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Message Number 260782
Posted by cartera on 9/22/09 at 18:46
I too suffered from Haglund's deformity for over a year and a half, and I want to let you know there is a non-surgical method that works! Like you, I was terrified at the idea of surgery, especially after reading some of these posts. My foot doctor x-rayed me and gave me anti-inflamatories and steroid patches - no change. He said the next step would be surgery and I did NOT want to go there. I am a very active person who likes to play soccer, run, and do martial arts, and the pain was almost unbearable even when just walking. So I went and saw my chiropractor who is very into homeopathic remedies and is very anti-'modern' medicine. Let me just say that EVERY problem I have had, from shoulder pain, knee pain, constipation, breathing issues, and headaches have ALL been cured through chiropractic treatment. I know some people think it's not a real cure, but all I care about is results and it has worked every time for me.
Anyway, the first thing he did was show me how an overly-tight tendon in my hip was causing my right leg to rotate out, which caused severe over-pronation in my right foot. This was essentially the cause of the deformity, as well as severe knee pain when I ran. TWO stretches in his office and my foot turned the right direction! I continued the stretches each day and the knee pain vanished within a few days! The foot pain continued, but a few months later I got orthotics and proper shoes (Rockport World Tour Elite) and now, two months later, the pain is all but gone, the bump on the back of my heel is less than half of what it was at its worst, and I am running like I was before without pain.
When I learned that the 'growth' on my heel was basically a callus on my bone that formed from everything being out of alignment, logic told me that if I get everything back in place the 'callus' would go away. PLEASE consider this treatment method before you have surgery.
It works!
Result number: 1
Posted by wendyn on 7/24/09 at 18:51
With respect to Canadian health care - if you can wait, you will.
If you have an owie in your knee and it prevents you from running those marathons, you most certainly could be waiting months for an MRI.
If you are urgent, my experience has been that you will be taken care of right away.
A friend of mine went in to emerg a few weeks ago with terrible headaches. She was admitted to emerg, had a ct scan that night and they found a golf ball sized tumour in her head. Within a few days, she has brain surgery to remove the tumour. She is not out of the woods yet.
Ultimately, you have to have some way to allocate health care resources. You can allocate them based on ability to pay (like in America). Or, you can allocate them based on need (like in Canada).
We (speaking for most Canadians) prefer the latter.
Result number: 2
Posted by Ben on 7/20/09 at 13:16
Guys, I randomly come back to this site after years away from it to give people some motivation. I went 5-6 years of not exercising at all because of PF. I'd say, these days, I'm 95% cured, after years of hard work. Finished 4 softball seasons and 2 basketball seasons without any problems. My shoe of choice these days are Columbia hiking boots that have the same rubber on the sole as your typical New Balance Shoes. It's got a flexible toe to allow my foot to use it's natural motion. I take the regular insoles out with a screwdriver and replace them with my Orthotic of choice, Aetrex L400 (note...models are geared towards your arch length)...it's a sports type insole with great support in the arch but a good amount of cushioning as well. For those of you who have tried every orthotic, I would recommend you try them out. I still have 3 shoeboxes full of orthotics that didn't work for me. I guess everyone's foot finds it's own orthotic of choice.
Anyways, a lot of us have problems that can be aggravated as our shoes wear down. Personally, I go through a pair of shoes every 6 months and cannot afford to wear broken down shoes for obvious reasons. That being said...I typically have resorted to two things to keep my shoes going strong. The side of the shoe nearest to your arch will break down preventing the orthotic from providing proper support. I like to add some reinforcement to the shoe as this happens by coating it with a little super glue on the inside to add some stiffness to the weakening wall. The other issue I commonly have if the wearing out of the bottom. Most of my shoes are black soled. My solution is to basically purchase a tube of black shoe goo. From the day I get my shoes, I apply a very thin layer of shoe goo along the soles each week to prevent the actual sole from breaking down. I found that I've been able to extend the life of my shoes to about 6 additional months and don't have any asymmetric wearing down at the bottoms of the shoes, which can aggravate PF.
Oh and one more thing...I recommend trying out fish oil supplementation. It acts as a natural anti-inflammatory and I can literally feel a small difference in my joints and feet after exercise when I'm on and off it. I haven't taken an aspirin for non-headache pain in 3 years now.
For those long time sufferers, never give up. I confess to giving up multiple times along the way. You have the power to heal yourself and it takes time.
Result number: 3
Posted by Annie418 on 6/17/09 at 12:49
I have written before. In my most recent post I told about a sock that I had found helped my PF, a condition I have had for about 8 years becoming acute about a year and half ago. The sock helps, but one thing I forgot about that I had added to my diet right about the time I started wearing the sock was ground flax seed. I bought some flax seed for my mother who has rheumetoid arthritis. She eats 2T a day and her R.A. has gone into remission. She suggested that maybe the ground flax seed was helping with my PF. It's possible. Ground flax seed has a bunch of health benefits. It wouldn't hurt to try it and see if it helps you.
Some benefits: Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
Omega-3 fats are used by the body to produce Series 1 and 3 prostaglandins, which are anti-inflammatory hormone-like molecules, in contrast to the Series 2 prostaglandins, which are pro-inflammatory molecules produced from other fats, notably the omega-6 fats, which are found in high amounts in animal fats, margarine, and many vegetable oils including corn, safflower, sunflower, palm, and peanut oils. Omega-3 fats can help reduce the inflammation that is a significant factor in conditions such as asthma, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine headaches, and osteoporosis.
You can find flax seed in your local grocery store. I suggest you keep the whole flax seed in the freezer and grind up a small amount in a coffee grinder. Sprinkle it on oatmeal, yogurt, salads, etc. It has a nutty flavor. After you have ground it, keep it in the refrigerator. I eat 1T. a day.
By the way, I took my dog for a walk on Monday night, again on Tuesday morning, and again today and my foot feels almost normal. I couldn't be happier.
Result number: 4
Posted by AnnieKC on 5/17/09 at 16:37
I wrote the other day about how my podiatrist had diagnosed my having a 'heel spur' that was causing the plantar fasciitis that was causing me so much pain. This Dr. gave me a six day steroid pack to see if it helped with the inflammation, and then wanted to see me again after a week, and maybe then get a steroid shot in my foot.
Anyway- the methylpred seems to have really helped. I hated the side effects of the drug, (headaches, sleeplessness, anxiety) but my heel feels much better. Between the steroid and trying REALLy hard to follow all of 'Scotts Book', (which is the most awesome treasure of information on earth!) I feel like there might be light at the end of the tunnel! Even my Foot Solution orthotics seem to be working for me. (wierd, I know) It's hard to believe that I could have had that much inflammation in my heel.
So my questions are, what should I expect? Will the effects of the steroid wear off quickly, do I stay off my feet, what causes the tissue to 're-inflame'? I really didn't 'love' this Dr., he was kind of abrupt and creepy, but I do feel better. I don't think I want to get involved with shots, so I'm trying to be prepared for whatever he recommends, with alternative ideas.
Again- I recommend everyone reading the entire 'Book'. It is so informative!
Result number: 5
Posted by anneb on 4/16/09 at 17:34
It has been three weeks tomorrow and i am doing great. I have weaned myself almost off all my medication. I have had terrible headaches for the three days that I took the cymbalta away, but I had this also when I started it. I also am on half of the lyrica at this moment because I do not want to do it all at once. I can walk quite well and the pains are almost completely gone. I do still have some aches and pains but nothing compared to before the operation.
Result number: 6
Posted by Rick R on 3/12/09 at 07:36
I allways thought that existing laws against would have been sufficient to handle the smoking issue. If I slap you upside the head and give you a headache, and sprinkle fine particulate ash on your clothes how is that different from what smokers do to others. Society needed to understand that a non-smoker is essentially being assualted. If someone wants to smoke in their own home who am I to manage their health risk. I am against the ban in places of recreation. I can stay out of the stinking bars. Ah but now throw nationalized healthcare in the mix and suddenly I am coerced to pay for their bad choices and I have a reason to care what they do in their home. Same for mototcycle helmet laws. I don't care until I'm asked to pay for life support for someone that would have been fine with a helmet. At least the helmet laws used the legislative process. The misuse of the tax code has the potential to destroy the checks and balances so carefully designed or selected by the founding fathers.
I don't eat the healthiest diet on the planet so does someone have the right to pry the bratwurst and beer out of my cold fingers? Hey put down the pork rinds and moon pie will ya!
Result number: 7
Posted by Rick R on 3/11/09 at 08:26
I use the cigarette tax as my own test of conviction, I am dead set against it. I used to go home every day smelling like an ash tray with a rip roaring headache when it was allowed in the work place. I stood in the galley on a flight from Paris to NY to get away from it.
To legislate via the tax code is an abomination of our constitutional form of government. None of our rights are worth squat if the tax code can be used to keep them out of reach. When is the fat tax going to kick in, why isn't the nanny state protecting the poor slobs that can't walk away from a Big Mack on their own by taxing them to help? It's an outrage!
Will people ever catch on to the fact that the rich have the power to make adjustments to sustain their share of real wealth?
Look at doctors (sorry fellas) do they have less relative purchasing power, live in proportionally smaller homes drive older cars as a result of skyrocketing healthcare costs? They face the same risks investment and reward balance and have adjusted to sustain a fair market return. Pick profession at any end of the spectrum. ouble their taxes and soon it will take an offsetting increase in income to get people to do what they do. Eliminate their taxes and it time the income will drop comensurately.
Result number: 8
Posted by Rick R on 12/08/08 at 16:39
The collar should work. Just be careful with the dog chip and make sure you reference the proper critter least you get the wrong kind of chip.
I used to get a rip roaring headache if confined to a conference room or on the airplane before we eliminated smoking in the work place and in flying machines. I wondered why that wasn't 'assualt' of one form or another. If I were to slap someone up side the head causing the same pain I'd be arrested. No need to worry about second hand slap either. Never had any issues with less ligitimate forms of smoking, sort of made me wonder what the fuss was all about.
I like the O2 trick, I hate knowing I missed one.
Result number: 9
Posted by grets on 11/18/08 at 11:41
Hi everyone. I too was on Lyrica, for close to a year. At first, I felt it was really helping with the pain. I also take vicoden. After around 6 months, I was really having the issues with the eyes. The blurry vision, not being able to focus. There were times, I just couldn't read what was on my computer! and of course the eye pain and headaches. So I called the doctor and they told me to come off of it. The doctor tried cymbalta, and that made me ill. Now I am on the generic form of neurotin. Two pills a day made me so tired I was falling asleep aroun 7, and not waking up to 2:30 in the morning. So she reduced it to 1 pill at bedtime. I actually take it around 8:30--9:00, so when that alarm goes off in the morning, I can actually get up. So yes, everyone is different enough to require something different. Just hope this one doesn't screw up my vision.
Result number: 10
Posted by john h on 10/30/08 at 11:24
Darn, Marie you sure look deep into my post to find something wrong. You should be an auditor. Biden in my opinion would be a more qualified President than Obama. We all know a lot about Senator Biden. Even today we do not know much about Senator Obama. I respect Senator Biden very much. I am sorry I just referred to him as the VP. I would be thrilled to called the VP. Clearly, I need to watch my words very carefully when posting to you as you are the 'word police'.
How about my real intent of the post of the possibility (no matter how small) that a Senator Byrd who is 90 years old could become President. Not as far fetched as it sounds when you look back at 9/11 with planes aimed at the White House, Pentagon and perhaps Congress. Did our distinguished 100 year old Senator Strom Thurmond from South Carolina make much sense? Yes the people voted him in year after year but I seriously doubt his mental capacity was up to the job and that his staff made all decisions and were the de facto Senator. There has to be an upper age limit and I am in the upper age limit range. I can no longer pull 10G's and likely to get a headache if doing a loop. There comes a time when all of us must recognize we are no longer up to certain jobs. Congressmen and Senators hang on by their teeth. Senator Byrd seems to be to have lost a lot in recent years but is likely to hold one of the most powerful positions in the United States until he dies. What ever happened to Term Limits? I liked that idea.
Result number: 11
Posted by Dr. DSW on 10/02/08 at 18:37
These medications cause a local vasodilation/increase in blood flow. However, these medications do have systemic effects and can have cardiac effects. Those that are prone to headaches/migraines would certainly want to stay away from these products.
Result number: 12
Posted by UHM..... on 7/02/08 at 06:15
Dr. Z, wouldn't it be a little more conservative on your part to recommend a NCV prior to ESWT? Wouldn't it expose any potential underlying nerve involvement, get the patient proper treatment and make your 'artificially generated' success rates appear even higher?
Insurances will cover NCV, patients get PROPER treatment at the start (if that is in-fact the problem) and don't have to suffer any longer than needed. And why would you recommend a 3rd treatment (besides cash-o-la), NCV should be next...........
Your can always use Dr. Ed's Tylenol to rid your headache for lost business / profits and get patients back on their feet without having to travel to Jersey for large cash outlays and multiple treatments.
Just a thought from a guy who stayed at a Holiday Express last night.
Result number: 13
Posted by Juan D. on 6/25/08 at 20:44
Dr. Ed,
You are correct. If I had a headache and took a Tylenol with no relief I would conclude that Tylenol did not relieve my headache. I would not conclude that Tylenol is not an effective pain reliever.
Conversely, I'm not suggesting that ESWT isn't effective. I'm attempting to share my experience that-despite its high success rate-ESWT gave me very little relief and that it obviously doesn't work for everyone.
Unlike pain relievers which are cheap, ESWT costs thousands of dollars and to spend that kind of money for no significant results kinda sucks.........thats all I'm saying.
Dr. Z suggested that it could be a nerve issue and said to look into Cryosurgery. I've had PT equally in both feet for over 5 years. Is it probable to have no nerve issues in both
feet ?
Lastly, if 2 ESWT treatments with DR. Z did not help significantly would it be a safe bet to say that ESWT simply doesn't work for me? Could a different ESWT machine possibly provide different results? Say the Ossatron that sends the shock waves from the bottom instead of the side? Maybe the lower powered machines? Or are the differences not substantial enough to suggest a different outcome?
Result number: 14
Posted by Dr. Ed on 6/24/08 at 22:43
I tool Tylenol for a headache once and it did not work; so should I conclude that Tylenol does not work?
No treatment works for 100% of the population. What did Dr. Z advise as the next step? How long ago did you have the second treatment?
The next step is to talk to Dr. Z
Dr. Ed
Result number: 15
Posted by theresa g on 6/03/08 at 00:24
For anyone who is interested....after undertaking 12 treatments of ASTYM, along with physical therapy for metatarsalgia that seems to be linked to excessively tight Achilles tendons bilaterally (dorsiflexion about 3-7 degrees), it seemed a bit better. But since I was still struggling with pain, I kept returning to the orthopedic surgeon. He told me the last time I was in that my case was puzzling (always a way to brighten your day when you hurt all the time) and that he wanted to try me on a round of cymbalta. I was skeptical, but agreed to do it, since there is scant evidence that it can help chronic pain from fibromyalgia. Desperate times....well,you know the saying.... After a week, I was amazed that it does help!
About 3 weeks before starting cymbalta, I got a new pair of New Balance shoes. This time, I went in and told them I wanted the most cushioned pair that would fit me and my orthotics. I ended up with 1062s. Not bad!
A month into this drug trial, I'm hoping that it keeps working. I've been able to manage most days on just aspirin for aches and pains. My feet rarely hurt. From what I understand, the cymbalta acts on the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and serotonin, levels of which have become awry from chronic pain. However it works, it works for me.
I would say that the ASTYM was beneficial, the stretching was good, in that I gained a little bit of dorsiflexion. The orthotics have helped, the shoes helped. But I am amazed at how much the cymbalta has helped. If it's a placebo effect, that's fine with me. Only side effect has been a bit of a headache and some occasional urinary weirdness. Not enough to stop taking it. And, I'm not sure how long I have to take it or how long this will work. Time will tell, as it does with most treatments.
Anyway, that was a semi-brief update.
If you are new, I've had release on both feet, one in 2002 and the other in 2005. I broke 4 bones in the left foot in 2004. Pain had returned and was causing a lot of problems with walking/standing.
Result number: 16
Posted by Tony L. Hoang on 5/10/08 at 10:53
Dr. Wedemeyer,
Thank you for welcoming me to the board. The one good thing to come from my case...well there really hasn't been anything good to come from it for me, so let me regress. I'm sure Axiom/Gary's offer to 'privately' show you information and then warn you about legal action is only meant to instill doubt and fear in you. I would take them up on the offer if I were you. You cannot be legally held responsible for viewing documents. The only thing Axiom/Gary should be worried about is showing you documents they may not want used in court, and then have you subpoenaed by their 'adversaries' to testify that the documents exist. If you get subpoenaed to testify, you just have to tell the court(s) what you saw and read. You wouldn't have done anything wrong.
Since the last statement he made was to confer with counsel, his attorneys probably told him it's wise not to respond in these types of forums.
Just something for all y'all to think about. I linked to the official response from Axiom's Gary Dixon to my case that someone on this board posted (see link below). I don't know if it is authentic or not, but being that in October 23, 2006 I was still a customer of theirs, and never received this document must mean I was taken off this list and explains why my colleagues (other DRX chiropractors) cut off communications with me. I said I didn't want to discuss my case, but I want to make it crystal clear that when they stated 'is the fact that Dr. Hoang was not represented by counsel and that Axiom was not party to the proceeding', it isn't fact. I was represented and advised by counsel. Axiom wouldn't have known what was going on with me because they don't take my calls. Axiom was not a party to the proceedings because they chose not to be by turning a blind eye to what was going on. Dr. Strong and others like him could have been saved a lot of headaches if Axiom responded in a responsible manner and notified all their customers that there were inaccuracies in the marketing. BTW, Axiom was aware of my situation in Monterey back in January of 2006, my case with the Monterey DA's office ended May 2006.
I think I said too much. Have a great weekend everyone! If I was still in Monterey I would go to the beach, but...
Result number: 17
Posted by Amy on 5/05/08 at 17:33
Dr Wedemeyer
I am lucky not to be plagued by tension headaches. They are very rare for me.
Core strengthening exercises were never suggested. What do you mean by cross syndrome? Unfortunately, I have bilateral tricompartmental grade 3-4 arthritis (bone on bone in the majority of the knee) and severe lateral tracking with chronic subluxations. I am being followed by a patello femoral reconstruction specialist for my knees. I know that at some point a TKR will be needed, but I am not quite there yet. About 15 years ago my L-5 disc had ruptured and there is about 5% of the normal space left. My options are to avoid activites that trigger muscle spasms and sciatica and use moist heat/flexeril when the lower back flares up or to have back surgery. I am going with the nonsurgical route for my lower back. I am sure that the knee and lower back issues don't help with my upper back and neck. I suspect that they triggered the onset of my plantar fasciitis two years ago. I am only about 10 lbs over weight so I doubt that casued the plantar fasciitis. I know that my posture is not great. My job is not really sedentery. I am a speech language specialist working with preschool disabled and autistic children. I also do early intervention on the side. I definitely have to be pretty active in my job. When my knees flare up, I do walk with a slight limp. I am now in the middle of a knee flare up and am going to start another round of PT later this week. I will talk to the PT about evaluating my gait in general and see whether she can make some suggestions about core strengthening exercises. Are there any questions that you can suggest for me to ask the PT in addition to looking at my gait/posture in general?
Thank you for your response
Result number: 18
Posted by Dr. Wedemeyer on 5/04/08 at 11:19
In my years of practice I have yet to see a headache caused by a 'medical source' that was not fairly obvious to diagnose, ie: accompanied by higher than usual pain levels, neuropathy, neuritis, visual changes, muscle weakness, balance difficulties or other key associated symptoms such as TMJ disorder, not to mention degenerative changes visible on xray such as in your case.
Typically a patient with either chronic headache or an acute onset of extreme headache with a particular timing, intensity and pattern indicating the need for referral are not common. The overwhelming majority of milder headache is tension in variety. Most of these are postural in nature.
What Amy said is true and regardless of who you see for your headache treatment choose a practitioner who is willing to make this referral when it is indicated and use some common sense.
Amy has your PT suggested any core strengthening exercises to you? Often stretches are helpful but mot enough on their own if you have postural deficits. I see too many women with upper (and lower) cross syndrome in my office (anterior head carriage, protracted shoulder girdle, shortened and tight cervical extensors, pectoralis, lats and lengthened and weak deep cevical flexors, traps and levator scapula).
The resultant position of these postural distortions causes myofascial trigger points, pain and chronic headache. Sedentary persons and office workers are particularly prone to these changes and as a society we spend too much time reading and at the computer with the head drawn forward, it is a prescription for disaster and working the core along with proper stretching and exercise can and does alleviate many of these nagging complaints.
I also have noticed that too many people breathe with their chest and this contributes to the above. Deep stomach breathing should be practiced and utilized throughout our lifetime.
Result number: 19
Posted by Amy on 5/04/08 at 09:46
I do not get tension headaches, but my shoulders, neck and traps get very very tight and painful. I have found that neck stretches shown to me by a friend who is a PT in combination with a progressive relaxation cd does help. I work full time and also see clients privately (6-7 hours weekly in addition to my full time job). I deserve to do something for myself so I get a one hour massage weekly. The massage therapist that I had been using for two years just had a second child and is taking some time off. The past four months, I have tried several different therapists and think that I have finally found one that is a good match for me. It is heaven.
Six years I had a C-6 C-7 foraminectomy WITHOUT fusion to address several large bone spurs compressing nerves in my spine. Before the surgery, I was in constant pain ,was unable to open a jar due to muscle weakness, began to have problems with finger coordination neeeded to keyboard and would just drop things. Those symptoms were aleviated by surgery. They would not have been helped by stretches or massages. The neurosurgeon told me after the surgery that he was suprised to see how large the bone spurs were and if I had waited much longer, I would have had permanent nerve damage.
Now, I just carry my tension in my shoulders and upper back.
Result number: 20
Posted by Dr. Wedemeyer on 4/28/08 at 13:02
Denise & Theresa try this for simple tension headaches (base of the skull to frontal pattern)
While deep breathing from the in through the nose deep and slowly (diaphragm breathing avoiding using the upper body to breathe), inhale for a cycle of 3-5 seconds expanding the stomach (just below the navel), hold for 3-5 seconds, breathe out slowly through the mouth allowing the stomach to deflate (again 3-5 seconds).
Once your breathing is comfortable you may either perform this yourself or have a volunteer help.
Locate the soft spot on the very top of the head (vertex). Apply a gentle pressure in a circular pattern (I prefer the thumb knuckle for myself) for 5 Minutes while maintaining your breathing.
Next time I will try and find a way to upload a few simple neck stretches that are helpful. Much of tension headache has its etiology in posture and muscle imbalance. You can improve those with a little effort.
Result number: 21
Posted by theresa g on 4/26/08 at 19:39
Please share, Dr. W. I would like to be speechless, too. Not to mention, headache-less. :-)
Result number: 22
Posted by Dr. Wedemeyer on 4/26/08 at 13:46
Brandon behave!
Seriously Denise I have a technique for tension headache that you can perform easily yourself. Its a combination of breathing, neck stretches and acupressure on the vertex of the skull. I use it frequently in the office. Patients are literally speechless at the results.
Result number: 23
Posted by Dr. DSW on 4/24/08 at 16:10
This will be interesting as it plays out and other studies are scrutinized, since I know many patients that have obtained major relief from migraine headaches from Botox injections (though not FDA approved). There is a headache center at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, and patients come from all over the country for their expertise, and many of these patients have Botox injections for headaches with excellent results. It will be interesting to see if they alter their protocol based on this one study.
Result number: 24
Posted by Dr. Wedemeyerche on 4/20/08 at 21:57
tension headache?
Result number: 25
Posted by denisea on 4/20/08 at 19:46
What do I do for a headache?
Result number: 26
Posted by Mira on 4/15/08 at 09:45
I have been experiencing this for many years..only recently it seemed to have gotten worse..i cant slp till late at night due to the itchy heels..i have it both on left and right heel..after reading the posts i was relieved atleast i am not imaging this is a problem that many are going through..i dont whether this thing is connected to any problems, i do suffer from headaches and i haf sharp pains sometimes in different nerves in my body i dont know whether i should be worried but this itchy heel is like comes so regularly whenever i try to slp..helpppp plzzz
Result number: 27
Posted by scott r on 3/22/08 at 11:43
As i sit here with a virus of unknown origin on my PC, I think apple's looking better and better, and that there is going to be flood from windows to mac. The chinese and russians aren't trying to give you a headache for a day or two like the kids of yesterday: they want to secretly take your money. Picture frames from china often contained a virus that secretly infected people's PC when they plugged their camera memory into both the picture frame and PC. The hacking group was a group of undisclosed professionals, apparently government-back. The virus was a harmless test designed to show it could have complete and secret control of PCs. Currently the policy of the U.S. government and major virus companies is not to say that it is the chinese government when it is the chinese government. The U.S. anti-hacking groups have gone underground. The intent is to not report terrorist-like acts as a way to not let the enemy know how succesful your methods are.
'Only 37 percent of the [new viruses] were detected as malicious by any of the [37 anti-virus programs]'
'A recent Chinese military white paper states that China plans to be able to win an �informationized war� by the middle of this century. Overall, China seeks a position of power to ensure its freedom of action in international affairs and the ability to influence the global economy'
'Mr. Bush, however, was not anxious to talk about the recent Chinese hacker attacks against U.S. government networks. The Pentagon suspects that China's People's Liberation Army successfully penetrated an unclassified computer system serving the office of
Defense Secretary Gates this June.
The system was shut down after the perpetrators had obtained information, some of it sensitive. The Pentagon attack followed ones last year in July on the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, in November on the Naval War College, and in December on the National Defense University. In the spring of last year, China accessed State Department computers and installed backdoors in networks to siphon off information on China and North Korea.
Result number: 28
Posted by Jim on 3/19/08 at 20:16
I was in severe pain from whatever is causing the pain in my feet for the last 7 years. I was taking Duragesic (SP), hydrocodone, neurotin ect.. nothing worked. No orthotics or physical therapy did anything.
I finally decided I was not going die and laid on the floor in my room for two days,went through DTs and got off all the medication. I figured out that I needed something to cushion my feet and start some small pain relief. I bought some sandals from Sharper image made of memory foam. They gave enough relief, that I was able to start walking around my house and I didn't have to crawl around. I decided to take a chance a buy a pair of silicone dynamic orthotics from Dr Kiper. I wore them off and on for about a year before I was able to get around with some normalcy. Over the last seven months, I have been able to get back to my job as a helicopter pilot in the Army, but I am no where near where I was 3 years ago. I still have pain, but it is bearable and I have a job that has helped my mind.I no longer wish a dump truck would lose control and run over my car on the way to work. I only take Advil for my headaches. Sharper Image does not sale the sandals anymore, so I went to Sports Authority and bought some addidas superstar sandals made of memoryfoam. I put the silicone orthotics under my factory inserts in my boots and I glued a metatrsal pad on top of the insert that came with my boots. It helps a lot, but I still hurt. I prayed for god to take me away, but I think he just made my mind stronger. I don't really know if the pain is less or if I just don't care as much.
The drugs made my pain worse because it took my mind and spirit away.
I wish you all luck. I don't think any doctor will cure me, but I still do research to find out what I can do for myself.
Result number: 29
Posted by cindyh on 3/15/08 at 20:13
Dr. Wedemeyer,
My Mother has had serious problems with her heart. They finally came to the conclusion it had something to do with her thyroid. They had always thought it had something to do with her electric firing. She has induced bradycardia. After about 4 trips to the ER they finally put in a pacemaker. On her fifth trip they found 75-90% blockage and did the balloon surgery. She has osteoarthritis also (not as severe as me). Another thing I forgot to mention...when all of this started, I began to be allergic to a lot of meds. EES (severe vomiting), Sulfa (severe fever blisters on lips, and in mouth), Maxoquin (rash and itching), macrobid (itching and rash), codeine (headaches), atenolol (rash on torso-lasted 10 months), neurontin, and lyrica (both swelling of feet and legs.), latex (redness and pain). Me and my son have slight scoliosis. Daughter has bowlegs so does her dad though (severe on my husband.) Daughter has grade 3 OA on both knees and is only 25 yrs. old. Son has bad knees also. My parents are both 70 and still going strong. Dad is still working full time. They did a lot of blood work on me. Said white count was a little high. Did a thyroid antibodies test - normal. I have a lot of sinus trouble and in last 5 years have started to struggle with allergies. Mostly did test for Lupus and RA. Not sure of all tests meanings though. 5 blood viles at a time. Several times. 330 cholesterol with ok LDL and ok HDL and ratios. HBP. Mitral valve prolapse. IBS. Acid reflux. Sons (22 yrs. old)heart dropped to 40 (3) times over a month period while taking antidepressants 2 yrs. ago. Rushed to hospital by ambulance each time. Passed out and fell down on first one. Both kids have symptoms of MVP. Can't really say anyone in my parents families had any autoimmune diseases. My Aunt died of Lung Cancer. Others of stroke, & altzheimers. Most everyone else is pretty healthy. I always was also, until all this. Guess I will just have to keep pushing on as I have been doing. I will mention NFM. My new Dr. is pretty open minded. If you can think of anything, I would really appreciate it. I know you can't really do much without all the test results. I know Drs. know Drs. though. If you can mention my case to some and see if anything pops into their heads also. I would be glad to get history and look up test results etc. Thanks for listening and for any help you can offer!
Result number: 30
Posted by Simba on 3/11/08 at 00:55
I have been taking this RX for 3 months now and I am feeling so much better. My migraines are gone. If I do get a headache its usually towards the evening. It helps me sleep so if I had to take during the day, not a good idea do to the drowsiness it causes. I am also on 40 mg. Maybe your doctor may need to prescribe a higher dose depending on weight.
Result number: 31
Posted by Autumn on 3/10/08 at 22:17
Also-if the yeast (Candida) theory is true, then Tom's cutting away of his skin is not so off. The soaking in bleach would kill the present yeast too--Although you may want to look at your diet Tom and it might stop the fungus (which is a yeast)and you can avoid the cutting. The winter months theory makes a connection to yeast too....warm, moist climates in shoes and socks promotes a great place for yeast to grow.
I'm curious if itchy heel sufferers also suffer from runny noses, recurrent vaginal yeast infections, thrush, headaches, food allergies, asthma, and a general feeling of being run down from time to time with no apparent reason for it.
Result number: 32
Posted by Steve S. on 2/19/08 at 09:54
Not sure if this will work for everyone, but it relieves my itchy heel problem, so I wanted to share it. In my case, it appears to be related to irritable bowel syndrome, in which gas causes feedback to the brain, resulting in all kinds of symptoms: headache, restless legs, malaise In my experience, the problem is not in my heel, but in the brain, sending signals that make it feel like a heel problem (like in sciatica or phantom limb pain.) So here is what gets rid of it for me most of the time:
1. avoid foods that cause gas (onions, broccoli, cabbage, MSG, dairy, etc)
2. at the earliest onset of an itchy heel episode, take a suppository (glycerin or Dulcolax evacuation suppository) and some caffeine to stimulate the bowel (strong, hot tea is good).
3. then immediately exercise--situps, jog, or just walk in place--until the suppository works and you pass any gas in your intestine (note--I don't necessarily need to feel bloated for the gas to be a problem!) Repeat the glycerin suppository if necessary.
4. 90% of the time, this relieves the problem for me.
5. also, elevating the foot helps, in conjunction with the above, AFTER the gas is gone.
6. you can also talk to your doctor about trying Fiorinal--a drug for migraine headaches that seems to help block some of the nervous signals from the bowel to the brain. Also helps me some.
7. B vitamins MAY help diminish it some, but not totally, at least for me, but worth a try also.
God Bless and hang in there!
Result number: 33
Posted by KS on 1/16/08 at 17:55
I went to the Dr, and he agreed the medial posting seemed alittle off and that it was putting more pressure on my peroneal tendons then relieve which was suppose to be the deal, so he sanded down the medial side slightly, and wants me to see the Dr that casted me for them, as he has way more experience with tweating them more,, All I know if my right ankle is killing me, and I am getting frustrated with this whole deal,, The Dr that casted me said he was going to cast me and do measurements, but I am my surgeon patient so follow up with him, and the my surgeon is like go to him,,,My Dr said my shoes were not the problem, he said the orthotics are putting too much pressure period on my peroneal tendons, he wanted to give that side of my foot a rest, hence the thinking behind getting orthotics,, I think the person casting did not get that point somewhere along the line.. The two Dr's are in the same practice, but just hard on figuring out who I am to see,, my surgeon knows my case VERY well, been with him for two years,, I trust him more than the other guys credentials at this moment cuz my feet hurt in the orthotics he measured me for.. Almost ready to throw my hands up to the whole orthotics, more of a headache at this point and only adding to my pain level I was about 4-5 on pain scale of 1-10, when standing any length of time, now I am 8-9 when just standing any time in these orthotics..
Result number: 34
Posted by Kathy G on 1/15/08 at 11:11
It's gotten harder. Now we have to type two digits backwards. Another challenge in 2008!
I traveled by train once, when I was fourteen. I despised it. I got sick to my stomach; got a headache and in retrospect, believe I was affected by my then unknown claustrophobia. On the way back, the steward, if that's what they call them, was so nice to me. He had me face backward and that seemed to help. I went from Meriden, CT to NYC with my Girl Scout troop.
I'd like to try the Acella now. I doubt it would affect me the same way but who knows?
I used to have a friend who loved trains. He had walked tracks all over the country, knew all kinds of trivia about different locomotives and been to several train museums. There's a whole group of people who just love trains.
Neat site, Susan!
Result number: 35
Posted by Lakemom on 12/07/07 at 14:41
Thanks alot Dr. Wedemeyer! Since I don't have neck or headache trouble or even radiation down my arm it is hard to think that the reverse cervical curve is the source of my problem. It seemed like the problem really was thoracic. I just couldn't tell from my web research whether this was yet another new area I needed to be concerned about.
Result number: 36
Posted by Lakemom on 12/06/07 at 16:37
Moving away from foot pain for a moment, I was evaluated by a chiropractor because I have a long history of muscle pain sometimes spasms between my scapulae. I also have a mild scoliosis curve there. She did xrays and told me that I have a reverse cervical curve but no real narrowing between the vertebrae. She felt that the reverse curve not the scoliosis was causing the pain and would do adjustments to correct the curve.
Does alot of the population have reverse curves? I have no neck pain or headaches and my neck mobility is good. Are there exercises that would improve this or will the curve remain reversed without adjustments?
Result number: 37
Posted by Helen W on 10/28/07 at 11:22
Dottie: Its only been two weeks for me and I am already so tired of not being able to 'walk' on my post-op foot. I have also had the worst headache and felt like a flu is coming on, but worst of all the depression. I have been crying and sleeping for three days. My husband was beginning to wonder if I am not just having withdrawals from popping Loratab every 4hours for 12 consecutive days. My post-op leg looks weaker and skinner than my non-operative leg. It can not hold my weight yet and I am still hobbling a long. I am getting terrified again... what if this didn't work. It appears it has but since I haven't been walking on it enough yet, how do I know for sure, and then I am told it may take several months to get the full benefits from the surgery. Just to think in a month (Nov 30) I am having my right foot done...I am back to feeling terrified and depressed.
Result number: 38
Posted by Helen W on 10/13/07 at 21:49
Hi Dottie: Yes I am looking at Dec 14th for my right foot. That is kinda funny that we are tentatively scheduled for the same week. Of course, the final decision will come after I see how long this recovery takes. I was a little slower today it seems to be a bit a little more touchy. But I took off my splint as instructed and did the exercises twice today. I had to call a friend to bring me a walker today, because I was using crutches last night and when I got up at 3am to go to the bathroom, I lost my balance and when straight backwards. I slammed my head into the rounded corner of my wall and left a dent. So needless to say, I had a killer headache today. Thanks again for the well wishes and keep me informed on your 'stepping' hehe.
Result number: 39
Posted by priyal on 9/12/07 at 07:43
hi i have premanant headaches and i am taking 40 mg and it is not working it is a waste of time.
Result number: 40
Posted by AutumnK on 9/09/07 at 14:22
I had very painful heel spur and a good sized (about the size of a nickel, but deep)Plantar's wart on my left foot. It was getting to be impossible to walk without experiencing severe pain at every step. I tried many different things, including homeopathy, which I have studied for many years and generally swear by. I was not hitting the correct remedy and was getting nowhere. It occurred to me then that, since Plantar's wart is a virus, maybe I should try Oregano oil for it. At first I took the product internally, but nothing much was happening and I was concerned about continuing it for too long, since it is also a very powerful antibacterial, and should not be used for very long stretches at a time. So I thought I'd switch to using it topically. I still had plenty of gelcaps so, rather than buy liquid product, I decided to use them up first. I pierced them and squeezed them generously onto the affected areas twice a day and put on clean socks each time, figuring the oil would soak into my skin and the socks too. The oil-imbued socks would keep the area treated all day. It took over 3 weeks before I started seeing some tangible results, but gradually, things started softening up and the pain started getting more bearable. About then, (3-4 weeks from when I started with the topical Oregano oil) I also started myself on the Water Cure, which is one of the most amazing things I've come across in a long time http://www.watercure.com and http://www.watercure2.org. Well, once I started on that, it really started fast tracking things. So much so, that I started forgetting to do the Oregano oil, because there was no more pain to remind me!
This is a system of caring for yourself that was researched and uncovered by an Iranian MD, Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, who graduated from St Mary's Hospital Medical School of London University. He stumbled on this discovery by accident when he went back to Iran to practice medicine and was then arrested and became a political prisoner for about 2 1/2 years. To make a long story short, he spent over 20 years researching this discovery of his and, when he could not find support among his peers to promote his findings (because there was no money to be made with it) he decided to write a book and share his discovery with the general public in this way. The book he wrote was �Your Body's Many Cries for Water�. In it, he outlines his discovery on how most, if not all, diseases are the body's manifestations (symptoms) of various stages of dehydration. He teaches that most people do not recognize that thirst is a sign of extreme dehydration, not just the beginnings of it. He shows how, by drinking the correct amount of water in a certain way, accompanied by a little sea salt, your body can quickly regain its health and vigor and leave behind the chronic complaints eroding its vitality and structure.
My husband and I have been doing the Water Cure for well over two months now and, even aside from my Plantar's problems, we are seeing some pretty astounding changes: We both sleep a lot better, our energy has improved tremendously. My husband quit getting the cluster headaches that have been plaguing him his whole life. My skin has healed. It was full of little ulcers here and there that just wouldn't go away. My skin is also getting smoother and softer. My husband had difficulty swallowing his food for many years now. That problem seems to have all but vanished. And the list goes on. Bottom line is, I just came upon this site and it reminded me that I had these foot problems too, not so very long ago. So I looked at my foot (something that hadn't even occurred to me for awhile...) and lo and behold, I can find no traces at all of my previous two problem areas! Wow! That is pretty amazing! Hope this helps others too...
Result number: 41
Posted by Dr. DSW on 8/29/07 at 19:31
You're kidding me right? You wrote the following statement:
'Keep in mind I haven't been trained (i.e. brainwashed) as to why a clinical visit is necessary.'
Scott, if this is what you are REALLY thinking, why don't we simply do away with doctors visits? We will just assume all headaches can be cured with Tyelenol or aspirin, after all there couldn't possibly be any other cause of a headache could there? And why go to the doctor for any 'common' ailment? Just call your local 'expert' or go on a website and find the most common problem and treat it and hope that's what the problem MIGHT be.
Hey, you know what Scott, maybe I'll just close my office, save all that money on rent, electricity, gas, water, office staff, liability insurance, etc., and I'll just have patients call me or email me. I'll simply tell them over the phone what the problem is and what to do for it, since according to you 'a clinic visit isn't necessary'.
Scott, I have no idea what is going on inside your head the past week or two, but you really have to get back to reality. Have you really lost touch and do you REALLY believe that a clinical exam is not needed when a patient states that they have heel pain? Do you realize that there are literally hundreds of problems that can 'mimic' plantar fasciitis?
Patients can have simple stress fractures, metatstatic disease, syphillis, ankylosing spondylitis, infectious disease processes, neurolgical diseases, metabolic diseases, etc., and none of these problems can be detected without a clinical examination, history and physical examination.
Come on Scott, you have a degree in electrical engineering, and you're smart enough to know that life 'aint that simple. Don't trivialize plantar fasciitis or heel pain and insult the entire medical profession as well as those patients that suffer from recalcitrant heel pain by telling ANYONE that a clinical examination is unnecessary.
As for those 100 people that come to your house, call you or email you for advice about their heel pain......, the responsible thing for you to do would be to refer them to the proper medical specialist. But you still don't understand that your book knowledge does NOT make you an expert.
Wouldn't you feel great if someday you were rushed to the emergency room and found out the 'expert' in charge didn't really need to examine you, since he learned EVERYTHING he knew in books and on a website.
Result number: 42
Posted by Nancy on 8/16/07 at 20:20
I too posted a positive message and had no one show any interest. So I quit looking at this negative website for a while. I understand your pain and lying to yourself that it's not so bad. I have been in pain with both my lower back and neck for over 20 years. I had the DRX for my neck last winter and it is a miracle for me. My headaches, cracking, grinding and sharp pain is gone and has stayed gone for five months! It's a new life for me! I am planning to have it on my lower back next winter.
I am so glad you feel better already. Be sure to do what the doctor says and ice often. How are you now? I care to hear how your treatments are going...
Result number: 43
Posted by Dr. Wedemeyer on 7/30/07 at 17:57
*included in the t.v. ad version is the warning that increased risk of gambling and sexual thoughts may be a side effect.........could one of the doctors write me a rx for this right away please?
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION ABOUT MIRAPEX: MIRAPEX may cause you to fall asleep without any warning, even while doing normal daily activities such as driving. When taking MIRAPEX hallucinations may occur and sometimes you may feel dizzy, sweaty or nauseated upon standing up. The most common side effects in clinical trials for RLS were nausea, headache, and tiredness. You should talk with your doctor if you experience these problems.
Patients and caregivers should be informed that impulse control disorders/compulsive behaviors may occur while taking medicines, including pramipexole, to treat Parkinson's disease and RLS.
Result number: 44
Posted by Dr. Z ( vacation) on 7/13/07 at 20:56
Hi Dr. Z...
Hope you are somewhere really cool enjoying your vacation! I hoped to hear from you.
My doctor did tell me Nitrodur would cause headaches and said he'd prescribe motrin to take an hour before applying the patch. I'm actually a little nervous about trying this now that I know this other stuff. It must be serious medication to cause such headaches.
What do you think about Dr. Kiper's suggestion that I simply need an orthodic that works? Aren't there some people who are just intolerant to orthodics...or should there be something out there that works for me?? It's just so damn expensive and frustrating to keep buying orthodics from every source who says they have the answer.
Hi Jenn,
I think I understand the purpose of Nitrodur which is increase the blood surppy to the area. I would like to speak with your present doctor if you e-mail me I will contact him and see exactly what his experience is with this treatment. I believe you have my e-mail if not footcare at comcast.net
As for Dr. Kiper and SDO. I have lots of respect for Dr. kiper and was truly amazed at the degree of pain relief in some of the candidates. I will admit originally my first impression of the SDO wasn't positive. I was the one that said either put up or shut and challenged to to the SDO trail on this board.
What I did see immediately from the three patients that he dispensed SDO is that they could wear the orthosis without any pain as can happen with the standard plastic inserts. It does take months to years for resolution of your problem per Dr. Kiper.
I believe he really knows what he is talking about. You really don't have anything to lose because there is a money back 100% return with these devices.
I am not associated in any way fininically with Dr. Kiper or you know I would tell you upfront. Maybe Dr. Kiper can have speak with some of his heel spur.com patients to review their foot problems with you. I know they were bad. I mean bad. Your case is bad too!!!
Talk to you soon. Goodluck
Result number: 45
Posted by Jen R on 7/13/07 at 06:30
Hi Dr. Z...
Hope you are somewhere really cool enjoying your vacation! I hoped to hear from you.
My doctor did tell me Nitrodur would cause headaches and said he'd prescribe motrin to take an hour before applying the patch. I'm actually a little nervous about trying this now that I know this other stuff. It must be serious medication to cause such headaches.
What do you think about Dr. Kiper's suggestion that I simply need an orthodic that works? Aren't there some people who are just intolerant to orthodics...or should there be something out there that works for me?? It's just so damn expensive and frustrating to keep buying orthodics from every source who says they have the answer.
Jen R
Result number: 46
Posted by Dr. Z ( vacation) on 7/12/07 at 20:04
Hi Jen
I have used nitro-paste which is similar for patients that have decreases circulation to their toes. Maybe the reason it might work on pf is to increase inflamation to the area and thus start the healing. I really don't know. I will tell you that if used incorrectly you can get major headaches. Never handle the patch or drug without gloves. Great for frostbite and raynaud in the toes
Result number: 47
Posted by Dr. Ed on 7/11/07 at 13:10
See my response to the withdrawal issue on the 'Social' Board. There are a number of means of pain control beyond such meds: TENs, nerve blocks, compounded topical medications, etc. Ideally, whenever possible, attempting to get to the source of the pain is a preferable choice. The entities you listed involve overlapping symptoms so we need to figure out which of the four entities you listed is causing what pain. I will do a search on your prior posts to see if I can get some better ideas but it would help if you could provide a brief summary of treatments to date.
What is the cause, if found, of the PN? One natural remedy to consider may be alpha lipoic acid at 800 mg. per day. It will have no effect at lower dosing. Minimal side effects; occasional stomach upset; can deplete biotin if taking over 3000 mg. per day. Feverfew, an herb, can help a lot with headaches but not so much those related to withdrawal symptoms; avoid if you have hay fever.
Dr. Ed
Result number: 48
Posted by marie on 7/11/07 at 09:32
I haven't but have had several family members who have. The good news is that withdrawl isn't permanent. If it was to fast, cold turkey, and you are having this much difficulty consider going a slower course. Pain is real. It's ok to medicate so you can function. You may have to decide between living with pain or the side effects of pain medication. I strongly urge you to figure out some kind of diversion. Even if it's just visiting here and ranting. :) I made terrariums when my feet were at their worst some years ago.. I couldn't garden so but I could do it on a smaller scale. It was fun and inexpensive but most importantly it kept my mind distracted for a while. I still have those tiny gardens.
I am currently reducing my medication. Doing it very slowly. So far so good. Some headaches but involved myself in a big home project and that diversion helped me get through that week. Yesterday the front of my Arizona birkenstock caught on a raised sidewalk section and I fell forward. Since my foot was caught I jammed every toe on both feet. So now I have new pain and am still trying to get of the medication.............it just means I will have to put it off another week.
Result number: 49
Posted by HeatherW on 7/05/07 at 19:37
Soeren, I think the technique your are describing is similar to the Graston Technique that is practiced by some chiropractors here in the U.S. I have heard from many of my patients and a close friend that this technique helps with many problems such as tension headaches, chronic back pain, PF and other conditions. My friend is so adamant that it resolved her chronic tension headaches that she has convinced me to go see her chiropractor to start the treatment for my bilateral PF when I get back from vacation. I will post whether or not it helps. I am happy Soeren that you have found relief.
Result number: 50
Posted by Dr. Z on 6/28/07 at 20:37
There are many patients that have elongation of the 2nd metatarsal are without any pain or problems. IF you have only had this for three week then no a surgical procedure is in your best interest. A good analogy would be if you had a headache would you do brain surgery. No... you would take adavil. If the pain continued to return then additional testing would be indicated. This surgical osteotomy is not something that is close to giving you a 100% promise of cure and again only three weeks pain present is just not the correct thing to do
I am sure the other doctors would agree with your situation and my recommendation- get a 2nd opinion when someone tells you surgery for a foot problem that has only existed for three weeks.
Result number: 51
Posted by Kate on 6/15/07 at 12:33
Eye specialist said that it wasn't the Lyrica - until I showed him the monograph. Then said, 'well maybe it is the Lyrica' - followed by 'go see your neurologist'. UGH! Around and around we go (neuro sent me to the ophthalmologist!).
I'm slowly tapering off Lyrica to see if my vision clears (with my neuro's approval). But ooooh is there a headache when tapering! I never get headaches normally so I'm associating it with the drug withdrawal.
On a good note, I'm back walking every day and my shoulder is back to work too. I'd rather have rotator cuff surgery than ankle surgery but the PT for the ankle isn't as painful as the PT for the shoulder. Another good note is that my lymphedema decided to knock it off!
Result number: 52
Posted by Kym on 6/06/07 at 06:35
I am having the exact same problems my feet and ankles are swollen.They have been swollen for a month and now they are being accompanied with pain as well. I went to the doctor to get them examined and he told me that it was because I am taking in too much water and my body is retaining it.Well, I thought we were always encouraged to drink water, but now too much of it is harmful? I do eat quite a large amount of ice on a daily basis,so it was believable. He also said that the cause of the sweeling cold be be due to weight. My feet and ankles have swollen up before, but never this huge. I notice that the swelling usually only occur when the weather is hot.The doctor suggested that I wear compression stockings to keep my blood circulating in my feet and ankles to prevent blood clots, take a mild diuretic, and suggested that I elevate my feet. Well, I tried the stockings and they were a big headache, and he forgot to write for the diuretic so that was a waste of time.I do remember that last year when my feet swollen I use lasix and it actually helped.
When researching on the internet for the cause and the name of this condition I found that the name of the condition is called edema. There were two causes that were listed that was most related to me and they were being overweight and sitting for a long period of time. I am a secretary so I sit quite alot and I also do work at home on the computer and do more sitting. I am going to try the stockings again and perhaps get a diuretic either from the doctor or over the counter because he didn't really want to prescribe the diuretic because of me continuing to still to eat ice which I think is caused by another condition.
Result number: 53
Posted by Ashley on 6/05/07 at 23:52
okay i have been reading through this forum and there seems to be a lot of skepticism. Both my boss and my boyfriend are going through this. My boss has already had surgery and has severe severe DDD, my boyfriend is only 22 with a bulging disc in his lower back and DDD from professional soccer. She is paing 5300 paid upfront. HE pays 125 per day throughout 20 treatments. He is a little sore and has some headaches but overall multiple chiropractors, specialists, sports doctors and a running doctor recommended the treatment. There are very few people who have a negative reaction to the treatment. The far majority improve tremendously and so far the treatment is not only the only logical option but is by far the one with the most results.
not everything out there is a con, people.
Result number: 54
Posted by Kathy on 5/31/07 at 15:32
Sinus problems, TMJ, etc, are certainly NOT my expertise and I'm not sure where your exact symptoms are or where it actually hurts. But I know someone very well that was having sinus/TMJ symptoms (or so they were told) with symptoms along the jaw along with sinus type symptoms and sinus 'headache' type symptoms. After a lot of negative sinus films, CT scans, MRI's, injections into the TMJ, etc., he was finally seen by a specialist at Jefferson University in Philadelphia that is a specialist in facial pain & headaches (he's actually a dentist) and actually diagnosed the problem as a migraine variant. The patient was eventually referred to the Jefferson Headache Center and is doing amazingly well.
Once again, I don't know if your pain is limited to the jaw, but his pain was in the jaw, face, temple, head, etc. My expertise is the foot/ankle, so take my post on this topic as a definite 'non' expert.
Result number: 55
Posted by Susan on 5/24/07 at 23:05
I'll try the Ezekiel bread. I've never gotten headaches until getting a couple recently so I'll see if it coincides with eating cashews.
Result number: 56
Posted by Oma Z on 5/24/07 at 22:50
Cashews are such a terrible food along with pistachios. Poison Ivy family. If you find yourself with headaches for no explainable reason, quit eating those terrible nuts. And that ww bread would be better in the trash. So inflammatory. Try Ezekiel. Much easier for your system to handle.
Result number: 57
Posted by David G. Wedemeyer on 5/21/07 at 14:21
Allow me to add that the only relevant factors that decide SSD benefits are from your doctor. In the absence of a medical determination that you qualify to be disabled they will not grant you SSD benefits in my experience. Your doctor determines the level of impairment based on the AMA guidelines, the standard in SSD and work comp disability ratings.
If this is a work comp issue any physical or psychic complaint has to be casually related to employment or as a compensable consequence arising out of employment. Have your doctor fill out and submit the appropriate forms to your attorney and save yourself the headache.
The threshold for a psychic complaint is much higher than a physical ailment and in my state (CA) is now determined along with the physical complaint. You cannot pursue a psychic complaint without having been examined and diagnosed by a psychiatrist. Many states still separate the two complaints but either way the only evidence that will determine your claim with either SSD or WC will be the medical record.
I hope this helps,
Result number: 58
Posted by Dr. Ed on 5/10/07 at 12:43
If your stomach is upset and you take two aspirin, your stomach will get worse. Aspirin is for headaches. It does not matter how good a treatment is -- it will not work when mis-applied which may be your case. So stop posting the same nonsense over and over again here. You are bitter because you did not get the right treatment and too stubborn to accept suggestions on what to do.
Dr. Ed
Result number: 59
Posted by james e on 5/05/07 at 07:04
man, this is bogus. i was hoping the stiffening/burning in my toes would stop, but a few days after it started, it hasnt. twitches are to bad but when they happen, they're deep and hurt. the foot is ICE cold and hard to wiggle my toes. i try to use my hands to warm it up, but anywhere i touch on the top of the foot makes that stiffening pain hurt more. its wierd, the foots cold, but inside of the toes feels like they're sunburnt.
6 more days man, it seems so far away :(
i stopped taking the vitamins b12 and glucausomine/chondro. they were having no effect
but on another note, i started doing girl style pushups (cant do em normal with the feet, it hurts to bad) i've done 3 sets of 10 the past 3 days, tryin to burn off energy. still not sleepin right though, and my appetite is all over one day i'm hungry and gorge myself. next day i dong get hungry and dont eat. sleep is very eradic. i try but get headaches. get 3 hours here up for 14, maybe get another 3.
i really hope this new doctor helps me, if not, it might break my spirit lol
best of health to all of u
Result number: 60
Posted by Oma Z on 5/03/07 at 09:59
I use maybe 1/3 to 1/2 cup of regular detergent. I'll also use that Oxy powder for my whites since these HE front loaders just don't dilute the bleach enough and my clothes still smelled bleachy even after a second rinse and I couln't stand the chemical smell in my laundryroom. Now that I have one (for 4 years now) I much prefer the top loaders that use plenty of water. I'd prefer to do other things to save the environment. But I'll fill it up with water when I use the powder (for the whites) to get it mixed in there first. So when I open the door I usually have plenty of suds coming out the door and put some towels down to catch them because I never remember right away that I have the washer running to dilute the powder. It's those heavy metals that give me the ADD I'm sure. I always use a second rinse. If I was working for Consumer Reports I'd give the HE washers a C- rating. They're just not all they are cracked up to be but you can put larger blankets in them. That was the selling point for me not the environmental impact.
My favorite of all detergents is Melaleuca's and their prewash is the best for getting oil out where the others did nothing. I just wish I didn't have to order $39 a month of stuff. And their Tub n Tile is the best for soap scum and heavy minerals without killing more brain cells and so now I don't need to use Tilex anymore and it always gave me headaches to use it anyway. Melaleuca's stuff doesn't have any of the phosphates and I'd only use 1/2 or 1/3 of their detergent also in my HE washer.
My German daughter-in-law doesn't like American washers. In Germany the washers boil the water and it kills all the germs and she says clothes always got so clean there.
Result number: 61
Posted by james e on 4/30/07 at 19:17
tks for the input. im feeling better now, the foot is anyway. i went back to sleep again for another 3 hours, but the headache is bad when i wake up. its one of those that are in the back part of the head, almost down by the top of the neck.
lol my bodies clock is SCREWED. no matter what i do, i cannot adjust it back to normal. like i'll try again tonight, i'll stay up all the way till tomorrow night, so i can get back to normal, but come tomorrow night i still wont sleep. not till way in the a.m. i just dont get tired. i have reduced drinkin pop for a few weeks now and drink v8 fruit juice. cut down on smoking cigarettes. still no other drugs. no change. still takin the vitamin b12 caps and the glucausimine/chondroition (sp?) for about 3 weeks now, no change.
i dont know why the hospital wont do anything. i have gone there alot in the past 6 months and they were nice the first few times. then they started goin on like 'ya, we know ur in pain buddy, but u have to wait till u see a doctor' lol its taken me 2 months to get into ric. 2 long painful months. and honestly its partially my fault, a few of the times i told them 'i refuse medicine, i want a diagnosis and a permanent solution' i dont want to be seen as a drug seeker. and the pain killers honestly didnt neutralize the pain, and i told them this too. they only provide slight distraction from it only cause they make u high. so its really not healthy for me to take them anyway. but at what point i wonder, can the decision be made, where comfort and distraction is the only the available, and will get it.
i dont want to be some guy strung out on pain killers, i want a permanent solution. if they tried to offer me anything stronger like in the morphine category i would refuse off the bat, i hated being on morphine when the surgery happened, its disqusting.
whats gonna happen is one of these days real soon, i will be FORCED to start hackin away at the foot. i know its not sane to talk like that, but my backs against a BIG wall here. im tired of it. i really think i'd be better without the foot. but like the specialist said, 'as long as it has good blood flow, u'd be hard pressed to find anyone to take it off, any operation will cause u more pain and its not critical enough yet to warrant such action' then the old 'learn to live with it speech'
i think age plays a big role as well. if i were 50, they'd give me pain meds and sleep meds no questions asked. i guess they figure im young, relatively healthy cept for the foot, 26 is too young to be put on drugs for the rest of my life.
but, with this fce thing comin up, they will decide better plans for my future. i have alot of paper work to fill out. a little scared. i dont wanna be disabled lol. i think untill someone calls me that i'm not. even though i havent done anything fun in years lol. i just dont wanna accept it. maybe i'm crazy. its the foots fault, he made me mad. as long as my son is on this planet though, i will never give up my will to live, EVER. i have his pictures posted on the wall next to my bed so he's the first thing i see when i wake up. lol i gotta show u ppl some, and will post em up tomorrow. on the brief occasion i do go out with them, we get stopped by dang near evreyone 'o he's adorable, ur the father? ur a lucky man' the kid is a genetic freak too. he is 20 months, and strong as an ox. he already carries in groceries. can hold a full gallon of milk over his head, has been able to for a few months. everyone who knows him including his doctor says theres something different about him than other kids. he's always been more alert than other babies, and waaaaaaaaaaayyyy to strong for his age. he's bigger (not fat, this boy is ripped, gotta six pack and pectoral muscles) than 3 year olds. all of us swear at night when everyones sleeping he does push ups and pull ups. one thing i dont like though, is he has a 'you cant stop me' attitude. he's a daredevil. i know most kids are like that, but even the doc says, he's one of the most unique babies he's seen strenght wise. wait 20 years till he's a man, u'll see the name david evans either in the nfl, or something. i hope i make it that long lol. just wish i could forbid him to play basketball, me no likey that game anymore lol
Result number: 62
Posted by james e on 4/30/07 at 13:00
ya i know, 11 more days.
i finally fell asleep around 9 am, its 12:30 and im up. got a bad headache. lol i think the years of sleep problems might have messed up my brain. when i get headaches like this my saliva turns very thick. like that movie 'big daddy' the kid drools all the way to the ground and slurps it back up, i know, lol sick.
my toes are very stiff, but atleast the foots warmed up. its scary when it turns ice cold, been doin that for a while, but i normally never thought nothing of it. the top of the foot still has that stiffening typ feeling, touching makes the pain throb in worse. whatever the burning was is gone now though, lol hope it never comes back for as long as i live.
i'm still not convinced it is rsd/crps. i still believe that the hot poker feeling i felt on the inside of ankle, was a nerve being compressed. lol makes me wanna open it up and have a look at it.
lol i'm ready to have another lumbar nerve block done, at least that made my back hurt bad enough to forget about the foot for couple of days. i'll still never understand how that guy (jerk pain doc) could say 'that block was ur best chance at pain relief, its all i can do for ya, it didnt work, find someone to treat u long term, have a nice life' i mean, i understand its a make money world, and he only treats us poor ppl once a month, and repeatedly said 'i dont treat ppl long term on medicaid, i jsut diagnose the problem and send them to chicago' i think he even said he loses money, because alot of times its hard to get the gov. to pony up the dough. even then its not much.
and in all fairness, i was told to seek help in chicago 8 years ago 2 years after the surgery, by the surgery doc. but i was young, and he didnt really stress how badly i should go. i guess with these types of injuries and pains, its hard to tell just how much worse it will get.
on another very personal note, and i know its a BAD sign, is sexual activity. lol i'll post it here but wont mention it to the doc when i go, to embarassing. i'm not limpy, still wake up with the morning wood, i know, to much info. but whenever she tries, i jsut dont feel like it. now this is coming from a guy, who up to about 3 months ago, could go 3 times a day, 7 days a week. lol ever since the injury happened, i had alot of excess energy, and couldnt get enough lovin lol. part of the reason is, the ankle hurts if i tense up my leg, so i just avoid it now lol.
woah, i cant believe i posted that, and prolly should tell the doctor. i actually have a few packets to fill out before going to the functional capacity eval, and sex comes up in it several times. so i guess its important, just embarassing.
those gland thingies in ur neck that hurt if u get like a tooth infection, have been hurting off and on alot since about 2 weeks after the spasms. i was thinkin maybe its cause i dont sleep right, and it kinda still sometimes feel like i'm on a 24 hour adrenaline rush. wonder if i should tell them that too? maybe my body is fightin somethin off, i dunno. also had a return of acid reflux with anything i eat. i used to get it bad from chili, which i ate 3 times a week before, but since i cut it out, it stopped for a good 2 years. i think its just stress.
i can see how stress makes things worse, and that may be partially the case. but i wasnt this stressed before the non stop spasms. i dont buy it that stress caused the spasms, because i was ok before they started. still had sleep problems, but wasnt at the freaked out level i was at before the spasms. of course, sleep problems for 5 years are bound to have some kind of effect on the body.
got alot to discuss during this fce. i dont want to be put on disability or anything. i want the pain n spasms and sleep problems to stop lol. id even like to have a social life again. would love to take my son out to play. he's almost 2 (will be in june) and i've only been to the park with him maybe 5 times. would like to do so much, but cant. everyone tells me use a wheelchair, but my pride wont let me. i do not like being looked down at, never have. ive heard ppl say 'it takes a bigger man to swallow his pride and do the things he fears most' but those ppl are healthy and have never experienced something like this. they say, u need to see a counselor too, but i see things differently. i see that as another reason to take money from the government over my situation. talking isnt gonna help. if the pain n spasms stops, i'll be fine. if not, NOTHING is going to help me. if i cant get above 50 percent usuage, whats the point in keeping the dang foot. i wonder, if it were takin off 6 months ago before the spasms, i wouldnt be like i am now. now spasms are spreading to all parts of my body. its not fair lol.
i need my brain turned off lol. hopefully they give me tranquilizers or somethin. its like i dont even need the weed, ive been on some kinda high since the spasms started lol. startin to hurt my head though. i will keep hanging on. i cannot see myself ever getting to the point of not wanting to live. but i dont think its to much to ask for comfort and sleep control from time to time.
11 days, man, this is gonna take forever lol
Result number: 63
Posted by james e on 4/30/07 at 06:36
well those stiffening pains ive been getting on the top of my foot have peaked nearly the entire weekend, lol ive had three hours sleep since saturday around 9 am. i was hoping it was just the weather, its been cloudy and stormy a bit, but last night i experience burning in my toes :( its still burning a little now, but not as intense. the spasms have become very deep and violent. im gonna call my podiatrist in a bit and ask what i should do. dont wanna wake him up lol. if anything touches the top of my foot, it makes the burning and stiffening 10x worse so i'm tryin to just keep it elevated with nothing touching the top.
the hospital i live near has told me time after time i cannot go to them for pain relief, i have to find a doctor that will accept me on medicaid for long term. and i believe ric will be that place, but its still another week and a half till i see them :( they'll be doing an fce on me (functional capacity evaluation) at the chronic pain care center. the paper says it could take up to 3 1/2 hours. lol i hope they dont expect me to do much. i still dont think its humane for me to suffer this bad, but i guess theres nothing that can be done. absolutely nothing has neutralized the pain or spasms. and i dunno what this burning crap is. one doc says he's positive (the podi) its rsd/crps neuralgia. the pain doc (the jerk) thinks its just a chronic pain issue due to the fact no drugs have worked, and the lumbar block didnt work. nothin even takes the edge off, when it hurts, it hurts. i dont get good days anymore, been about 2 weeks since the last one. prolly had maybe 10 good days since the begining of this year (by good, no pain shooting above 5)
im still not smoking pot, but am SERIOUSLY considering gettin some whiskey or somethin. somethin to knock me out (lol id need 3 shots and prolly pass out, i'm a lightweight with liquor)
mentally i'm still tryin as hard as i can to ignore it. im close to a major breakdown though. i've lost another 10 pounds (down to 200 from 245 around christmas) i just dont feel like eatin much. i have to force myself for hours to try to sleep, been tryin since 2 am central, and its 6:30 now. i get headaches everytime i try to sleep, and when i do fall asleep, i wake up with a headache. the burnin got REAL bad, not pleasant at all. thank god its stopping a bit, but still is coming in waves. lol im screwed arent i.
sorry for another classic insomniac ramble, but nothing else to do. hope when you all wake up today ur doin better than me :)
Result number: 64
Posted by Nancy on 4/25/07 at 19:50
I am a success story and am absolutely thrilled! I have had neck problems for over 25 years. Until a couple weeks ago I had a headache (from just annoying to a knife through my head) non-stop for over 20 years. Over the years I tried almost everything except surgery. I started the cervical DRX9000 two months ago. My headaches are gone, I can move my neck easily and it doesn't crack and grind every time I do. I feel great! I visited three different places before I found the person I felt comfortable with. The doctor spent over an hour answering my questions - no pressure. He cares more about me as a person than the money. I would suggest anyone looks into the DRX9000 and hope you can find the right person to help you.
Result number: 65
Posted by kjewell on 4/25/07 at 15:13
Well 2nd surgery was today. The doctor was already in the next surgery when I recovered so I did not talk to him. I will ask my two most important questions next week when the Jones comes off (What did he find? How long before I can expect to work my 9-10 hour shifts, the entire shift on my feet...I am an Assistant Manager at convenience store).
While the surgery seemed to have gone routinely like the first...I had a full blown asthma attack after (and the nurses said I had 2 minor ones during?) and now my chest hurts and I feel congested. I have not had an attack in years, but did tell them about the asthma. The did agreat job with the attack and I awoke, barely breathing, to 6 nurses surrounding me giving me a treatment right through my mask. It was quite scarey to wake up like this!
So now back off to sleep off this headache that is threatening to explode my head, and drain my drainage thingy. Will update in a couple days...oh and it was Dellon procedure (tarsal tunnel, deep and common pereoneal)
Result number: 66
Posted by KathyG on 4/15/07 at 14:51
Wow, Julie, you are really extraordinary. We all know you write well but I didn't realize you also are a gifted photographer.
You and I, as you know, share that love of the water and I'm glad to hear that Dorothy does as well. People think I'm kind of strange because even though I'm quite limited as to my swimming, I still do it anyway. Toward the end of last summer, even using my snorkel and mask would make my neck hurt. I don't mind the neck hurting but I really minded the cervical headache I got from it.
So, I floated a great deal. And I fooled around with positions that felt right to my body. Since my osteoarthritis or this disease we all love to call Kathyitis is progressing, I know that I will have more problems this year. It's fine; I'll find some way to get myself submerged. You did such a great job of describing it, Julie. I, too, learned to swim even younger than you did, and it was my father who loved the water so much. He swam right up until he died at age 78. And, interestingly, water is my favorite drink. It's a joke in my family that I'm so boring that all I want is water! That feeling of weightlessness and just suspending yourself in calm water can't be described. Unfortunately my days of riding the waves are over but that is a totally different kind of feeling and equally as wonderful. I never wade in and get wet gradually. I wade in until I have enough water to hold me and just go for it. What a fantastic feeling!
I was so fortunate that my mother and father, who were far from well off, believed vacation was one of the most important things in our lives. More than one year, they actually got a bank loan to go on vacation. And every summer, during my whole life, we spent at least two weeks at a beach in Maine. Some good years, we stayed for a month. One of my proudest days was the day I announced that I had been paying the owner of the cottage we rented all year so that the whole family could stay for a full month. In retrospect, I don't know how I did it because I was still in college and working part time but I did. And like Camelot, that month it rained just one time and it was at night.
This is way off subject but I just had to thank you for putting to words some of the wonder of the ocean and water in general. Of all the things I've lost because of my OA, swimming is the one I miss most. But, as with many things in life, where there's a will, there's a way!
Result number: 67
Posted by Scott on 4/14/07 at 01:43
I am Hope's husband Scott and I would like to say thank you to Ralph and Catherine,Suzy,Sara and Lisa and also to anyone else who has spoken with Hope and has shown her much kindness. I apologize for not mentioning your name. The names that I did mention are of those people that Hope speakes about often.
I would first like to say that I'm absolutly appalled at what has been said here. What gives you the right to speak about her in this manner. If hope would have read this she would have been devastated. I will have to tell her that this has been said about her, but I will not while she is still in the hospital. I did have to laugh when someone said that she was very manipulative. Hope has a heart made of gold. This can be a problem at times, but if we only all had that as a problem. She has NEVER once said one bad word about any of you. I bought her this laptop so she could meet some NICE people to talk to and share her thoughts with. Yes, she does have a counselor that she does see but she does not care for her. I have never told hope this but nor do I. I nor did she know that she would be treated in this manner. You were right about a few things. She can not sit at a computer because of her condition, but she also can not be in a bed either. So, you know where she is 24/7, she sits in a recliner with her leg propped up in the air so nothing can touch it. When I mean 24/7, this is also where she has slept for almost a year now. I bought her this laptop so she would have something more to do that watch TV all day long. She does have RSD/CRPS. That is a fact. It's in left leg but is worse from the knee down to her toes. She can not wear a shoe or a sock. There are even some days that she wants to try and sit outside but can not because the wind is blowing and the breeze across her leg or foot and it's to painful for her. Do you even know how many nights that I've heard her cry herself to sleep because of all the pain that she is in. You also had mention about her wanting to stop her meds. Well, that's the truth. Hope is a person who hated to take anything, but she would take a couple of tylenol for a headache. Now she takes 13 differerent kinds of meds a day and wears 3 patches on her ankle/foot and 2 pain patches on her chest. She is sick and tired of it and has said many times that she really just wants to stop taking it all. In her eyes, why should she bother to keep taking all of these pills if she is having so much pain. She is right, but with RSD it does not matter how many meds you take it will never and I mean never take all the pain away. But right now she is just so frustrated and anger she does not see that by stopping these meds that she will even have more pain. RSD comes with a lot of baggage. The guilt of not being able to do things that you were able too. Have you ever bothered to ask her if she had one wish what it would be? Well, let me tell you. She wishes that she could have a vacation from herself. Do you know that the suicide rate is very high for RSD/CRPS patients? You know how I know that? I was going to tell you because that is between hope and myself. Hope is not crazy, she is not nuts. She is just in a lot of pain and does not feel that she is a good mom or wife anymore. She is depressed. Hope has always said that RSD has taken her life away, she did not give it away. She has been through so very much. She has had 6 surgeries over the past 2 years. She really could use a break. What you all have done here, to talk about her the way you that you have was so wrong. You were way of base with this one and I mean way off base. You now have treated her the same way as workmen's comp. has. There is way more to this but I don't feel that I need or want to explain anymore. I do know by her posting on this forum that she is putting herself out there for everone else to see but I guarantee you that she never really thought about how many people were actually reading her post. She really was only thinking about Ralph,Catherine,Sara,Suzy and Lisa. I think the rest of you owe my wife a big apology. Please, don't post to her anymore unless you can be kind. My advise to all of you would be to, if you have not or if you have is to do a lot more reading on RSD/CRPS because you have not learned a thing. You really need to walk in her shoes. Then we will see what you have to say. Hope has never once said that pain is a competition. Those are words that you have put into her mouth. She know's way to many people that have RSD/CRPS to make that statement. You must of misconstrued what she had said.
Ralph and Lisa I wanted to give you an update on what has been going on. I have already updated Suzy and Sara. As you know Hope has had a really tough time eating and drinking and we have been on her case for 3 months now. Promises after promises from her and look where that has gotten herself. As you know she had a PICC Line put in. We had a couple of big problems with this also, I believe she had shared that with you. Things had been returning to more normal than what they had been in a very long time, if you can call anything normal right now. Since she had the PICC Line in her bloodwork was back to normal again. So, we had made the decision to have the line removed as long as she promised to eat. So, again promises after promises and she was right back in the same situation as she is in now. So, I'm not to sure what had transpired but she had decided that if I call and make an appointment with our family doctor as I had done in the past so she would go. So, I had made the appointment for Tuesday. I new I had a couple of hours before her appointment. I went to work for a couple of hours and I new my older son was home. I came home to pick her up and I could not wake her. So, I called 911. They took her BP and they could not get one. They started a couple of lines and by the time they got that done we were at the hospital. They started another line. Everything was happening so fast. I really did not know what they were doing and why. I just new that when they got done, her blood pressure was up and her heart was beating fine. This is when all the testing began and they called her family doctor and her cardiologist. They admitted her. She does now have another PICC line in and it will be in for awhile. She will not be given the option about this any longer. She was given chances and she made promises but again look where she is at, I know this sounds harsh, but I can not let her make this decision any longer. I will take it to court. I don't think that will be neccessary because she now is really trying but I will not let my guard down for one second. She was able to keep some broth down today. She is not sleeping very well at night because she is not use to sleeping in a bed because of her leg. So, rehab had brought her a piece of blue sponge like material to help prop her leg up so it will not touch anything and the nurses have been instructed to not touch,bump or try and cover her leg if she is sleeping. Rehabilitation also did some desensitizing today and that did not go well at all. It was very painful and she cried but she got through it. Her doctor said that her bloodwork today has been the best it's been. All of her EKG's looked good except for one when she was having chest pain so they gave her nitro under her tongue and they started her on a nitro paste patch and started her on heprin in her IV for a blood thinner. I had to cancel her pain management appointment because she's in the hospital for that, so he gave her family doctor a call and they changed some of her meds. Her Trazadaone they changed it from 50mg to 100mg, then they changed her gabapentin from 1 morning and lunch and 2 at bed time, to 1 in the morning, 1 mid morning, 1 lunch, 1 late afternoon and 2 at bedtime. Then her pain patches they are going to do a 12mcg and a 25 mcg. He thinks that having a patch that is 50mcg was to much of a does. So, we are going to do this for 2 weeks then we are going to do 2 25mcg patches for 2 weeks. Then try the 50 again and see what happens. If it is fine we will then leave it at that for now. Then we can add more as needed and if that does not work then we will go back to the 2 25mcg patches. They also started her 10mg of Lexapro. Just what she wanted was more pills to take. She was not thrilled at all. The change in the patches did not bother her much because that is not something that she has to take and we change those every 48 hours. All the other medication stayed the same. He did say that since she was puttting 3 lidoderm patches on her ankle/foot every 12 hours that she could but one on her back by the leads from her spinal cord stimulator. The heart tests that she has had have all come out fine so far other than the one EKG. She is getting migrane headaches from the nitro so they have been giving her demerol in her IV's for that. She has 3 IV's and her PICC Line. The PICC Line this time is in the bend of her are arm. She did not want it there but they did not give a choice. She is getting some of her strengh back. She wants to come home because she misses all of you. The doctor is saying Sunday or Mondy but I have a hard time believing that. We will see. If you have any question please just ask Suzy and Sara. This is really all I have for now. I have been pushing Hopes attorney's hard. I talk to them at least twice a week. WC really has everyone hands tied. I have spent thousands of dollar out of pocket to try and get Hope the medical care that she needs. Hope says left and WC always says right. I just know that we have been married for 23 years now and she is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I will do whatever it takes for her to be here for 23 more.
Again Ralph,Catherine,Lisa,Sara and suzy, Thank you for everything that you have posted to Hope. She does talk of you often. I know she wants to come home because she misses all of you. I just have to now figure out how I'm going to tell her what has been wrote about her.
Thank You all for Caring
Result number: 68
Posted by james e on 3/29/07 at 21:18
ya i understand that aspect of it. but there are those in need. all my pain docs were referals.
i think what really did me in, was not going to any kinda doctor or anything for like the first 5 years after. i saw 2 docs in that time. the doc who performed the reconstruction (spouted his usual, well ur gonna have pain the rest of your life, try to ignore it) and an orthopedic 2 years after that (which would be the 4th year after injury)
i shoulda been tryin to seek help then. most ppl now believe i re-injured it somehow, lol, as inactive as i've been.
almost a decade after the fact, to little, to late. dude, i'm screwed lol.
i'm going to talk with medicaid, to see if they can make an exception once for me to pay cash to vist the surgery doc, it will be 100 bucks. i have some interesting things to talk with him about. but i've heard if u pay cash for any kind of doctor, prescription, anything medical, medicaid would drop u. is there any truth in that, that anyone knows of? i HAVE to see him. i need to find out what he did/what exactly was wrong. i mean, i know what i feel and where and when i felt it. just dont know exactly what was torn/reattached.
theres also an interesting theory, i think someone posted in on here as well (sorry my short term memory is gone from lack of stimuli) about depression causing people with nerve pain, makes the pain 10x worse? maybe this whole time (tho i didnt know for the first few years) that the depression has made it worse? alot more food for thought i guess. intersting stuff to say the least. even the counselor today said that can happen, and i need meds bad, lol.
its strange. the pain is what initially started the depression, which in turn is making the pain worse? woah, headache lol. the way i see it tho, if the pain cant be stopped at least 60-70 percent, i dont think i can get out of the depression. it'll just be a never ending cycle till one day, i have a heart attack or stroke. and one thing i dont think i'll ever fully recover from, is the fact that a simple friendly game of basketball ripped my foot off 70 percent of the way. the only thing holding it on was the achilles, some skin, and the ligament on medial side of foot.
tks for the good words as usual ralph, i really appreciate someone sayin , 'hey, dont stop, find more help' as opposed to others sayin 'ya buddy, tough one, sorry'
it really makes me think they just want me to crawl into a hole and die already, lol. or win the lottery. i know 100 percent for a fact, if i was wealthy, i'd have docs lining up for miles tryin to get a crack at me.
Result number: 69
Posted by Dr KIper on 3/29/07 at 13:52
Besides the paper presented by Dr Orien approx 30 years ago, I just came across another article written by a Dr Wysong.
Don't know his background, but here is an excerpt of that article:
Submitted 7/12/�05
'Improper foot mobility interferes with blood and lymphatic circulation leading to edema, varicose veins, phlebitis, and claudication. Resultant clots can migrate to critical blood vessels in the brain and other areas potentially causing stroke, heart attacks and degeneration of the kidneys and other organs with critical microcirculation. This is not to mention fatigue, headaches, and even depression that can have an ultimate cause linked to body imbalance and organic malfunction beginning in the feet.'
the rest of the article can be read here:
Result number: 70
Posted by james e on 3/27/07 at 19:14
i want to be there too. its one of the reasons i'm going to give the neurontin a try first, then try the mind control program thing.
so, neurontin helps to regulate the flow of the signals being sent throughout the nerves. and the pharmicist said its fine to take if you're depressed, but she recommended i do it under the prescribers supervision. i'm going to call him tomorrow, inform him of the loyola visit and diagnoses, and tell him i'm ready to try the neurontin. he dropped me a month ago, due to refusal to take it, and due to me refusing pt. i know my body, the stabbing gets to painful to stand in the shower ten minutes, let alone do anything major. i can deal with the arthritic and tendonitis type pain, but the stabbing is what did me in. the older i got, the more it happened with simple movements making me less active causing situational depression i think. i'm only upset because i want normalcy to return, not cause i was suicidal, or depressed before the pains got worse. i was extremely active in sports, bikes, fishing, just going places.
however, i wonder if situational depression can cause chemical imbalance? i really feel a change in my body, its like i'm on a 2 month straight adrenaline rush, i feel it pumping through me most of the time. i cant turn it off. i try to sleep, try for a few hours, and get a headache from it. then get p'd off, lol.
at least i am finally trying to get it sorted. those first few years of sleep problems shoulda been a sign, but i was like 20 and still didnt have a care in the world. i cant believe i'm gonna be 26 friday. i look 18, feel 50 mentally, lol.
looks like i have a busy couple of days ahead of me. maybe its a good thing and will tire me out and distract me, which is exactly what i need. tks marie, i never felt like i was the only one in the world with an ankle problem so severe, just never talked with anyone in a similar situation. this kinda stuff is very therapeutic.
Result number: 71
Posted by Mary G on 3/19/07 at 12:05
I am ok today. Everyday my ankle is a little better. Still tight as hell yet still improving. I had to have a root canal this morning. I feel fine but I have a headache! If it's not one thing its another. You guys know what I mean. James, I hope you get to the bottom of your pain. We will be praying for you and your family to get through this. I am trying to find a part-time job as a medical assistant and keep TRYING to do Real Estate on the side. I haven't had a sale in months. It is much harder when you are new at it like me. I have no contacts/referals and I am new to the area. I will get by and slowly and surely we will all get through this. I understand your depression. I felt it bad a few weeks after surgery. Only my immediate family and my Broker called to check in on me. It seemed that all my so-called friends bailed on me. My good friend and next door neighbor (yeah right) did not even stop by. You know who your real friends are when things like this happens. It is always great to hear from you guys.
Result number: 72
Posted by SEM on 3/18/07 at 11:31
I have had all the blood work; CBC with Diff, Comp Metabolic, Anticuclear, RA, UA, TSH (have thyroid nodule) Sed, Lyme, Protein Electro, C-ANCA, P-ANCA, Beta 2 Glyco, Anticardiolip Ab, Complement c4 and c3, Lupus, HLA B 27. Most more than once. All negative or all within normal. This is the genetic form of primary osteo, my mom has it and her 2 brothers and her sister have it. It is spread around in most of my siblings (8). (I often think they could run a genetic OA clinical trial just on my family alone.) I was dx'd by MRI in my 40's (spine: DDD, Facet Joints and so on) and it seems that since I turned 50 last year it has been a downward spiral.
I did see a rheumatologist, his office staff put me off, I had a really bad couple of weeks with some very bad headaches (cervicogenic) and the person doing the triage over the phone took down information and claimed I was looking for pain meds. I never asked for pain meds, had them, asked what would be recommended by the doctor for this head pain. I was told the doc didn't confer with patients over the phone but I could make an appointment, I asked for one and she tried to schedule me for the same follow up appointment I already had with him. Basically they acussed me of seeking pain meds. Believe me I didn't need anymore meds I had plenty of my own.
Not many specialist where I live, not within about an hour of two radius. I have been looking. I am about 2 1/2 hours north of Philadelphia. I would go over to New Jersey but I don't know that my insurance will cover that, out of network.
I concur cortisone injection, bandaid, but it really doesn't matter it's a week later and it hasn't really worked yet even with the 4mg medrol dose pac. If this is a manifestation that the OA is spreading to my joints I could be in real trouble here.
Thanks, I know I need DX tests, MRI. But I will be back in his office by the end of next week. Inflamation is not resolved in ankle. Still painful, achy and that shooting pain bothers me a lot.
I felt rushed out of office the day I was there he usually takes more time and when I was there 2 yrs ago for Plantar Facsiitis he took xrays and sent me for MRI right away. But there's no excuse for rushing me out with two injections and a 'we'll see you in a month'.
Result number: 73
Posted by Dr. Ed on 3/12/07 at 20:34
Applying for SSI is a pain but you need to do it; the sooner the better.
I generally have seen that it takes patients about 3 tries to get through the system. There are attorneys who specialize in that. Yes, they get paid by taking a percentage but they take care of the headaches caused by the government, and no one, especially one who is in pain needs to take on those headaches by themselves.
It sounds like you are a good diagnostician as your theory of the tarsal tunnel being pinched and causing the muscle problems in your arch is better than the blood test you mentioned based on what you have described so far. Keep in mind that many of the attorneys who do disability law know who the good docs are and, via their relationships with some of those docs, may be able to set you up with the right treatment.
Dr. Ed
Result number: 74
Posted by Hope on 3/03/07 at 17:05
So, are you saying just because I have good bloodwork on Monday that does not mean that I will have it in a few days again? I will of had IV for 6 days by then. How does that get out of your system so fast?I was surprised when VN said she would be here tomorrow on a Sunday but she said she was so we will see. I really did not want to say anything about my eating but everything is open here at home now and no more lieing to Scott. So, the only time I drink anything is when I take my meds and we have lost count the last day I have eaten anything. Please don't be upset but like I said I want to be honset and not lie anymore to anyone about eating. I don't give anything to the dogs anymore!! It was a big step for me to tell the truth so please don't judge me. I'm trying to do the right thing here. But this IV really does hurt. If I eat I get sick. I hate throwing up. So, why eat and make myself go through that. I could never even stand it when my kids throw up when they were young!! It made so sick. I have slept a lot today. But yesterday with Scottie's party was to long for me.
So, how do I eat with getting sick? My mom told my GP she thought it's been about 4-6 weeks without any food. But I was drinking Scott said for about the first week or so of that. That's just a guess. The doctor thinks that about right because of how much weight I have lost. I have a really bad headache right. So, I will chat a bit later.
Thanks for never giving up on me!!
Result number: 75
Posted by Jeanvb on 2/17/07 at 21:09
I had a diskectomy done on C 5-6 over a year ago. I was dx with a herniated disk in my neck after suffering from headaches for years.
I was taking over 10 ibuprofens a day. Now, 15 months later, I have fewer headaches, and when they happen they respond to the normal dosage of 2-3 ibuprofens.
Recovery for me was fairly easy, I still tend to baby it, don't want to have those headaches ever again!
Never had to have a diskogram, altho did have 3 procedures where they injected an "epidural" in my neck to try to alleviate some of the pain.
Worked for while, but in the long run, I ended up with a cadaver disk in my neck.
Good luck!!
Result number: 76
Posted by Dr. Ed on 2/13/07 at 23:17
Orthotics are contraindicated in Stage 3 because it is the goal of orthotics to augment joint motion. That cannot be done in a joint that has too little cartilage as it essentially is an attempt to make something move that cannot.
Your desire to do 'one' surgery is based on your view of fusion as being definitive. A definitive surgery for migraine headaches is beheading. (It is the procedure of choice among the insurgents in Iraq). I realize that is an extreme example, and sorry to be a smart-aleck but the logic of chosing a potentially inferior procedure which eliminates normal joint function and which can lead to a host of postural symptoms due to altered gait is not something I can see. Lack of normal big toe joint motion may cause on to use the lessor MTP joints (small toe joints) to adi in propulsion which in turn may cause contractures of the lessor toes (hammertoes). The foot/leg normally rotates inward allowing loading of the first MTP joint in preparation for propulsion. If the big toe joint cannot bend, inward leg rotation may be limited causing hip pain and, occasionally, lateral knee pain. Again, consider the big picture: the hip, thigh, knee, leg and foot are a functional unit and one must consider how modification of one of those segments affects the others.
Dr. Ed
Result number: 77
Posted by G Bankston on 1/25/07 at 11:31
My primary Dr. started me on Metanx last week, 2 per day. I have noticed burning of my skin sensation when my arms and legs are covered up it makes them feel on fire and hot. I have had a little nausea, on and off, headaches daily [they don't last all day], and I take Silver Centrum Vitamin, and a fish oil supplement daily plus all of my other prescribed medications. I am a Type II diabetic on Metformin and Glipzide twice a day. I am a stroke patient and not fully recovered and don't know if I ever will ? I work out daily , 5 days aweek for at least 1 hour. Little comunication from my brain to my left leg. My main concern is the Metanx causing these recent problems ? Any help will be appreciated.
gbz06 at hughes.com
Result number: 78
Posted by Jeremy L on 1/24/07 at 14:50
There are three things which are extremely important in selecting shoes to use with orthotics:
1. Ensure that the shape of the shoe matches the indivdual contours of your feet. In addition to different widths in the shoe world, there is far greater variety in the number of last shapes. As an example, if you have a broad midfoot and try to fit your insert into a shoe with a highly curved instep, the orthotic will have trouble fitting in a proper flat position.
2. Make sure there is enough depth in the shoe. Many products have removable inlays which allow the orthotic to fill a similar amount of space inside the shoe; others do not. reducing necessary space will obviously create fitting headaches.
3. Here's what is sometimes the hardest part. Be sure that the shoes work well functionally with your orthotics. Even shoes which are made on the same, exact last will have radically different internal compositions. Some constructions will not allow the orthotic to do it's job correctly, while others may accentuate what an orthotic is treating and result in further discomfort. Examples include the Beast, Addiction and Dyad from Brooks (www.brooksrunning.com). All are made on identical lasts; however, there are variances among them for medial/lateral support, shock absorption and torsion. All three impact an orthotic's effectiveness.
Good luck to you.
Result number: 79
Posted by Deidra on 1/09/07 at 18:36
I happen to agree with Brian and not because I am a bitter person about my own past experience. Actually, I am now pain free of my plantar fascitis (after 2 horrible years) and other chronic pain as well. You can read my prior post about the method I used (the egoscue method). It is the world's leader in non-medical pain relief.
Brian has good points in many of the things he is saying. But you do, too, Dr. Ed so I'm not trying to say bad things about anyone. I just want to help people because of my own horrible experience and how I overcame it.
I agree with you Dr. Ed, in saying that orthotics and many of the other methods/techniques for pf can help the pain. But you can't tell me that they get at the underlying cause of the plantar fascitis because they don't.
Brian is correct that none of us should have to wear orthotics or any other fancy shoe, etc., etc. Of course not!!! Did we wear orthotics before we got plantar fascitis? No. So if our bodies are aligned properly and we have the correct foot strike again, we will never again need our orthotics. I was a marathon runner/triathlete for 8 years before I got the plantar fascitis and never had to wear fancy shoes or orthotics. I did use them while I had plantar fascitis for a time to try to alleviate the pain (it didn't work in my case, but I do realize that some people get relief from using them).
Now it is very obvious to me that the plantar fascitis really doesn't even have anything to do with your feet, anyway. Yes, the symptom itself is in the foot, but it is from higher up that your problem stems. I would like for any of you that have plantar fascitis to look at your kneecaps and your hips. You will notice that either your hip position is not the same (one hip higher or one hip rotated forward) or your knee caps are not pointed in the same direction (you can sit down in front of a mirror to check). Eventually this can even cause other chronic pain problems to develop as well. (It did for me. I got chronic bursitis/tendonitis in my knee, hip, and shoulder after being unable to get rid of the pf after a year and a half.) So the pf is a symptom, but the cause of the problem stems from a misalignment further up the body.
So anyway, the point is that the orthotics, shots, surgeries, etc, etc, can help the SYMPTOM, but they do not get to the root cause of the problem. Doctors are taught to address symptoms. Think about it. We get sick and go to the doctor and they give us a drug. What does the drug do? It suppresses the symptoms. But does it get to the root cause??? We take an aspirin for our headache. It suppresses the headache. But why do we have the headache in the first place?? We use an orthotic for the pain in our foot. It may help alleviate the pain, but it WILL NOT ADDRESS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.
I hope this clears some things up. I am not trying to make anyone mad or argue. I believe we are all here to help each other. Doctors can very well help us treat the symptoms of plantar fascitis while we have it. But we also must address what is CAUSING the problem to truly heal our bodies.
Result number: 80
Posted by LindaW on 1/09/07 at 16:41
No he did not give me an exact reason why, but he did say that he wanted the edema to get out of my foot and by wearing the stockings, that it would help. He also said that if my blood pressure started to go up, to take them off imediately. I am on BP medication and have noticed that my headaches are back most of the time. I do not know what to do. I am going to see an orthopedic Dr. in 2 weeks and I will ask him then on what to do or do you think that I should call my podiatrist and talk to him? Any input would be helpful. Thank you,
Result number: 81
Posted by Ralph on 1/06/07 at 23:02
Hi Hope,
I just got notice that Dell has shipped my computer and that it should arrive hopefully sometime next week. Then I have to bring it up to speed by installing programs that I have and the new Speaking Naturally one.
That's the one I worry about because I'm suppose to train it to my voice. Who knows it may not like being trained. Oh well it's something that I look forward to work on and will take up time.
P.T. is the same old same old. I'm using their facility but doing the program set up by my P.M. doc. I began using light weights again so we'll see where that goes and how it goes. I just have to keep moving in that direction. He also wants me pool walking hanging on to the side of the pool so I have to make that happen too.
I'm sorry to hear about your daughter. That bug really took her down. The problem is that the bugs seem to get nastier and with her compromised lungs due to asthma its difficult for her to fight back. You're going to just have to follow your doctors orders and do what he thinks is best even if it means that she goes to the hospital for treatment. They don't keep people in very long and only seem to admit those that really need inpatient treat but if he thinks this is the best place for her then you and your husband need to make that decision. You sure didn't need this now or anytime for that matter. It must be a big worry for you all.
I hope Dr. Weil can help you. I've seen his name on this site before. He is a Podiatrist. I hope he has seen cases like your's before and can offer help and if he can that he has some suggestions or referrals for you. His initial office call should be that much so if you don't get approval soon maybe you could pay out of pocket for the office call and see what he thinks. You could always call ahead and see what those charges are.
Your counselor is correct depression can cause you to stop eating and thus lose weight. I've seen this happen to a friend. Luckily they have anti-depressent medication like Cymbalta that can help. Please remember that their are many on the market so if Cymbalta doesn't work for you your doctor has others choices.
You might also ask your pain management doctor about more effective medication for nausea. They seem to control this very well in surgical patients who are on narcotics for pain so maybe there is something that will work better so you don't have that feeling any more. Tell him about it and maybe he will suggest something else that might work better for you.
Once your stomach remains settled and your depression is being treated I think your appetite will pick up. Make it a point to tell your PM about your nausea too. As I say there are meds out there its a matter of finding the right ones in the correct dosage to work for you.
Since you have all your records and can make copies of them you might consider sitting down with your husband or alone and typing out your history beginning with day one. Treatments received, tests done,
surgeries etc. Compile a booklet of your history.
I don't remember if you ever posted the state you live in but if you want to share that information I try to look up doctors at well known medical institution around that state and try to get the name of doctors there that may help you.
You could sent these guys a packet of your information and I certainly would include pictures of your legs, ankles and feet so they see your condition and ask if they can help you. Then see in any respond.
You could call the Mayo Clinic, John Hopkins and get names of doctors and mailing address of doctors that treat RSD at these institutions and send them letters and packets as well.
Begin your own war of sorts sending your information to anyone that you think can help you even that doctor that has the 2 year waiting list. Who knows after reading your history and seeing your pictures one may take you on as a patient.
Since WC is such an issue for you and for doctors, I wouldn't mention it at all. Find someone that will help first then figure out if you have to pay out of pocket or they will work with WC. Doctors seem to run the other way when the see WC cases coming just because they are such a big headache for them. Don't discourage treatment before they have a chance to say yes to you.
Sometimes just getting your history into the hand of a good doctor makes a world of difference. You become human to them instead of just another phone call.
That's it for tonight. As for tomorrow do what you want stay in bed or get up. That's your choice. Just try and be as comfortable as you can be.
Remember you can always call your PM and ask him to call in that new script for you so you don't have to wait until you see him.
Result number: 82
Posted by Dr. David S. Wander on 1/01/07 at 19:34
I would agree that a vascular consultation would be the first place I would start. Are any of your symptoms exaccerbated with cold weather or temperature changes? Often, in addition to the vascular tests Dr. Goldstein mentioned, a "temperature" challenge will also be performed to determine if any of the non-invasive test results change under temperature changes to see if there may be a vasospastic component to your problem.
Additionally, smoking may play a major contributing role, especially if you are also taking birth control pills or other medications that can effect your circulation. If you are taking any triptans for migraine headaches or a variety of other medications, these can all be contributing factors, but as per Dr. Goldstein, a thorough vascular work up is an excellent suggestion.
Result number: 83
Posted by Dr. David S. Wander on 12/23/06 at 20:29
I know patients that have been helped TREMENDOUSLY by receiving Botox injections for migraine headaches. They receive the injections approximately every 3 months in several areas including the area of the forehead, side of the scalp and the back of the neck and muscles behind the neck and shoulders. There is a very well known headache center called the Jefferson Headache Center at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, and I know patients travel from all over the country to go the this center. I know that in addition to many different therapies, they often use Botox injections for migraine headaches with significant success, and this is something you may want to look into in your area if you are not getting relief from the chiropractic care.
I know that part of the theory is that the muscle contraction stimulates the nerves and can trigger the headache, and additionally, the Botox actually has an action on the nerves themselves, reducing the incidence of migraines.
Also, there are patients that have had success with the use of prolotherapy for migraines. Instead of "paralyzing" the involved muscles (although the Botox also has an effect on the nerves to reduce migraine frequency), the prolotherapy goal is to strengthen the involved muscles to reduce the migraine frequency. You can do a google search and learn more about the theory of migraine/prolotherapy.
Anyway, the use of Botox or prolotherapy are two other options for you to consider for migraine prevention in addition to your medications. Many patients have also responded very well to Topamax as a preventative. But the patients that I know that have had Botox injections have reported significant success and no side effects or problems.
Result number: 84
Posted by Lisa on 12/23/06 at 14:56
I also have headaches (migrains actually) that are currently being treated at my docs office. I am not sure what the device is that they use, but it has really helped the frequency that I get. They put my head on this harness type thing that looks like what they put the head of people during an autospy on, and it clicks and moves my head a little. It does really loosen the muscles in the back of my neck a lot. I have been able to cut back on some of my migraine meds.
The office I go to has a bunch of different docs. Each doc is certified in a certain area. For example my doc is ART and accupuncture. Another doc is certified in the activator. Others are using other techniques. He has brought that doctor certified in activator in and assessed my foot problems and made up a treatment plan using the activator. I like going to an office that has such a diverse group. Especially when my treatment was not going great and I was having problems, my doc would bring in another doctor and between all of them I think that they are figuring out how best to handle me. I think I have seen every doc in that practice. I appreciate that my doc admits that his area is not hte only area that is superior. He utilizes every method with me. The downside of it for him is that my appointments now take at least 20 minutes to do all of the therapy, but it is helping. And now I am only going a few times a month.
Result number: 85
Posted by Dr Ed on 12/23/06 at 11:31
Dr. Rob:
The diversity of techniques used in the chiropractic profession (Pierce-Stillwagon, Gonstead, Activator, Toffness (sp?), Diversified, B.E.S.T., Atlas-Orthogonal, etc.) is amazing to me. I have had problems with headaches originating from the upper cervical region and the only thing that helped me was Atlas-Orthogonal and Pierce-Stillwagon. Interstingly, it can be hard to find Chiropractors who are not only performing such techniques but WILLING to ocnsider such techniques as so many that I talk to appear convinced that their techniques (or school of thought) and their's alone are superior. I am really curious as to how the debate between techniques plays out in the chiropractic profession.
Result number: 86
Posted by kajun on 12/17/06 at 14:47
If i'm a diabetic,how often can i get a cortozone shot, i recently found out I have spurs in both of my feet. I did get one shot and like one of your readers it does hurt like nothing else. I does get better. But how often can I get the shot. I heard 3 times a years but what are the side effects. After I got the shot about 10 minutes later I had a bad headache and was nasues. I did go away later.(headache,etc.)
Please advise, how many times to get shot, and side effects.
I also had a stroke about 3 years ago,is it safe to take this medicne.
Thank you
Result number: 87
Posted by kconnell on 11/12/06 at 00:47
I am going into substituting, it gives me an income but doesn't tie me down to set hours. This is helpful when continuing my education, it is funny 4 years ago my dream job was landscape design. I love being outdoors and working in the soil. In 2003, I had a very bad headache, that would not go away, went to the E.R. and they assumed it was a migrane, they prescribed me a decongestant and vicodine then sent me home. To make a long story short 2 days later my G.P. admitted me to the hospital and within 8 hours I was being transported to O.H.S.U. for brain surgery, (I had an aneurysm) I went back and finished my degree in (production agriculture.) After a car accident this past spring my t.t.s. was diagnosed along with the most recent diagnosis of a compressed nerve root in my cervical spine. I have come to accept the facts that I will not be able to physically handle outside work on a daily basis.
Anyway back to the subject at hand. I spent today making cookies and candy to put in hybrination for the holidays and ship off to distance relatives. I can't let go of tradition, and I want my kids to charish moms, baking at the holidays. I will most likely regret today tomorrow, but I am not ready to give in to the pain yet.kconnell
Result number: 88
Posted by kconnell on 11/12/06 at 00:46
I am going into substituting, it gives me an income but doesn't tie me down to set hours. This is helpful when continuing my education, it is funny 4 years ago my dream job was landscape design. I love being outdoors and working in the soil. In 2003, I had a very bad headache, that would not go away, went to the E.R. and they assumed it was a migrane, they prescribed me a decongestant and vicodine then sent me home. To make a long story short 2 days later my G.P. admitted me to the hospital and within 8 hours I was being transported to O.H.S.U. for brain surgery, (I had an aneurysm) I went back and finished my degree in (production agriculture.) After a car accident this past spring my t.t.s. was diagnosed along with the most recent diagnosis of a compressed nerve root in my cervical spine. I have come to accept the facts that I will not be able to physically handle outside work on a daily basis.
Anyway back to the subject at hand. I spent today making cookies and candy to put in hybrination for the holidays and ship off to distance relatives. I can't let go of tradition, and I want my kids to charish moms, baking at the holidays. I will most likely regret today tomorrow, but I am not ready to give in to the pain yet.kconnell
Result number: 89
Posted by Hope on 11/10/06 at 23:23
Hi Ralph, sorry to here that you are still having troubles with your wrists!! Has the braces and the new anti-inflamatory cream been working for you or is it to soon to be able to tell??
It sounds like you have taken a few steps backwards. That's even harder because you work so hard to get to where you are at and just start to think that you are making progress and then...a set back happens. That is why it is so hard to be optimistic. I for one am tired of set backs so if you don't set yourself up for one it's much better when you have a set back. It also makes you take a bit easier. Not push as hard.( could be good could be bad)
I did alittle research on the computer and I found a doctor in Indiana at the Indiana Orthopaedic Hospital. His name is David S. Brokaw,MD,FAAOS. Do you know what the second set of letters stand for? His website is www.davebrokawmd.com I have not been there yet but where I found it at it had said Worker"s Compensation: Management of acute and chronic orthopaedic injuries sustained in the work place, second opinion,IME'S and take over care. So, I found one doctor and I also need to find a CRPS/RSD doctor. For a second opinion.
I have been on Zoloft for awhile now and that does not help me sleep at all. He did tell me to take it befor i went to bed but it made no difference so then he said that I could just take it in the morning. So I do. Tonight is my first night that I will takeing Ambien CR for sleep. Something is also giving me a headache and I can't figure out what it is. I don't know if it is a meds or depresion or lack of sleep. I have been getting one everyday now and it right on the top of my head towards the front. I wish I could figure it out.
I was going to be that group by mid week and hear it is friday and I did not hear from her. So, finally a friend of mine emailed me and said that the gal that runs the site has not been feeling well and that is why it is taking so long. So, She said that she was working on them now so, I hope it's soon.
I do see what you are saying about the group!! I guess I'm just trying to hang in there.
Well, I can't believe it. It's 11:30 and the Ambine is starting to kick in and quikc!! So, I have ot get oging and I illw finnnnsh my mesadge tomorow.
Sorry Ralph but i ndde sleep!!
Take Care
Result number: 90
Posted by Kathy G on 11/06/06 at 08:07
Flexeril is notorious for giving people morning "hangovers." I can't take it because it gives me a migraine headache but both my husband and my son have taken it and ended up with the same lousy feeling in the morning that you talk about.
Ask your doctor if there's another muscle relaxant you can try. Since Flexeril and Skelaxin (another one that tends to hang on) are the newest generation muscle relaxants and most people take them without problems, those are the first ones that doctors write for.
Personally, I take Carisopridol, a really old muscle relaxant, four times a day. Well, my RX is for four a day but I only take it three times a day. It doesn't give me that hangover at all. My husband also takes one at bedtime and since his muscle problem isn't as severe as mine, he doesn't need to take it during the day. Truthfully, most people can't take the amount I do and function but I have a high tolerance for drugs.
The hangover won't go away. Ask your doctor if he can suggest another one for you.
Good luck!
Result number: 91
Posted by Hope on 10/27/06 at 19:20
Hi Ralph,
I would first like to start out by saying that your post in NOWAY has ever harmed me!! They have helped me termedoussly. I would like to thank you so very much for everything.
I was also wondering about that treatment that was posted by oma. I was glad that you asked Dr Wander about it, even thou he had no infromation on it.
The forum I'm trying to get into is very selective. They just want to make sure that you are for real. The person that I have submitted my questionaire to has been ill so that might be why it is taking longer. I do know that the person who has set up this website has RSD. The questionaire is is about your family to get to know you and the rest is medical information. I do think it's a good thing because this way they can make sure you are for real and they don't get just anyone on this site. I just hope I hear something soon.
I have had a bad day but my night was even worse. WC insurance finally called today and said that they were going to cover the prescription Sonata. It is in place of Ambien. I hope this works better. The Ambien worked to get me to sleep but it did not keep me asleep at all. The pain woke me up after about an hour. I have been averaging about maybe if I'm lucky 2-3 hours of sleep a night. I have also had a headache for 2 days now.
I think that once my attorney gathers all my information from my doctor's(notes,xrays)I may have to pay for my own doctor's visit like you have said, but the big question is who??
Ralph I know you have done a ton of research on RSD/CRPS. Have you read anything that says you can not or should not have surgery on an area that you have RSD in?? Forgive me if I'm repeating myself but I saw another OS doctor(it will be a year in January)about a year ago and what he told me was that I need to have me bone graft re-done that is in my fibula bone and I also need a new tendon put in my ankle. Let me jump a couple steps back here. About 12 year ago I injured my ankle so my OS took a tendon out of my 4th toe and put in my ankle to make the repair I needed becasue of the rupture that I had was to bad to use the tendon that I had. I would have to look back in my paperwork to tell you what it was called, anyway the OS that I saw almost a year ago said that I need a new tendon instead of reusing the tendon that was from 12 years ago. As for the graft it was not my bone that they used for the graft(this was done 10/05) and this OS thought that was part of my bone pain that I'm having is becasue the graft has really never filled in becasue it is not my bone it is a cadaver bone (I hope I spelled that right) but now that I have RSD/CRPS I have been told that you can't have surgery to have this fixed. It could make the RSD spread. But to be honest with you I don't know that I would want to have it fixed right now or even if that is the problem. I just feel like I have a couple things going on at once. I would rather have the bone pain bone instead of the FIRE,BURNING pain from the RSD/CRPS I'm having anytime. I don't want to make things any worse because I don't think that I could take anymore!! I'm totally tapped out right now.
I know you are not a doctor but I guess after you wade through that last paragraph. The whole question was in the first sentence. My skin color is not to bad today but I have had my SCS turned up to about 4 and I had to take morphine. I wish that someone could put out this fire!!!!!!!
With insurance, your darn if you do and your darn if you don't!! Sometimes I think you are better off if you are poor. If I would applied for goverment help they would laugh me out of the building. I know I should not say that but it just seem that a few of my daughters friends that are less fortunate than us get everything for free. Although they don't get to do the things we get to do. Vacation, one of my daughter friends we take with us alot or she would not get to anywhere. Even day trips to Chicago. Which I have not done in a very long time. We are also member of Brookfield Zoo and my daughter loves that, the boys feel that they are to old for that but they will go once in a blue moon with their girlfriends. Well, I think I got off topic a bit here. My attorney said by letting them gather all my medical records and xrays it will not cost us anything(at least right now I thought). So, once I get all of this I can apply for disability and then see another doctor. I should say will not wait for disability just for the medical records.
I would like to see about this oxygen treatment that you are talking about. A friend of mine has a friend that was going to try it for her RSD/CRPS but her doctor got her RSD under control. So, she did not get that far. So, she did not have to much information on it. She did say she was going to have to go to Florida for it. I did tell her that I was a bit jealous of her becasue her doctor was able to get her RSD/CRPS under control. I know of course we will be able to pay for the doctor visits but as for treatments that might be another whole story depending on the cost becasue that could drain a saving account real fast. I don't even know if any insurance company would cover this treatment. Do you know how new this treatment is??
Thank You for the story you found!! I'm going to re-read it again. That is amzaing how that worked for her. I could never be so lucky. I think that in one of those website that you gave me I read something about that but it was not the same story. It was, I believe more about amputation and phantom pain. I have not been on the last websites that you have given me but that is going to be my plan for tonight since I'm having such a tough time sleeping. I have been sleeping in the reclinner for about a week and and a half now becasue it's the only way my leg does not touch anything. My husband bought me a new lazyboy a few months ago to help.
I'm not sure where you live but is it a long process for applying disability. Are you on disability? You don't have to answer that question if you don't want too. In the state of Indiana it is very hard to get and it does take while. I have got to go to place called vocational Rehabilition on the 31st. This for my attorney and WC and this is takes about an hour and from what I understand this is to determine what kind of job that I can do if any with the restriction that my doctors has me on. Which are no standing/walking job no lifting anything over 40 lbs because of the SCS. Sitting job for only 3 hours with leg being elevated becasuse of the swelling. Then I have to continue all meds and no driving becasue of morphine and Fentanly patches. So, my attorney does not think that that this place will clear me for a job because of the heavy meds could cause me to make some kind of mistake at a job and hurt myself or someone else of just do my job incorrectly and then my other restriction with no walking or standing. I don't want to go but I will. I'm just in to much pain to go anywhere and it makes it worse.
I have a tough time wearing my brace that my OS wants me to wear becasue of my Achillies tendon is so tight. I don't wear it like I should, I have been only able to wear crocs but with the weather getting colder I can not keep wearing them so my husband found me a pair of UGG cloggs and they have worked great. They are real wide so they are not tight on my foot and they don't touch my ankle. The sheep skin keeps my feet much warmer than the crocs. They are expensive but well worth it. I'm going to buy another pair just to have for later.
You did'nt tell me how your trip was and how you have been feeling.
I know I had a few question for you. Did you happen to find anything about amputation and RSD? I know this is a lot of question to ask of you but I do you really appreciate all your help.
I hope your back is feeling better.
I will talk to you after I have been on these website.
Take Care Always
Remember everyone deserves to live a pain free LIFE!!!
Result number: 92
Posted by CuriousE on 10/24/06 at 23:07
HEY now, easy on the unqualified bashing of neck adjustments. Good that you say, "in my opinion" they're dangerous...but what is your opinion actually based on?
The current "witch-hunt" scare about chiropractic neck adjustments is incredibly unsupported by scientific evidence. John, great that your neck surgery worked so well, and good on you for wanting to find peer-reviewed data about the DRX9000. But how about peer-reviewed data on the chiropractic neck adjustment?
A friend of mine (yes, a chiropractor) who is a stickler for scientific evidence from reliable research wrote a good article about the FAULTY research and MISREPORTING that started so much controversy over the safety of neck adjustments. I would guess, John, that you understand a study's design has much to do with its reliability.
The truth is, having a chiropractic neck adjustment is 100 to 400 times safer than taking an aspirin (yes, credible sources for this are in the article - which I'll post a link to below.)
The wide variance between 100 and 400 (above) deals with the fact that aspirin was grouped with other, riskier NSAIDS for this medical statistic. And the New England Journal of Medicine, long considered a gold standard in peer reviewed medical journals, reported in 1999 that the number of deaths per year from NORMAL NSAID USE was 16,500. PER YEAR! That's only 185 deaths less than the yearly number from AIDS. Where's the flashy press coverage on those stats?. YET I don't see you cautioning anyone to avoid taking an aspirin!
The truth is, very few people have been harmed by chiropractic neck adjustments. NO medication, procedure or even food is completely 100% risk-free all the time. You have to assess the risk and make your choices accordingly. If a chiropractic neck adjustment is 100 to 400 times safer than taking an aspirin, why disourage people?
For that matter, I'm glad no one ever scared me out of taking an aspirin...but something 400 times SAFER?
Sure, you can find people who say a chiropractor hurt them. Like I said, nothing is 100% risk free all the time. You can also find people who say a massage therapist injured them...or a dentist. Like any discipline that requires both talent and training, some folks will excel at it, and others just might be hacks no matter how hard they try. So yeah, I have had a couple adjustments from chiropractors who I thought were gonna take my head off. I never got injured by them - but their "style" or particular version of the chiropracitc neck adjustment was a lot rougher and had less finesse than I was used to. there are also surgeons of every variety - including neurosurgeons - who probably shouldn't be doing surgery because they just don't excel the way they should. Malpractice companies can tell you about how a handful of docs get an immensely disproportionate number of lawsuits. That's why they keep their eyes on the stats and dump high risk docs.
Speaking of malpractice...the average chiropractor pays less than $2000 a year in malpractice insurance. OBGYN's and Anesthesiologists often pay well over $300,000 a year. But I'm betting you won't say "no anaesthesia, please" the next time you have surgery...or that you wouldn't tell your pregnant wife or daughter to stay away from OBGYN's.
Yes, I'm a little defensive. I had headaches every day that were ruining my life until a chiropractor helped me. This was 28 years ago. (Do I still get a headache now and then? of course! Are they ruining my life? Are they every day? NO and NO.) If someone had scared me out of getting chiropractic neck adjustments, heaven help me - who knows where I'd be today. I had tried a lot of other things before I dared to try a chiropractor. NOTHING else helped me.
The link to a good article on the safety of chiropracitc adjustments:
about 2/3 the way down this page, click on the article entitled "IS CHIROPRACTIC DANGEROUS?" http://www.wevegotyourback.org/p34.html
thanks for listening - I can't wait to hear how the DRX9000 story ends.
Result number: 93
Posted by R Nordyke DPM on 10/23/06 at 00:13
Dr Parker,
When you are on subject, you give good thoughtful answers, but...you drive people nuts...your letters are too long, and go off subject, and offend people.
I will probably get a long response here, but...I can't read half of your letters without getting a headache..and I do the same thing for patients every day that you do.
The purpose here, I believe, is to...one...not fight with people...and two..give concise answers on subject.
Dr Nordyke
Result number: 94
Posted by R Nordyke DPM on 10/23/06 at 00:12
Dr Parker,
When you are on subject, you give good thoughtful answers, but...you drive people nuts...your letters are too long, and go off subject, and offend people.
I will probably get a long response here, but...I can't read half of your letters without getting a headache..and I do the same thing for patients every day that you do.
The purpose here, I believe, is to...one...not fight with people...and two..give concise answers on subject.
Dr Nordyke
Result number: 95
Posted by Dr Nordyke on 10/23/06 at 00:11
Dr Parker,
When you are on subject, you give good thoughtful answers, but...you drive people nuts...your letters are too long, and go off subject, and offend people.
I will probably get a long response here, but...I can't read half of your letters without getting a headache..and I do the same thing for patients every day that you do.
The purpose here, I believe, is to...one...not fight with people...and two..give concise answers on subject.
Dr Nordyke
Result number: 96
Posted by Dr Nordyke on 10/23/06 at 00:10
Dr Parker,
When you are on subject, you give good thoughtful answers, but...you drive people nuts...your letters are too long, and go off subject, and offend people.
I will probably get a long response here, but...I can't read half of your letters without getting a headache..and I do the same thing for patients every day that you do.
The purpose here, I believe, is to...one...not fight with people...and two..give concise answers on subject.
Dr Nordyke
Result number: 97
Posted by Dr. David S. Wander on 10/08/06 at 19:01
Botox injections do not treat pain, they act by basically paralyzing the muscles. The botox "toxin" acts as a paralytic and that's how it eliminates wrinkles. It basically paralyzes the underlying muscles that are responsible for causing frowning, etc. These injections are also used in patients with Cerebral Palsy to treat the severe muscle spasms that cause the gait abnormalities. The injections temporarily paralyze the muscles. Botox injections are also being used in the treatment of migraine headaches by treating the muscles that are causing contractions triggering the nerves to trigger the headache, etc.
Therefore, Botox does not DIRECTLY treat pain, and is really would not be indicated to be used for a "neuroma" or for ankle pain, especially idiopathic pain. You must know the etiology of the pain to treat it properly. If you were to inject Botox into an ankle/foot muscle, the muscle would not function properly and would potentially cause a gait abnormality until the effects of the Botox wore off in several months.
Hopefully, that will explain the role of Botox and why it's not used for most ailments of the foot and ankle, other than hyperhidrosis/bromhidrosis (smelly/sweaty feet by injecting the glands).
Result number: 98
Posted by Suzy D on 9/26/06 at 23:12
Dear Hope,
This is Suzy and I have not posted for a while. It seems like these fall days make the pain escalate terribly. I know just how you are feeling. Are your meds helping you at all. I belong to an online support group and MOST members are feeling more pain at this time of year. Hope your flare soon settles down a bit. No sleep and headaches make the pain even worse. May tomorrow be a better day for you. If I can help in any way just let me know. Even if it is just for verbal support. S
Result number: 99
Posted by Hope on 9/26/06 at 17:38
Hi Ralph,
I have been having such bads. The pain has really taken over me. I feel sick to my stomach and I have a headache, I'm tired, I have not slept and I'm sure get the point!! I know complain complain complain!!
I hope everything is ok with your family and I hope that you are feeling better. I'm going to go and try to lay down for awhile so I will check back later.
Take Care
Result number: 100
Posted by R. Parker, DPM on 9/25/06 at 18:32
Decisions as to what to do should be made by a doctor based on your detailed history and his/her evaluation of your current status. Corticosteroid injections are a means to an end in the treatment of plantar fasciitis and are not intended to be like an aspirin from time to time for a headache or represent the entire approach to treatment. PF requires a dedicated multi-faceted treatment plan which takes into consideration the particular nature of your foot and its problem as well as your weight, activity and life style. None of this can be adequately addressed in a forum venue such a this and although some doctors here might relate their favorite methods they will certainly not be individually tailored to your situation.
Result number: 101
Posted by kris on 9/14/06 at 02:07
I have tarsal tunnel and an osteochondral defect. I developed really bad fibromyalgia also. Driving would just kill me.
I started keeping a journal to help ID my triggers and I found out that driving was one of them - the longer the trip, the worse the pain - both foot pain and body pain.
One day - on a very short 3 mile trip to take my son to a local creek to swim in - we got behind an asphalt truck. I'd been feeling great all week - had stayed at home up to that point. IN 10 minutes behind that thing, I HURT - headache, foot hurting terribly - all my muscles - like every nerve in my body hurt.
So I have had trouble in the past with petroleum type things - like paint thinner, polyurethane. Then I had another week - stayed home, no driving - and while I took a nap my husband had an incident with an old lamp he brought in and some wasp. He ran to wal-mart and got some wasp spray.
I was in the back bedroom with no idea what was going on, just know all at once I woke up SICK - stomach sick, head ache, hurting terribly - so bad I was just crying and couldn't really hardly get up. We looked at the can - petroleum distillates.
I've avoided the road and pumping gas and stuff like that for a while now and I am doing better. Not saying it CAUSED my problems - but it sure did make them POP out full blown.
Result number: 102
Posted by kconnell on 9/08/06 at 19:28
I got back this afternoon, I was not suppose to drive until tomorrow, but I needed to get home to my children. I took a break about every hour. I didn 't take my pain meds due to driving. I came home with a standard headache. My daughter informed me that my brother has been staying at the house. He not only stayed here he brought a dog, that upset my dogs to no end. He also thinks I am made of money at least as far as food goes. I thought I had enough to last my little family for at least 2 weeks. I guess not now.
I have to make the drive to portland again next week to get the results and plan the next phase of treatment. I also may be having more tests.
I will try to keep focused on the happy events, such as my cousins daughters wedding tomorrow. Having fun trying to sleep with my head elevated, not my favorite position but I will survive. kconnell
Result number: 103
Posted by Hope on 9/05/06 at 17:14
Hi Ralph,
Ralph I truly apologize for my name mix up. You can call me Hope or Mick which ever you choose. My real name is Hope but my Grandpa had always called me Mick untill the day he past away. We had such a special relationship!! He past away of a Brain Tumor. He start to have a lot of memory loss and headaches so we took him for test Novermber of that prior year and he diagnosed with cancer. Then he past away past that January. He had walked me down the isle when I got married and I also wear his wedding band that my grandma gave me when he past away. He truly was a great man!! So, the nickname Mick means a lot to me. My doctors always call me Hope becasue they think it is such a cool and fitting name for me and for what I'm going through right now.
I don't mind at all if you ask me any questions!!
After I had my last surgery in October and my OS had done everything he could think of and he also sent me for a second opinion to make sure he was on the right track with me care things just kept getting worse my leg/ankle was very purple in apperance very swollen. It felt on fire 24/7 you could on touch it and that is one of the big signs of RSD/CRPS. The wind,a bed sheet would even hurt me. At night I have to hang my leg over the edge of the bed so nothing will touch it. Most days I can not even wear a sock or a shoe. The only shoes I can wear if I go anywhere are Crocs because they don't touch you all the way around. I have had blisters the size of quarters on my leg/ankle before. The pain never stops nor does it go away. I also had very dry skin and the hair on my leg stopped growing.
I went to one of my OS appointments and my OS said that he has thought a lot about me and he said that I have all the signs for RSD/CRPS and he wanted me to go to a Pain Management Doctor that he knows and teaches other doctors about RSD/CRPS so my OS said he was going to give him a call and let him know that I was comming.
I went to my first appointment and he took one look at my leg and said that there was no doubt in his mind that I have RSD/CRPS. He only wished that I would have been sent to him earlier. He said just by looking at my leg/ankle he new that is what I had. He took a lot of picture and every visit I go to he always takes pictures.
He has alway told me that you have to break the pain cycle and that is what he has been trying to do.
Ralph can you tell what are all the symtoms you are having because my PM has told me a lot about that and I also have read a lot about that. How did it all start??
Thanks for the info!! That is a great idea. I have alway thought that my OS should say what PT I should do becauce he did do all 3 of my surgerys and know what is going on inside my ankle. I'm not sure but my PM does not know what was done for my ankle. I'm scared to hurt it again and I know you can not have surgery to fix it because they say it can make the RSD/CRPS worse!! For how it feels I don't know how much worse it can get but I really don't want to find out.
Thanks again Ralph
Take Care
Result number: 104
Posted by Hope on 8/26/06 at 23:12
That is what I think about everyday. It is so hard to believe that something can take control of your life the way this has taken over mine.
I was not diagnosed with RSD/CRPS until 6 months after my last surgery. I do know that the earlier you are diagnosed the better chance you have for this not progress to stage 2,3 or 4. I do also know that very few people progress to stage 4. My PM diagnosed me stage 2 with some symptoms of stage 3. I do also know that my nerves are miss firing in my ankle and sending mixed messeges to my brain and you have to some how break the pain cycle. I don't really know how to explain this very well but if you go to Avanced Bionics it of course does a much better job than I do. This will never go away and it can spread to other parts of the body. It can go into remission but you have to be very careful if it does. The chances of remission are very very slim. More than half of RSD/CRPS patients have thought about Suicide at one time or another. A large portion of patients also have to go to counseling. I do. No matter what you do or where you go you can never get away from the pain. It's there 24/7. I am on 14 different medication that I take throughout the day, from blood pressure medicine to depression meds and a boat load of pain meds. I never took anything in my life except somthing for a headache.
I have a question for you. Your back, you never had surgery on it?? Why do they say if you have back surgery it usually only makes it worse? I did just read that ice is the worse thing for RSD/CRPS. So, I will be calling my doctor Monday morning to talk to him about it. I don't know if this why my ankle/foot has been really bad over the few days. It has been a crying couple of days. I have his emergency number but I hate bother him on the weekends.
I have a question for you. When and if I ever am ready to come off my pain meds is this going to be a difficult thing to do and how do they go about doing this so you don't get sick?? I'm on some very heavy pain meds and I really am scared about this. I don't know if you can answer this but I just thought you might know.
RSD has a quilt that they are making, I forgot how large they said it was going to be but what it is for, when they have there fundraiser or there awareness seminars and thing like that it will be displayed. RSD/CRPS patients only send in a 1 foot by 1 foot solid color material any color but no Patterns with your picture and 25 words or less How you have battled RSD and Survived? and it will be add to the quilt. I have sent mine in. I can't wait to see it when it is done. What a cool idea and hope it will catch people's attention.
Well again thank you for caring about me. It really does show by your wanting to learn more about RSD/CRPS. This is a very tuff thing to deal with and it really does help when you know that people do really care!!
Take Care
Result number: 105
Posted by Bryan W. on 8/24/06 at 17:52
I agree with the above comments. The pain meds will allow you to go further but there is a reason the pain exists..to tell your brain enough now rest. When the nerve is agitated it feeds back via the pain message. so if you cover it with meds...well now you are going to really make things worse in the long run. Will you cause more damage to the nerve that is not reversable??? maybe I do not think even a Pod or Dr. will advise it is a good thing. But sometimes you want to go the extra yard so you use the meds...for me it is Ibuprofen since it works pretty well and I have a good tummy for it! I agree with Bambi the strong meds are good in the begining but one should ween off ASAP since the longterm is as she said not a good outcome typically. Some might argue about Lycra but so far I have resisted going on it since i am able to tollerate my pain levels with just Ibuprofen. From Wikipedia I copy/paste.....
Pregabalin (INN) (IPA: [prɪˈgæbələn]) is an anticonvulsant drug used for neuropathic pain, as an adjunct therapy for partial seizures, and in generalized anxiety disorder. It was designed as a more potent successor to gabapentin. Pregabalin is marketed by Pfizer under the trade name Lyrica.
In the U.S., it is considered to have dependence liability if misused, and is classified as a Schedule V drug.[1]
Pregabalin was initially developed by biochemist Richard Silverman at Northwestern University in the United States. The drug was approved in the European Union in 2004. Pregabalin received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for use in treating epilepsy, diabetic neuropathy pain and post-herpetic neuralgia pain in June 2005, and appeared on the U.S. market in fall 2005.
Like gabapentin, pregabalin binds to the α2δ subunit of the voltage-dependent calcium channel in the central nervous system, blocking channel action and thus calcium influx. However, the exact mechanism of action is unknown.
Clinical use
Pregabalin is indicated for:
* Treatment of neuropathic pain in adults
* Adjunctive therapy in adults with partial seizures with or without secondary generalization
In the European Union, it has also been approved for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).[2]
Adverse effects
Adverse drug reactions associated with the use of pregabalin include:[3][4]
* Very common (>10% of patients): dizziness, drowsiness
* Common (1�10% of patients): visual disturbance (including blurred vision, diplopia), ataxia, dysarthria, tremor, lethargy, memory impairment, euphoria, weight gain, constipation, dry mouth, peripheral edema
* Infrequent (0.1�1% of patients): depression, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, myoclonus, hypoaesthesia, hyperaesthesia, tachycardia, excessive salivation, sweating, flushing, rash, muscle cramp, myalgia, arthralgia, urinary incontinence, dysuria, thrombocytopenia
* Rare (<0.1% of patients): neutropenia, first degree heart block, hypotension, hypertension, pancreatitis, dysphagia, oliguria, rhabdomyolysis
Drug interactions
No pharmacokinetic interactions have been demonstrated in vivo. The manufacturer notes some potential pharmacological interactions with oxycodone, lorazepam and ethanol (alcohol). Concurrent use may increase the central nervous system effects of these medications (e.g. drowsiness, effects on concentration).[3]
1. ^ Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice. Schedules of controlled substances: placement of pregabalin into schedule V. Final rule. Fed Regist 2005;70(144):43633-5. PMID 16050051
2. ^ Pfizer (2006-03-27). Pfizer's Lyrica Approved for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in Europe. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-06-02.
3. ^ a b Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd. Lyrica (Australian Approved Product Information). West Ryde: Pfizer; 2006.
4. ^ Rossi S, editor. Australian Medicines Handbook 2006. Adelaide: Australian Medicines Handbook; 2006. ISBN 0-9757919-2-3
Ibuprofen (INN) (IPA: [ˈaɪbjuprofɛn]) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) widely marketed under various trademarks including Act-3, Advil, Brufen, Motrin, Nuprin, and Nurofen. It is used for relief of symptoms of arthritis, primary dysmenorrhoea, fever, and as an analgesic, especially where there is an inflammatory component. Ibuprofen was developed by the research arm of Boots Group.
Clinical use
Low doses of ibuprofen (200 mg., and sometimes 400 mg.) are available over the counter (OTC) in most countries. Ibuprofen has a dose-dependent duration of action of approximately 4�8 hours, which is longer than suggested by its short half-life. The recommended dose varies with body mass and indication. Generally, the oral dose is 200�400 mg (5�10 mg/kg in children) every 4�6 hours, up to a usual maximum daily dose of 800�1200 mg. Under medical direction, a maximum daily dose of 3200 mg may sometimes be used.
Off-Label and investigational use
* As with other NSAIDs, ibuprofen may be useful in the treatment of severe orthostatic hypotension.[1]
* In some studies, ibuprofen showed superior results compared to placebo in the prophylaxis of Alzheimer's disease, when given in low doses over a long time.[2] Further studies are needed to confirm the results before ibuprofen can be recommended for this indication.
* Ibuprofen has been associated with a lower risk of Parkinson's disease, and may delay or prevent Parkinson's disease. Aspirin, other NSAIDs, and paracetamol had no effect on the risk for Parkinson's.[3] Further research is warranted before recommending ibuprofen for this use.
Ibuprofen lysine
In Europe, Australia, and New Zealand ibuprofen lysine (ibuprofenlysinat, the lysine salt of ibuprofen) is licensed for treatment of the same conditions as ibuprofen. Ibuprofen lysine has been shown to have a more rapid onset of action compared to base ibuprofen.[4]
Mechanism of action
Ibuprofen is an NSAID which is believed to work through inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX), thus inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis. There are at least 2 variations of cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2 ), ibuprofen inhibits both COX-1 and COX-2. It appears that its analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory activity are achieved principally through COX-2 inhibition; whereas COX-1 inhibition is responsible for its unwanted effects on platelet aggregation and the GI mucosa.
Main article: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug
Adverse effects
Ibuprofen appears to have the lowest incidence of gastrointestinal adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of all the non-selective NSAIDs. However, this only holds true at lower doses of ibuprofen, so over-the-counter preparations of ibuprofen are generally labelled to advise a maximum daily dose of 1,200 mg.
Main article: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug
Reported adverse drug reactions
In low single doses (200 to 400 mg) and daily doses of up to 1,200 mg the incidence of side effects is low. However, in patients treated on a long-term basis with more than 1,200 mg daily discontinuation rates are as high as 10 to 15%.
Common adverse effects include: nausea, dyspepsia, gastrointestinal ulceration/bleeding, raised liver enzymes, diarrhoea, headache, dizziness, salt and fluid retention, hypertension.[5]
Infrequent adverse effects include: oesophageal ulceration, heart failure, hyperkalaemia, renal impairment, confusion, bronchospasm, rash.[5]
As with other NSAIDs, ibuprofen has been reported to be a photosensitising agent.[6][7] However, this only rarely occurs with ibuprofen and it considered to be a very weak photosensitising agent when compared with other members of the 2-arylpropionic acids. This is because the ibuprofen molecule contains only a single phenyl moiety and no bond conjugation, resulting in a very weak chromophore system and a very weak absorption spectrum which does not reach into the solar spectrum.
Cardiovascular risk
Along with several other NSAIDs, ibuprofen has been implicated in elevating the risk of myocardial infarction, particularly among those chronically using high doses.[8]
3D model of (R)-ibuprofen
3D model of (R)-ibuprofen
Ibuprofen, like other 2-arylpropionate derivatives (including ketoprofen, flurbiprofen, naproxen, etc) contains a chiral carbon in the α-position of the propionate moiety. As such there are two possible enantiomers of ibuprofen with the potential for different biological effects and metabolism for each enantiomer.
Indeed it was found that (S)-(+)-ibuprofen (dexibuprofen) was the active form both in vitro and in vivo.
It was logical, then, that there was the potential for improving the selectivity and potency of ibuprofen formulations by marketing ibuprofen as a single-enantiomer product (as occurs with naproxen, another NSAID).
Further in vivo testing, however, revealed the existence of an isomerase which converted (R)-ibuprofen to the active (S)-enantiomer. Thus, due to the expense and futility that might be involved in marketing the single-enantiomer, most ibuprofen formulations currently marketed are racemic mixtures. A notable exception to this is Seractiv (Nordic Drugs).
Human toxicology
Ibuprofen overdose has become common since it was licensed for over-the-counter use. There are many overdose experiences reported in the medical literature.[9] Human response in cases of overdose ranges from absence of symptoms to fatal outcome in spite of intensive care treatment. Most symptoms are an excess of the pharmacological action of ibuprofen and include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, headache, tinnitus, and nystagmus. Rarely more severe symptoms such as gastrointestinal bleeding, seizures, metabolic acidosis, hyperkalaemia, hypotension, bradycardia, tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, coma, hepatic dysfunction, acute renal failure, cyanosis, respiratory depression, and cardiac arrest have been reported.[10]. The severity of symptoms varies with the ingested dose and the time elapsed, however, individual sensitivity also plays an important role. Generally, the symptoms observed with an overdose of ibuprofen are similar to the symptoms caused by overdoses of other NSAIDs.
There is little correlation between severity of symptoms and measured ibuprofen plasma levels. Toxic effects are unlikely at doses below 100 mg/kg but can be severe above 400 mg/kg;[11] however, large doses do not indicate that the clinical course is likely to be lethal.[12] It is not possible to determine a precise lethal dose, as this may vary with age, weight, and concomitant diseases of the individual patient.
Therapy is largely symptomatic. In cases presenting early, gastric decontamination is recommended. This is achieved using activated charcoal; charcoal absorbs the drug before it can enter the systemic circulation. Gastric lavage is now rarely used, but can be considered if the amount ingested is potentially life threatening and it can be performed within 60 minutes of ingestion. Emesis is not recommended.[13] The majority of ibuprofen ingestions produce only mild effects and the management of overdose is straightforward. Standard measures to maintain normal urine output should be instituted and renal function monitored.[11] Since ibuprofen has acidic properties and is also excreted in the urine, forced alkaline diuresis is theoretically beneficial. However, due to the fact ibuprofen is highly protein bound in the blood, there is minimal renal excretion of unchanged drug. Forced alkaline diuresis is therefore of limited benefit.[14] Symptomatic therapy for hypotension, GI bleeding, acidosis, and renal toxicity may be indicated. Occasionally, close monitoring in an intensive care unit for several days is necessary. If a patient survives the acute intoxication, he/she will usually experience no late sequelae.
Ibuprofen was made available under prescription in the United Kingdom in 1969. In the years since, the good tolerability profile along with extensive experience in the community (otherwise known as Phase IV trials), has resulted in the rescheduling of small packs of ibuprofen to allow availability over-the-counter in pharmacies worldwide. Indeed there has been an increasing trend towards descheduling ibuprofen such that it is now available in supermarkets and other general retailers. The wider availability has meant that ibuprofen is now almost as commonly used as aspirin and paracetamol.
Slang names
This section does not cite its references or sources.
You can help Wikipedia by introducing appropriate citations.
A standing joke about some athletes' regular use has produced "Vitamin I"[1] as a slang term for ibuprofen.
In the military, "Grunt Candy" is used as a generic name for ibuprofen, paracetamol, or naproxen.
See also
* Paracetamol
1. ^ Zawada E (1982). "Renal consequences of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs.". Postgrad Med 71 (5): 223-30. PMID 7041104.
2. ^ Townsend K, Praticò D (2005). "Novel therapeutic opportunities for Alzheimer's disease: focus on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.". FASEB J 19 (12): 1592-601. PMID 16195368.
3. ^ Chen H, Jacobs E, Schwarzschild M, McCullough M, Calle E, Thun M, Ascherio A (2005). "Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug use and the risk for Parkinson's disease.". Ann Neurol 58 (6): 963-7. PMID 16240369.
4. ^ Geisslinger G, Dietzel K, Bezler H, Nuernberg B, Brune K (1989). "Therapeutically relevant differences in the pharmacokinetical and pharmaceutical behavior of ibuprofen lysinate as compared to ibuprofen acid.". Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol 27 (7): 324-8. PMID 2777420.
5. ^ a b (2004) Rossi S Australian Medicines Handbook, 2004, Australian Medicines Handbook. ISBN 0-9578521-4-2.
6. ^ Bergner T, Przybilla B. Photosensitization caused by ibuprofen. J Am Acad Dermatol 1992;26(1):114-6. PMID 1531054
7. ^ Thomson Healthcare. USP DI Advice for the Patient: Anti-inflammatory Drugs, Nonsteroidal (Systemic) [monograph on the internet]. Bethesda (MD): U.S. National Library of Medicine; c2006 [updated 2006 Jul 28; cited 2006 Aug 5]. Available from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/uspdi/202743.html
8. ^ Hippisley-Cox J, Coupland C (2005). "Risk of myocardial infarction in patients taking cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors or conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: population based nested case-control analysis.". BMJ 330 (7504): 1366. PMID 15947398.
9. ^ McElwee NE, Veltri JC, Bradford DC, Rollins DE. (1990). "A prospective, population-based study of acute ibuprofen overdose: complications are rare and routine serum levels not warranted.". Ann Emerg Med 19 (6): 657-62. PMID 2188537.
10. ^ Vale JA, Meredith TJ. (1986). "Acute poisoning due to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Clinical features and management.". Med Toxicol 1 (1): 12-31. PMID 3537613.
11. ^ a b Volans G, Hartley V, McCrea S, Monaghan J. (2003). "Non-opioid analgesic poisoning". Clinical Medicine 3 (2): 119-23. PMID 12737366.
12. ^ Seifert SA, Bronstein AC, McGuire T. (2000). "Massive ibuprofen ingestion with survival.". J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 38 (1): 55-7. PMID 10696926.
13. ^ (2004). "Position paper: Ipecac syrup.". J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 42 (2): 133-43. PMID 15214617.
14. ^ Hall AH, Smolinske SC, Conrad FL, Wruk KM, Kulig KW, Dwelle TL, Rumack BH. (1986). "Ibuprofen overdose: 126 cases.". Ann Emerg Med 15 (11): 1308-13. PMID 3777588.
Result number: 106
Posted by Phyllis T on 8/20/06 at 18:22
Thanks for the post. I'm concerned because my son, who can't speak due to autism, had migraines bad enough for the emergency room, and went through some periods of time with daily headaches-sinus, etc., and now the Dr. put him on 75 mil. Lyrica-It seems to be working so well, but since he can't tell me I don't know if he is having bad side effects! He has keraticonus, which the Dr. knows about-so I am especially concerned about his vision. All I can see is a sluggishness, but that is so worth it since he was in horrible pain.
I just hope they don't come back in two or three years and tell us how this causes a heart leakage or something. (Sorry, I don't mean to be morose but just lost my oldest son so am trying to be very cautious here-).
I welcome any positive feedback about Lyrica.
So thanks a lot!
Result number: 107
Posted by Kathy G on 8/19/06 at 10:29
Hi Michael,
I have heard only good things about Lexapro. I have a friend who has chronic pain and she says it's improved her life so much she can't believe it. Another friend is taking it in conjunction with another drug to help her with chronic headaches that stem from a nerve condition. Since she's started on it, she has had only one headache. It took her a few weeks to see improvement.
And Ralph is right. You've come a long way in a short time! It's great to hear! Make sure you give your body a chance to adjust to the drug. If you have side effects, keep taking it because often they will disappear after you've taken a drug for a while but again, as Ralph said, call your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
Congratulations on taking a positive step in your decision to make your life livable again. I was very worried about you and I'm so glad that you did this!
Keep us posted on how you're doing. We truly care about you.
Result number: 108
Posted by Dr. B on 8/17/06 at 04:46
hi kkade,
i have been debating whether or not to buy a DRX. i appreciate the offer to email me the info and i will take you up on it. my email is jrbaumdc at yahoo.com. i would appreciate any feedback and or documentation from anyone with actual true reliable sources. i have been in practice for a year and have seen 2 DRX practices. within these 2 clinics well over 200 patients have used the DRX9000. only 1 has asked for a refund. i have seen patients barely able to walk with 20 yr chronic pain with foot drop, walk with a minor limp in 2 weeks (6 treatments). it has been inspirational. i have never witnessed a cervical unit, but i have had an overwhelming success with cervical pathologies including cervicogenic headaches which includes the "migraine" headaches by my own hands, using classic chiropractic methods. to anyone who is reading this, please note: not all chiropractors are alike. just like dentist, massage therapists, or even MD's. out of the 60 plus chiros i graduated with i would recommend less then 10. one of my best friends is a dentist and he concurs even in his profession. few are born with the gift, others take time or manipulate a living out of the philosophy (no pun intended). medical advice should not feel like a sales pitch, yet all medical professionals rely on it. mostly surgeons and MD's perscribing meds. that is all they have to offer, the pen or the knife. this is the scary part of choosing your health. My advice is do the least advacive but legitimate. if it feels like a pitch, it probably is. find a doc who you trust even if it is the same treatment as the salesman. doctors who believe in their treatments are much more successful. sorry about the rant.
Result number: 109
Posted by Michael on 8/05/06 at 22:41
Lisa a list of side effects for Lexapro. Like I need more problems. I hate taking pills I never took a pill before this dam pain now I take a half dozen per day. I have to live with them side effects. I know you are trying to help. I am scared now to live taking the pills I take now I have constipation, urinary problems ETC ETC from the pill I take now along with the constant pain. I use to be a normal healthy person.
More common side effects may include:
Constipation, decreased appetite, decreased sex drive, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, ejaculation disorder, fatigue, flu-like symptoms, impotence, indigestion, insomnia, nausea, runny nose, sinusitis, sleepiness, sweating Abdominal pain, abnormal dreaming, allergic reactions, blurred vision, bronchitis, chest pain, coughing, earache, fever, gas, heartburn, high blood pressure, hot flushes, increased appetite, irritability, joint pain, lack of concentration, lack of energy, lack of orgasm, light-headedness, menstrual cramps, migraine, muscle pain, nasal congestion, neck and shoulder pain, pain in arms or legs, palpitations, rash, ringing in the ears, sinus congestion, sinus headache, stomachache, tingling, toothache, tremors, urinary problems, vertigo, vomiting, weight changes, yawning
Result number: 110
Posted by john h on 7/19/06 at 10:14
FREE Newsletters Print Friendly Version Email a Friend
FDA OKs the Pain Drug Opana
Prescription Drug Is Oral Form of Painkiller That Used to Be Injection-Only
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD
on Friday, June 23, 2006
June 23, 2006 -- The FDA has approved a new prescription drug to ease moderate to severe pain.
The drug, called Opana, is an opioid pain reliever taken by mouth. It will come in an extended-release form, called Opana ER, and an immediate-release version, simply called Opana.
"Both products are expected to be commercially available in the U.S. in the coming weeks," states Opana's maker, Endo Pharmaceuticals, in a news release.
The drugs contain oxymorphone hydrochloride, which was previously only available by injection. Endo Pharmaceuticals plans to relaunch the drug's injected version for hospital use under the new trade name.
Extended Release vs. Immediate Release
Opana and Opana ER have different uses.
Opana ER -- the first oral, extended-release version of oxymorphone -- is intended for patients with moderate to severe pain who need "continuous, around-the-clock opioid treatment for an extended period of time," states Endo Pharmaceuticals. Opana ER "is not intended to be used on an as-needed basis," the drug company notes.
Immediate-release Opana is for "moderate to severe acute pain where the use of an opioid is appropriate," states Endo Pharmaceuticals.
Opana ER tablets will come in four doses: 5 milligrams, 10 milligrams, 20 milligrams, and 40 milligrams. Opana's immediate-release tablets will come in two doses: 5 milligrams and 10 milligrams.
Drug's Trials
Fifteen clinical trials of Opana and Opana ER have included more than 3,000 patients. Two of those trials are described in Endo Pharmaceuticals' news release.
In one trial, patients with moderate to severe low back pain took Opana ER or a tablet lacking medicine (placebo) for 12 weeks without knowing which pill was which. Patients taking Opana ER had a greater drop in average pain intensity than those in the placebo group.
In another trial, patients with moderate to severe pain after abdominal surgery received immediate-release Opana or a placebo without knowing which pill they'd gotten. The Opana group took their tablets for less time than those in the placebo group.
Opana's Warnings
Like other opioids, Opana and Opana ER can be abused, warns Endo Pharmaceuticals.
In addition, "patients must not consume alcoholic beverages, or prescription or nonprescription medications containing alcohol, while on Opana ER therapy" due to possible overdose risk, the drug company notes.
According to Endo Pharmaceuticals, the most common adverse effects seen in clinical trials of Opana ER were nausea, constipation, dizziness, vomiting, itchiness, sleepiness, headache, increased sweating, and sedation. The most common adverse effects seen in clinical trials of immediate-release Opana were nausea and fever.
SOURCES: News release, FDA. News release, Endo Pharmaceuticals.
Result number: 111
Posted by Ralph on 7/19/06 at 07:48
What's with all the cruise ship problems lately. The Crown Princess was lucky they were still near port. I bet many of the folks on board suffer from PF so they don't need these addition headaches when trying to have fun. Wonder if any of them had ESWT?
Wouldn't this be the perfect location for an ESWT machine.
Result number: 112
Posted by Ralph on 7/19/06 at 07:48
What's with all the cruise ship problems lately. The Crown Princess was lucky they were still near port. I bet many of the folks on board suffer from PF so they don't need these addition headaches when trying to have fun. Wonder if any of them had ESWT?
Wouldn't this be the perfect location for an ESWT machine.
Result number: 113
Posted by Ralph on 7/19/06 at 07:48
What's with all the cruise ship problems lately. The Crown Princess was lucky they were still near port. I bet many of the folks on board suffer from PF so they don't need these addition headaches when trying to have fun. Wonder if any of them had ESWT?
Wouldn't this be the perfect location for an ESWT machine.
Result number: 114
Posted by Ralph on 7/19/06 at 07:43
What's with all the cruise ship problems lately. The Crown Princess was lucky they were still near port. I bet many of the folks on board suffer from PF so they don't need these addition headaches when trying to have fun. Wonder if any of them had ESWT?
Result number: 115
Posted by Scott R - moderator on 7/17/06 at 08:02
moderating is a pain in the butt and i wish i could pay somone to do it....maybe get some out-of-country $2 an hour help. Anyone have a smart filippina friend who would know how to deal with these headaches?
Result number: 116
Posted by Scott R on 7/09/06 at 15:10
It was banned because people got viscious and started emailing me to ban so-and-so. It divided the board into two groups. That doesn't seem to be happening now. Maybe terse words, but not the ultimate which is "i want this person banned" which causes me headaches because i have to review a lot of posts to see if it's legitimate request. So, besides making the board a little too unfriendly and overwhelmed with pointless political opinion, it also caused me trouble. The 3 things combined made me decide to ban it.
I'll consider making it a seperate board later. Maybe we'll die down soon.
Result number: 117
Posted by kelly l on 6/29/06 at 21:23
Monica,I can't imagine taking Ibuprofen for this. It did absolutely nothing for me. I believe Lyrica is expensive as it is brand new. I do know your doctor can get you in touch with their reps and they can help you get it if your insurance doesnt cover it. My insurance refused it before they finally approved it. I think it is in the nerve medicaton family. I had Darvocet after my surgeries also. One pill did nothing for me but two put me to sleep. The Lyrica also has some side effects for me.. headaches, swelling in hands and feet (like I need more swollen feet) and some confusion but it does seem to be slowly improving. Good luck Monica!!
Result number: 118
Posted by Denise on 6/27/06 at 17:48
Dear Kotex,
I recently noticed that the peel-off strip of my pantiliner had a bunch of "Kotex Tips for Life" on it.
Annoying advice such as:
Staying active during your period can relieve cramps.
Avoiding caffeine may help reduce cramps and headaches.
Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day to keep you hydrated and feeling fresh.
Try Kotex blah blah blah other products.
Obviously the individual behind this was someone who has never possessed a functioning set of ovaries. Go ahead and tell a menstruating woman that drinking 6-8 glasses of water will help keep her feeling fresh. See what happens and report back. I'll wait.
While you're at it, dump out the coffee at work and remove the chocolate from the vending machine. I guaran-friggin-tee that the first responders will be females who just ovulated.
Look, females don't need or want tips for living on feminine hygiene products. Younger girls are already hearing "helpful" crap like that from their elderly relatives. Veteran females have already concocted their own recipes for survival, many containing alcohol.
Printing out shit advice while sneaking in ads for the brand that was already purchased is just plain annoying, not to mention rude, and enough to send a girl running to the "Always" brand. Mostly we'd like to forget that we even need these products. It's not a fun time, but DO NOT try to cheer us up by adding smiley faces or bunnies or flowery cutesy crap to your products or the packaging.
Put the shit in a plain brown wrapper so we can throw it in our carts discreetly and have it blend in among the wine and beer. There is nothing more annoying than having a blinding pink package announcing your uterine state to everyone in the store. So take your tips for living and shove them right up your ass.
Ovarily Yours,
Miss PMS
Result number: 119
Posted by kelly l on 6/23/06 at 12:10
Maria, I have tried 3 different meds, the first Neurontin, just caused severe dizziness. The second Tegretol XR... lets just say, the side effects were so terrible that you didn't care how your feet felt. The third is Lyrica, it gives me headaches, swollen hands and feet and a little bit of dizziness but is tolerable. It lessens the severity of pains, but does not totally stop them.
Result number: 120
Posted by Bambi/Helen Tap4TTS.co.uk on 6/13/06 at 18:13
Sorry to hear that your headaches were too bad. I know what it's like, I put up with mild ones for months till it got so bad I had to stop.
Please consider taking part in my pain med poll http://tap4tts.co.uk/page24.htm#2563
Best wishes, I hope you find a pain med that will help you without bad side effects.
Result number: 121
Posted by Ruth on 6/10/06 at 11:17
Hi all, thanks for your responses. I actually started taking the Lyrica on Monday night, since the pain was pretty bad and I was going away. I had a headache on Tuesday, but didn't correlate it right away. The headache got progressively worse all week, and I was taking one pill every night as directed. By thursday night it was unbearable, so I didn't take a pill, figuring out, duh, that it was probably due to the Lyrica. On Friday and today I am fine. My feet may have started to feel better on the Lyrica, it was hard to tell for such a short time, but I couldn't trade that off for a constant headache.
Result number: 122
Posted by Bambi/Helen Tap4TTS.co.uk on 6/07/06 at 05:07
Hi F.S.
I know your post wasn't addressed to me but I just wanted to let you know that I was on Lyrica for about 6-7months. It was the only thing to help mute the pain but when I started taking it the side effects were bad... I was told that because I was in such a mess, it was the most effective drug available at the time so the benefitS out weighed the side effects. For the first 2 weeks, I walked and felt like I was drunk, my speech was a little slow at times, I found it increasing hard to think, my mum had to take charge of my medication as I would get confused and couldn't remember if I had taken it or not, my eyes became sensitive to light, if I was out in a restaurant and the lighting was dim I found it increasing hard to focus (my eyes felt like they were zooming in and out like a camera lens), I would feel instantly tired,if out in the wheelchair I would feel very dizzy being pushed around, my skin became very oily and I developed acne as a result, I'd sweat more in the night and recently developed serve head aches (which is why I decided enough was enough and as Aqua Tilis Therapy had help cut the spontaneous pain down, I decided I was in a good position to stop Lyrica)I am glad to say that since stopping Lyrica, my skin has cleared up, the headaches stopped, all side effects have gone.
I hope this helps to give you more insight. If you have uncontrollable pain to the point that it is stopping you for eating, you are unable to sit still with the pain, you are constantly in tears and worn out as you cannot get any rest then maybe the side effects of Lyrica are minor compared to the Neuropathic Pain. I found it a god send at the time but I am thankful that I am no longer on it as I now feel that I have a part of my life back that the NP CRPS pain/Lyrica took away from me.
All the best,
Result number: 123
Posted by Cyndi on 5/12/06 at 18:19
HI Judy, Jen, Vern, and KB,
I see the Scott has added a " Poster Profile" MaybeI should have been there with my long post, but, anyway HI!
I am seeing a Pain Management DR also, but, all he does is refer me to others so far. He is giving me Lorcet finally, but,it has taken alot for him to see more of a problem than just my feet since I now have two major problems. I have found that with many Dr's. HIs last referral is to a Pelvic Pain Clinic and probably what is on the Dellon site may be my problem with the scar tissue. I suppose could be the same problem in feet???
I also had the Lumbar Epidural Block like Jen and they even make you bring a driver with you. Unfgortuniately with me, I had No, yes, NO feeling of any kind after I had it. I could have got right up and gone to dinner, just kidding, about dinner, can't afford to. I had a $100
co- pay for this and it was to see if I got relief, if so , maybe a stimulator implant would have been done.
Vern, I also take Effexor where you take the Amitrip???
(sp?). It has worked well for me and depression long before I had these problems.
KB, gosh four surgeries, well if that is what it takes, I would be for it. That Tarsel tunnel looked like OUCH!
They say I do not have that when they used the tuning fork.
The second POD said that. I also went to physical therapy for water walking exercise and they said I did not have PF. So, who knows what to do. Just get rid of this pain and let back to life is my goal. All of this has sure changed it. I have even been invited to a faith healing. I will go and try, sure could not hurt.
The only thing I have not done is acupuncture and I cannot afford it, especially since my disability is under appeal right now. I am learning deep breathing, just take real deep breaths and hold , then exhale.
I do have appts in June with the Pelvic Clinic and a New Neurologist.My old one is now doing headache clinics and wanted to refer me back to my primary DR.
Well, together we learn, thanks to all of you for sharing!
Smiles, Cyndi ;-)
Result number: 124
Posted by Shari R on 4/14/06 at 09:42
I assume thats the branch in Oxford, closer to Cinn.
As I said, I was completely surprised with the diagnosis. I'll just list some of the things that go along with FM that I have. My feet, back & hands-arms are my biggest issue though. I counted about 20 drs I've seen in the last 2 years, all with relationship to most of these symptoms. Everyone I'm sure thinks I'm a hypochondriac. I'm exhausted alot.....doing nothing. Though I'm not sleep deprived like most people. Apparentely pain causes the exhaustion. Fibrofog. I've spent the last 3 months getting memory tests done & seeing 3 different therapist...social worker, psychologist & psychiatrist because of my memory problem. I'm sure I didn't put that on this site as it didn't pertain to feet. Headaches, chest pain....I had a mamogram & 3 months later a ultrasound because of the burning pain above the breast. It was nothing. Morning stiffness & joint pain. Swallowing difficulties, motor tics. Tried contacts last year but couldn't wear them, my eyes were to dry & I could hardly get them in & I had to constantly put drops in. I had leg pains for as many years as I can remember. Restless leg syndrome is one symptom, which I don't have, but motor tics is in the same family of movement disorders.......I see a specialist at Ohio State University for that. I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Irritable Bladder. Obviously PF & TTS. I've done everything for that. About 20 Graston Treatments also. I'm done with that now. Weight Gain.......though I do have some thyroid issues & according to the book fibromyalgia has many subsets, and one may cause thyroid problems. I also have alot of foot cramps....like charlie horses. I suffer depression.......but who doesn't with PF. I've had Panic Attacks but only took Paxil for a while. I didn't like it. So thats the deal. In the forms to fill out you circle any symptoms you have. I never related any of them to FM as I knew little about it other that what my friend went through, which was trigger point pain and lack of sleep. Now I'm reading the book & there it all is. At least I'm not as crazy as I though...and maybe not a hyprochondriac.
I'm curious about the nodules. I have many lumpy spots in various places in my body, but to be honest I thought it was like an accumulation of fat? I have one on my upper leg, arm & butt. They don't spasm though. I suppose theres a support group on line for this also. Thanks for your responses guys & gals. Shari
Result number: 125
Posted by Julie on 3/30/06 at 05:50
Please think carefully about taking Tramadol. It has a number of adverse effects, some of them common (dizziness, nausea, constipation, headache, somnolence) and some rarer. When my husband took it for post-operative pain last summer, he experienced several of them, including a particularly nasty one called CNS (central nervous system) stimulation, a complex of responses including nervousness, anxiety, agitation, tremor, spasticity, euphoria, and hallucinations. He didn't have the euphoria or the hallucinations, but he had all the rest. He also had gastronintestinal symptoms that were so serious, and caused so much rapid weight loss (a stone in two weeks) that our GP referred him to a gastroenterologist for a gastroscopy. This revealed nothing, because by that time he had it I had searched the internet and learned about Tramadol's adverse effects, and he had stopped taking it, and begun to recover.
Many doctors will tell you that Tramadol has "few or no side effects". They aren't intentionally misleading you: it's a relatively new drug, so they may not (yet) have had patients who have experienced the adverse reactions to it.
I rarely post now, but I saw your post and felt that I should share our experience with you. You already have nerve issues, so I would caution you to consider carefully whether Tramadol is a good medication for you. It is certainly an effective pain medication (though some sources say that it is no more effective than paracetemol which really does have few side effects) so if you decide to take it, at least be aware that it CAN have some very serious adverse reactons, and monitor yourself vigilantly.
There are a number of websites you can research:: just key Tramadol adverse effects into Google. Here is one that made me sit up was http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/tramadol_ad.htm
Result number: 126
Posted by Kathy G on 3/29/06 at 09:30
That's interesting, Joyce. Recently, someplace, I read an article about how men's and women's brains are different in how they process pain. Naturally, I can't remember all the particulars. I'll blame that on the fact that I have a migraine headache today and I'm in pain! :) But the medical community is finally, slowly but surely, coming around to addressing the issue of chronic pain. I am still amazed at how poorly surgeons, in particular, treat pain and hope that newer doctors who are actually taking courses in pain treatment will do a better job.
Result number: 127
Posted by Nick W on 3/14/06 at 12:57
For me, relief comes after a few hours; though the anti inflammation drug I have taken is diclofenac which is stronger than Ibuprofen. I've never had a headache; check side effects on the box.
Result number: 128
Posted by john on 3/14/06 at 08:29
do they work right away? cause for now no relief
only headaches a bit and thats it
Result number: 129
Posted by Jen R on 2/23/06 at 19:00
Hi Jen...
First of all, I suggested you contact Dr. Z because he is an advocate for patients and will help you with the insurance headaches. Could it be that your doctor used the incorrect diagnosis or treatment codes?? I know there are specific codes that have to be used and they are sort of tricky.
As for me, my last ESWT was in Alabama with the Orthospec on November 23. Therefore, I am about 13 weeks post treatment and most docs will say that recovery from ESWT is about 8-12 weeks but I've heard lately to give it up to 16 weeks...so I remain cautiously optimistic. The procedure itself (other than the injections to numb your foot) is fairly easy and normally you just have a little discomfort for a day or so. Unless you have a physically demanding job that involves being on your feet for long periods of time, most people usually return to work relatively soon.
I have already started looking for more answers. Many of my symptoms are not typical with PF although I have definite arch pain and slight morning stiffness. My pain is at it's worse as the day progresses and I spend more time on my feet. Since I've failed so many treatments for PF (including surgery on one foot) I am starting to think that I have another problem. I was also diagnosed with fat pad syndrome so now I'm sort of researching that possibility. I was considering cryosurgery but I'm not sure that it will help if my issues at not PF related so I've been talking to Dr. Goldstein about it.
Despite my failures with ESWT, I have no reservations about recommending it to someone who has failed all other conservative treatments. You can always consider surgery if it doesn't work. On the other hand, once you let someone cut you it not only could make things much worse but minimize your options down the line. It sounds like you have a smart and caring doc. Don't feel that Dr. Z will pressure you to go to him if you want to talk to him...he just wants the foot sufferers of the world to know that ESWT is a great option with almost zero risk. Also...if you are interested...I mentioned Steve W from Alabama who performed the Orthospec ESWT for me in Birmingham. If you are interested in talking to him...I can get him in touch with you. Just let me know.
Hope this helps and try to stay positive. I've suffered for almost 8 years and I still believe that there has to be a cure out there. In the meantime, see what you can find out about those codes I mentioned so that you are not wasting valuable time.
Take Care,
Jen R
Result number: 130
Posted by Kathy G on 1/25/06 at 10:16
Oh, I just love Inspector Clouseau! My daughter had a friend who called me, after a trip to Cape Cod, and was all excited about having seen some Minki Whales on a whale watching trip. So, of course, I said, "You just said Minki." And, of course, she hadn't seen the movies and didn't know what I was talking about!
One time, by chance, my husband and I saw an excellent program that showed outtakes from the Pink Panther movies. Now I know they say that Peter Sellers supposedly didn't like those movies, but these were wonderful. In one of his movies, he has a parrot on his shoulder that keeps deflating. When they were making that scene, it took about fifteen takes because he kept cracking up. It was such a great show and we've never been able to find a copy of it. My daughter gave my husband a DVD set that said it had outtakes but they were pretty lame and not the ones we'd seen at all. If Sellers didn't like them, you couldn't prove it by me.
As for movies, we still like to go to them but the pickins' are slim. We always go to the matinees and since we're both too frugal, we never have bought any candy, popcorn, etc. We saw "North Country" with Charlize Theron and it was excellent. Of course, since my husband thinks she is one of the most beautiful women he's ever seen, he would watch her in anything but she truly was excellent in the movie.
We also saw "Walk the Line" and while I think that Joaquin Phoenix was particularly good, I would say we were just as glad that we went to a matinee and didn't pay full price. Reese Witherspoon is adoreable and her perky personality came through, though, and she was good as June Carter.
What we like to do is go to the Video store on bargain day when movies are two for $1.99. We have a machine that will copy videos. We bought it while it was still legal in the US and we make copies of the movies we rent. Then we can watch them at our own pleasure. We have a DVD player but use it only occasionally.
Our cable just went up and we figure in the near future we will get Direct TV and use a Tivo to record movies we want to see. It's gotten so that they release them on DVD so quickly after they've been released to the theaters anyway.
And yes, Richard, the stadium seating is great! And Dorothy, I remember the kind of movie theaters you're talking about. We are quite fortunate. Just up the road from us is the Wilton Town Hall Theater. It's an old town hall and it's been made into a theater and it has the old velvet curtains and the balcony. It has wooden floors and it's just great! It only costs $5 to see a movie there and the owner has an inside track and gets first releases of the newest movies. On Sunday afternoons, he plays old movies like Casablanca and that ilk. During the holiday season, instead of taking money, he asks that people bring a food donation for our nearby charity and he's an exemplary human being. He hires high school boys to work for him and he takes them into Boston to some of the film festivals. Quite a guy.
We can't go there often, though, because my husband sneezes and gets a headache there unless he remembers to take allergy medication. Apparently that curtain is very dusty!
Result number: 131
Posted by Shari R on 12/30/05 at 12:51
Great post. I'll stay away from NSAIDS, I'm suppose to anyhow due to Gurd. But the darned stuff works great on headaches. Shari Sorry about the fall.
Result number: 132
Posted by sandy g on 12/23/05 at 18:49
Dr. Wander...thank you. For some reason i could not access the site this a.m. from my favorites...but now i can??? My husband and i have decided that our next computer will most likely be an Apple and not a P.C. Most of the computers/notebooks i have purchased have been from Dell because of their low prices. However this beautiful 17in. notebook has caused me sooooooooo many problems. And, well, we all know about customer service. I simply cannot believe that two intelligent humans who speak the same language( english) cannot communicate...for me outsourcing is more of a headache than figuring out computer glitches...anyway thanks for your response....sandy
Result number: 133
Posted by Walkingirl on 12/01/05 at 21:01
11-30-05 I received ESWT on the right foot. I am not going to document it as I have done with the left foot ESWT treatment on 04-28-05 unless there is a marked difference.
It was so good for me to have this documentation to refer back to. It gives me confidence. What I did notice is that on Day 2 after having ESWT on 04-28-05 & 11-30-05 is that I got a TERRIBLE HEADACHE! Now, does that make sense?
This time the doctor gave me 3 shots in the foot to numb it prior to treatment. In April, 1 shot did not do it! Yesterday, the shots were worse than the treatment. So, it was a lot less tramatic this time.
My main objective at this time is to review Julie's Foot Yoga.
Result number: 134
Posted by Dr. David S. Wander on 11/23/05 at 14:20
Todd, I get it, if a little is good, a lot is better. That's not the way it works. Your doctor is already giving the injections a little differently than most, by anesthetizing the area first. I give the local anesthesia with the alcohol because while I'm giving the injection I want the patient to let me know when I've "hit the nerve" to confirm I'm in the right place. There is a specific amount that is used, to prevent from destroying too much tissue. If you have a headache, you take 1-2 aspirin, if you took 20 aspirin your headache would go away but you'd have additional problems wouldn't you??? Todd, I've given you this advice once before........relax, go through the treatments and stop driving yourself crazy by over analyzing everything. Trust your doctor and stop always trying to find a better way for every treatment. If you don't have confidence in your doctor, find a new one. But answers aren't as simple as "give me twice as much and it will work better". Medicine isn't quite that simple. RELAXXXXXX and have a positive attitude.
Result number: 135
Posted by Ralph on 11/17/05 at 18:01
November 16, 2005
Being a Patient
Young, Assured and Playing Pharmacist to Friends
By AMY HARMON
Nathan Tylutki arrived late in New York, tired but eager to go out dancing. When his friend Katherine K. offered him the Ritalin she had inherited from someone who had stopped taking his prescription, he popped two pills and stayed out all night.
For the two college friends, now 25 and out in the working world, there was nothing remarkable about the transaction. A few weeks later, Katherine gave the tranquilizer Ativan to another friend who complained of feeling short of breath and panicky.
"Clear-cut anxiety disorder," Katherine decreed.
The Ativan came from a former colleague who had traded it to her for the Vicodin that Katherine's boyfriend had been prescribed by a dentist. The boyfriend did not mind, but he preferred that she not give away the Ambien she got from a doctor by exaggerating her sleeping problems. It helps him relax after a stressful day.
"I acquire quite a few medications and then dispense them to my friends as needed. I usually know what I'm talking about," said Katherine, who lives in Manhattan and who, like many other people interviewed for this article, did not want her last name used because of concerns that her behavior could get her in trouble with her employer, law enforcement authorities or at least her parents.
For a sizable group of people in their 20's and 30's, deciding on their own what drugs to take - in particular, stimulants, antidepressants and other psychiatric medications - is becoming the norm. Confident of their abilities and often skeptical of psychiatrists' expertise, they choose to rely on their own research and each other's experience in treating problems like depression, fatigue, anxiety or a lack of concentration. A medical degree, in their view, is useful, but not essential, and certainly not sufficient.
They trade unused prescription drugs, get medications without prescriptions from the Internet and, in some cases, lie to doctors to obtain medications that in their judgment they need.
A spokeswoman for the Drug Enforcement Administration says it is illegal to give prescription medication to another person, although it is questionable whether the offense would be prosecuted.
The behavior, drug abuse prevention experts say, is notably different from the use of drugs like marijuana or cocaine, or even the abuse of prescription painkillers, which is also on the rise. The goal for many young adults is not to get high but to feel better - less depressed, less stressed out, more focused, better rested. It is just that the easiest route to that end often seems to be medication for which they do not have a prescription.
Some seek to regulate every minor mood fluctuation, some want to enhance their performance at school or work, some simply want to find the best drug to treat a genuine mental illness. And patients say that many general practitioners, pressed for time and unfamiliar with the ever-growing inventory of psychiatric drugs, are happy to take their suggestions, so it pays to be informed.
Health officials say they worry that as prescription pills get passed around in small batches, information about risks and dosage are not included. Even careful self-medicators, they say, may not realize the harmful interaction that drugs can have when used together or may react unpredictably to a drug; Mr. Tylutki and Katherine each had a bad experience with a medication taken without a prescription.
But doctors and experts in drug abuse also say they are flummoxed about how to address the increasing casual misuse of prescription medications by young people for purposes other than getting high.
Carol Boyd, the former head of the Addiction Research Center at the University of Michigan, said medical professionals needed to find ways to evaluate these risks.
"Kids get messages about street drugs," Ms. Boyd said. "They know smoking crack is a bad deal. This country needs to have a serious conversation about both the marketing of prescription drugs and where we draw the boundaries between illegal use and misuse."
To some extent, the embrace by young adults of better living through chemistry is driven by familiarity. Unlike previous generations, they have for many years been taking drugs prescribed by doctors for depression, anxiety or attention deficit disorder.
Direct-to-consumer drug advertising, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1997, has for most of their adult lives sent the message that pills offer a cure for any ill. Which ones to take, many advertisements suggest, is largely a matter of personal choice.
"If a person is having a problem in life, someone who is 42 might not know where to go - 'Do I need acupuncture, do I need a new haircut, do I need to read Suze Orman?' " said Casey Greenfield, 32, a writer in Los Angeles, referring to the personal-finance guru. "Someone my age will be like, 'Do I need to switch from Paxil to Prozac?' "
For Ms. Greenfield, who could recite the pros and cons of every selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor on the market by the time she graduated from college, years of watching doctors try to find the right drug cocktails for her and for assorted friends has not bolstered faith in their expertise.
"I would never just do what the doctor told me because the person is a doctor," said Ms. Greenfield, who dictates to her doctors what to prescribe for her headaches and sleep problems, and sometimes gives her pills to friends. "I'm sure lots of patients don't know what they're talking about. But lots of doctors don't know what they're talking about either."
Prescriptions to treat attention deficit disorder in adults age 20 to 30 nearly tripled from 2000 to 2004, according to Medco, a prescription management company. Medications for sleeping disorders in the same age group showed a similar increase.
Antidepressants are now prescribed to as many as half of the college students seen at student health centers, according to a recent report in The New England Journal of Medicine, and increasing numbers of students fake the symptoms of depression or attention disorder to get prescriptions that they believe will give them an edge. Another study, published recently in The Journal of American College Health, found that 14 percent of students at a Midwestern liberal arts college reported borrowing or buying prescription stimulants from each other, and that 44 percent knew of someone who had.
"There's this increasingly widespread attitude that 'we are our own best pharmacists,' " said Bessie Oster, the director of Facts on Tap, a drug abuse prevention program for college students that has begun to focus on prescription drugs. "You'll take something, and if it's not quite right, you'll take a little more or a little less, and there's no notion that you need a doctor to do that."
Now, Going Online for Pills
The new crop of amateur pharmacists varies from those who have gotten prescriptions - after doing their own research and finding a doctor who agreed with them - to those who obtain pills through friends or through some online pharmacies that illegally dispense drugs without prescriptions.
"The mother's little helpers of the 1960's and 1970's are all available now on the Internet," said Catherine Wood, a clinical social worker in Evanston, Ill., who treated one young client who became addicted to Xanax after buying it online. "You don't have to go and steal a prescription pad anymore."
In dozens of interviews, via e-mail and in person, young people spoke of a sense of empowerment that comes from knowing what to prescribe for themselves, or at least where to turn to figure it out. They are as careful with themselves, they say, as any doctor would be with a patient.
"It's not like we're passing out Oxycontin, crushing it up and snorting it," said Katherine, who showed a reporter a stockpile that included stimulants, tranquilizers and sleeping pills. "I don't think it's unethical when I have the medication that someone clearly needs to make them feel better to give them a pill or two."
Besides, they say, they have grown up watching their psychiatrists mix and match drugs in a manner that sometimes seems arbitrary, and they feel an obligation to supervise. "I tried Zoloft because my doctor said, 'I've had a lot of success with Zoloft,' no other reason," said Laurie, 26, who says researching medications to treat her depressive disorder has become something of a compulsion. "It's insane. I feel like you have to be informed because you're controlling your brain."
When a new psychiatrist suggested Seraquil, Laurie, who works in film production and who did not want her last name used, refused it because it can lead to weight gain. When the doctor suggested Wellbutrin XL, she replied with a line from the commercial she had seen dozens of times on television: "It has a low risk of sexual side effects. I like that."
But before agreeing to take the drug, Laurie consulted several Internet sites and the latest edition of the Physicians' Desk Reference guide to prescription drugs at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Union Square.
On a page of her notebook, she copied down the generic and brand names of seven alternatives. Effexor, she noted, helps with anxiety - a plus. But Wellbutrin suppresses appetite - even better.
At the weekly meetings of an "under-30" mood-disorder support group in New York that Laurie attends, the discussion inevitably turns to medication. Group members trade notes on side effects that, they complain, doctors often fail to inform them about. Some say they are increasingly suspicious of how pharmaceutical companies influence the drugs they are prescribed.
"Lamictal is the new rage," said one man who attended the group, "but in part that's because there's a big money interest in it. You have to do research on your own because the research provided to you is not based on an objective source of what may be best."
Recent reports that widely prescribed antidepressants could be responsible for suicidal thoughts or behavior in some adolescents have underscored for Laurie and other young adults how little is known about the risks of some drugs, and why different people respond to them differently.
Moreover, drugs widely billed as nonaddictive, like Paxil or Effexor, can cause withdrawal symptoms, which some patients say they only learned of from their friends or fellow sufferers.
"This view of psychology as a series of problems that can be solved with pills is relatively brand new," said Andrea Tone, a professor of the social history of medicine at McGill University. "It's more elastic, and more subjective, so it lends itself more to taking matters into our own hands."
To that end, it helps to have come of age with the Internet, which offers new possibilities for communication and commerce to those who want to supplement their knowledge or circumvent doctors.
Fluent in Psychopharmacology
People of all ages gather on public Internet forums to trade notes on "head meds," but participants say the conversations are dominated by a younger crowd for whom anonymous exchanges of highly personal information are second nature.
On patient-generated sites like CrazyBoards, fluency in the language of psychopharmacology is taken for granted. Dozens of drugs are referred to in passing by both brand name and generic, and no one is reticent about suggesting medications and dosage levels.
"Do you guys think that bumping up the dosage was a good idea, or should I have asked for a different drug?" someone who called herself Maggie asked earlier this month, saying she had told her doctor she wanted to double her daily intake of the antidepressant fluoxetine to 40 milligrams.
In another recent posting, a participant wrote that his supply of the beta blocker Inderal, acquired in Costa Rica, was running out. He uses the drug for panic attacks, he said, but he has not told his doctor about it. "What do I do/say to get her to prescribe me some?" he asked.
"CraZgirl," who said she was not currently taking any medications, received a resounding "yes" to her posting that asked, "If you wouldn't go on meds for yourself, is it reasonable to do it to keep your marriage intact?"
Still, for some young adults, consulting their peers leads to taking less medicine, not more. When Eric Wisch, 20, reported to an anonymous online group that he was having problems remembering things, several members suggested that he stop taking Risperdal, one of four medications in a cocktail that had been mixed different ways by different doctors.
"I decided to cut back," said Mr. Wisch, a sophomore at the University of Rochester who runs www.thebipolarblog.com, where he posts his thoughts on medications and other subjects. "And I'm doing better." Despite frequent admonitions on all the sites to "check with your Pdoc," an abbreviation for psychiatrist, there are also plenty of tips on how to get medications without a prescription.
"I know I shouldn't order drugs online," one participant wrote in a Sept. 26 posting on the Psycho-babble discussion group. "But I've been suffering with insomnia and my Pdoc isn't keen on sleep aids."
What should he do, the poster wanted to know, after an order he placed with an online pharmacy that promised to provide sleeping pills without a prescription failed to deliver?
Another regular participant, known as "med-empowered," replied that the poster was out of luck, and went on to suggest a private e-mail exchange: "I think I know some sites where you could post your experience and also get info about more reliable sites."
For a hefty markup, dozens of Web sites fill orders for drugs, no prescription required, though to do so is not legal. Instead, customers are asked to fill out a form describing themselves and their symptoms, often with all the right boxes helpfully pre-checked.
Erin, 26, a slender hair stylist, remembers laughing to herself as she listed her weight as 250 pounds to order Adipex, a diet pill, for $113. One recent night, she took an Adipex to stay up cleaning her house, followed by a Xanax when she needed to sleep.
Like many other self-medicators, Erin, who has been on and off antidepressants and sleeping pills since she was in high school, has considered weaning herself from the pills. She wishes she had opted for chamomile tea instead of the Xanax when she wanted to sleep.
"I feel like I have been so programmed to think, 'If I feel like this then I should take this pill,' " she said. "I hate that."
But the problem with the tea, she said, is the same one she faces when she is coloring hair: "It's not predictable. I know how these drugs are going to affect me. I don't know if the chamomile tea will work."
Online pharmacies are not the only way for determined self-prescribers to get their pills. Suffering from mood swings a decade after his illness was diagnosed as bipolar disorder, Rich R., 31, heard in an online discussion group about an antidepressant not available in the United States. A contractor in the Midwest, Rich scanned an old prescription into his computer, rearranged the information and faxed it to pharmacies in Canada to get the drug.
"My initial experience with physicians who are supposed to be experts in the field was disappointing," Rich said. "So I concluded I can do things better than they can."
Even for psychiatrists, patients say, the practice of prescribing psychotropic drugs is often hit and miss. New drugs for depression, anxiety and other problems proliferate. Stimulants like Adderall are frequently prescribed "as needed." Research has found that antidepressants affect different patients differently, so many try several drugs before finding one that helps. And in many cases, getting doctors to prescribe antidepressants, sleeping pills or other psychiatric medications is far from difficult, patients say.
The result is a surplus of half-empty pill bottles that provides a storehouse for those who wish to play pharmacist for their friends.
The rules of the CrazyBoards Web site prohibit participants from openly offering or soliciting pharmaceuticals. But it is standard practice for people who visit the site to complain, tongue-in-cheek, that they simply "don't know what to do" with their leftovers.
The rest takes place by private e-mail. Sometimes, the person requesting the drugs already has a prescription, but because the medications are so expensive, receiving them free from other people has its merits.
A Post-Hurricane Care Package
Dan Todd, marooned in Covington, La., after Hurricane Katrina, said he would be forever grateful to a woman in New Hampshire who organized a donation drive for him among the site's regular participants.
Within two days of posting a message saying that he had run out of his medications, he received several care packages of assorted mood stabilizers and anti-anxiety drugs, including Wellbutrin, Klonopin, Trileptal, Cymbalta and Neurontin.
"I had to drive down to meet the FedEx driver because his truck couldn't get past the trees on part of the main highway," said Mr. Todd, 58. "I had tears in my eyes when I got those packages."
It doesn't always work out so well. When Katherine took a Xanax to ease her anxiety before a gynecologist appointment, she found that she could not keep her eyes open. She had traded a friend for the blue oval pill and she had no idea what the dosage was.
An Adderall given to her by another friend, she said, "did weird things to me." And Mr. Tylutki, who took the Ritalin she offered one weekend last fall, began a downward spiral soon after.
"I completely regretted and felt really guilty about it," Katherine said.
Taking Katherine's pills with him when he returned to Minneapolis, Mr. Tylutki took several a day while pursuing a nursing degree and working full time. Like many other students, he found Ritalin a useful study aid. One night, he read a book, lay down to sleep, wrote the paper in his head, got up, wrote it down, and received an A-minus.
But he also began using cocaine and drinking too much alcohol. A few months ago, Mr. Tylutki took a break from school. He flushed the Ritalin down the toilet and stopped taking all drugs, including the Prozac that he had asked a doctor for when he began feeling down.
"I kind of made it seem like I needed it," Mr. Tylutki said, referring to what he told the doctor. "Now I think I was just lacking sleep."
Result number: 136
Posted by Ed Davis, DPM on 11/15/05 at 22:11
I am not sure that you should jump to that conclusion just yet. I too used to use it but stopped. The response depends on the individual and the dose. Criticisms are based on short term negative responses such as headaches and increased seizure activities but also on potential long term problems such as increased suseptiblity to certain types of cancer. It is totally your decision but if you spend time reading the various critiques which are usually from solid scientific sources, the wise thing to do may be to simply restrict intake of that substance until further notice. The long term effects are likely to be from cumulative use so simply ceasing or restricting its use should allay concerns.
Result number: 137
Posted by Ed Davis, DPM on 11/14/05 at 15:11
You may note that the majority of studies on apartame that were funded by Searle showed no toxicity problems BUT the majority of studies NOT funded by Searle DID show problems. I really have little doubt that based on both the written evidence but also on "experiential" evidence that aspartame has a neurologic effect that is not beneficial. If I consume beverages with aspartame, particularly before going to bed, I will wake up with a splitting headache. Unfortunately, numerous people I have spoken to have related the same or similar effect. It sould be argued that some individuals are simply "sensitive" to aspartame but when I consider the number of people I have talked to coupled with all the scientific information on the net, I have a difficult time beleiving in the safety of that product.
Result number: 138
Posted by Kathy G on 11/14/05 at 10:24
Yes, one wants to be sexy but not when it's painful! ;) If you don't have any problems with the morning hangover affect, Ralph, I'd suggest you try it, say mid morning or mid day. The main thing I've learned is that you have to take the muscle relaxants before the pain gets severe.
And you're right, they get worse as the day goes on. At first, this god-awful headache was continuous. One reason was that I was swimming, especially while on vacation when I swam twice a day for fourteen days. Throw in a sinus infection and it was pure hell. So I took the muscle relaxants, learned a new way to swim, and the headache went away, for the most part.
Then, as soon as I started taking them on an "as needed" basis, it was back again but always started between say 5PM and 8PM. Nothing would make the pain go away. That's when my doctor asked if I was still taking the MR regularly and I admitted I wasn't. He said, "Do it." I have and except for a few nights, knock wood, it's much better.
By the way, as I look back to my back episodes, there were times when I was on a muscle relaxant regularly for at least a month before I had any relief. You're doing exerises, right?
Look at it this way. You're one of the few people who can something is a real pain in the --- and be taken literally!
Stay the course with the Flexeril and try adding the extra one. If it helps, it'll be worth it. No one likes to take drugs but if they help you to function painfree, it's worth it. Good luck to you!
Result number: 139
Posted by Kathy G on 11/14/05 at 10:04
Hi Ralph,
I've been off the computer for a few days and didn't see your post about muscle relaxants. I'd like to share my experience with you.
I've been taking MRs for years now, always on an "as needed" basis. I took Flexeril for the first time, twenty five years ago almost to the day. I know that because my daughter was only a couple of weeks old and she just celebrated her twenty-fifth birthday.
For me, the result was a migraine headache so severe that I had to go to the ER. Months later, I tried it again, thinking maybe hormones caused the first reaction but the same thing happened.
Since then, the only MR I ever take is Carisopridol, 350mg. In the last six weeks or so, I've been instructed to take it up to four times a day, along with a Vicodin, for a severe headache caused by the OA in my neck. Well, the OA doesn't cause the headache, it causes the muscle spasms that cause the headache. Anyway, I am unusual in that I can take that drug combination and drive and function normally. Vicodin shouldn't affect me much but the Carisopridol should. On the other hand, a doctor once told my mother when I was younger, that the only thing that would knock me out was a hammer and I continue to be very resistant to drug grogginess.
My husband has OA in two lumbar disks and takes one Carisopridol at bedtime because it hits him like a ton of bricks! But it helps his back a great deal. It's an old drug but very effective.
He tried Flexeril but didn't like the hangover from it in the morning. He said it made him feel groggy and somewhat depressed. It does stay in one's system a long time whereas the Carisopridol is cleared in six hours.
Perhaps you could discuss taking Carisopridol, at least at night, with your doctor. It might give you some relief. There's also another MR that's similar to Flexeril but has a shorter half-life. It's called Skelaxin. My husband didn't like that one, either, but some people swear by it. As for me, I wouldn't try it because odds are that it would cause me the same migraine that the Flexeril did.
I hope you're making some progress with your back and are in less pain.
Result number: 140
Posted by Dr. David S. Wander on 11/02/05 at 13:13
Dr. Hauser is well known to most people that have researched prolotherapy or have any exposure to prolotherapy. I have a friend that performs prolotherapy and knows Dr. Hauser very well. I've had a few patients that I've referred for prolotherapy that resisted ESWT. Unfortunately, the results with prolotherapy and plantar fasciitis have not been great. Prolotherapy also is not covered by most insurance plans and can be very costly. I have seen prolotherapy work very well for many ailments of the musculoskeletal system and for migraine headaches, but so far it's success for plantar fasciitis has been disappointing. Ironically, it's mode of action is very similar to ESWT. In induces an acute inflammatory response which in turn causes an infiltration of fibroblasts and "good" cells which builds up the tissue and strengthens the area. Additionally, prolotherapists do not believe in the traditional approach of ice, compression, elevation or anti-inflammatories. They believe that all those actually inhibit the bodies own ability to begin the inflammatory response which is part of the healing process. Pretty interesting concept. I've done a lot of reading on prolotherapy, I just haven't taken the plunge yet.
Result number: 141
Posted by Ed Davis DPM on 10/31/05 at 17:50
You have made a good point in that if there are no studies on something, then one can say there is no scientific evidence to support it. The catch 22 is that someone has to do the studies. If I ran things I would try to allocate money for studies and assign studies to be done based on some rational formula that considers the needs of the public and the potential for public benefit. Since I don't run things, we will get scientific studies on the mating habits of bisexual Polish frogs (sort of a infamous example used a number of years ago when citing how government allocates grant money for studies) before outstanding issues such as ART, not to mention numerous other health related issues. I can mention that chirporactors who perform upper cervical specific manipulations cured me of headaches a decade ago but I have no studies to back that up just relate a personal experience. All I can say is if such headaches returned I would revisit that which seemed to help me. Considering that millions of Americans obtain chiropractic care every year, the nagging question has always arisen in my mind: "Why does not the NIH commission more studies in that area?" It seems clearly in the public interest to do so.
Dr. Ed
Result number: 142
Posted by Kathy G on 10/18/05 at 16:04
Thank you for all the kind words but I wasn't trying to inspire anyone or show off my great courage. I was telling a group of people, who I knew would understand, that I have finally come to grips with my disabilities and for me that is a huge breakthrough. I'm no more courageous than anyone else who has chronic pain and I hope no one thought I was trying to imply that!
I have a friend who has RA, Dorothy, and she keeps saying that she feels so bad for me because she doesn't experience any pain. No, she doesn't because she's on a DMARD, a drug that has horrific side effects. In her case, since she's been on it, she's had two bouts of melanoma and breast cancer. She has braces on her legs and her hands are terribly disfigured. She has Scleritis in her eyes. And she feels sorry for me! She is a true inspiration and an exceptional person.
Coincidently, I was just listening to an interview with George Clooney on NPR. I didn't hear the whole thing but I did catch the part where he talks about the serious injury he sustained while making a movie. He gained thirty-eight pounds for the part and did his own stunts. He says, that in retrospect, that probably wasn't very smart for someone forty-four. They did several retakes and he tore the dura of his spine and suffered extremely painful headaches and has had several surgeries. He still gets the headaches but he's doing better. He also has trouble with short-term memory. Because of his family history, he can't take painkillers as he fears addiction, so he is going for pain management. One of the things they tell him is exactly what Julie tells us. They say to accept the pain. That's so important. In his case, they also say not to kid himself and think it will go away. It will improve but he will always have these headaches. He said the acceptance is the hardest part. Aside from being an extremely good-looking man, he is quite wise and he's had a very bad year, personally, with many deaths in his family, besides his physical problems. But because he's made three movies, that he considers to be very good and extremely important, he says he will look back on the year as a creatively positive one. Now there's a guy who sees the glass half full! Although even if he didn't, with that face and that voice, I'd still think he's hot!
I foodshopped today and that's another thing I'm going to have to accept that I can no longer do. Between my hands, the PF and OA in my feet, it's just not something I can do anymore. What I'll do is go on a day my husband is home and have them bag the cold things separately. I can bring them in and leave the rest for him. He doesn't mind going with me and probably in the winter, he'll welcome the idea but right now, I don't want to take up his time off with food shopping. He does so many things I used to do.
I'm getting there; slowly but surely! And I thank every one of you for your kind words about my independence day!
Result number: 143
Posted by Dr. David S. Wander on 10/12/05 at 12:08
Elavil, or amitryptilline is not an addictive drug. It really is not a true pain medication. Elavil is used mainly for depression and to prevent migraine headaches as well as an adjunctive medicine for chronic pain management. As Elvis stated, it is a medication that should not be stopped suddenly, although you are on a very low dose. I would discuss your concerns with your doctor when he returns from vacation. Elavil is an odd choice of medications to use for plantar fasciitis and there are much better medications to use.
Result number: 144
Posted by Ralph on 10/05/05 at 17:00
Dr. Z,
Patients don't know about fraud or kickbacks when it comes to ESWT. They don't know about the Stark Law nor do they care. Bottome line is price.
The bottom line is that it's not their job to hunt down doctors who committ fraud or get kickbacks. Only the government and doctors care about these things. The government cares because it's job is protecting the public from bad doctors and the doctors care because they don't want to get caught.
Right now if doctors don't lower their rates they have dust collectors sitting in their office. Patients think long and hard about paying big bucks out of pocket for something that isn't a sure cure. Doctors didn't buy dust collectors they purchased ESWT machines because they saw EASY INCOME and $$$ in their heads. Over the long haul the use of an ESWT machine pays back much more than the investment and it doesn't have any big headaches attached like complications from surgery. Doctors saw a "sure deal" and they jumped on it. Nothing more or nothing less.
Doctors talk a good talk protectionism, but it all boils down to EASY INCOME. We've all heard the saying "NO PAIN NO GAIN", well ESWT to a doctor is "NO PAIN, BIG GAIN" in income that is.
Result number: 145
Posted by Kathy G on 10/04/05 at 00:05
I'll have to listen to these tomorrow as my husband is asleep in the next room. Usually nothing can awaken him but I'd better not chance it. It's one in the morning and I can't sleep. No headache for a change, neck no sorer than usual but I'm wide awake and came to play a few non-thinking games but came here first.
Neil Young is truly to be admired. He came back from life threatening surgery for a brain aneurysm and continues his charitable work. Have you heard anything from his new album? I guess it's supposed to be pretty good.
Thanks for the jokes. We're laughing here again!
Result number: 146
Posted by Dorothy on 9/05/05 at 23:30
Am I the only one who is so weary of these endless arguments about whose ESWT is better/bigger/stronger/safer/more effective and the exchange of taunts and challenges?? The cast of players changes from time to time - Elliott, Pauline, Dr. Z, Dr.Ed, Elyse, Elvis, and SO many others....
Sonucur, Ossatron, and I don't even know all of the names.
How often do you ever know the brand names of the mammogram machines that are used on you or the brand of MRI machine??? Good grief!
Is there or is there not a standard of care, an optimal form and process of standard treatment for these disorders discussed here?? I believe it was SteveG who so intelligently asked a question of that very sort here not very long ago - with no answer that I am aware of.
Don't you ESWT people have business conferences you go to to hash out all of these things??
Now we have Elvis appearing to threaten another poster regarding a "paper trail" from posting here.... Please, people, if someone has the truth to tell about ESWT, then please just tell it.
The great baseball player Albert Pujols has PF and had ESWT twice last year enabling him to return to playing - and now reportedly he is having great difficulty with his feet again.
How does this endless debate with never any resolution help anyone??
Who does it help?? It just gives me a headache and causes my eyes to glaze over.
Result number: 147
Posted by Cyndi on 8/20/05 at 20:49
Of course Ralph,
I see this especially when I go to the Dr's offices as I do not get out much. There is always someone worse and I think what do I have to complain about? but, the problem is my pain does not go away either and keeps nagging at me. Tonight I have my first headache in years.
We have to believe this will end, someday!
Take Care!
At least we have these boards to share and learn....
Result number: 148
Posted by Ralph on 8/20/05 at 19:14
Maybe that's the problem John, no one complains enough about the games airlines play with ticket prices.
You can ask an airline what is the lowest fare for a particular flight and they will tell you but what they don't tell you is that on that flight only 1 or 2 tickets will ever sell at the lowest price.
The guy sitting next to the one or two lucky people who were able to purchase the lowest fare paid a lot more to sit in the same type of seat and the only people getting the lowest fare are the airline employees who suck them up for
family and fiends as soon as they become available.
The other game I hate that airlines play is that they only allow a purchaser access to half the seats available in the plane. Once those seats are taken you can not book your seat on line or by phone, you must get your asignment at the gate or check in counter if you don't check in the night before on line.
They continue to provide headaches when you try to use air miles. It can become a nightmare and the hoops passengers have to go through to get them
on special promotions isn't worth the work.
In addition, trying to find a direct flight anywhere has become a thing of the past. If you want to go to the Florida Panhandle from where I live you're in for an 8-10 hr flight. Most of the time is waiting in a connecting airport.
Personlly I'd like to see a week's boycott of all airlines. No one or nothing moves via air. Let they suck on fumes for a while.
How many times should an airline be allowed to file bankrupcy? Cat's only have nine lives why should an airline have anymore????
Can you tell this is a hot topic for me? I hope your daughter gets home
on time and safe.
Result number: 149
Posted by elvis on 8/20/05 at 18:54
JOHN H.........I agree there is a place for COX-2 inhibitors. You miss my oint of the last post. It is pretty darned clear that the drug companies and the FDA knew many years ago about the gastro and caridac side effects of this calss of drugs. The COX-2 inhibitors were hailed as the "ulcer free" NSAIDs. That apparently is not true and I don;t know to this day of the FDA has acknowledged this fact. That was my point.
Now don't get me started on the whole theory of medicine in the use of NSAIDs for chronic conditions like arthritis or chronic ingestion to decrease polyps in the colon. It's an insane methodology!! NSAIDs basically inhibit or shut down prostaglandin synthesis. Prostaglindins are intracellular hormones that reluate many bodily funcions (inflammation, anti-inflammation, increased blood presure, decreased blood pressure, immune responses, etc). For many effects of prostaglandins they have anequal and oposite effect. Inflammation and anti-inflammatory responses are the typical example of this. When you take NSAIDs you shut down prostaglandin synthesis that produces inflammation. That's how you get relief. This repsonse is general in nature and not specific to arthritic joints. The problem is that NSAIDs also shut down prostaglandin synthesis for all other functions. This is not a real probel for acute episodes of inflammation (tooth ache, sprains, injuries, etc). For chronic conditions its insane to put people on these types of medications chronically. Looks what has happened....heart attacks, ulcers, kidney toxicity for cetain patients, etc.
Are you with me John H? How about if you could effect the prostaglandin synthesis for the "good" anti-inflammatory prostaglandins by taking a substance that increases those anti-inflammatory prostaglandins? Now that makes sense doesn't it? Duh!!! Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil, DHA, EPA) and the omega-6 fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (borage oil, oil of evening primrose) are fatty acids that produce such an effect. Omega-3s are essential fatty acids. I take both fish oil and borage oil daily. I avoid NSAIDs and Tylenol. I will take them for an acute episode of inflammation (headache, sprain, toot ache) but that's all. My analogy to NSAIDs is its like hitting a mosquito on your forehead with a sledgehammer. Quite effective if you hit the darned mosquito but can do some reall damage to other parts of the body. That's why the whole theory of thaking NSAIDs chronically for anything is INSANE!! It's just not a good thing to do.
John H if you have arthritis I suggest you do some reading up on the subject. First your diet probably contributes most to your arthritis. there are much more responsible ways to treat it than relying on NSAIDs.
Knowledge is power. Now go get some.
Result number: 150
Posted by Don L on 8/05/05 at 10:51
I had a headache once. I took some aspirin and said the word "abracadabra".
It seemed to work.
My point is that the mere fact that one event precedes another is poor evidence at best that the former CAUSES the latter. In this case, the commentor began using night splints (a scientifically proven therapy) and started taking cider vinegar around the same time.
Why not think that the splints alone did the trick, just as my saying "abracadabra" didn't help my headache? It's of course POSSIBLE that vinegar has some effect, but the evidence cited here does not support the claim that it does. I suspect it is epiphenomenal.
Result number: 151
Posted by Headache on 7/26/05 at 22:12
My husband has arch supports that were molded. He has flat feet. He has had these supports for about three years. Now he says they are not working and wants to go get new ones. Should i go to the doctor again or to the Good Feet store?
Result number: 152
Posted by Nadine on 7/19/05 at 22:17
This was in the latst Podiatry Online that I received today and i ws wondering if you think there is anything to this? Thanks so much for your input.
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Australian Researchers Purport Value of Corticosteroid Injections over ESWT for Plantar Fasciitis
By Joene Hendry
Studies increasingly assert that extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is an effective, non-invasive therapy for plantar fasciitis.
Researchers from Australia now question the use of low-dose ESWT in light of their findings that intralesional corticosteroid injections (CSI), which cost significantly less than ESWT, are more effective in reducing pain and tenderness at three months and equally effective as ESWT at 12 months post-treatment.
Mark D. Porter, FACSP, DSc, Orthopaedic Department at Ipswich Hospital in Ipswich and Bruce Shadbolt, PhD, Department of Epidemiology at Canberra Hospital in Garran, assessed patient accounts of pain on a visual analog scale and algometer-measured tenderness following CSI or low-energy ESWT compared with standardized stretching in otherwise healthy adult patients with unilateral proximal plantar fasciopathy for at least six weeks and no prior treatment.
All patients were instructed in a standardized stretching program, but 19 patients declined the other interventions and continued with stretching only. Sixty-four patients received an injection of 1 mL betamethasone (5.7 mg) combined with 2 mL lignocaine (1 percent) at the site of maximal tenderness, followed by avoidance of running or impact activities for at least 10 days. Another 61 patients received three low-dose (1,000 pulses of 0.08 square mm flux density) ESWT weekly for three weeks, without local anesthesia or sedation.
Three-month post-treatment assessments revealed significantly lower levels of pain and higher tenderness thresholds in the CSI-treated patients compared with the ESWT and the stretching-only group. By 12 months, however, the CSI and ESWT groups reported similar, low-end of the scale levels of pain, while the stretching group reported higher levels of pain. All three treatment groups had high tenderness thresholds at 12 months.
While all patients in the CSI group reported injection pain, only eight required analgesia and/or ice for a mean duration of seven days, and no patient experienced infection or rupture of the plantar fascia. Of the patients treated with ESWT, six reported throbbing pain and erythema, and four reported severe headache or migraine.
Writing in the May 2005 Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine [Vol. 15, No. 3, Pgs. 119-124], the authors concluded, �Once plantar fasciopathy has persisted for more than six weeks, intralesional corticosteroid injection is more effective than ESWT within the first three months with regard to pain and tenderness.� They suggested that �Careful injection technique and appropriate advice to the patient may minimize the risk of side effects associated with CSI.�
�At 12 months, CSI and ESWT were equally effective,� Porter told Podiatry Online, �but CSI was approximately 10 times more cost effective.� The authors noted that intralesional CSI treatment costs from $60 to $70, while ESWT costs from $600 to $800 Australian.
Click here to view the full study.
Result number: 153
Posted by Kathy G on 6/29/05 at 11:26
Recently, the subject of owning a cat came up. I said that a couple of years ago, I was hellbent on getting a kitten. I said my husband and Julie talked me out of it because I am allergic to cats. I said that Julie pointed out that I might get attached to the animal and then have to give it away. She also nicely pointed out, in the way that only Julie can, that one seldom outgrown allergies to cats and I had already admitted I get a headache at my sister's house because of her cats.
The person, a close friend, said, "Who's Julie?"
I said, "Oh, she's my friend in London."
She then said she didn't know I had friends in London and I told her she was my "internet" friend in London. I went on to tell her about the many friends all over the world I've made on this Board and she was amazed!
Julie's wisdom and encouragement have helped me through difficult times and I, too, miss her posts!
Result number: 154
Posted by Ralph on 6/18/05 at 10:49
Great going Dr. Zuckerman. If anyone can do justice to developing this new organization you are the man for the job. You've been at ESWT a long time and this might be the real breakthrough that is needed not only for doctors and venders but for patients and the insurance headaches they encounter. Maybe those will vanish because of your work.
Good luck in your new role "Mr. President", but I think most of us like the title "Dr. Zuckerman of heelspurs" better.
Result number: 155
Posted by Kathy G on 6/14/05 at 19:11
Now, if Julie were here, she would be able to describe the exercises I do much better than I but I'll give it a shot! The following exercises were given to me by the best physical therapist I've ever encountered. She seemed to instinctively know what I could and couldn't do and I was never sore from any of the exercises. With my body, I have found it's better to start with few repetitions and work my way up very slowly, and she actually encouraged my doing so. That being said, I was doing most of these exercises, but only once a day, not twice. Here it goes!
Sit in a straight back chair, feet on the floor and shoulders in a natural postion. Keep your head in a neutral position. Slowly turn your head to the left and look over your left shoulder. Stretch your neck as far as it will comfortably go. Do the same on the right side. Start out doing it ten times and work your way up to fifteen times. Do it twice a day.
Still sitting in the straight back chair, tuck your chin in toward your chest. Bring your right ear toward your right shoulder, stretching it as far as it will comfortably go. Do the same with the left side. Again, work yourself up to fifteen times twice a day.
Bring your chin to your chest. Link your hands and push gently on the back of your head, above the neck. You will find it gives you a much better stretch. Same number of times. Because of OA in my hands, I usually don't use my hands but if you can, it makes quite a difference
Finally, this one is tough to describe but I think it helps a great deal. Tuck your chin into your chest, as in the second exercise. Bring your right ear to your right shoulder. While holding this position, rotate your chin by looking up at the ceiling. This will stretch and strengthen the Scalene muscles. I was told to hold the position for thirty seconds and repeat it ten times a day (on each side). I don't do it quite that long because it causes the trapezius muscle to become numb but I do a set of five twice a day and will hopefully work my way up to the number I'm supposed to do.
Then there's the old shoulder shrug, where you shrug your shoulders up toward your ears. She never told me how many times a day to do it but I've been doing it for about thirty years, countless times a day. And if I crack, all the better! The PT wasn't so sure about that, but I find the crack makes me feel better.
And, last, lie on a surface such as a well carpeted floor but not a surface as soft as a bed. Put your head back, tuck in your chin and push against the floor. Do it very gently, pressure on and pressure off, very quickly. If done incorrectly, this can cause a devil of a headache called an occipital headache. Actually, she told me to do it initially and was going to show me how to do it while sitting in a chair but she decided not to chance the headache. I was told to use a pillow at first but I didn't feel I got enough of a stretch, so I got rid of the pillow. She said not to do it more than five times a day and she was kind of uncertain about this exercise for me, so I offer it for your consideration. Because of my cervical arthritis, she feared that this could do me harm. She finally told me not to do it but if you are certain you don't have cervical arthritis, you could give it a try. The times I did it, I thought it really relieved the tension in my neck.
So that's what I do. It helps but it doesn't take care of the pain in my clavicle which no doctor seems able to diagnose as anything but moderate arthritis. That just kills me when I drive or sit for any length of time, especially in a car or plane. I'm currently on 3-4 Carisopridol (muscle relaxants) and Darvocet a day and they are helping but they do make me tired.
And no, I don't work any more. I had to give up my part-time job of ten years (I was the manager of a Hallmark card department) six years ago because of my PF. After that, I worked less time in the library but after eighteen months, I had to give that up because of my feet and my hands. So, I'm a lady of leisure and thank God every day that we don't need my income to get by.
I hope these help you. Don't hesitate to ask me if you don't understand my directions. You can always email me and I'll make a copy of the sheets the PT gave me and send them to you. Let me know!
Result number: 156
Posted by Kathy G on 6/02/05 at 09:07
What great news, Judy! No orthotics in the running shoes either? Way to go! Here's hoping that PF rears its ugly head never again. It certainly gives the rest of us hope.
Your son must have been thrilled to have such great seats. My daughter's Christmas present to the family was four tickets to see the Red Sox play the Orioles on Tuesday night. It was also my husband's birthday. My daughter, my son, her uncle and my husband went to the game and had pretty good seats to see the Red Sox win. She didn't include me because a few years ago I finally officially declared that I that, unlike the rest of my family, I don't like baseball and I was going to no more game. I used to go to the games just to be a good sport. (I'm still a nice person, Judy, don't give up on me!) I get so bored at baseball games and I have never gone to Fenway Park without ending up with a terrible sinus headache. When I was in college, I went out with a guy who lived and breathed baseball and I went to so many games. All I can remember is the headaches! So, I was quite content to sit at home and they all enjoyed the game.
Hope your feet continue "heeling" and hope you rent that house soon!
Result number: 157
Posted by Ed Davis, DPM on 5/18/05 at 21:19
Lamisil should not be used on patients who have liver disease or who are taking other drugs that are hard on the liver. The major cause of liver failure in the US is actually from acetominphen (Tylenol). All one needs to do is to obtain baseline liver function tests to see where one's liver enzymes are -- a very simple and inexpensive test and repeat that test every 4 to 6 weeks. I assure you that if the liver function tests are performed then no one need worry. Keep in mind that patient often take a number of substances that are hard on the liver simultaneously. Alcohol is one of the more common things. Tylenol is a major culprit becasue it is present in so many things including cold medicines, headache medicines, etc. Patients who wind up in the ER with liver failure due to tylenol often are not realizing how many things they take that include tylenol. Cholesterol lowering medications also should not be combined with Lamisil.
Result number: 158
Posted by Walkingirl on 5/03/05 at 20:45
Friday, April 29, 2005 (Day 2)
8:00 a.m. I woke up with no pain. My toes are no longer red and most of the swelling has gone down. I have no bruises. It is almost noon now and still no pain and I have not taken any pain medication. I have full feeling in my foot except my heel. I have feeling there, but it is still numb. I have flexed my ankle area. I am avoiding flexing my toes today. As the doctor said not to flex the toes for 2 day. So far so good!
10:02 p.m. Today, I took Tylenol because I had a backache and head ache. I picked up around the house. I did not clean. I soaked in the tub. I went to the Humane Society and to my favorite second-hand store. I rested inbetween everything. I used the electric cart at Costco. I have felt fine all day except for the headache. I am starting to feel some discomfort in my arch close to the treatment area.
Saturday, April 30, 2005 (Day 3)
3:30 p.m. I have been out and about all day with my husband shopping for a tree. My heels are sore. I can do no more. I am going to rest now with the foot bath. Because of the pain, I feel depressed and nervous. My left heel feels the same as it did before the treatment (which is expected).
Sunday, May 1, 2005 (Day 4)
The feet were causing me stress. I used my foot bath and went to bed early.
Monday, May 2, 2005 (Day 5)
8:00 p.m. I went back to work today. I have a desk job. I forgot to take Tylenol with me. So I did not have any pain medication all day. Big Mistake. Today is my worst day. I guess the nerves in my foot are waking up because if I move my foot in a certain way or over stretch (non weight bearing stretches), I feel nerves I never knew I had with sharp, piercing pain running through my foot.
I went to heerspur.com and looked up Lori S. and Lynn F.�s messages of encouragement. I printed the messages and hung them up in my cubicle. I figure I will need to read the messages often to keep my spirits up.
When I arrived home I took it easy. My son fixed me a foot bath, and my husband made dinner. I wore my Z-Coils. They gave me some relief. I went to bed with a LorTab. Note: I think I was on my feet too much over the weekend.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005 (Day 6)
Today was a lot better. Because I work at a desk, I am training myself to do non weight bearing stretches before I walk. I don�t always remember. I need to make it a habit. Got home and my husband made me a foot bath, then after I massaged my calfs, ankles and feet. I did my stretches. I decided to take it easy on myself even though today is better. Not painfree, just better than yesterday. I did some exercises on the pilates ball. I have decided to document everyday for the first week post treatment, then once a week, etc.
Result number: 159
Posted by elliott on 4/12/05 at 08:45
Scott R, I thought I finally had it straight that only Scottr attracts your attention, not Scott R. Yet you responded promptly to Scott R. So now I have to ponder whether it's
a) still scottr but coincidentally you were perusing the boards
b) still scottr but you were contacted by a third party that you were being paged
c) really Scott R and my memory is foggy
d) either element of the set {Scottr, Scott R} now works
I have a headache. :-)
Result number: 160
Posted by Kathy G on 4/09/05 at 09:33
I, too, am going for PT for the arthritis in my neck. It was really getting bad but I had gotten some relief, at least in the clavicle, from painting. That painting motion helped me so much I almost cancelled the appointment I had with an ortho surgeon to see if he could offer some relief with a cortisone shot in my neck. Then I found out that our insurance is going to change - radically - and decided I should see him before all the rates go up and they add a deductible.
When I saw him, he said that he usually was able to pinpoint a trigger point on someone with arthritis but that I was so tight, and had so much arthritis, it was impossible. He recommended four weeks of PT, twice a week, with exercises, ultraound, cervical traction and massage. The PT thought that I had so many muscle spasms that she couldn't do much for me until the massage therapist did her thing. I went for PT on Tuesday and had my first massage on Wednesday. I'm scheduled for another massage this coming Wednesday but no PT until the next week. The therapist thinks I couldn't tolerate PT twice a week.
Come to find out, she could only add two exercises to the exercise regime I was already doing at home. One she showed me is deceptively simple but if done with too much pressure, one could end up with a terrible headache so I'm very careful doing it. I do get a headache every evening around 6PM or so and have for months and my hope was that a cortisone shot in the arthritic areas of my necks might help. This was the best therapist I've ever encountered. In the past, I've had terrible luck with PT because they always want me to make my body do things it won't do and I end up in worse pain. She seemed to understand that there are certain things my body just can't do.
I guess I'm in much worse shape than I thought and she and the doctor were so surprised that I wasn't in terrible pain. I'm either numb or I've had pain so long, it's become a part of my life. I think it's the former! :) I am now more convinced than ever that I have to keep moving so that I don't lose my range of motion. In fact, both she and the doctor said that I had excellent range of motion, so that was very encouraging. Actually the only encouraging thing either of them actually said.
Since I was last online - over a month ago? - I also went to another hand surgeon to get a second opinion on surgery. He, too, recommended replacement of the basal joint of my thumb. Once again, it's a quality of life issue and I'm opting not to have the surgery. I fear that ten weeks in a splint would render the other joints in my thumb, wrist and elbow, totally useless, not to mention how it would aggravate the OA in the other hand because I'd be over-using it. And the recuperation time is at least six months, with a whole year before you can go back to "most" of your regular activites with "less" pain. Maybe I'll do it down the road, but right now, the quality of my life is quite nice, thank you.
So that's my latest medical saga and I hope we all have good luck with our physical therapy! And I promise, the rest of my posts won't sound like medical reports!
Result number: 161
Posted by vince on 3/28/05 at 18:31
This dentist runs seminars for dentists from all over the USA on treating TMJ. A dentist I know attended his seminars and told me that he has had good sucess in treating TMJ including some patients who have had migraine headaches. Worth a look and some questions.
Result number: 162
Posted by vince on 3/24/05 at 18:10
Kathy- It's probably a longshot but some migraine type headaches can casued by TMJ. It may be worth a call to your dentist.
Verizon and DSL- UGH!
Result number: 163
Posted by Kathy G on 3/21/05 at 11:31
I have a migraine headache. That's why I said my sister "doesn't hardly ever wears the OTC orthotic." I just want you to understand that I haven't suddenly become illiterate! :) Obviously I'm in more pain than I thought or my Darvocet has really hit me because I was sure I had carefully read the message before hitting the "post" button! Sorry!
Result number: 164
Posted by KELUS on 3/17/05 at 22:54
Yes-there is WAY over 50 employees at my agency.
I went and had a long talk with the "big boss-aka: head honcho" in my division.
And he told me that he was not going to over-ride
my direct supervisor who made the assignment change.
He supports moving ANY employee around, because we all get paid
to do the same job, the same salary, and we are interchangeable.
I didn't mention anything except the headaches, and his only advice
to me was TO COME TO WORK AND QUIT CALLING IN SICK.
He also said he had been involved with the agency for 25 years, and he was *PROUD* to say that he had NEVER called in sick.....
THROUGH HIS MOM BEING SICK AND DYING, HIS FATHER DYING, HIS WIFE GOING THROUGH CANCER treatments, and his kids being young and growing up and are now in college.
Do ya'll know what all that says to me?
That he was a sorry assed husband, son and father.
Never called in sick in 25 years of employment?
Do you agree? Seems like he lives for his job, and his
family by all means comes in second.
So HIS ADVICE to me is to stop calling in sick and come to work.
GEE, WOW....I guess I will JUST CHOOSE TO STOP hurting, feet, head, legs, and tell my little 8 yr old son that he by God just can't EVER be sick again.
This is horse manure. Now I am pissed, ya'll.
I think I will see about contacting the pain clinic.
It is about an hours drive from my town, but hopefully
will be worth it.
And, maybe I will see a lawyer. I thought about filing a
grievance at work, but it would have been due to be turned in today,
and also, the grievance would have went to the 25 year super-employee I told you about (above) and I already have his answer.
blessings to you all!
Result number: 165
Posted by Mike M. on 3/17/05 at 13:05
Richard, I had a piece of rubber put on the bottom of my shoes so that they rock forward when i walk- it really helps with hallicus limitus but after the second day of wearing them my back muscles hurt and i have a bad headache from wearing them, my guestion is could the rubber piece be to thick? Are there different thicknesses for these these pieces and if you have made this repair how thick of a piece would you use?
Result number: 166
Posted by KELUS on 3/14/05 at 20:29
I sure will let you know.
Terri, I am hurting so bad at this very minute,
I am trying to keep from moaning.
Why do we have to live with this affliction?
BTW, has anyone ever had this remark for you:
"AT least you have feet--or--at least you have the USE of
your legs and feet........Some people don't have feet/legs, or
they are paralyzed..........
Blah, blah, blah.........
Not one single clue. Just like when I have bad headaches.
I have had people say, "JUST TAKE A TYLENOL".
*IF LOOKS COULD KILL SOMETIMES, do you know what I mean?
A tylenol?????????? How about some Morphine?
Anyways, I will get back to you when I find something out.
I will keep all of you in my prayers!
Result number: 167
Posted by Julia M on 3/01/05 at 17:30
Hi there,
Thanks Julie, for answering Dorothy's question. Yes, I'm in the US, and there are naprapaths in a lot of the major cities. One of the two accredited colleges of naprapathy, the Chicago National College of Naprapathy, is located here in Chicago, so there are quite a few of naprapaths practicing here.
Here's a link to a directory of naprapaths: http://www.naprapathy.org/FindANaprapath.asp
And here's a link to a description of what a naprapath does:
"Today, naprapathy is used to treat a wide array of ailments. Most common are back, neck, and hip problems, which in turn may produce systemic complaints such as low energy, tension headaches, digestive disorders, or unexplained depression, for example. During treatment, the spine is at times manipulated, but only to use the vertebrae as "levers" for stretching the soft tissue, not to alter their position (as in chiropractic subluxation).
Because Smith's teachings emphasized specific stretching or "mobilization" of soft tissues, naprapathic manipulation is not highly forceful. After locating areas of pain or rigidity (called "ligatites"), a naprapath will gently manipulate the tissues, stretch and massage constricted areas, and apply pressure to specific places (called trigger points) until the muscle, tendon, or ligament loosens.
The goal of this therapy is to restore natural flexibility and release tension, leaving the connective tissues pliable and in balance. This not only relieves pain and improves mobility, but enhances blood flow, nerve conduction, and the body's own healing energy. Like chiropractors, naprapaths will employ nutritional supplements and herbs to facilitate the body's ability to heal itself."
Result number: 168
Posted by Carole C in NOLA on 1/21/05 at 20:23
Kathy, I'm glad to hear that you are feeling much better! How terrific that the chills have gone away, and that you haven't developed the cough. Sorry about the headache.
I should probably take the rest of my cough medicine, rather than complaining about the cough lingering on. (duh!) I just stopped taking all my medicine when I returned to work. The cough medicine really works well.
Carole C
Result number: 169
Posted by Kathy G on 1/21/05 at 10:01
Thanks for inquiring, Carole. I'm feeling much better. I still am a bit tired and stuffy but I haven't developed the cough and the chills have gone away. I have a dull headache but that may be unrelated. I get so many headaches that it's not really a symptom.
Today is below zero with a windchill factor below zero although I can't say we have that much wind. My duaghter called me earlier to see if I wanted to meet her for dinner tonight but even though I've been in the house since Sunday, I'm going to control my immediate response, which was a big yes, and stay in.
I'm sorry you're still coughing. My sister had the cough as long as you have and they had to give her a couple of different kinds of cough medicine and an inhaler before it subsided. She also took two courses of antibiotics. Maybe you should call the doctor again?
Ah, yes, it is windy out, I wasn't paying any attention to it! Brrr....I'm staying in. My husband picked up a book they were holding at the library for me called "Angry housewives eating Bonbons." Someone recommended it to me. Just the title makes me laugh so I hope it's a good book. I'll curl up with that and maybe do a few washes since the washing machine and dryer does all the work and take it easy again.
Hope you begin to feel better soon!
Result number: 170
Posted by Kathy G on 1/13/05 at 09:45
Nasacort is an excellent nosespray for people who suffer from allergies. My son, daughter and I all use a nosespray. My son was put on two when he was eight. He had to use one of them four times a day and the other twice a day. He was no dummy. He realized how much better they made him feel so he carried the spray with him. Now, they've come a long way and he just uses one spray twice a day as do my daughter and I. Some people do develop nosebleeds from it and can't use it but we've been fortunate.
For me, it totally eliminated my "nocturnal asthma" as they termed it. At night, especially when it was damp out or we were going to have snow, I would get this annoying cough that kept me up all night. I'd also get a rash. I use Beconase AQ and it's amazing. It's also cut down on the number of sinus/allergy headaches I get.
I was first prescirbed Flonase but I complained to the doctor that there was still medicine in the bottle when you could no longer get it to spray and I was throwing away good medicine each month because I couldn't get the top off the bottle. He switched me to Beconase because the same thing happens but it has a screw off top so I can start a new one and pour what's left of the old one into the new bottle. Talk about a thrifty New Englander, huh?
My friend who has pneumonia says that they told her to drink tons of fluid to help keep the secretions thin. My mother, who had pneumonia at least ten times I can remember, used to be told the same thing.
Hope you feel better soon, Sofa Girl, and drink all day!
Result number: 171
Posted by Shell D. on 1/12/05 at 12:18
I'm just curious to know if anyone here on the boards has any experience with the medication Topamax? My neurologist prescriped it for my migraines. I started taking it last week,, 25 mg, then just increased it to 50 mg last night. I will stay on that dose for a week, then increase it to 75 mg for a week, then increase to 100 mg and stay on that dose providing I can tolerate it.
It's actually an anti-seizure medication that's FDA approved for migraine headaches as well. I have noticed a few minor side affects, nothing too serious. If it will get rid of the 3-5 day migraines, it's well worth it.
Just wanting to see if anyone here has taken it before.
Result number: 172
Posted by Carole C in NOLA on 1/10/05 at 07:48
I have every flu symptom I can find online but the headache, and Wendy's got that.
I heard about your rain! That is awful. Coastal Southern California just isn't used to much rain at all, and can't handle this much. I haven't yet seen any footage of houses sliding down hills... so I am hoping that hasn't started yet. They did show footage of cars abandoned in the snow, in the mountains to the east of LA.
Maybe it would be good for you to stay home or walk at a gym where it's nice and dry. Wouldn't want you to go back to being Sofa Girl again.
Carole C
Result number: 173
Posted by Ed Davis, DPM on 1/08/05 at 20:17
I think that leaving the front-slash off made it non-functional.
Try http://www.activatormail.com/
Result number: 174
Posted by Carole C in NOLA on 1/08/05 at 00:19
Wendy, that sounds awful! I am so glad that at least I don't have a severe headache. At least not YET...
Carole C
Result number: 175
Posted by wendyn on 1/07/05 at 21:43
Carole, I'm not sure what I have...
Went to the gym Sunday morning, did 25 min on the elliptical trainer and felt like a million bucks. Lots of energy. Between the gym and the change room I started to get a headache. 30 minutes later I had a full blown migraine and nausea. Spend all Sunday in bed.
Monday was more nausea and headache. Tuesday sore throat. Wednesday night I got a stuffy nose and a cough. The last two nights I've been up hacking most of the night. I have very mild asthma that only flares up about every 3 years when I get a virus like this. I sound a lot like a lawn mower that won't start. If I could get any sleep at all I would probably feel a lot better.
On top of that, I was taking tylenol for the headaches. When I take tylenol, I don't feel as much pain in my feet. As a result, I walk faster and then end up suffering once the tylenol wears off!!!
Fortunately, I did not get the aches and chills - but we had 3 people at work today with that. I hope you feel better soon!!!!!! Get some good Johnny Depp movies to keep you company. :)
Result number: 176
Posted by BLT on 1/03/05 at 14:27
Cant get that link to work. Is that the correct address for that mail service?
Result number: 177
Posted by Ed Davis, DPM on 1/03/05 at 11:43
I am keeping my former email at firstname.lastname@example.com but found a great webmail that quadruple filters viruses and spam: acitivator mail.
My address on that is firstname.lastname@example.com
I will probably make the migration to the new service slowly. Hotmail has made some upgrades but charges for their premium service. I would rather pay a little bit and not have to wade through pages of spam. If anyone has run into similar difficulties, take a look at activator mail ( www.activatormail.com) as it really seems to be a good product.
Result number: 178
Posted by Kim on 12/22/04 at 07:32
denise going to my reg dr. today we are going to ask to be referred to a new dr. I want a second opinion now. after the last appt with the pod. now i am 4 months post op & getting nowhere with this md. except a huge HEADACHE! he wont even order PT so i know my reg dr will. will keep you updated.
Result number: 179
Posted by Michael on 12/11/04 at 22:44
Hello all I am so sick and tired of living in pain. It's been a little over two years now that the bottom of my feet have been in pain. I am so fed up I no longer what to do live anymore. I have seen doctors and given up on them its just take this pill for that and this pill for this. I just don't know what to do anymore the pain is horrid never stops only the intensity changes. I don't even want to live anymore if you want to call this living. The pain is a real hell just burns and burns and burns. My pain is in the arches. Why can't the dam pain just stop. Why can't the body just heal itself istead of torturing me every second of my life. What did I do wrong to deserve this torture?? No one should have to go through so much pain it's worse then a jail sentence. Why am I in so much pain how long is this pain going to last if I only had the answer. I have lost interest in everything. I can't concentrate on nothing. It's like someone is holding a match on fire holding them there under my arches. I am almost at the point of going crazy. What do I do at this point? Doctors don't care they can't feel the pain or hell I am in. Seems like they have given up on me. I need help badly but I just don't know where to go to get it. I have seen a psyche but he can't feel the pain either. Just talks for a few minutes and more pills. I am so angy now being in all this pain. Before this I never took one pill well maybe for a headache or rollaids for the stomach. I don't even know who I am anymore pain can do a lot to a person. I just think this is the end. Again Why?? What did I do wrong to deserve this living hell. Sorry to be so mean but this is what pain has done to me. Michael
Result number: 180
Posted by Michael on 12/11/04 at 22:34
Hello all I am so sick and tired of living in pain. It's been a little over two years now that the bottom of my feet have been in pain. I am so fed up I no long know what to do live anymore. I have seen doctors and given up on them its just take this pill for that and this pill for this. I just don't know what to do anymore the pain is horrid never stops only the intensity changes. I don't even want to live anymore if you want to call this living. The pain is a real hell just burns and burns and burns. My pain is in the arches. Why can't the dam pain just stop. Why can't the body just heal itself istead of torturing me every second of my life. What did I do wrong to deserve this torture?? No one should have to go through so much pain it's worse then a jail sentence. Why am I in so much pain how long is this pain going to last if I only had the answer. I have lost interest in everything. I can't concentrate on nothing. It's like someone is holding a match on fire holding them there under my arches. I am almost at the point of going crazy. What do I do at this point? Doctors don't care they can't feel the pain or hell I am in. Seems like they have given up on me. I need help badly but I just don't know where to go to get it. I have seen a psyche but he can't feel the pain either. Just talks for a few minutes and more pills. I am so angy now being in all this pain. Before this I never took one pill well maybe for a headache or rollaids for the stomach. I don't even know who I am anymore pain can do a lot to a person. I just think this is the end. Again Why?? What did I do wrong to deserve this living hell. Sorry to be so mean but this is what pain has done to me. Michael
Result number: 181
Posted by Necee on 12/10/04 at 23:09
Any of you, or anyone you know have the flu?
I'm not talking about the common cold either, I'm talking about the full blown flu. Well, it's here in Texas. My husband got sick last week, he's one to never complain, and hardly ever gets sick, but I've never seen him this ill in all our years of married life. He's lost 10 lbs in 7 days, he said he aches all over, had a high fever, headaches, and has been sleepless for most nights this past week.
I'm sure doing my best to sterilize everything he has been in contact with. I don't want to catch it, especially right here at Christmastime!
If you've had it, or know of anyone that does please post, and tell me what works best to alieviate the pain and discomfort. The Dr gave him tamuflu, but it sure is taking a long time to kick in.
Happy trails...
Result number: 182
Posted by Dorothy on 12/07/04 at 15:06
John - see other note re. this post - but no kidding, this truly is an amazing thing.
My first car was a 1941 Chevrolet Deluxe which I bought for $65.00 in 1965 or 1966. Later I bought a 1950 Dodge(I think that was the year - it had a feature where you could drive either in manual transmission or in automatic; I think it was called "fluid drive" or something like that, but it could be used either way. Pretty amazing technology, too, really. It threw a rod I don't know what that means, but that was the diagnosis and I like saying it; it sounds like something Phillip Marlow, P.I. would say....anyway, it threw a rod and for a long time, I drove around town clanging and banging like something horrible was about to happen. It kept me and my passengers in bad headaches all the time, but other drivers kept their distance so I had the roads to myself!) Then I bought a 1953 Pontiac in 1967 or 1968 for about $125.00. As my dad used to say of cars (he was strictly an Oldsmobile man), "she was a beaut"). They all went the way of the junk heap for lack of money and good sense. It is the bane of my greedy little heart that I didn't keep those cars; I would be a rich woman today - I'm sure of it!! But as is too often true in life: you don't know what you've got until you lose it. That 1941 Chevrolet was my very favorite car of all cars I've ever had. With that one, you had to bang on the battery to get it started. So I kept a hammer under the driver's seat. I used to be a lifeguard and all the lifeguards would go out to lunch together. We had 30 minutes to grab a burger and get back to the pool. So this one day, I had a car full of lifeguards, all in swimming suits - and we wore our "LIFEGUARD" sweatshirts and pith helmets cause we were being cool. Well, we got a burger near the city jail and as usually happened, the car wouldn't start up again - so I grabbed the hammer and all of us swimsuit-clad 'guards got out to "work on the car". All of a sudden the city jail came alive with catcalls, whistles, hoots and hollers coming from the upper reaches of the barred windows. We hammered fast and hightailed it away from there, but we were laughing to beat the band. An old boyfriend of mine bought a 1957 Jaguaur for $700.00 in 1967. Then he couldn't afford all of its maintenance demands and had to sell it - but OHMYGOODNESS what a car! The SOUND that car made was truly a deep growl. I loved it. Gone, gone, gone.....Ok, thus ends my cars I have known and loved reverie. None of them had ONSTAR (but I had a hammer!)
Result number: 183
Posted by Kathy G on 11/18/04 at 09:12
Thanks for all the kindness. I was thorughly disgusted with myself but I truly had no one to blame but myself for overdoing it.
I called my orthodontist and have an appointment Monday morning for him to adjust my biteguard. Then, on Tuesday, I'm seeing my chiropractor to see if he can do something about my neck which is so affected by my TMJ and the fact that the biteguard is off, along with the stupid OA. Taking decisive action helped.
I believe that the problems we're all having stem from the change in the weather and the holidays approaching. My chiro doesn't set up a whole calendar of visits for people; you call him if you need to see him. He says he sees some people only twice a year: when it gets cold and when it gets hot.
Add to all that any external stress, which I've been experiencing as have some of you, and I think it results in sore feet and assorted other aches and pains. The holidays put undo stress on us, even if we're fortunate enough to have families who are congenial, which mine is.
My mother always said my head was my weak point. I used to tell her she should rephrase that :), but what she meant was I often got headaches when I was under stress. I was thirty-seven when she died and although I had chronic muscle spasms, I didn't have the problems I have today. Gosh, now she'd probably say my body was my weak point! XD
Result number: 184
Posted by denise g on 11/16/04 at 11:20
I would get in touch with my doctor, I believe headaches are a withdrawal sympton. SOme narcotics need to be tapered off under a doctor's direction when you have been on them for a while. Some of these narcotics that are prescribed can be quite addictive.
Result number: 185
Posted by Mia on 11/16/04 at 06:07
I'm having a severe headache(6days now), since I cut back my pain med's. Actually, I haven't taken any med's in 2 days......cut back to only taking one for 4 days prior to that. The thing is - I was taking them for the majority 3 months.(often) Is this a side effect of withdrawal? Should I get in touch with my doctor? I'm almost 3 weeks post-op and don't feel I need them any longer, but feeling this way isn't fun either.
Result number: 186
Posted by Ed Davis. DPM on 11/14/04 at 18:54
So you work for Ossatron and are in their favor. I will compliment you for revealing that since it is only fair that readers know where we stand and what our biases are.
I truly wish their were studies out there fro everything we do in health care, but lets face it, only a small percentage of what we practice is backed by the kind of studies we are talking about. Many jestingly mention that aspirin, due to all of its potential side effects could never make it through the FDA today. We know for a fact that, for most people, if you have a headache, taking two aspirin will make it better. Sorry but there are no double blinded studies to that effect and probably never will be. Much of what we do in healthcare is based on experiences from our personal practice and by comparing notes with hundreds of other practitioners, now thousands due to the internet. The bottom line is, studies or not, when thousands are being cured with low energy ESWT it is very hard to attribute that to placebo effect. Yes, I would love to see more studies, but experiential evidence dwarfs the numbers looked at it the studies.
Result number: 187
Posted by Pauline on 10/27/04 at 12:37
Your silver headaches are over. Use a piece of Al foil and place it in a plastic dishpan. Add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of Washing Soda, not Baking Soda. You purchase it at the grocery store where you purchase detergents.
Disolve the mixture in very hot water. I use boiling water. Add your sterling pieces.
A chemical reaction will clean the silver. Only one piece of silver needs to touch the Al foil and from then on anything that touches that piece or other piled on top will also clean by themselves. For larger pieces you will have to dip and turn them. I clean my sterling flatware this way all the time because it's quick and works well for my decorative pattern. Clean it fast even on Turkey day if you'd like, just make sure your rince it and wipe it dry. Don't let it air dry or you'll get those nasty spots.
Oh you can purchase Al plates to put in the pan if you desire, but Al foil works just fine. The plates are available on QVC.
Result number: 188
Posted by Pauline on 10/20/04 at 20:24
I'm really afraid that our voting system has become sooo corrupt that we will begin to make 3rd world countries voting systems look good.
Listening to the news yesterday, I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
Why in the world can't we get it right. I really don't understand why polling policies can't be the same in every state for Federal Elections.
We now have Florida saying provisional ballots can only be used if the voter is in their correct voting place, while in Ohio voters can get provisional ballots just showing up at any pole.
We ask for all the headaches that come from having sooooo many different voting policies. Who ever heard of walking into any precinct and casting a provisional ballot just because you showed up to vote, then you can of course go back to your own precinct and cast another vote. Why not just outlaw precincts and just open phone lines like on American Idol? The jerk getting the greatest number of votes from 9 - 10 PM becomes the next president of the U.S. Who knows they might even be able to carry a tune.
America wake up. Our elections have become a joke. We are now promising sex to people that cast the "correct" vote, allow people to vote anytime at any place and as many times as they want, and provide cocaine to get people registered.
It's beginning to make Iraq's elections look promising.
Result number: 189
Posted by Kathy G on 10/09/04 at 10:27
Even the study that triggered the removal of the drug from the market said that there were no side effects until after the drug had been taken for eighteen months. I agree, Ed, that short-term use should still be allowed. And I wouldn't be surprised to see the drug come back, under a new name and with different indications, in the next few years.
I have a friend who has fought terrible migraine headaches for the last twenty-five years. She just went on Vioxx and it has been a miracle. She's a teacher and this is the first time she's gone this far into the school year without a migraine. And now they've taken it off the market! She's beside herself. No high blood pressure, no family history of heart disease.... Her doctor switched her to Celebrex but I don't think taking it for migraine headaches is one of the indications. She also has arthritis so he's not prescribing it off label. I sure hope it works the same way for her but I have my doubts. That one little molecule difference between Vioxx and Celebrex seems to make a great deal of difference.
Result number: 190
Posted by Ed Davis, DPM on 10/06/04 at 15:14
I suspect that that plays a large role. The Merck rep came by to take back samples. He did not get them all -- I saved a few for when I personally get a backache or headache, but cannot give them to anyone else. I have talked to several docs, they are still scratching their heads on this one....
Result number: 191
Posted by Suzanne D. on 10/05/04 at 17:29
I'll hope that you remain headache-free today, Kathy!
Suzanne :)
Result number: 192
Posted by Kathy G on 10/05/04 at 16:44
Thanks for the good wishes, Suzanne! I took one yesterday and could feel the start of the headache coming on at the end of the day so I didn't take one today. Then I realized that the headache could have been as a result of my allergy so I took one at 2PM. So far, so good. I'll just have to hang in there and try it and see how I make out. It's hard to take something you think will give you such a headache but it's the only thing I can do.
I'm also going to get some flax seed oil capsules as Ed suggested.
Result number: 193
Posted by john h on 10/05/04 at 11:49
Wendy my daughter has been on Vioxx for about a year. Celebrex gave her headaches. She is now looking for a replacement.
Result number: 194
Posted by Suzanne D. on 10/05/04 at 08:12
I'm thinking of you, Kathy, and I hope you are able to take the Celebrex without getting headaches!
Suzanne :)
Result number: 195
Posted by Kathy G on 10/04/04 at 08:50
I saw a Merck spokesman on television who said that the release of the new drug may be delayed due to the Vioxx recall. Interesting that they are going ahead and training their reps. I think he said the new drug had been used in Europe but I may have gotten that part wrong. I was in too much shock at the idea they were taking my Vioxx off the market!
By the way, think of me for the next few days. My husband, who had just been put on Vioxx recently, called the doctor and he gave him a RX for Celebrex. I took one of them today and will see, maybe four days from now, if I get a headache from it. As I remember, the last time the headache didn't start for a few days. And then I was too dumb to realize the drug was causing the headache for a few more days! DUH!
I still think that it's only a temporary fix and that they'll pull Celebrex for the same reason but maybe it's a different drug despite the fact that it's also a Cox II inhibitor.
I'm glad I have no money to invest in the stock market because I just wouldn't know which stock to buy, right now: Phizer or Merck. :) By the way, years ago, when I was a teenager, I had a boss whose brother-in-law worked in some financial dpartment of the government. I have no idea in what capacity he worked or if what he did was illegal, but he'd call my boss with hot tips on stocks to buy. Every single time my boss bought the stock, he'd lose money! He finally decided to thank his brother-in-law but not buy the stock. A few times that he did that, the stock went through the roof and he'd have made a mint if he'd bought it! It just goes to show, unless you're Allen Greenspan, you've got to be careful with stocks!
Result number: 196
Posted by Kathy G on 10/01/04 at 09:25
Thanks for the concern, Carole. You're so thoughtful. I have decided to wait until next week and then I'll call the doctor and see if he will let me try Celebrex again. As I've said, I have reservations about that, too. I wonder if we're going to go through the same thing with it in a couple of years. And of course, I don't know if I'll still get the headache from it.
Ed, I do take some of what you mentioned although I just went and took a fish oil capsule, which I haven't taken in ages because it repeats on me. I read in Consumer Reports that if you keep it in the freezer, it's less likely to cause that reaction. Even if it does repeat, it's better than having a heart attack! I've been taking an 81mg enteric coated aspirin at bedtime for years. Not sure if I could take more because of my GERD and the fact that I had an ulcer (prior to Vioxx). I even have my two children (twenty-three and thirty) take the aspirin as that is one thing that seems to be very clear-cut in the medical community.
I, too, was wondering if I could occasionally take the Vioxx without a problem. I don't know what to think and I don't think anyone in the medical community really knows what to do. In an article in the Boston Globe this morning, one expert from Mass General (I think) said that these people who suffered cardiovascular events were predisposed to them prior to going on the Vioxx. That said, shouldn't that have been taken into consideration? Maybe he's wrong; I haven't read that anywhere else but information seems to be filtering in slowly.
I have never tried the Bromelain although I do know Scott talks about it and I remember someone on these Boards took it. Maybe that would be an option.
Medical science is wonderful but as we make the advances that we do, we are more apt to run into problems like this. As with HRT, we sometimes have to weigh the risk/benefit ratio and decide what's right for us as individuals. Because they recently put my husband on Vioxx, and because we mail away for our prescriptions, we currently have over 180 Vioxx on hand. I can either return them to the company for a refund or I could take one every three days for quite some time. I think he can probably take Celebrex.
Bottom line is that as long as my doctor knows what I'm doing, even if he doesn't approve, it will be my decision. Given my ongoing problems with inflammation, I know that I have to treat it or it's going to cause more and more problems for me. My chiro doesn't call me the "Queen of Inflammation" for nothing!
Whatever the case, it's a beautiful day and I'm going to take advantage of it and figure this will resolve itself one way or another.
Thanks for all the advice, Ed.
Result number: 197
Posted by Kathy G on 9/30/04 at 12:05
I can't get to the link. My computer keeps freezing up. I suspect it's due to high volume. I will be very interested in reading the results of the actual study. I do know that the last one, last month, was definitely flawed. It said that people who took Vioxx were at risk of suffering a heart attack but when you read it, it was talking about much higher doses of Vioxx than are normally prescribed. Interestingly, the damage always took place in the early stages of taking the drug. This study says that there is no increase in cardiac events during the first eighteen months on the drug. That's totally contradictory to the first study.
Last week, I went to my rheumatologist, who ironically, prefers Celebrex to Vioxx, and he and I were talking about the results of the study of last month and he said that none of his colleagues were paying any attention to it because it was so flawed.
You have to think, however, that if the company pulled a drug that millions of people take, there has to be something to this study. Merck has the reputation of being one of the more responsible drug companies and has always put patient safety first, unlike some of the others. I wonder if it had been a less responsible firm, would it have withdrawn the drug or just put warning labels on it?
Interestingly, there have been no studies lasting longer than a year on Celebrex or Bextra. It makes me wonder what those might show up. Pfizer sure isn't going to run right out and start such a study voluntarily but I wonder if the FDA will require them to do so. Or can they, now that those drugs are on the market?
As for me, I'm sunk. I can't take any of the NSAID's because of my stomach and quite frankly, until I read more, I wonder if I should even start on Bextra. I suspect that Celebrex would still give me a headache. Headache is not listed as a side effect in the literature, by the way, but I wasn't going to make my doctor make out all the paperwork that goes with reporting it to the company. I already take a low-dose enteric coated aspirin and for the time being, I'll just take one extra. Or maybe I'll stay on the Vioxx for a while longer and wait until the dust settles. I've been taking it for five years with no ill effects. One thing for sure - I don't want to call my doctor about this for the next week or so. They must be going crazy with telephone calls.
Result number: 198
Posted by Kathy G on 9/30/04 at 09:05
For those of you who might miss it, Vioxx has been taken off the world market by Merck after a three-year study showed that it significantly increased the risk of heart attack or stroke. The risk increased after the first eighteen months the patient took it. I would supply a link but the websites are so busy, it's hard to get connected.
For those of you on it, you should call your doctor and see what he suggests as an option. For me, Celebrex gave me one of the worst headaches I've ever had in my life, both times I tried it. I've been on Vioxx since 1999. I should keel over any day now! No smiley faces for me to click on but that's a joke!
Bextra is also an alternative as are Naproxen and all the other oldies. Your doctor will know.
I'm sure you're all going to hear it but I just wanted to give you a heads up. Remember, your pharmacies will have trouble supplying the alternates for a while, so if you really need it, call your doctor today so you'll be one of the first to get a prescription for an alternate drug.
And let's all pray our 401K's didn't invest heavily in Pfizer stock!
I posted this on the Treatments board, too. I was just thinking that most people who post on these boards are very well informed and probably know this but it doesn't hurt to reiterate.
Result number: 199
Posted by Kathy G on 9/30/04 at 09:03
For those of you who might miss it, Vioxx has been taken off the world market by Merck after a three-year study showed that it significantly increased the risk of heart attack or stroke. The risk increased after the first eighteen months they patient took it. I would supply a link but the websites are so busy, it's hard to get connected.
For those of you on it, you should call your doctor and see what he suggests as an option. For me, Celebrex gave me one of the worst headaches I've ever had in my life, both times I tried it. I've been on Vioxx since 1999. I should keel over any day now! No smiley faces for me to click on but that's a joke!
Bextra is also an alternative as are Naproxen and all the other oldies. Your doctor will know.
I'm sure you're all going to hear it but I just wanted to give you a heads up. Remember, your pharmacies will have trouble supplying the alternates for a while, so if you really need it, call your doctor today so you'll be one of the first to get a prescription for an alternate drug.
And let's all pray our 401K's didn't invest heavily in Pfizer stock!
Result number: 200
Posted by Kathy G on 9/24/04 at 09:09
I missed that headline, John. That would be Hostess who also made the infamous Hostess cupcakes. When I was in elementary school, I brought my lunch every day from grades 4-8. It was always the same since when I find something I like, I stick to it. According to today's standards, I should have been fat (I was skinny), inactive (I was a tomboy) and probably dead!
I'd bring a bologna sandwich, made on white Wonder Bread with mustard, a Hostess cupcake (that was the package that contained two cupcakes - it cost a dime!) and a raw green pepper. At school, we could buy milk (whole milk only) for three cents a carton.
I ate an occasional Twinkie but I didn't really like them. I sure loved those Hostess Cupcakes!
Ah, Atkins and South Beach are doing a job on the food industry. My questin will continue to be: If the Atkins Diet was so great, why didn't everyone who was on it about thirty-five years ago stay slim - and on the diet?
My daughter, who's not big on fads, surprised me by telling me she was going on the South Beach diet to lose a few pounds before the wedding she's going to be in. She's not overweight but has put on a couple of pounds. Being a good mother, I kept my mouth shut because she's a big girl and I shouldn't interfere.
She called me the next day to say she probably holds the record for being the quickest to fall off a diet. She lasted three quarters of a day! She said she was starved, dizzy, had a headache and felt generally lousy. She was going back to watching her calories and exercise. Thank goodness!
Result number: 201
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