Pain Management Community

Hello, and thanks in advance for being here. Severe, chronic pain has a way of making one feel very alone. A bit of history about myself. I am a 52 year old wife and mother of two adult sons, who until 4 years ago never really dealt with chronic pain. Then I began to get backaches in the lumbar region. Took OTC meds...but they didn't work. I put up with the pain for a few months, and then finally went to my doctor. She did a work up and decided that I should see a neurologist (???). The neuro tested me and said that I have severe fibromyalgia..I hit all 18 points. My doctor then put me on a variety of opoids, none of which worked. She ended up putting me on Fentanyl patches, 100 mcg every 72 hours. This in tandem with a variety of oral pain meds that are rotated due to my getting tolerant to them very fast. She notes that I am one of the most opoid tolerant patients she has worked with! The whole body pain subsided, but my back got worse. I had an MRI done, and it revealed spinal stenosis and a number of spinal hemangiomas. I apologize that I cannot tell you more detail, my current PCP has all of my records. But oddly enough, I was never referred to a spinal surgeon.

Fast forward to now. My pain levels have been going through the roof! Until the first of September I had no insurance, so I got my fentanyl via patient assistance, and had to go down to Tramadol because it was the drug created by this company. Now I am insured, and I found via a new MRI (head only) and EEG that I have Temporal Lobe Epilepsy...got the diagnosis this past Monday. I have also managed to find a good Pain Management doctor, who has put me on 7.5/775 Vicoden. It is not working! My pain on good days is around a 5-6, but many times I will rate around a 9. I have to work as a client services representative for a large company, so I drag myself to work each day and try to smile so that the pain does not show in my voice. I wonder if the epilepsy (complex partial seizures) has a bearing on my pain. The pain managment doctor is floored that no one ever suggested me to a spinal doctor...and I am in the middle trying to keep my sanity.

I apologize for my rant, but it feels good to know that there are others out there who understand how pain, unrelenting pain, can degrade the quality of life. I am open to comments, suggestions and critique as well!