Anybody want to give a shot at diagnosing me?

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

My good friends here, I apologize for this and promise it's the last time I post about my condition. I know I've started more threads and made more posts about my condition than any member, and you're all probably sick to death of it, but please bear with me one more time; the pain's just really severe right now.

The following is a full description of my condition and what led up to it. I want to give on last shot, with all the info, at the chance that somebody will have an idea of what's wrong with me, or what I can do to fix it.

5 years ago I injured the soft-tissue in my low-back in Judo, from lifting opponents much bigger than me (to throw them) and from being thrown so much. This resulted in chronic low back pain.

1 year after that I joined Aikido, thinking I was well enough to join a "lighter" sport. One night we practiced a throw repeatedly where I landed on the same higher vertebrae about 50 times, and the next day my upper back was FUCKED. Then I had constant upper back pain.

1 month after that I was seeing my chiropractor about my back. I mentioned to him that I had a nerve in the upper-left portion of my neck that would pinch out of the blue, about once every 4-5 months for the past several years, and sent me into excrutiating pain. So he adjusted me, and I had a strange tension in my neck afterward. The next day at school I felt more and more like I was a fish out of water, then I finally went to the office telling them to call a doctor because I couldn't breath, then I collapsed on the floor. They hooked me up to oxygen, ambulance brought me to the hospital, and by the time I got there my neck was in agony. I spent the next 2 months in a neck brace, and have had constant pain in my neck ever since deriving from the upper-left part.

It's now been over 5 years since my first injury in Judo. The pain still persists as bad as ever, it's spread to my arms where it causes sharp needle pains and burning, and my legs where it gives me sciatica and burning all around the legs. There's never a moment my spine doesn't hurt all the way down, and my back and neck just hurt like hell but constantly change where the pain is centered (right now it's my neck and low back).


I've been to countless docs, and all they ever do is push more painkillers on me, never offer a solution. I've seen the Rheumatologist, Neurologist, and Neurosurgeon, and none of them have a clue. I've tried physio, acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic, yoga, and eating a perfect diet to this day with lots of fruits, veggies, protein, and moderate carbs.
I've had multiple X-rays that show nothing, an MRI that found one thing; that the one upper-vertebrae in my back I hurt in Aikido is arthritic. The neurologist sent me for blood tests to find inflamatory agents, but nothing came up.


All that being said, you have my undying gratitude if you actually read through all of that. And please, let the ideas fly!

[IanCurtisWishlist]

As a doctor I advise that you smoke some ganja, masturbate in church, steal from the collection plate then get drunk with the money u stole off the blood of christ. but only if u are 21 because the blood of christ is 90 proof u know how catholics do it. that is my professional opinion

[clyde31]

Sorry to hear about your condition I was in a motorcyle accident 6 yrs ago. I shattered my pelvis and broke my 2 vertebraes. Must of my left side of my body is metal. I 've done chiro,yoga accup, rolphing u name I've tried it. the only thing that helped my was Hanna Somatics. Look it up on google. It is amazing it basically educates your muscle to stop tightening that cause your u pain and become long a supple. What is great is after a couple of session the practioner we teach u how to help yourself. By doing 15-20 minutes of movements. Any question please leave me a message.
cylde

[clyde31]

Sorry to hear about your condition I was in a motorcyle accident 6 yrs ago. I shattered my pelvis and broke my 2 vertebraes. Must of my left side of my body is metal. I 've done chiro,yoga accup, rolphing u name I've tried it. the only thing that helped my was Hanna Somatics. Look it up on google. It is amazing it basically educates your muscle to stop tightening that cause your u pain and become long a supple. What is great is after a couple of session the practioner we teach u how to help yourself. By doing 15-20 minutes of movements. There should be someone in your area that can help. Any question please leave me a message.

[FakeBoobsRule]

Well my first thoughts are you listed a whole slew of doctors but I didn't see an orthopedic surgeon. You should have seen one before the chiropractor. Have you seen one?

I looked at some of your other threads and you said they gave you pamelor and I think neurontin maybe some others. How long did you take these drugs before you stopped?

How do you take your ultracet? Do you just take them as needed or what?

Have you ever gone on a course of corticosteroids like Medrol or had an injection of depo-medrol?

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Well my first thoughts are you listed a whole slew of doctors but I didn't see an orthopedic surgeon. You should have seen one before the chiropractor. Have you seen one?

Nobody's ever suggested I see an orthopedic surgeon. Exactly what expertise do they have? Would they know anything a rheumatologist or neurologist wouldn't?


I looked at some of your other threads and you said they gave you pamelor and I think neurontin maybe some others. How long did you take these drugs before you stopped?

Nope, I've never taken "pamelor", whatever that is. I did take neurontin for a month a couple years back, but it did absolutely nothing and made me constipated.

I've also tried gabapentin, flexeril, and celebrix but they don't work (celebrix did for a while but not anymore, muscle tension wasn't the issue so flexeril was useless). I also tend to go through spurts (like these past couple weeks) where I pop acetaminophen and ibeprophen like candy.

Right now I'm on Lyrica which has altogether stopped the needles in my arms, and the sciatica and leg burning are less frequent because of it. I'm on 150mg of it a day right now.


How do you take your ultracet? Do you just take them as needed or what?


Actually I take Zytrim, which if I'm not mistaken is the same thing, different label. 150mg Tramadol slow-release, though I tend to chew them because I get better analgesia that way. Whenever I get a "good" day (by usual standards) I take only 75, then have 225-300mg on my worse days. I really wish they'd give me something stronger because it only does a half-assed job when I chew them as is.

[FakeBoobsRule]

Haven't you taken nortriptyline? Same as pamelor. If you dfid how long did you take it?

Orthopedic surgeon specializes in muscles, bones, joints, nerves, tendons, ligaments, spinal column, sports injuries, broken bones, torn knee ligaments, torn rotator cuffs, broken backs, deciding your physical therapy. AKA: bonecrushers. This is what you need and if you live in a town with a major sports team or college sports team find out who their group is and get with them if you can't get a good recommendation from someone. Here in America you will often find a large group of orthopods and each one specializes in a certain area of the body so the whole group has every joint covered. Hopefully you live near a CFL team and you should find out who they use. If your injury was sustained from being thrown or throwing someone, an orthopedic surgeon who treats football players probably has seen your injury before.

You may well be in need of physical therapy.

I edited my first post and I bet you didn't see my question on corticosteroids, not to be confused with anabolic steroids.

You should take your time release pain medicine round the clock. I'm not familiar with Zytrim's dosage forms (I know about tramadol just not Zytrim although I'm sure it has an American counterpart) so what is the strength, how many do you get a month, and what are the directions on taking them. For instance if it is 75 mg three times a day and you are given 90, you should take them every 8 hours whether you have pain or not. It is easier for the medicine to work if you don't wait till you have "breakthrough" pain.

Gabapentin=Neurontin.

Keep taking the Lyrica every day no matter how you feel that day and don't give up on it for at least 3 months.

You may want to start back on the celebrex or an NSAID and give them time to work too. Don't expect results overnight.

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Haven't you taken nortriptyline? Same as pamelor. If you dfid how long did you take it?

Oh! Yes I have tried nortriptyline, I forgot about that one. It put me in a great mood, only slightly alleviated the pain. Thus far Lyrica (pregabalin) has been best for the nerve pain.


Orthopedic surgeon specializes in muscles, bones, joints, nerves, tendons, ligaments, spinal column, sports injuries, broken bones, torn knee ligaments, torn rotator cuffs, broken backs, deciding your physical therapy. AKA: bonecrushers. This is what you need and if you live in a town with a major sports team or college sports team find out who their group is and get with them if you can't get a good recommendation from someone. Here in America you will often find a large group of orthopods and each one specializes in a certain area of the body so the whole group has every joint covered. Hopefully you live near a CFL team and you should find out who they use. If your injury was sustained from being thrown or throwing someone, an orthopedic surgeon who treats football players probably has seen your injury before.

It's not quite as simple as being thrown, that was only the first of 3 injuries that snowballed into a more complex condition (as described above). But I will ask my doctor about an orthopedic surgeon, thankyou! :)


You may well be in need of physical therapy.

I've tried physical therapy, never fixed anything. I continue to do the same excercises from physio at home, with some intense strength-training, and it actually makes me feel somewhat better. But as with every treatment I've ever tried, the symptoms are only temporarily (a few hours) alleviated, and to smaller and smaller degrees.


I edited my first post and I bet you didn't see my question on corticosteroids, not to be confused with anabolic steroids.

Yeah, I did miss that. I've pestered my doctors so much about getting cortisone injections, and they all say "well that really is something a specialist should order." The specialists never do though. I just wish I had one doc with the balls to go out on a limb and actually attempt to fix me!


You should take your time release pain medicine round the clock. I'm not familiar with Zytrim's dosage forms (I know about tramadol just not Zytrim although I'm sure it has an American counterpart) so what is the strength, how many do you get a month, and what are the directions on taking them. For instance if it is 75 mg three times a day and you are given 90, you should take them every 8 hours whether you have pain or not. It is easier for the medicine to work if you don't wait till you have "breakthrough" pain.

Zytrim has 150mg of tramadol in one pill, slow release. I'm supposed to take one a day, and I usually do, but it's really insufficient and gives me half-assed relief, sometimes barely any relief.


Gabapentin=Neurontin.

Quite right, I forgot about that.


Keep taking the Lyrica every day no matter how you feel that day and don't give up on it for at least 3 months.

I take 2 every single day as prescribed, never ever miss a dose. It has helped massively for the arms and legs, just doesn't do a thing for the neck, back, and spine.


You may want to start back on the celebrex or an NSAID and give them time to work too. Don't expect results overnight.

I was on celebrix for 2 or 3 years. It worked fantastically in the first year, but after a while it worked less and less until not at all. Even after I stopped for 2 years, when I tried it again it still didn't work. When it did work, years back, the very first pill was major relief. But my symptoms seemed to have grown more complex and changed somewhat. Muscle tension isn't an issue most of the time, it's the inflammation all over my body.

[Raelum]

kinda sounds like a herniated disk to me, but what do i know? lol, maybe you should get a second opinion and get some fresh x-rays

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

kinda sounds like a herniated disk to me, but what do i know? lol, maybe you should get a second opinion and get some fresh x-rays

Nah, I've had endless X-rays and they never show anything. It's definately not a herniated disk, it's not that kind of pain. I wake up in mild pain, and as the day goes on it increases more and more. It's rather generalized through most of my muscles.


Can physical trauma initiate Multiple Sclerosis by chance?

[Raelum]

maybe the build up of tension? ive heard of people having back problems from stress...

as your forum doctor, i suggest smoking and getting a massage... lol

[FakeBoobsRule]

Can physical trauma initiate Multiple Sclerosis by chance?
I'm almost positive never. There is still a lot not known about MS.

You never answer my question on how long you did take everything but on the celebrex. How long did you do pt? Pt is more than just exercise. You can't do all of it at home. See how they didn't want to do corticosteroids, most orthopods like prescribing them. This is who you need to see to tie your diagnosis, pain meds, pt, possible surgery, non narcotic pain med management all together for the best results.

They might need to adjust your meds so you have round the clock pain management with enough extra for as needed on bad days.

[SyndicateJuggalos17]

no advice but i almost know what its like man, torn shoulder and herniated disk in my neck... torn shoulder should be better by now but nope

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

I'm almost positive never. There is still a lot not known about MS.

You never answer my question on how long you did take everything but on the celebrex. How long did you do pt? Pt is more than just exercise. You can't do all of it at home. See how they didn't want to do corticosteroids, most orthopods like prescribing them. This is who you need to see to tie your diagnosis, pain meds, pt, possible surgery, non narcotic pain med management all together for the best results.

They might need to adjust your meds so you have round the clock pain management with enough extra for as needed on bad days.


I only took 3 trips to the physiotherapist, but everything we did I can do at home and all it is is strengthening certain muscles, which I have thorough knowledge of already. But I've gained massive strength with my current program, and strength is only a very small part of it that helps minimally by taking off some of the stress; the muscle stregnth is not the root issue.

Besides, physio costs $40 a visit and there's no way I could afford that, I'm grateful just when I manage to make $40 at all.



no advice but i almost know what its like man, torn shoulder and herniated disk in my neck... torn shoulder should be better by now but nope

Man, maybe you "almost" know what it's like for me, but I only "almost" know what it's like for you. I've never had a herniated disk but they sound/look frightening from from what I've seen/read, I'm sure you've experienced just as much pain as I have, maybe more. I have a constant throbbing/aching pain through most of my body as a default, severe acute pain on and off, and after 5 years with it every day it's just the shere amount of it, never getting a break from it, that really wears on me.

I'm sure you understand what pain is like all-too-well, and best of luck to you getting better man. Try to ice it whenever it really hurts, that's what I do for my neck.

[SyndicateJuggalos17]

Man, maybe you "almost" know what it's like for me, but I only "almost" know what it's like for you. I've never had a herniated disk but they sound/look frightening from from what I've seen/read, I'm sure you've experienced just as much pain as I have, maybe more. I have a constant throbbing/aching pain through most of my body as a default, severe acute pain on and off, and after 5 years with it every day it's just the shere amount of it, never getting a break from it, that really wears on me.

I'm sure you understand what pain is like all-too-well, and best of luck to you getting better man. Try to ice it whenever it really hurts, that's what I do for my neck.

the disk actually doesnt hurt, just my neck feels stiff, but during football sometimes if i hit somebody with my neck at all on an angle my left arm goes numb and i cant use it then afterwards its mostly ok (only laste like 3 mins)

however its the shoulder that i hate cuz sometimes it hurts for no reason (id rather have that than constant pain) but ive somehow gotten over it for the most part but i HATE it because it hurts too much to do some lifts and well its kinda also u know prohibiting me from being able to enjoy all aspects of life

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Glad you're not in a lot of pain syndicate, I had no idea a slipped disk could exist without massive pain.



So since nobody has an idea of what's actually wrong with me, which isn't surprising and still thank you all for your treatment advice, how about a theory on my neck? It's simple enough, the pain comes from the highest vertebrae on the left-side, sometimes pinches and sends as bought of extreme pain (worse than anything else). What could cause this?

[birdgirl73]

Gandalf, hun, I fear you're treading on dangerous ground here. Asking distant people--even those with training or those who have personal experience with back problems--for diagnostic guesses on the Internet is not something we want to encourage, as you know. I know you're searching and eager to find an answer, but it'll be safer if you search in person. This thread is increasingly starting to worry me.

[GraziLovesMary]

As much as I wish I could help ya I have to agree with Birdgirl.. nobody here has enough knowledge and experience to be able to confidently give you the advice you need. There are people who have gone through similar injuries as you, but there could be details about your case that none of us know. I personally would feel horrible if I were to give you some advice and it ended up making your condition worse. On that note, I think seeing an orthopedic surgeon sounds like a good idea, and maybe one of the only areas of the accepted medical profession you havent tried yet.

However... thinking on it a bit more maybe you should check out an Osteopathic physician. An osteopathic physician is considered the same as a doctor in just about every part of the world but America, from what I have read, but I think he just might be able to shed some light on your problems that seem nerve-related.

Other than that, all I can recommend is some Yoga or Tai-Chi. But seriously do some research on Osteopathic medicine... I never knew anything about it until I got a book on Dim Mak that was written by Michael Kelly, a Doctor in Osteopathic medicine. It explains why and how Dim Mak really does work through knowledge of OM.

[beachguy in thongs]

Birdgirl's husband has posted here, before. I'm sure that there are others with similar knowledge that could help.

For nerve tests, I'd go see a Neurologist.

[birdgirl73]

Yeah, but here's the deal. Dave is an interventional cardiologist, not a nerve, spine or pain expert, and he above all believes over-the-Internet diagnoses are foolish things to seek or provide. We do have a wonderful, degreed pain-management expert here, who asked some medication questions above and made a recommendation to Gandalf to see a particular type of specialist. But FakeBoobsRule is practically half a continent away from Gandalf, and he, too, recognizes that it's folly to attempt Internet diagnoses. Any medical professional with good sense and good ethics does.

I'm going to close this thread for the safety of everyone involved.