My step-father has the same condition and they put him on Noritryptiline (Spelling is bad I know) it's an anti-psychotic but also is great with chronic nerve pain and they also gave him an anit-inflammatory. The Nori stuff he said helps, but renders him useless at night. I hope you find something that works for you.

You might want to try yoga. I suggest working with your doctor and a private instructor to see if it works for you. Iyengar yoga is especially for healing and is very helpful to alleviate pressure. I have never had pain like you do, but I have heard some very inspirational stories about people who have reduced back pain by regularly practicing yoga. The important thing is to listen to your body and make sure you're not pushing yourself too hard. Work with an instructor to do poses that will work best for you and make sure you're doing the poses right. Good luck!

ask your doctor about a drug called LYRICA. my uncle has close to the same thing. he takes it with 10mg hydrocodone. it is supposed to help get the pain-killers to the nerve endings. i hope this helps you.

Have you gone to see a pain specialist. I am talking about a doctor who only does pain management. Also sometimes when drugs don't work well alone they work better when combined with alternative therapies such as hypnosis, meditation, accupressure, massage ect. Just a thought.

My wife has same condition. She had traditional spinal fusion and screws came loose, so she had 360 degree, also called circumferential fusion where they went in through her stomach and inserted a steel plate in the front of her spine, then flipped her over and put the hardware in her back, this time with something to screw to other than bone. Due to scar tissue her pain was such that she wound up having a pump implanted in her abdomen that delivers alternating morphine type drugs to her spine via a small tube. The advantage is this does not "flood" you body with narcotics as happens with large doses taken orally or intravenously so your head stays a bit clearer. The battery in the pump has to be replaced about every 3-5 years (outpatient surgery) and the pump has to be filled every 90 days. It has helped alot, she only takes oral meds for "breakthrough" pain and is able to lead a somewhat normal life.

i see someone suggested yoga already and that's a great idea. i don't know if it will help with the problem of origin but it might help you from getting side symptoms and keep you strong as you go thru this. have you tried acupuncture?

I went to Univ of Michigan Pain Clinic specialists. They recommended spinal neural surgery. We severed the nerve pathways on C1 thru C5 on the LH side for me. The neural pathway was being pinched due to the deterioration of the spine in those areas -- resulting in extreme pain and reduced ability to use my left side. The effect was immediate. Pain was reduced to 3 from an 8 in scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being unbearable. It is now manageable. Degeneration will continue to occur and neural path will grow back over time...but we bought time. I am back to working and sleeping 5-7 hrs vs 1-3 hrs. Synaptic uptake inhibitors such as Nortrytline and Hydrocodone are still used ..but infrequently. I highly suggest this as an alternative to staying 'drugged'. Its a normal life with a maintenance plan. Surgery cycle appears to be 3-5 years before repeat is required due to regrowth of nerve endings. Check out neural surgeons for this one. Its complex but "do-able". It is working for me at 58yrs old, male, and highly active. Meds keep a M.D. visit on a six month repeatative schedule...but that is a small price to stay active, low pain, and involved in life. -- good luck. My group was Univ of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, USA.

My 44 year old husband has been suffering for 3 years himself. Done everything possible through many specialist. He lives off of moriphine and zanaflex. It helps with the pain. However, quality of life is not much. Looking myself for some answers. I don't think yoga or anything like it will work. Part of his problem is nerve, too. With him extra stretching and movement aggrevates problem. Weather, too. Let me know if you find any answers. I will too. carrieplatt@bellsouth.net

marijuana!!!