Veterans With Upper And/or Lower Radiculopathy

[TALON II FE]

I understand. I wish I could tell you it fixed everything. I did have a good doctor, btw, so it wasn't a problem on that side, With nerves, who knows? It may fix you, if you go that route. Mine was progressively getting worse, so maybe it prevented it from being much worse now, but it is all a guessing game.

[john999]

I just talked to one of my pain doctors at the VA and he said cervical surgery is not for pain management. It is to protect the spinal cord so you don't end up in a wheelchair. So surgery is a no, no and they frown on the narcotics. I have been on morphine, methadone, fentanyl patch and oxycodone over the years. The morphine plugged me up so bad it took a jackhammer to have a bowel movement. I would not take that stuff because it also hurt my guts. Now they just don't know what to do with me. I have sleep apnea and my VA shrink prescribes clonazepam for anxiety. None of the doctors are coordinating their care for me. They all disagree with my treatment plan. They are ten years behind the curve, but private pain doctors often want to do procedures because that is where the money is at. I have lost much confidence in the medical boys. If a boat payment is due you will get a surgery or one of those shots in your neck or back.

John

[ArNG11]

I wish I could say you're wrong John but I have come to the same realization. Money does influence many things. . There is a lot of $ in pain managent cannot deny that. Valerian root and cannabis. I've heard it is effective. Only mixed opinions on the latter.

Docs and pharmaceuticals would loose billions beyond possible measure.

In any case bilateral radiculopathy is a wierd injury, tingling, numbness, and radiating pain at the same time is difficult to manage. My legs now a days go numb much more often and the pain is like a Charlie horse, accupunture, burning, cold feeling running rampid. I really despise it.

[TALON II FE]

well, it has been rough weening off of the nortriptyline, but I am back on Lyrica now at 75 mg twice a day, we'll see if I experience any weight gain this time like I did a few years back. No longer on AD and I have lost 15 lbs by eating less due to financial concerns, so it won't hurt to add it back, I am a little light for my frame now anyways. Hope it works better, but I am not holding my breath for a miracle cure to the pain.

[rpowell01]

John you know me by all the messages we have talked to each other about. I finally decided to ask my private MD to see if he would switch me from the VA prescribed 3600mg Gabapentin to Lyrica. He said he seen how much pain I was in with my follow up visit I have with him every 5-6 months to check my Thyroid levels and to refill the Levothyroxine I take for it. He told me that Gabapentin is like other medications that deals with pain that it will stop working and can affect you in many ways. All I can say is ever since I started taking it I've been in this dark, dark cloud with no memory. I couldn't remember how old I was or even a conversation I had with my wife. He decided and I agreed to be switched from Gabapentin to Lyrica 300mg per day. He said I would need to wean off the Gabapentin at the same time I come on the Lyrica. Guess what? I was able to quit the Gabapentin cold turkey. Please because I was able to do this I do not advise others to do the same. Gabapentin was affecting me to the point I think my body was rejecting it and that was the reason why I was able to quit cold turkey. I've feel like I've come out of a dark cloud and the fog has lifted.

 

So, after a couple of days of thinking I've decided to get away from the VA medical and allow my private MD to prescribe me my meds and I am going to ask him to switch me back to Tramadol, which was the original pain medication I was taking whenever my radiculopathy pain started, and get off the Oxycodone that I've been taking for a couple of years now. Oxycodone is ruining my life, I can't take care of my wife intimidate like I was able to whenever I was on the Tramadol. And, and a big AND, whenever I can take care of her I end up DRY can can't take care of myself (if you know what I mean). I am sick of the VA and their lack support. I've had cousins who has had cervical spine fusion because of the same conditions as you and me, nerve compression. Not spinal cord compression just for nerve compression. The VA is now saying that surgery is not the way. I call them a big BullCrap. What has happened is the VA doesn't have any good Neurosurgeons and utilized Neurosurgeons who can't get a license in any state because of malpractice. OR, they are allowing these darn interns to cut into the veterans. And they wonder why veterans are still in pain after fusion surgery? Everybody that I know, well a majority, that has had nerve impingement surgery does not have any issues today. But the VA won't touch us because of their BS policies they now have in place. So what do they do? They place us on all these pain killers and psyche meds. Then during C&P Exams, from what I've read on here and other websites, the examiners tells the veterans "Your pain increase is from the pain meds". Catch 22, get it? 

I'm tired of the VA so its funny I just read this topic and post and the replies because I decided today that I am getting away from the VA medical system. My VA PCP is a piece of crap and for example the last time I seen him was in January and whenever I showed him how red and purple my legs and feet turned he appeared he just didn't care. He kept saying it was a circulation issues but couldn't tell me why. The answer to the why was because of the amitriptyline and after I was told my the hospital ER, that I had visited about 10 times in 5 months, to stop taking it my legs never turned red or purple again. The VA medical is worthless and the only way to fix them is to shut them down, give special medicare cards to the veterans and allow them to go see the private doctors and specialists. Close down the VA medical and allow the Federal government to save billions because they wouldnt' have to pay staffing, utility bills which easily ranges in the millions per facility/hospital per year, retirement and many, many other things. The VA medical just needs to go away and quit telling the world that they have the best medical care in the world. My legs are on fire thinking about them now and what they have NOT done not just for me but a million of veterans.

[green]

I don't think any of these drugs eliminate pain, merely mask some of it.  Gabapentin definitely works but it makes me dumber than a box of rocks.  Tramadol worked to some degree but they took me off of it because they find it to be habit forming despite it not being a narcotic.  I'm on Lyrica now but haven't really got it dialed-in yet.