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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 8 to 32 of 36. Go back in thread:
Posted by ben on March 27, 2002, at 7:34:18
In reply to Re: How to treat neuropathic pain ? pleae help » ben, posted by Zo on March 26, 2002, at 17:02:09
> I stopped taking it about a year ago--and the FM pain has *not* come back.
>
> I was on the Neurontin-L list, and boy, do the doses vary on this med! Essentially, you start small, and increase slowly. I think I got up to maybe 600mg--all at bed,despite what the literature says, that worked fine--and that took a month of fogginess, but there were people going up to the thousands til it hit their pain level.
>
> ZoThanks
My pdoc thinks Neurontin would knock me out because I am very sensitive to meds ! A year ago tried 7.5 mg Remeron at night (for depression) and that was knocking me out for the next day. Zyprexa at only 2.5 mg the same
story. Lamictal was also making me tired and dizzy at only 10 mg/day. Pdoc thinks about Trileptal (Oxcarbazepine) as an option ?!
Posted by Lia Mason on March 27, 2002, at 23:54:00
In reply to How to treat neuropathic pain ? pleae help, posted by ben on March 24, 2002, at 10:52:12
Hi,
For what it's worth, I'm trying tricyclics for chronic pain and am having some luck with imipramine. Started with Neurontin and a small dose made me dangerously dopey and dizzy. Spent 3 months on Nortriptyline and couldn't stand it (though it did help). Too tired and dizzy upon standing. I'm at imipramine 70 and doing well. Pain not gone but much better. I'm trying to work to 100.
L
Posted by ben on March 28, 2002, at 2:30:51
In reply to Re: How to treat neuropathic pain ? pleae help, posted by Lia Mason on March 27, 2002, at 23:54:00
> Hi,
>
> For what it's worth, I'm trying tricyclics for chronic pain and am having some luck with imipramine. Started with Neurontin and a small dose made me dangerously dopey and dizzy. Spent 3 months on Nortriptyline and couldn't stand it (though it did help). Too tired and dizzy upon standing. I'm at imipramine 70 and doing well. Pain not gone but much better. I'm trying to work to 100.
>
> L
Did you have a try with Trazodone / Nefazodone or Venlafaxine. I read it could be an option too treating pain.ben
Posted by Lia Mason on March 28, 2002, at 10:20:25
In reply to Re: How to treat neuropathic pain ? pleae help, posted by ben on March 28, 2002, at 2:30:51
Actually... Venlafaxine (Effexor) was highly recommended by my doc for my pain situation. I am on it for depression at 75 and that's about as high as I'm willing to go cuz of side effects. My understanding is you have to go higher for pain relief. (You know how effexor works, right? You have to get to a certain dose to get the dual neurotransmitter action) My doc told me that one of her patients who failed every treatment achieved relief at effexor 180.
L
Posted by Tye on March 30, 2002, at 13:45:19
In reply to How to treat neuropathic pain ? pleae help, posted by ben on March 24, 2002, at 10:52:12
> I do have a peripheral sensory neuropathy in my lower legs. I read of "treating" pain with TCAs (esp. amitryptiline, trimipramine, doxepine) and Antiepileptics (esp. Gabapentin, Carbamazepine and Oxcarbazepine). I am very sensitive to side effects (sedation, dizziness) so I have problems to bear "normal" doses considered to be helpful. Are there TCAs lacking the anticholinergic and antihistaminic side effects to treat neuropathic pain ? Other ADs like SSRIs doesnt seem to work for pain ?! Do you have experiences or considerations ? I am on Moclobemide (Aurorix) for several weeks (in diff. doses) and it doesnt seem to do any trick for my pain !
>
> see this post too:
>
> http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020322/msgs/99843.htmlHey,
I think desipramine is your answer. Excellent for neuropathy, low side effect profile. Try 10 to 25 mg in the morning.
Tye
Posted by ben on April 2, 2002, at 11:58:27
In reply to Re: How to treat neuropathic pain ? pleae help, posted by Lia Mason on March 28, 2002, at 10:20:25
> Actually... Venlafaxine (Effexor) was highly recommended by my doc for my pain situation. I am on it for depression at 75 and that's about as high as I'm willing to go cuz of side effects. My understanding is you have to go higher for pain relief. (You know how effexor works, right? You have to get to a certain dose to get the dual neurotransmitter action) My doc told me that one of her patients who failed every treatment achieved relief at effexor 180.
>
> LI took Efexor two years ago 150mg/day for depression. I couldnt tolerate more because of sweating, weight gain, headaches and memory probs ! A second try ?!
ben
Posted by Elizabeth on April 4, 2002, at 4:55:52
In reply to Re: Trileptal, posted by ben on March 27, 2002, at 7:34:18
Hi Ben. Trileptal is closely related to Tegretol *(carbamazepine) which is considered a gold standard for neuropathic pain. FWIW, I take Trileptal (for seizure prophylaxis) and haven't noticed any side effects. But I'm not a "med-sensitive" person. Still it generally has few side effects compared to Tegretol.
BTW, about the Remeron -- that tends to be very sedating in *low* doses, but this side effect decreases as you increase the dose. A lot of pdocs will start people out at 30 or even 45 mg because people tolerate that range better than 7.5-15. Zyprexa is generally really sedating, and it also lasts a very long time.
-elizabeth
Posted by ben on April 4, 2002, at 12:50:55
In reply to Re: Trileptal » ben, posted by Elizabeth on April 4, 2002, at 4:55:52
> Hi Ben. Trileptal is closely related to Tegretol *(carbamazepine) which is considered a gold standard for neuropathic pain. FWIW, I take Trileptal (for seizure prophylaxis) and haven't noticed any side effects. But I'm not a "med-sensitive" person. Still it generally has few side effects compared to Tegretol.
>
> BTW, about the Remeron -- that tends to be very sedating in *low* doses, but this side effect decreases as you increase the dose. A lot of pdocs will start people out at 30 or even 45 mg because people tolerate that range better than 7.5-15. Zyprexa is generally really sedating, and it also lasts a very long time.
>
> -elizabethMany thanks Elizabeth
I read a lot about the lesser sedation on higher doses of Remeron (Mirtazapine). I think its more theoretical (increasing Noradrenaline) because my pdoc started to patients on 30 mg at night and they were knocked out for two days ! I know that not all do agree with this but thats why we react all different.
For me Reboxetine (Edronax) was more stimulating than Methylphenidate (Ritalin) but pooped out as an adjunct to SSRIs very quickly.
How much Trileptal is considered to treat pain and often do you have to take it ? Could it be a good mood stabilizer for unipolars ?
Posted by Elizabeth on April 5, 2002, at 11:32:00
In reply to Re: Elizabeth - Remeron...., posted by ben on April 4, 2002, at 12:50:55
> I read a lot about the lesser sedation on higher doses of Remeron (Mirtazapine). I think its more theoretical (increasing Noradrenaline) because my pdoc started to patients on 30 mg at night and they were knocked out for two days ! I know that not all do agree with this but thats why we react all different.
We sure do. It is true that a lot of people (not everyone) find that the sedation decreases as they increase the dose, so it's not just theoretical. That doesn't mean that everyone will experience this. Also, 30 mg is a middle-range dose of Remeron, and it's quite possible that someone who finds 30 to be oversedating will be less sedated on 45 (for example).
> How much Trileptal is considered to treat pain and often do you have to take it ?
Unlike Tegretol, this relatively new drug isn't labelled for any pain syndromes. For epilepsy, I think the recommended daily dose range for adults is 1200-2400 mg; the dose is probably similar for pain. It's taken in two divided doses per day.
> Could it be a good mood stabilizer for unipolars ?
I'm not sure what you mean by "mood stabilizer for unipolars." Can you say more about this?
-elizabeth
Posted by ben on April 6, 2002, at 9:41:50
In reply to Re: Remeron.... » ben, posted by Elizabeth on April 5, 2002, at 11:32:00
> We sure do. It is true that a lot of people (not everyone) find that the sedation decreases as they increase the dose, so it's not just theoretical. That doesn't mean that everyone will experience this. Also, 30 mg is a middle-range dose of Remeron, and it's quite possible that someone who finds 30 to be oversedating will be less sedated on 45 (for example).Yes, but only try and error will show this. We know a lot about drugs in vitro (or of rats -> in vivo) but very less in vivo !
> > How much Trileptal is considered to treat pain and often do you have to take it ?
>
> Unlike Tegretol, this relatively new drug isn't labelled for any pain syndromes. For epilepsy, I think the recommended daily dose range for adults is 1200-2400 mg; the dose is probably similar for pain. It's taken in two divided doses per day.Wow, thats pretty much - do you take such doses ? I think this would knock me out ? Okay, try and error !
> I'm not sure what you mean by "mood stabilizer for unipolars." Can you say more about this?
Carbamazepine, Valproate, Lamotrigine....are
used as an adjunct in unipolar depression for
diminishing recurrence of episodes and as an augmentation strategy . I thought Oxcarbazepine might be used as a new alternative (?) - very few data available yet on that theme ! Or do you have other infos about that ?ben
Posted by Elizabeth on April 7, 2002, at 18:45:34
In reply to Re: Remeron.... » Elizabeth, posted by ben on April 6, 2002, at 9:41:50
> > It is true that a lot of people (not everyone) find that the sedation decreases as they increase the dose, so it's not just theoretical. That doesn't mean that everyone will experience this. Also, 30 mg is a middle-range dose of Remeron, and it's quite possible that someone who finds 30 to be oversedating will be less sedated on 45 (for example).
>
> Yes, but only try and error will show this. We know a lot about drugs in vitro (or of rats -> in vivo) but very less in vivo !I'm not talking about lab experiments, in rats or in isolated brain tissue; I'm talking about the observed effects of dose increases in live human beings. Again, that doesn't mean that everyone will experience this! But it's a far cry from being "just theoretical."
> Wow, thats pretty much - do you take such doses ? I think this would knock me out ? Okay, try and error !
I take 1200 mg/day (600 AM and 600 PM). It doesn't "knock me out." In fact, I don't notice any side effects; no sedation, dizziness, etc. It's a less potent anticonvulsant than Tegretol (that is, it requires higher doses to achieve the same effect), but it has fewer side effects, not more. It might seem reasonable that less potent drugs would be "dirtier" than more potent ones, but as it turns out, this isn't necessarily true.
> > I'm not sure what you mean by "mood stabilizer for unipolars." Can you say more about this?
>
> Carbamazepine, Valproate, Lamotrigine....are
> used as an adjunct in unipolar depression for
> diminishing recurrence of episodes and as an augmentation strategy.Oh, that. There's nothing specific about Trileptal, but it is being used in bipolar disorders. My guess is that it's probably about as effective as Tegretol for relapse prevention, either way.
-elizabeth
Posted by kpo2002 on May 4, 2002, at 16:35:42
In reply to Re: How to treat neuropathic pain ? pleae help, posted by ben on April 2, 2002, at 11:58:27
It has taken me 4 1/2 years to come up with this combination of drugs to treat neuropathic pain.
37.5 mg. Effexor and 2 1/2 mg. Dexedrine, morning
600 mg. Neurontin 4 x a day
60 to 75 mg. Remeron at bedtime 15 to 45 mg. Restoril at bedtime AND 60 tablets 5 mg. Methadone a month -- to use in any manner that I like. My advice is to keep trying one antidepressant after another. Plus you need to mix and match!
Posted by DonnaM on May 8, 2002, at 12:25:22
In reply to How to treat neuropathic pain ? pleae help, posted by ben on March 24, 2002, at 10:52:12
I have fibromyalgia and found that Doxepin helped extremely well with my back pain as well as sleep at the dose of 30 mg(10 mg>>30 mg over a week). THe first few days were difficult with anti-cholinergic (sp?) side effects but after a couple of months they were totally gone. The problem for me was increased depression and weight gain on it. Depakote (Epival)with Zoloft also helped quite a bit with back pain and also headaches with no sidee effects. Eventually I felt unmotivated on it.
> I do have a peripheral sensory neuropathy in my lower legs. I read of "treating" pain with TCAs (esp. amitryptiline, trimipramine, doxepine) and Antiepileptics (esp. Gabapentin, Carbamazepine and Oxcarbazepine). I am very sensitive to side effects (sedation, dizziness) so I have problems to bear "normal" doses considered to be helpful. Are there TCAs lacking the anticholinergic and antihistaminic side effects to treat neuropathic pain ? Other ADs like SSRIs doesnt seem to work for pain ?! Do you have experiences or considerations ? I am on Moclobemide (Aurorix) for several weeks (in diff. doses) and it doesnt seem to do any trick for my pain !
>
> see this post too:
>
> http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020322/msgs/99843.html
Posted by ben on May 8, 2002, at 13:48:17
In reply to Re: How to treat neuropathic pain ? please help » ben, posted by kpo2002 on May 4, 2002, at 16:35:42
> It has taken me 4 1/2 years to come up with this combination of drugs to treat neuropathic pain.
> 37.5 mg. Effexor and 2 1/2 mg. Dexedrine, morning
> 600 mg. Neurontin 4 x a day
> 60 to 75 mg. Remeron at bedtime 15 to 45 mg. Restoril at bedtime AND 60 tablets 5 mg. Methadone a month -- to use in any manner that I like. My advice is to keep trying one antidepressant after another. Plus you need to mix and match!
HiWhats the cause for your neuropathic pain ?
Why do you take such a low dose of Effexor besides relative high doses of oder drugs ?
I tried Remron and it knocked me out at only 7.5 mg at bed (I know that sedation could lessen at higher doses but not for all). Neurontin at 2400 mg/d - do you tolerate this ? It causes al ot of dizziness and sedation. I am sure it lasted a long time getting a trial mit methadone ?! Which doc would prescribe it for
such pain ? Did you tried other drugs like:-Tegretol
-Trileptal-Elavil and other TCAs
-SSRIs-Oxycodon
-Tramadol
Posted by ben on May 8, 2002, at 13:52:24
In reply to Re: How to treat neuropathic pain ? pleae help, posted by DonnaM on May 8, 2002, at 12:25:22
> I have fibromyalgia and found that Doxepin helped extremely well with my back pain as well as sleep at the dose of 30 mg(10 mg>>30 mg over a week). THe first few days were difficult with anti-cholinergic (sp?) side effects but after a couple of months they were totally gone. The problem for me was increased depression and weight gain on it. Depakote (Epival)with Zoloft also helped quite a bit with back pain and also headaches with no sidee effects. Eventually I felt unmotivated on it.
Hi
Do you have fibro or/and neuropathic pain ?
TCAs like Doxepine, Amitryptiline etc. knock me out ! Did you tried Tegretol, Trileptal or Neurontin ?
Thanks
>
> > I do have a peripheral sensory neuropathy in my lower legs. I read of "treating" pain with TCAs (esp. amitryptiline, trimipramine, doxepine) and Antiepileptics (esp. Gabapentin, Carbamazepine and Oxcarbazepine). I am very sensitive to side effects (sedation, dizziness) so I have problems to bear "normal" doses considered to be helpful. Are there TCAs lacking the anticholinergic and antihistaminic side effects to treat neuropathic pain ? Other ADs like SSRIs doesnt seem to work for pain ?! Do you have experiences or considerations ? I am on Moclobemide (Aurorix) for several weeks (in diff. doses) and it doesnt seem to do any trick for my pain !
> >
> > see this post too:
> >
> > http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020322/msgs/99843.html
Posted by Lia Mason on May 9, 2002, at 11:45:43
In reply to Re: How to treat neuropathic pain ? pleae help, posted by DonnaM on May 8, 2002, at 12:25:22
Hi Donna--
Have you tried guaifenesin for fibromyalgia? It's the subject of a book by a guy named (last name) St. Amand called (I think) "What Your Doctor May Not Know About Fibromyalgia". I ask because I have vulvodynia (chronic vaginal pain) and my doc is pushing guaifenesin.
Any help appreciated.
Lia
Posted by Lia Mason on May 9, 2002, at 11:48:39
In reply to Re: How to treat neuropathic pain ? please help » ben, posted by kpo2002 on May 4, 2002, at 16:35:42
I had a strange experience. I take 150 imipramine for pain and was doing very well. I had 37.5 effexor on board, too, and my doc said at such a low dose it can't be doing anything why not cut it. So I did and the pain came back. Now what's peculiar about this is that I was on more effexor a few months ago and it did nothing for my pain. So... my doc's theory is that the combo of imipramine and effexor is the key. Go figure.
Lia
Posted by kpo2002 on May 13, 2002, at 16:14:49
In reply to Re: How to treat neuropathic pain ? pleae help, posted by ben on April 2, 2002, at 11:58:27
There is no answer as to why what medications work for neuropathic pain. It is all trial and error--benefits versus undesirable side effects. Today I didn't take methadone but I did take 1/4 of a concerta. But I took methadone yesterday, 2 doses, so some of it is still in effect. I have taken a lot of drugs including TCAs, they didn't provide any pain relief and they made me feel like shit. It is not worth my time telling you all of the drugs that I took if they didn't give me any pain relief. Yes, I took Ultram (tramadol) for 2 years. I was allergic to it but I was forced to take it because it got me out of blinding pain. I had been in blinding pain for a year and a half, so it was a welcome relief. As I increased the Remeron and got a few doctors to give me a few oxycontin or percocets, I weaned myself from the Ultram. I still suffer with the allergies given to me by Ultram. Occasional hayfever, itchy eyes, runny nose, sinus headaches, and cannot were any earrings except real gold, and cannot wear any makeup without itchy eyes and runny nose. Also mixing Ultram with Trazedone produced Seratonin Syndrome which was awful. Coudn't sleep or eat for 4 days, horrible headache, nausea, vertigo, tinnitus. Just horrible. Then I had two chronic pain people blessing me with a few methadones from time to time, and I knew that it was the best. My son had to be sent to a county shelter before I got methadone. I suffered horribly for 3 1/2 years and when I took my son to a doctor's appt. I pleaded desperately to him, "If I don't get some painkillers soon my son is going to be sent to a foster home." He gave me 2 months supply of Fentanyl patches, 50 mcg. but I didn't use them the way you are supposed to. I figured if I hadn't gotten addicted yet, then why should I? Remeron had gotten me out of the french-fryer. I finally figured out that the only way that I could use the patches was to put it on at bedtime and take it off upon awakening (approx 12 hours.)I got the best pain relief (and almost always complete pain relief) from the Patches, but I was high as a kite, plus it is a pain in the ass pulling those patches off and trying to get them to stick again. I have saved some patches for special occasions, like vacation (snorkelling/ice skating) or big housecleaning or a much needed vacation from the pain. As for the dexedrine and concerta, every other boy on the block is diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. If you read the fine print on the Adderall drug info you will see one line that says that it increases the action of narcotic analgesics. You must keep trying pill after pill. Narcotics will not work alone. Antipsychotics work but have horrible side effects. I have a theory that Cogentin would work against Neuropathic pain, because it has only one use in pharmacology, and that is to undo the horrible side effects of antipsychotic drugs, and I figure if it's action is to undo unwanted random neurological actions then why would'nt it undo random pain impulses? As for the Neurontin - I had to start with 30 mg. (dumping out the capsules) It took me about 10 months to get up to 1,200 mg. 4 x day. The increases were equivalent to being shot out of a cannon into a brick wall. Increases should be made at bedtime so that you sleep through it all. Even with all of these drugs I am still in a lot of pain, but I am able to stay vertical for whole entire days, and I can think clearly, although I'm not my normal self. I can have days of immense pain relief by skipping days on the methadone, keeping the methadone doses low, and having about 4 days a month in which I take lot of methadone so that I can do all-day affairs. Only now, after adding the Effexor XR do I feel well enough to get on the internet and read and write. The Effexor XR 37.5 gave me immense pain relief for one month, then when the unusual side effects subsided so did much of the pain relief. I am still getting 20% of the original pain relief plus I am calmer. I lost 5 lbs. during the first month but gained it back in 2 weeks. I have lost my appetite for sweets. (Except Pepsi!) I have bi-femoral compression neuropathy, from being improperly positioned and/or left in the stirrups too long (two hours) during a vaginal hysterectomy at the VA hospital in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, and the surgeon was Dr. Kathleen McIntyre Seltman from Magee Women's Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I am in pain from my belly-button down, everything inside and out. I gained 40 lbs in 4 months after taking Remeron. I don't really like it, but it is a small price to pay to be able to walk and wear clothing. I hope that I have helped you and would like to warn everyone out there of this horrible injury. Men can get this injury too from prostate or hemmorhoid surgery. The way to prevent this injury is too have it written in the pre-surgical agreement that the legs have to be taken down for a few minutes and repositioned during surgery, or in the case of a hysterectomy the woman can opt to have the organs removed through an incision in the abdomen. Roxane 5 mg. Methadone seem to be stronger than Roxane 10 mg. and Methadose 10 mg. Sometime the binders in the drug can affect the action and the binders in the 5 mg. may be different. PLUS if you are paying for your drugs you would be interested to note that a month's worth of Duragesic Fentanyl patches is over $200.00 and the equivalent in Methadone is about $10.00. PLUS Methadone is not highly desired by junkies (if it were, there would be no heroin traffic as all of the junkies would be at the Methadone clinics)so it may be easier to get, but I don't know-it is still a narcotic. I recommend Methadone as it has great pain relieving qualities and few side effects, and if you are not addicted to it when you do take it subsequent doses are smaller than the first because of its long-lasting action. For instance, I get up, take 10 mg. Methadone, lay in bed for a while, get up get going, and decide that I didn't take enough, an hour and a half after the initial dose, take another 5 mg. An hour and a half later I'm doing OK but not great, I take another 5 mg. and I'm set for 4-6 hours and after the 6 hours I still have 50% of the pain relief for the rest of the day. Then the next day when I wake up I may only have to take two 5mg. doses to get comparable pain relief of the day before. At first I tried 1 day on and two days off, but after a few months I couldn't stand the pain anymore and now I'm usually two days on and 1 day off. Occasionally I go three days in a row, and occasionally I skip two days in a row. If I skip two days in a row, one of those days is likely to be augmented by 5-10 mg. of dexedrine. My other posting said that I took dexedrine every day but I don't, I just put that in to simplify my posting as I did not know when I'd feel well enough to write a more complete description. I sort of alternate drugs so that I don't become hopelessly addicted to narcotics but since I have been on Effexor I have not had to use alcohol once (yuck). Sometimes I have been able to double the effects of methadone just by having two drinks. However I don't really like the taste or effects of alcohol. Chronic pain patients who are friends of mine say that sooner or later I will become addicted to narcotics so why not just do it and get it over with and have a better life? I would love to do that if it guaranteed me a better life, but I am fearful that I will live another 60 years and become so tolerant after 30 years that they don't work and I will live another 30 years in hell. (No I won't,I'll kill myself first.) Plus I am just terrified of addiction itself because I have seen first-hand what narcotic addiction is like. Plus by staying sensitive to narcotics I can get pain-free hours or pain-free days, and I know that my methadone buddies get a lot of pain relief on a regular basis, but they never even have a pain-free moment.
Posted by kpo2002 on May 13, 2002, at 23:29:06
In reply to Re: How to treat neuropathic pain ? pleae help, posted by ben on April 2, 2002, at 11:58:27
I just found out that Effexor and Remeron are in a class of antidepressants called SNRIs or serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. If you go to Google and type in "neuropathic pain effexor remeron" you will find many articles supporting my previous statements. I wish I had known this stuff 4 years ago.
Posted by kpo2002 on May 14, 2002, at 14:31:42
In reply to Re: How to treat neuropathic pain ? pleae help, posted by kpo2002 on May 13, 2002, at 23:29:06
If you go to Google and type in "cancer pain stimulant" you will find many articles substantianting my use of amphetamines for energy and pain reduction.
Posted by kpo2002 on May 16, 2002, at 8:37:56
In reply to Re: How to treat neuropathic pain ? pleae help, posted by ben on April 2, 2002, at 11:58:27
Hey Ben, why don't you let us know how you are doing. I guess we'll probably have to wait until you get back from a few doctor's appts. By the way--What is your neuropathy from? From what I understand from my type of injury after 2 years it is permanent. So mine will never get any better, but on the good side I know that it will never get any worse.
Posted by ben on May 16, 2002, at 12:43:33
In reply to Re: How to treat neuropathic pain ? To Ben, posted by kpo2002 on May 16, 2002, at 8:37:56
> Hey Ben, why don't you let us know how you are doing. I guess we'll probably have to wait until you get back from a few doctor's appts. By the way--What is your neuropathy from? From what I understand from my type of injury after 2 years it is permanent. So mine will never get any better, but on the good side I know that it will never get any worse.
Hi kpoYes I have to wait for apps in the hospital till 6 weeks know and no answer when I can come ! I called but they are full and dont know when it is my turn. Thats the situation in good hospitals with an awfull organisation - unfortunately very usual....so I wait with this unbearable pain!
Some infos about apps. before:
They found an absent sensory response of the peripheral nerves (in the limbs), but dont know what it means and if this is causing my symptoms ! Pain, burning needles but no loss of sens!
They will redo the EMG/NCS in the hospital and perhaps a lumbal punction (spine liquid)
to look about infections etc.
I had often fasciculations in the muscles (fast repeated twiches) of legs during this 2 years and some docs are very interested in this (others dont care about it).see also the discussion I had with katekite:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020503msgs/105049.html
Any ideas suggestions, thoughts, inputs or comments.
That would bee fine ! Thanks a lot
Posted by ben on May 16, 2002, at 13:11:36
In reply to re: low dose effexor, posted by Lia Mason on May 9, 2002, at 11:48:39
BTW
I started Effexor 37.5 mg/d about 5 days ago without any positive effects on my pain yet. Today I upped the dose to 75 mg/d....still waiting :-(
Posted by kpo2002 on May 18, 2002, at 2:49:53
In reply to re: low dose effexor, posted by Lia Mason on May 9, 2002, at 11:48:39
I have to say one thing about trying new drugs for pain, you pretty much know right away if they are going to help or not--it's not like for depression, where they say that you have to take a drug for 4-6 weeks to get a blood level. If it's gonna work you should notice a difference right away. See my latest posting on the "Any Success with Effexor?" site to see why I discontinued this drug. My advice to you is to begin a CAMPAIGN AGAINST PAIN right away. If you do not get rid of this pain, the constant bombardment of chemical messages of pain cause permanent irreversable bio-neurological damage. You must try one drug after another even if it means going to ten doctors. I was able to make one pain go away permanently by accidentally finding out that paxil worked for one pain and one pain only. (That left about 49) Because I got the paxil about 6 weeks into the blinding pain I was able to eliminate the feeling that some one had poured kerosene into my lap and set it on fire. It took about 5 months and the side effects from the paxil were so severe that I stopped and started many times and in the end I was taking 1/32 of a pill. I cannot impress this upon you enough. Do it while you can--because once you get to the blinding pain stage you can forget about running to doctors. You'll be lucky if you can stay vertical long enough to shovel some food into your face. My teeth rotted because I couldn't even brush and floss.
Posted by katekite on May 18, 2002, at 16:45:17
In reply to re: low dose effexor, posted by kpo2002 on May 18, 2002, at 2:49:53
Wow, permanent is a scary thought. I've been following this thread since I have episodes of a burning sensation in my legs -- pain and heat are not always too different.
It did sound at least like Ben's pain hadn't gotten significantly worse since it started, so that hopefully means it won't get much worse. It depends on the cause, which I know he is looking in to.
I agree about trying each drug for only a short time, at least to begin with.... try 10 or 15 and if none show immediate benefit one can always go back and try the best one for longer. Aggressive is better.
Ben when is your testing? Soon?
kate
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