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QUESTION:
A new symptom I have been experiencing for the past few weeks won't go away and
I wonder if anyone else has this. I have almost constant back, neck and
shoulder pain. It is a stiffness and burning that starts at my neck and goes
all the way down to my tailbone. I find it very difficult to sleep. I lie on
my back supported by pillows all around me. The doctor has me on paxil,
baclofen, cylert and I think that is it. Does anyone else have this? It is
also hard to sit or stand, I have to readjust my position so often.
ANSWER:
Lots of folks have back pain of one sort or another. You should have
this checked out because it could be a relapse of sorts or it could be
something entirely different. Also, a lot of folks have Fibormyalgia
with their MS and it is typified by back pain.
If it is MS, there are several of the anticonvulsant meds that can help
with this kind of pain. Some docs also use Elavil or one of the SSRI
antidepressants for this kind of pain. One word of caution, start one
med at a time and no closer that 2 weeks apart. This is so that you and
the doc can tell the effectiveness of the med. Does it need to be
increased a little or stopped and a new one started or is it ok as is?
And if you start more than one and have an adverse reaction to one,
which one is causing it? Better to go one at a time and take some time
to find the right thing or combination of things for you.
I have had neck pain and stiffness since last October. This is also about
the same time that the exacerbation started which caused me to see a
neurologist and resulted in the discovery of this disease in my body. My
neuro says the pain and stiffness are not related to my MS. I'm still not
entirely convinced but she has a good reputation and seems to know her
stuff.
So I got this Panasonic Easy Reach electric massage device to use on the
stiff and painful areas along my back and spine. It relieves a lot of the
stiffness and pain for me. It is a short term, one day at a time kinda
remedy, but this at-home alternative to physical therapy keeps me out of
yet another waiting room. I am sick to death of waiting rooms. Also, if
you use this device on the back of your neck near the base of your skull
while watching television, it can add a new dimension to summer re-runs.
If you haven't already, I think you would certainly want to mention problem
this to your neurologist. And then your family doctor if your neuro
doesn't see any connection to the MS. I would think one or the other would
want to refer you to physical therapy at the very least.
I have had burning feet for about two years now. The last 2 or
3 months I have had very bad burning at the base of my neck and down to
the middle of my back. I just posted last night because my Dr. put me on
Paxil which I started this morning it did not give me any relief and it
seems like my other ms symptons were worse than ever,of course one day
is not enough time.
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