ptsd Need Help With Chronic Service Connected Pain Issues.

[john999]

Find a private doctor. If the pain is where you say it is then it is probably your neck. It took them years to locate my disc problem in my neck. Unfortunately I don't want neck surgery yet.

[carlie]

Find a private doctor. If the pain is where you say it is then it is probably your neck. It took them years to locate my disc problem in my neck. Unfortunately I don't want neck surgery yet.

John,

Im staying away from the neck surgery too !

[meghp0405]

Alright guys, I am new here, and I am hoping that it will be good to talk to and hear helpful tips from fellow veterans on dealing with the VA hospitals lackluster care.

I'll start by introducing myself a bit, I am a USMC Infantry Combat Veteran, OIF era. I seek care in the VA Boston area. I am rated at 70% service connected, and am currently receiving Individual Unemployability because I had to leave my job due to my issues. I am being treated for PTSD, TBI, Chronic Upper Back Pain, Left knee pain (ACL and MCL tear), and GI issues (possible Ulcers, GERD, IBS etc... tests incoming). I also must say how grateful I am for most of the services offered to veterans.

Alright, so here is my main problem. The chronic upper back pain I spoke of earlier is currently under treated, and not diagnosed. I had sought help from a local Doctor, but had to stop going because I simply could not afford those prices any longer. This is the best I can write out everything, I have been trying to take notes and write everything down since my memory isn't all that good.

The pain: The pain is in my upper back, right side, shoulder area. It can get excruciatingly painful and debilitating. Not sure if it is related or not, but I get a strange 'electric shock' feeling on the back of my neck, right side, where the spine connects to the skull. The pain is definitely made worse by physical activity of any sort, even simply standing for more than 30 minutes can cause it to 'flare up' and driving is another time it acts up. Yard work and chores at my house are incredibly hard to get done without being in pain, and the pain leads to me being in a shitty mood. At it's worst it is a deep pain, like it feels like it is under the bones and such, a 8 or 9 on the stupid pain scale is not uncommon. The skin feels sort of subdued, like it's sort of numb feeling above where the pain is. This has been ongoing for YEARS now. At least 7 years. Documented in my med records since bootcamp.

The tests: The VA doctors have done many tests, XRAY's have been done, and they show nothing wrong. MRI's have been done, and also show nothing abnormal (that would cause that pain at least... cyst was located on Thyroid gland) a CT scan has been done on my head while I was having very bad migraines and it didn't show anything that would cause the back pain. I asked if maybe the Gall Bladder was involved as it can cause pain in that area, the GI specialist said it was doubtful, but in one of my upcoming tests (Ultrasound) he should be able to tell for sure.

"So called treatments": I will now list ALL of the things that either the Doctors have done, or I have done to try and curb the pain, and the results of the treatment.

• Physical Therapy. Was required of me when I complained of this issue while still active duty. I did I believe 2 months at the Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital. It did NOT help me for this problem. I have done PT for my knee before, and that DID help, so I have a good grasp of how it is supposed to work. Currently, my VA Doc has suggested trying it again, I am NOT open to this idea, as A) no help previously, and B) I cannot drive into Boston 3+ times a week for PT sessions.
• Menthol 10% cream. No help whatsoever. Was 'prescribed' by my Primary Care.
• Lidocaine Patches. Prescribed by Primary Care doc as well. Oddly enough seems to make me notice the pain MORE when I have one on... otherwise nothing.
• Nortriptyline 25mg. Prescribed by my local Neurologist doc when I could afford to see her. Didn't work.
• Cyclobenzaprine muscle relaxer. Prescribed by VA doctors. Made me too tired to function, and made me felt weird. Didn't help with the pain either, but did help with getting to sleep.
• Naproxen tabs. Both prescription ones and OTC, zero help. Told to discontinue due to possible Ulcers.
• Acetominophen 500mg. No help. Told to stop taking them by PC due to possible Ulcers.
• Oxycodone 10mg Acetominophen 325mg. Prescribed by local Neurologist. ONLY thing that has helped at all thus far. Was only given 1 bottle (40) before I stopped seeing that Neurologist, she stopped seeing me as a patient because she "doesn't know what's wrong with me, but it doesn't appear to be anything that she can help with" gave me the 1 bottle and said she hopes it helps and for me to go back to my Primary Care. Didn't fully cover pain, definitely took the edge off though and made me able to function.
• Ice and Heat. Feels ok while icing/heating but doesn't relieve the pain and the effects don't last.

The 'diagnosis': As of now, no diagnosis. Things that the Doctors have mentioned... Muscle Strain, A sprain, Muscle spasm, scoliosis (false)

Things that I have mentioned that they dismiss: Lyme Disease, Gall Bladder Issues, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Ruptured Disc, Spinal Stenosis.

Current course of treatment: Pain Clinic said they will give me 'trigger point injections' and I am completely uninterested in that, A) they have no idea whats even wrong so I don't see how injecting something will work, B) I have family members with back issues (ruptured discs) who have had this treatment and they said it was NOT WORTH IT at ALL. But that is about it. They said they will NOT give me medication for it, first thing they said in fact, then said injections or nothing pretty much.

What do I WANT: I'd love to know what the main problem really is, but until that can be established I want PAIN RELIEF. this is INSANE that I have to live like this for no reason. I don't want to seem like a drug seeker, but HOLY HELL it's the only thing that has helped me out at all, and realistically I don't think I would have hatched a plan 7 years ago to constantly complain about the same pain to get drugs?? Is there something special I have to say to them to get treatment? Do they just NOT prescribe pain medication now? I know it is an issue in this country, but it's xxxxxxx insane that I just on my own dealing with this pain thats ruining my life. It's just not fair that I got to see how that 1 month of life went while I had a prescription, adn then that was it, now I'm back to nothing. It's literally driving me crazy. I don't even want a ton pills or anything!!! Just enough so that I can get stuff done around my house, and spend time with my girlfriend and family without being a raging jerk to everyone due to being in pain. I don't want to get addicted to them either, I understand that can happen, which is why I spread out that 1 prescription I did have. Even typing this out, they have me brainwashed to feel like a junkie by wanting medication for my problems.

xxxx.

Anyways, that did feel good to get off my chest... I really look forward to getting some feedback, or help, or ANYTHING. But even just venting was ok... I'm sure my Girlfriend is very tired of hearing me bitch about it all the time... ha ha ha.

Semper Fi.

-Rusty

Was anything discussed about the testing of nerves in your neck and back?

[381sps]

Sounds like you need an emg nerve test done and a mri of yor neck unless thats already done. Sometimes the VA kind of tries to down play injuries as it has happened to me and you just have to be persistant with them. I needed carpal tunnel surgery on both hands and they tried there darndest to get out of it. They might of but had an outside EMG test and when they sent me to there doc for another one he tried to say there was nothing wrong I sprung my outside report on him. Long story short I had both hands operated on.

Alot of us have to deal with chronic pain amd its not easy there is no magic pill. Alot you just have to deal with it. I am on my second cervical spine surgery and it just dont get any better. I have compression fractures on my T spine and low back they want to fuse l4---s1 which I am not going to do. I would suggest you take some depression and pain classes at the VAMC to help you deal with chronic pain.

[Navy ELT to EMT-P]

There has been great advice here so far. I'm not doc, but I am licenced paramedic, and I have many patients that are chronic pain sufferers. The point I want to add is to be very cautious with heavy narcotics like OxyContin and fentanyl. They work great and sure you have been warned about the addictive properties. What is more insidious is how they give such short term relief, with no high for the chronic pain pt just relief, then as the months and years go by doses area increased until you are almost in a permanent state of withdrawal. And of course there are the hundreds of accidental overdoses I've treated.

For some Cymbalta or Neurontin work great. Trigger point injections can provide a lot of relief but have risk. This really sounds like reffered pain. Most likely spinal however organs (gal bladder, spleen, pericardium) can refer pain as well. Keep striving for a diagnosis. Don't give up. Limit the narcotic use to breakthrough pain control. And keep your spirits up.

Best wishes.

[jcam786]

I went through what your dealing with 10 years ago. I have lower back pain chronic, left shoulder pain, carpal tunnel, and anxiety at times from ptsd. I went to my local clinic for 5 years, and went along with the tens to hundreds of ointments and flexeril( which just knocked me out). At my last appt I finally straight up asked my doc if I could get a script for just a few ( like 10-20) vicodin for the really bad days. I was informed that they didn't give narcotics for my type of pain. After 5 years I gave up, and with no ins started seeing a private pain doc. I was instantly prescribed 8 norco(10mg hydrocodone), 1-2 klonopin a day for anxiety(clonazepam) and at the height of it I was on 100mg of methadone a day along with norco and klonopin.

Throughout my life I have been on oxycontin(up to 240 mg aday) cold turkeyed that one. Pure hell. I've been on fentanyl, dilaudid, ms contin, I am now leaving the private pain doc and going back to va with current scripts from pain doc to see what they will do. Throughout this process I have found that although these opiates can help, they are only masking the pain. I live in a MMJ state so I am hoping to be able to use that in conjunction with a low prescription of norco and klonopin. I don't know how VA docs fill about continuing therapy other docs started but I'm gonna give it a go. I actually have found just lately that the MMJ helps more than anything. Any advice on the right route to take to get what I want from VA will be greatly appreciated. I dont want much, and I'll jump through there hoops. I've also cold turkeyed from 100mg of methadone with alot of help from MMJ so for those that think withdraws will kill you. They will make you want to die but you wont. Keeping your heart rate down is key.

From what I'm reading in other posts I dont think I'll ask for anything, I'll just show them what I'm getting and see what happens.