Well, poo-poo on that doc who wants you to cold turkey your pain meds!
Especially without offering an alternative. My headaches, too, started shortly after my AN surgery and I wasn't taking pain meds at all. My first headache clinic doc wanted me to try to reduce my use of pain meds, but he gave me a number of trigger point injections and several meds to start taking while I did it. Six weeks my ass!
(Just my opinion!)
I went to a pain clinic in Huntersville, NC on Wednesday looking for someone to treat my back and my head. After consulting with the pain doc he is convinced my back issues are caused by the surgical position I was in for my almost 4 hr hysterectomy. My headaches may be caused by the same issues (surgical position during AN surgery)plus some scarring issues. He spent 2 hrs taking a detailed med history and gave me quite a few options. He is convinced that occipital neuralgia caused by surgical trauma is my problem. I listed the dozens of meds I have been on with limited results.
1. occasional trigger point injections and occipital nerve blocks, c2-c3 nerve blocks
2. pulsed radiofrequency ablation
3.c2-c3 dorsal rhizotomy
4. neuro therapy technique
5. regenerative injection technique
My Medicare insurance will cover the first 3, the last 2 are what cutting edge sports docs give NFL and NBA pros for injuries. I am in the process of researching all these. AND he gave me a script for Percoset, but I had to sign a narcotics agreement and pee in a cup, which I was glad to do.
I won't go into the options he gave me for my back, but they were very similar.
His name is Mark Hines and he is a pain management specialist and I was really impressed with him. He understands the role of pain meds for people with unresolved chronic pain. Mei mei, dear, this is the kind of doc you really need to see. I know what kind of head pain you are having--I have been going through it for 8 frigging years, although with the Botox and nerve blocks it has improved. I can ask if he knows anyone in the DC area who does what he does.
This doc sure did NOT treat me like an uninformed patient who didn't know what was wrong with her--I told him about the forum, symposiums, workshops and all the information I have collected over the years on my own condition. I feel also like every medical procedure I have had has made me worse and weakened my body and stole a part of my character and vitality.
Dr Mark also expects me to do research on all the treatment options he gave me and be a participant in my treatment.
BTW I went to a second pain clinic that day--shopping around you know. It was like night and day. I spent most of the time with the nurse, the doc gave me ONE option to treat my back condition--nerve ablation-- and refused to address my headaches until my back pain was under control. Both my pain conditions feed off each other--my back pain causes me such stress it triggers my migraines and vice versa. I need these both treated. The doc treated me like a totally uninformed patient and didn't even discuss how I got this way. I won't be going back there.
One of the things Dr Mark also addressed was nutrition--he wants me to eat more protein, which I have been doing. My cholesterol is a little high, so I have been avoiding animal products, but we went to the store and bought a family pack of nice NY strips! Yum!
For those of you looking for that island--that's what the Good Morning thread was all about--we even had our own boat that took us to many islands!! Read it from the beginning--it is a real hoot!
God Bless all us headache sufferers--we need it!
Capt Deb
