I want to try and keep this short but fill you in on what's been going on.
I was diagnosed with diabetes 2 years ago. was on byetta and metformin. that was making me sick, im now on Janumet. A1c has come down from 8.9 to 6. Havent really lost any weight, that's basically where I am as far as diabetes.
Ok this is where I get to the pain. I have had knee pain for years now. I always felt it had to with being over weight. It was never anything major stand or walk to long i would be in pain. However for the past 3-4 months the pain has been unbearable and that is an understatement. When it started I would litereraly be up at night crying, it was always worse at night.
The pain is right in the center of the knee and kinda radiates to the inner leg. It is both knees with the left being worse. Went to a rhemutologist, she said it was osteoarthritis(i personally feel that is weight related so thats why she said it). Was sent for physical therapy, I have been doing that for over a month, no help at all. oh yeah xray shows mild bi-lateral osteoarthritis. As time goes on the pain seems to be changing. It is now in my back and thigh. The thing is none of the treatment for arthritis is working. Below is a list of all I have been on.
OTC MEDS
aleve
aleve gels
motrin
advil
glucosomine chond msm
excedrine back and body
capsacein roll on
capsacein cream
flexall
bengay
absorbine jr
aspercream
aspercreme heat
aspercreme night
knee brace
knee strap
None of these things has helped. What I was wondering is could this possiblly be some form of neuropathy? Should i see a neurologist now? Will Lyrica help
Any advise is welcome.
Thank you
Last edited by CIRCLES; 10-12-2008 at 04:14 PM.
Reason: forgot one med
Perhaps you might want to consider acupuncture. I have used it in the past for ailments and found it quite effective, if you get the right one.
It is painless (virtually). I always look for an older traditional Chinese acupuncturist over some of the Johnny-come-latelys but that's just me. I studied it for a while and understand how important diagnosis is using traditional methods (9 pulses, color, smell, voice etc).
I had progressive Bell's Palsy a few years ago and my Dr wanted to put me on steroids. I went to a wonderful Chinese lady who spoke poor English, she told me my face had "a cold" and prescribed me an herbal tea concoction I had drink a couple times a day in addition to the acupuncture treatments. After the first treatment, I saw a noticeable improvement and within 2 weeks, it was gone.
PS, I can't respond to your PM but the self hypnosis CD wasn't the brand you mentioned. I have an MSN messenger ID on my profile if you want to use it, it also has an email address for me. I'd be happy to communicate with you privately. Regardless, once I get 10 posts here, I will respond.
Good luck
Remember that this is just an opinion from someone with no medical training.
The knees do sound like osteoarthritis (I have osteoarthritis as well)
The back and leg sounds alot like sciatica (not typical neuropathy perse, but a nerve pain nonetheless so Lyrica could help).
That nothing has helped is a stumper. Are there any that helped even a bit, or worked temporarily?
Pain clinics are a bit iffy. Some are excellent, and some are horrible, but if there is one in your area, you might consider it. Ask your doctors what they think of the pain clinic.
Also your rheumatologist or general practitioner can prescribe Lyrica, and if it is sciatica or diabetic neuropathy, the rheumatologist or even the gp should have enough experience with either to prescribe, and would be better able to determine whether you need to see a neurologist.
I take fish oil supplements (not codliver oil or fish oil with vitamin A, but Omega 3 fish oil capsules) as directed on the bottle, three times a day (I get mine at Sams Club, I believe they're 1,000 mg each). I started taking them when I had to give up my NSAIDs (they were causing me severe asthma-like symptoms). They didn't help nearly as well as the NSAID, but they were better than nothing, and they helped more and more as I took them. As you don't have to give up your NSAID, the fish oil could be even more helpful for you (ask your doctor about them, first... even supplements and vitamins can interact with medications you might be on).
With pain, it can take a long time to find medications and treatments that offer relief. It's a big experiment until you do. Lyrica and Cymbalta are both drugs that are getting alot of attention for dealing with pain that hasn't responded well to other medications. My husband is diabetic and has been on both. They both worked well for the pain for him, but the cost and side effects led him to stop both. I don't remember which was which, because he was prescribed them both at the same time, and he gave them up pretty close together also. But one he said didn't benefit him enough to justify the cost, and the other worked well for the pain, but made him a zombie.
You may not have the same side effects, so I'm not advising against either Lyrica or Cymbalta.
I have fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis and my pain is much worse at night. I don't know if any of what works for me would help, but what has helped me is a memory foam topper, and 50mg of amitriptyline at night. The amitriptyline is (usually in higher doses) prescribed as an antidepressant, but in smaller doses at bedtime help pain and sleep. The advantage of amitriptyline is it's super cheap (it's one of the $4 drugs at Sams and Walmart, and many other pharmacies that have the $4 promotion lists).
Thanks for your response. I really did not get any realive from any of the meds I was on. Finally it seems like the flare up if that's what it was is starting to calm down. I'm just starting to get relief from percocets.
My cardilogist did mention that sense nothing has worked he felt it was from the diabetes and perscribed Lyrcia. He did say that it was a neuoro drug and if it worked I should see a neurologist. When he perscribed it it didnt help, I gave it to my husband because he does take it daily. When I started having pain going down my thigh I tried it again. It does help now, i'm going to make an appointment to see a neurologist. I have heard so much about Lyrica causing weight gain im afraid of it, I cant afford to gain more weight. I'm also going to give accupuncture a try.
Thanks for offering help. You were also a big help with another thread I had. Help for me and my 11yr old son.
My absolute favorite doctor is my neurologist, but with being on medicare I don't see him as often as I did when I had great medical insurance. The specialists are just so expensive to see anymore. I've only had one other experience with a neurologist and he was a neurosurgeon (when I herniated a disc in my back about 15 years ago). He was a wonderful doctor too (and I was able to avoid surgery with the weight loss and PT he recommended).
I don't know if I just got lucky, or it's characteristic of the field, but good luck in finding something that is working. Having fibro, I definitely know it's like to have pain that doesn't respond well to meds. But, no matter the cause of the pain, often if you can get over the flare, you may find it easier to find meds that prevent the pain (at least from getting very bad) than you will finding meds that get rid of it once it's taken hold. So if the doctor prescribes meds that you're supposed to take to prevent pain, you've got to take them regularly, even when you think you don't need them. And with meds for treating pain as needed, don't wait until the pain is unbearable before taking the meds. If you suspect the pain is going to get bad, try to take the meds when you first notice the pain, not when you can't stand it anymore (which is when many of us think to take the meds, because we don't want to take any meds we don't have to). But often in the long run, you take less meds when you treat pain just as it's starting, rather than when it's really grabbed hold.
Oh also, I wouldn't worry alot about the weight gain for some of these meds. Any med that treats depression or pain, can often have either have a tendency to increase OR decrease appetite or weight loss. Personally, I think it is that when you're feeling better, your appetite could improve, but also your willingness and interest in exercise and activity.
For my husband, he didn't gain weight. He was on both during most of the time he lost the 40 lbs he's lost since we joined TOPS last year.
You bring up a very good point about taking the meds. I was the exact example you mentioned, I would mostly take the meds when I was already in extreme pain(stupid I know). I did learn to change that especially at work. I take pain meds(even if its just its stuff) every morning with my regular HTN and duabetes meds. I have to do this just to be able to work. I'm tech in a hosptial so im going from floor to floor all day, it is so hard.
I have never had an addiction problem(other than sweets I dont drink at all, but for some reason the perscription meds have me so afraid of becoming addicted. That's part of why I didnt take them until I just had to.
Did I mention an MRI showed a Meniscus Tear. I have been in pain since July and the MRI was just done Wednesday.
I agree that was not very good on his behalf. I do feel theat the rheumotlogist and the PT doctor i'm currently seeing were very laxed in treatment. I feel they felt she's over weight the bones are deterirating(sp?) there's nothing we can do. Weight=Osteoarthritis in their mind. The xray and MRI did show OA, however there was an injury causing the severe pain.
I'm haveing a double knee replacement in Dec b/c of OA. I did find out that I tend to throw my hip out, which twists the knee causing pain to the lower inside part of that one knee. The chiropracter worked on that & I got relief there. Good luck to you.
Need Help With A Pain Question
I dont drink at all, but for some reason the perscription meds have me so afraid of becoming addicted. That's part of why I didnt take them until I just had to.
