Question: In 1998 I sustained an injury in my lower back. I was told that I had a slippage of the L5 and therefore bone was pushing onto my nerve and therefore giving me excruciating pain and loss of movement. I went through emergency surgery to have a fusion of the L5 s1which went well. However a few months later I began to experience pain again. After xrays, ct scans and many trips to hospital for pain relief, Drs began to think the problem was in my head! When told this I got angry, dissolutioned, went back to work in spite of the pain and ended up in a bad way. Was taken 300 miles by ambulance to the hospital where I had original surgery. Xrays etc were redone to no avail. Then my clever surgeon decided to do a milagram and because I was not lying down it showed that one of the screws had come out and was hitting the nerve as I moved. So more surgery! After this I was in pain all the time and was treated as a chronic pain patient. After trying many medications and treatments such as physio, acupuncture, terms machines etc, I was put on ms contin. This worked for me. I was told that the damage I had was Arachniditis, cauda equine etc. As you would know our men in suits not drs have decided we are all drug addicts and must prove we are not! I understand the problems..... My son was an addict for years!...however I am not happy that my dose was immediately cut in half. I must see a pain specialist, 300 miles away before they will help my pain. In the meantime I am in pain which is debilitating and I am told by my gp to take panadol which barely helps, so I am spending a lot of time in bed! Time I haven't got as I am in heart failure! I have written to you about this recently. My appointment is not until very end of October, is there something I could be taking and what will they offer me instead of the mophine? Thank you for your time.
Laureen.