Question for those paralyzed from trauma

[Desert Spyder]

My SIL is a C5 quad and in terrible pain all the time. He hates to use narcotics for the pain. What has anyone else tried?

 

[jerpinoy]

 

[ARtraveler]

ray:ray: go with you. Hope others will have a good answer for you.

 

[acinpcola]

Has he considered acupuncture or hypnotherapy? I hear they may be worth a try. I do know someone who is using acupuncture to help with a habit that was caused from stress in their life.

Good Luck on what he will try and God Bless

AC:spyder2:

 

[Desert Spyder]

Has he considered acupuncture or hypnotherapy? I hear they may be worth a try. I do know someone who is using acupuncture to help with a habit that was caused from stress in their life.

Good Luck on what he will try and God Bless

AC:spyder2:

He has done acupuncture but didn't follow through on it because he was in too much pain to go to his appointments. The only thing that worked was 99 Bananas (some kind of liquor) which presented its own problems. He now has an enlarged liver. And a variety of pain meds. This scares me mixing the two. He's only 29.

He recently went to the Nevada Clinic in Las Vegas to try some homeopathic and whole body treatments. Too early to tell how this will work.

I'm working on a system to suspend him vertically in a full body harness and hunters gambrel. The body functions better when in the vertical position. But I have to watch his blood pressure when doing this.

His condition is complicated, but the more I help him, the more I help my daughter.

 

[IGETAROUND]

He has done acupuncture but didn't follow through on it because he was in too much pain to go to his appointments. The only thing that worked was 99 Bananas (some kind of liquor) which presented its own problems. He now has an enlarged liver. And a variety of pain meds. This scares me mixing the two. He's only 29.

He recently went to the Nevada Clinic in Las Vegas to try some homeopathic and whole body treatments. Too early to tell how this will work.

I'm working on a system to suspend him vertically in a full body harness and hunters gambrel. The body functions better when in the vertical position. But I have to watch his blood pressure when doing this.

His condition is complicated, but the more I he
lp him, the more I help my daughter.[/QUOTE

This is a problem that would best be discussed with your/his primary care provider. The aforementiioned accupuncture would be a viable place to start. There are some topical creams which help with pain; which your provider should know of. A compounding pharmacy would also be a good place to build a relationship with. Perhaps a pain clinic to do an evaluation.

 

[Desert Spyder]

He has done acupuncture but didn't follow through on it because he was in too much pain to go to his appointments. The only thing that worked was 99 Bananas (some kind of liquor) which presented its own problems. He now has an enlarged liver. And a variety of pain meds. This scares me mixing the two. He's only 29.

He recently went to the Nevada Clinic in Las Vegas to try some homeopathic and whole body treatments. Too early to tell how this will work.

I'm working on a system to suspend him vertically in a full body harness and hunters gambrel. The body functions better when in the vertical position. But I have to watch his blood pressure when doing this.

His condition is complicated, but the more I he
lp him, the more I help my daughter.[/QUOTE

This is a problem that would best be discussed with your/his primary care provider. The aforementiioned accupuncture would be a viable place to start. There are some topical creams which help with pain; which your provider should know of. A compounding pharmacy would also be a good place to build a relationship with. Perhaps a pain clinic to do an evaluation.

I've taken him to a pain clinic a couple times then his insurance fell through. One day God will answer our prayers. He already has sparing his life.

 

[ARtraveler]

Post #6 by Igetaround has the best advice so far. I recommend that option also. Once again, hope you can get the issue figured out. ray:

 

[sonicsix]

I am what they call a "walking paraplegic". I suffered a crushed spinal cord at T10 due to a GSW on Feb 3, 1990. They told me I would never walk again on Feb 18th, 1990. My Aunt and I prayed that day and they discharged me from the hospital on Feb 21, 1990 and I walked out the front door. I have lots of issues related to the injury including, but not limited to, extreme weakness in my left leg and my right leg feels scalded 24 hours a day. The best way to explain what it feels like to a normal person is this... turn the hot water on and let it get as hot as it will get. Now hold your hand under it. But after being like this for nearly 23 years, you kinds sorta get used to it. The drug Gabapentin helps tone down the pain enough so that I can sleep at night. It is a far cry from a remedy, but it does help. I'm thankful that I can still hobble around and not have to use my wheelchair all the time.

 

[Desert Spyder]

I am what they call a "walking paraplegic". I suffered a crushed spinal cord at T10 due to a GSW on Feb 3, 1990. They told me I would never walk again on Feb 18th, 1990. My Aunt and I prayed that day and they discharged me from the hospital on Feb 21, 1990 and I walked out the front door. I have lots of issues related to the injury including, but not limited to, extreme weakness in my left leg and my right leg feels scalded 24 hours a day. The best way to explain what it feels like to a normal person is this... turn the hot water on and let it get as hot as it will get. Now hold your hand under it. But after being like this for nearly 23 years, you kinds sorta get used to it. The drug Gabapentin helps tone down the pain enough so that I can sleep at night. It is a far cry from a remedy, but it does help. I'm thankful that I can still hobble around and not have to use my wheelchair all the time.

Whats a GSW?

 

[ataDude]

Whats a GSW?

Gun shot wound.

 

[HedonismBot]

I had a tumor at C 1-3, biopsy there and a fusion of those three. I've got pretty steady pain in my hands. I talked with my new primary doc two years ago and he suggested I try Gabapentin (non-narcotic). It's really been a godsend for me. I take one pill daily at night. If the pain is neuropathic pain, it might be of real benefit. It certainly makes me drowsy which is why I take it at night; however, the effects last during the daytime. This combined with Advil and I feel mostly human again. On my insurance at work, it's sub $10 for 30 day supply. I hope it can help. Pain is terrible to live with and being doped up on a narcotic is something I didn't want to deal with if I could avoid it.

Other than being drowsy 30 or so minutes after taking it, I've experienced no other side effects.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabapentin#Pain

ray:

 

[Desert Spyder]

I had a tumor at C 1-3, biopsy there and a fusion of those three. I've got pretty steady pain in my hands. I talked with my new primary doc two years ago and he suggested I try Gabapentin (non-narcotic). It's really been a godsend for me. I take one pill daily at night. If the pain is neuropathic pain, it might be of real benefit. It certainly makes me drowsy which is why I take it at night; however, the effects last during the daytime. This combined with Advil and I feel mostly human again. On my insurance at work, it's sub $10 for 30 day supply. I hope it can help. Pain is terrible to live with and being doped up on a narcotic is something I didn't want to deal with if I could avoid it.

Other than being drowsy 30 or so minutes after taking it, I've experienced no other side effects.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabapentin#Pain

ray:

So let me get this right. You take the Gabapentin at night whose effects last into the following day when you take the advil. Correct? BTW, describe your pain: burning, freezing, snakebites, pin pricks???? Thanks

 

[HedonismBot]

I take one pill at night generally around 7 or 8pm. The only real reason for this is because it makes me pretty drowsy; however, after 6-8 hours of sleep I am back to normal drowsy wise but my pain is greatly subsided for pretty much the rest of the day. On occasion I'll take Advil or Alleve but this isn't an everyday thing. I'm not suggesting that Gabapentin gets rid of my pain but before I was put on it there was a least a week per month that I couldn't even hold a pen or pencil it hurt so bad. I'll gladly take a little pain for being able to function more normally.

My pain is basically nerve pain caused by the surgeries and fusion. It's a combination of a burning and tingling to at it's worst feeling like I am being stabbed by a million tiny knives in my hands.The Gaba gets rid of my serve pain and leaves me with something I can tolerate without much effort. Again, for me at least, it doesn't perform miracles but it keeps me from having to rely on an opiate or other addictive narcotic-based treatment. I can make it through most of my day without really feeling too bad.

Two of my previous docs basically told me I was screwed and meditate to relieve pain. That's all well and good, but it's hard to even get a clear mind when your hurt so much. It was until my current doc that he suggested Gabapentin. It was originally used to treat seizure disorders and then was found to be effective in controlling certain types of pain--specifically nerve. According to my doc's lay explanation, it simply deadens the nerves or calms them down. Of course this is perfect in my situation. I forget my dose off the top of my head. It's something like 300 or 350mg. I think that is a higher dose so perhaps starting off on a lower dose would still work and reduce drowsiness. I know that 30 mins after I've taken one it feels like I'm running a good margarita buzz. So, driving is really not a good idea until you really know how the drug affects you.

PM me with any other questions. I hope that maybe it can help.

 

[sonicsix]

My dose is 600mg in the morning, 600mg at noon and 600mg before bed and it just tones down the pain to a tolerable level.

 

[HedonismBot]

I must be a lightweight when it comes to meds I think there is a 150mg dosage but don't quote me on that :sour:

 

[Desert Spyder]

My SIL just got a prescription for the gabapentin yesterday. He has to take it 3X a day but I forget what the dosage is. Only costs $7! Otherwise its insult on injury. I also rigged up a tripod with some 10' poles. Also bought a full body harness and one of those gizmos hunters use to lift their kill. Yesterday we used it for the first time. It was the first time his body had been in a vertical plane for 1-1/2 years. I kept a good eye on him to guard against Associated Distress so he was only in that position for at best 10 minutes. He said he could feel the pressure on his lower limbs. Better than pain. But 15 minutes later he said he could feel the pain where the straps were against his leg. But there were no straps there. I think it was his upper leg muscles reacting to standing. Have to make some adjustments on the harness but I am eager to try it again. He would like to get a standing frame but a manual wheelchair is also an option with some fund raisers in his name. He needs both but where is the priority? Very tough call. Thanks guys!

 

[Tim Pringle]

I am what they call a "walking paraplegic". I suffered a crushed spinal cord at T10 due to a GSW on Feb 3, 1990. They told me I would never walk again on Feb 18th, 1990. My Aunt and I prayed that day and they discharged me from the hospital on Feb 21, 1990 and I walked out the front door. I have lots of issues related to the injury including, but not limited to, extreme weakness in my left leg and my right leg feels scalded 24 hours a day. The best way to explain what it feels like to a normal person is this... turn the hot water on and let it get as hot as it will get. Now hold your hand under it. But after being like this for nearly 23 years, you kinds sorta get used to it. The drug Gabapentin helps tone down the pain enough so that I can sleep at night. It is a far cry from a remedy, but it does help. I'm thankful that I can still hobble around and not have to use my wheelchair all the time.

Wow! I just found this post. I am dealing with the exact same issue due to a spinal injury suffered at the T2&T3 section back in 93. Nothing I have tried so far has reduce the burning sensation I feel. My feet constantly feels like they have fallen asleep. My doctor wrote me a prescription for Lyrica to see if this would help. I have not had a chance to try it yet because Blue Cross would not approve it. My doctor has to fill out some paper work to try an get this approved. Lyrica is for diabetics but Lyrica has been proven to help with the issue I am experiencing.

 

[Attagrl]

I suffered from severe pain due to degenerative disc disease which eventually resulted in a spinal cord injury called Cauda Equina Syndrome. It's been 15 months since my surgery and I still have limited function in my lower body and a fair bit of nerve pain. I am using Cymbalta for pain management, and have had conversations with my doctor about both Gabapentin and Lyrica. They are both recommended for nerve pain, but Lyrica has pretty severe side effects. I have also tried bioflex laser treatments which I believe was instrumental in getting me where I am today (many with this type of injury are still in wheelchairs and using a catheter, and I am not). I have also found whole body vibration and infra-red saunas to be of significant help too. I take delivery of my 2013 ST-Limited this week after taking my licensing training course (Ontario, Canada) and can't wait to get out ryding"


Sent from my iPad

 

[Dan_Ashley]

Me too.

They told me I would never walk again ..

My injury was not from the military, but was from police work. They told me that if I had surgery there would be a 50-50 chance of me walking again. If I did not have surgery, I would not be able to walk in five years. PAIN is not the word...that word does not begin to tell the story. After about 11 years, I finally healed enough to get married. The methods I used: Chiropractor and hypnosis. The pain pills made my mind disappear. So did the alcohol. I am nearly fine now. Take your friend to a hypnotherapist. To a good one. One with a PhD in psychology. One who has treated both spinal injuries and PTSD. You can't have a spinal injury without also having PTSD. It is horrible. I hope the best for your friend. ...and for you too... Remember this: Healing IS possible. Healing WILL occur. and just because you have a better day today, doesn't mean that you won't have a worse one tomorrow...Healing is not a straight line--but more of a jagged curve. God Bless. ...Dan