I have not been to a pain managenment clinic, but I have a dear friend who is going to one now. She has been having severe back pain for nearly a year. Her experience has been nothing but positive. First they went over all her meds. Added a new one and took one away. Then gave detailed info on how best to take them. Like what time and what to take with what. Then they went over all the tests she has had done, examined her thoroughly and scheduled a nerve block injection. The doc changed his mind about that when she went in for the nerve block and decided to try cortisone shots in 2 areas of her back first, then he had her come back in 2 weeks for the nerve block. My friend is very pleased with all that they have done there. She is still in pain, but not as bad and she is confident that they are doing their best to help her.

thanks so much for your time.Can you tell me if he took her off pain killers?we hear both,some take you off and want let you have any.See my wife is on oxicotin 3 times a day,it helps her but some say she should try this pain clinic but I don't want them take her in there and take her off the oxicotin when I know it helps her and she is able to get out of bed.According to this dr this week with her back it is a miracle she can get up but he said she will always be on some type of pain med but than turned around and said she needed to be detoxic to get her off oxcotin.And said she would be placed in a placed for 2-3 months away from home,i flipped out.I and my wife does not know what to do.My wife has cried and cried since than.I promise her I was not going to let her go back to this doc and I wanted to check into see what is a pain clinic all about before she agree to go.Thanks again and please ask your friend if they made her give up pain med.,thanks a concern husband

No, they did not take her off all pain meds. In fact they encouraged her to take more. She was so afraid that she would become addicted, that she wasn't taking enough to control her pain around the clock. I am sure that it depends a lot on your wife's diagnosis, and whether the doc thinks she may be addicted to the oxicotin. It can be a highly addictive medication, and he may want to monitor what she is taking very closely and or ad some other type of meds. But the bottom line is that they are there to help someone who is in chronic pain, whatever it takes to control the pain and minimize the chance of addiction. I have never heard of a pain management place that put someone away for months. Your wife may need to be hospitalized for detoxification for a few days if she is highly addicted and that would be a positive thing. Addiction is a very ugly way to live even if one is completely innocent in how they got that way. There are many other good effective pain meds that aren't so dangerous. You both need to do yourselves a favor and try the pain management thing.

thanks so much you lifted us.do you think if we call tomorrow we can get in.we are very very in need.they show us the xray and her back is so messed up.well our family dr beg us for two years to place her on oxicotin and than it took more and more and she runs out before time to get refill because the pain is so bad she just tkes more and more.someone said instead of 40 mg she needs 80mgs.our insurance pays for three a day but that makes her run out before time to get refill and she goes thur basd withdrawls,my wife woke cryibg saying she needs help.i am just wanting to keep her at home and let her let me control the med and not let her take more each day than she should,do you think they weill allow this.if we call tomorrow can we get in tomorrow.we are so so in need,thanks a crying hurting husband and wife,

I have no way of knowing if they would be able to see her tomorrow. The sooner you call the sooner you wil be able to get in. Just call and tell them everyting you have said here. Admiting to yourselves that you need help is a big step in the right direction, now go get it.

thanks first thing tomorrow we will for sure call.do we have to have a dr to call and say i need to be seen by one or can a individual do it,we want help bad,thanks again so so much,loving husband

I went to pain management a few years ago for my degenerative disc disease. I am allergic to all narcotics....so going to pain management was a big waste. The only thing the doctor seemed good at was writing prescriptions for narcotic based prescriptions for his patients. He stuck a huge needle into my neck and injected me in about 6 places with cortisone - this actually made my pain worse....really a terrible doctor...he failed to tell me to put ice on the injected areas and I was in pain for 2 days. The thing that has helped the very most is keeping my weight normal and exercising regularly - I take Aleve also.

My mother suffered from severe back pain due to degenerative discs, arthritis and spinal stenosis. She used a walker to barely get around and had to rely on pain medication to get through the days and nights. She went to a Pain Management Dr. here who suggested a morphine pump. She hesitated because she pictured herself a morphine junkie, but she had it implanted just beneath the surface of the skin. She never had to take pain medications after that and was not addicted. She merely went to the Dr's office every 6 weeks for a pump refill and then went on her way to do her own things. Oxycontin is a drug that patients can easily become addicted to. The pain of withdrawal can be greater than the original pain that required the Rx. Without knowing your wife I would conclude she is now addicted to the medication and giving her more meds is not going to solve her problem. I would speak very frankly with her doctors and voice my concern about this desperate need for Oxycontin. She cannot go "cold turkey" on her own. She needs help. She's already taking such high doses that increasing it could lead to an overdose and death. It sounds like the doctor that suggested she go to a rehab clinic is the only doctor that's telling you the truth. Consider going back to him. The other doctors seem to be taking the easy way out by giving her more meds. I feel for you and your wife. You're in a bad situation.

I went to a pain clinic that used hypnosis. It really helped my hip pain. I was getting steroids which were required more often each time. That was about 30 years ago and I've learned to live with the condition. Of course I was not as bad as your wife sounds. I have heard oxycontin is very addictive and I would do whatever to get off it. It may be the pain seems worse because of the addiction. There are various methods to deal with pain, but you need a good center to help you. I have a friend that had a morphine pump installed because her arthritis pain had gotten so bad and they could not continue the oral narcotics any longer. It has given her back her life, so it seems, with only inconvenience to go into center to have her pump refilled.

thanks so much for your advise.we are now working on taking her backwards off it.I handle all her medinice because she seen she was hooked and crys for help,she hates the med and tells everyone to stay away because it is so so easy addicted.some laughs and some listens.but we are now taking steps in taking her back down the ladder as where maybe she soon can say I am off Oxicotin.BUt listen before someone here jumps me,it is a good pain killer for some,it was so slow acting my wife was in so much pain,she needed more and more.but i am not saying for everyone to come off,but we will say it is very addicting if you are easy to get addicted.my wife;s family,her mom,granddaddy,and uncles,etc, all have the blood to get easy addicted to stuff,but my wife came to ME crying for help.I since open my eyes and regret I did not catch on to sooner so she would not be in this mess.but we question the dr a year before we agree to let her try it,nare time did he say anything about it would be hard to stop it.I question him and she did too.she seen her two uncles kill theirselves because drs cut them off cold turkey and they could not bare the withdrawls.so please listen be very careful on any drugs,greg

A DDS friend of mine had disk deterioration and severe and constatant back pain. Then he had back surgery and things got worse. Finally, he had a stimulator implanted in the region where the pain is - the same kind of device that the actor Jerry Lewis uses. When in pain, he can press a button, which creates a mild electric currrent and blocks the pain. He leaves it on all night so he can sleep, and uses it on an as needed basis during the day.

According to Jerry Lewis and also my friend, this device has given them a new life, after years of suffering.

I do not remember what it is called, but perhaps some of the healthcare clinicians can jump in on this one - or you can do a google search.

L

Greg, your story has touched my heart. My brother was on this drug and he now has an attorney, something you might want to check into re. this drug esp. since your wife was on it for so long (read up about it on the internet. Type in "oxycontin lawsuits").

How is your wife now? I have given some thought about going to a pain management clinic as well. I have degenerative disc disease and severe osteoporosis. I live on pain medications, but I wish there was something else that could be done for all of our back problems instead of all of these drugs. I asked my doctor today about shots and he said I could come to the office for a shot in the "trigger points" of my back problems.

You sound like such a caring and loving husband I admire you for coming here looking for help for your wife (this is something my husband would do as well). Hope she is doing better. Your post makes me glad I have my hubby to help take care of me and I him, as we both grow old together.