal right or further pains etc., then there is no going back.

i would suggest that if you can go out side of the VA and get referrals to these surgeons and get some opinions to see what your options are - also you may need to see a psychiatrist just to go over and relate to what has happened - they surely can help you and get you onto the right road to recovery -

please keep with us even if u just want to vent - we are here - been there and done that - this is truly a wonderful support group with lots of caring members - God Bless - Joy~~

Thank you for your service to our country. You are very brave. I am sorry that you are in so much pain.

I am not a veteran but I have gone the same route with injections, various, programs, accupuncture, psychologist, TENS machine, meds, etc.

The anti-depressent meds did not help me either. I tried 30mg - than 60 mg cymbalta but would not take anything more because I felt so wierd. Anti-anxiety, anti- seisure (neurontin) did not help. Once in a while the muscle relaxer (flexeril) helped a little when taken at bedtime.

I wish I had the magic mix for you to help you to function better. Pain meds help the most but they have to be taken with great care and each med written down with the hour taken.

Please keep working with the doctors by keeping a journal and writing down the med and the hour taken. Then do a follow up an hour later to determine if the med has helped you at all.

Keep this diary for each med for each day.. Take this with each appointment with your doctor. This is so helpful for the doctor. He can help you find the right combination of meds to take to help you.

Find out if they have classes in yoga, meditation, physical therapy, exercises in water, etc. Try to try as many things that are offered that you do not have to use meds along with the meds prescribed by your doctor.

We understand what it feels like to be in pain and to be frustrated. Please keep us posted. We care.