Hi.I have a chronic bad back. I was in a helicopter crash in Vietnam in 1969 and I have had problems with my back ever since. I have learned that when I do work I will have to deal with pain afterward. Usually my pain is down my right leg, stops at my knee, and lasts from three days to three weeks. In September, 2014 I did a lot of work inside and out on our RV. My wife and I waxed the sides and I cleaned and waxed the roof of our RV on my hands and knees. It took me two days but it really looked good when I finished. But instead of pain down my right leg I had pain down my left leg all the way to my toes. This time the pain has not gone away. My doctor put me on hydrocodone and it helped a little but I could not ride in a car sitting up. I had to tilt the seat back and every bump hurt. Then I went through Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia or OIH. OIH is when an opioid drug reverses effect and starts causing more pain then my pinched nerve. After three days of level 10 pain I then went through another seven days of withdrawal from hydrocodone and Tramadol. I ended up in the ER as I was pacing the floor day and night with only a few hours’ sleep each night. It so happened that I had an appointment with my VA doctor on day ten of my withdrawal process. I told the doctor my story and she suggested a non-narcotic pain medication called gabapentin. Gabapentin can have bad side effects but for me it was a God send. I am ninety percent back to normal. I can once again drive a car and sit in a chair, something I haven’t been able to do since September.With my RV cleaned up and looking good, except for the black streaks I notice are creeping back, I’m ready to go somewhere. DW and I did not go south this winter as we planned a spring trip to Southern Utah. As it turned out I could not have made the trip south and I think we will reschedule our trip to Utah and make local trips until I know how my back and leg pain are going to work out.Luckily, we live near Seattle and we are having a warm winter with no snow.Safe travels.JD

Gaba is pretty good and it is hard to overdose, as large doses are tolerated well. It is a better sleeping pill than a pain killer, though. Tramadol does not have a lot of side effects..... I can tell when my dosage falls too low as the pain returns. My miracle drug is hydroxychloroquine, which you will remember as a malaria drug from Vietnam. my arthritis pain becomes debilitating, but a few days on the chloroquine gets me moving again.

Sorry to hear of your problems, especially a number 10 pain. I have the junior version of what you describe. I couldn't walk on my right leg. I have spinal stenosis which is the narrowing of the spinal column and can be caused by a few different things. My doctor said it's because of the 4/5 disc pushing on the spinal column. Anyway it's a back problem with pain in my right hip, knee and foot. It also goes up my neck and into my head. I have a constant dull headache. I have now gotten one epidural steroid injection and it has helped quite a bit. I had tramadol and meloxicam but dont want the side effect risks of long term use. Ibuprofen is helping where it made no difference before. I'm also doing the physical therapy exercises and riding my bike. Thanks for sharing as I didn't know about the reverse effect that can happen with a pain killer. We are used to just doing what we need to do but are now more limited so it may be time to start paying someone to do some things for us. I joke with my wife that I'm now going down hill but I'm not really worried about it. We just have to adapt and keep moving on. If we just sit there we will be dead sooner. I hope your condition remains under control and you are able to travel. Be safe and enjoy.

Quite frankly, I'm concerned about doctors that would put you on the opioid******before they even TRIED Gabapentin!!!!!! I, too, have had back pains. Went to a pain clinic upon the request of my new doctor (more of a "here we go again" attitude on my part) and was shocked when he said he could help me! After 35 years of pain, he did a simple procedure in his office where he basically (in my language) used a laser to cut the minute nerves. After cutting 8 nerves, I am able to hike, walk, sit, sleep. :) :) :) Good luck.....

I had my debilitating back pain and pain down the left leg pain cured with Nonsurgical Spinal Decompression. I have been pain free for six years now.You can get more information about this procedure by using the web address below:http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/guide/spinal-decompression-therapy-surgical-nonsurgical

My dogs have arthritis and we give them gabapentin. It's done miracles for them. I was injured in a helicopter crash in New Mexico in the 70s while in the AF. I had compound fractures to both legs just below the knees and had a steel rod go through my groin and out the side of chest just under my left arm. I tried using the VA for treatments after I retired, but it takes six months to get an appointment and the hospital is 120 miles away. They never give me any input into when the appointment will be, they just send me a card telling me to be there at a specific time and date. I called to complain once and they took another six months to get me a new appointment. They prescribed a medication for high blood pressure once and it made me really sick as soon as I started taking it. I called to see if I could get back in and they told me it would be another six months to get the medication changed. I gave up and bought private insurance.

Wow, What a ride. | Good Sam Community

16 Replies

down_home
Explorer II
Mar 20, 2015
I've tried it all. In a week or two I see a pain specialist at the VA. he has helped me a lot. He stopped the Sciatic nerve pain by burning it. I think he talked of doing the same thing in lower back at the base. I fell out of a helicopter and my cossix and tail bone and lower disc too a beating, on the skid and then the PSP. It put a fine crack across the cossix. Day after day night it is constant pain including the disc in neck and electricity aling shoulders , dead pinkie finger and muscles in hand and wrist and along left arm and constant tennis elbow. Right is getting involved. VA won't fix anything. I've found an outside who did independent emg on neck back and arms and hands. It wasn't a pretty picture. I hope they can fix the disc and solve some problems. White cell count is up at ever check. That and the constant itching and fogginess and exhaustion have me worried to when I'm alert enough to worry. It may be too late.
64Trvlr
Explorer
Mar 08, 2015
I'm also a disabled Vietnam Vet. One of the drugs I'm on for "phantom pain" is Gabapentin, I'm on 1200 mg three times a day. It does help, I try not to use my Demerol any more than I absolutely have to.

I've had a lot of severe pain over the years and after fighting an infection for 6 years with little to no help from the VA I got sent to the Mayo Clinic. They got the infection under control and I had them cut my leg off. I had had 26 operations on my right leg/knee and finally the infection ate what was left of it and it was time to move on.

I love tent camping but in poor weather my new (to me) camper is really nice.

To my fellow Vietnam Vets, WELCOME HOME Brothers and Sisters and THANK YOU!
W4RLR
Explorer
Feb 27, 2015
I am glad gabapentin works for you. Be careful though. I cannot take it because my kidneys were damaged by vancomycin therapy, leaving me with ten percent function in my kidneys. I have to take oxycodone for chronic back pain due to a service connected injury. Can't switch to gabapentin as it would probably kill off my remaining kidney function.
D_E_Bishop
Explorer
Feb 26, 2015
I have stenosis and before they could get a scan done I used OXY all the way from Norco up to the strongest stuff available. I am now on a nerve pain med and doing pretty good. Sure beats all the side effects of OXYCODONE. I do have a balance problem in the morning but it beats all the meds I took to counter OCD meds. What the problems the OP has sounds like it is stenosis or bulging discs putting pressure on the sciatic nerve. I have had two lumbar epidurals and the second one has done more good than the first which means that the MD may have found the best location for future epidurals.

As far as military service and support from the Feds, I can't comment for fear of being poofed. I am a Cold War Vet and according to the VA none of us suffer from PTSD. Tell that to my family, friends and civilian Doctors.
Yellowboat_
Explorer
Feb 19, 2015
Pepperoni wrote:
Gaba is pretty good and it is hard to overdose, as large doses are tolerated well. It is a better sleeping pill than a pain killer, though. Tramadol does not have a lot of side effects..... I can tell when my dosage falls too low as the pain returns. My miracle drug is hydroxychloroquine, which you will remember as a malaria drug from Vietnam. my arthritis pain becomes debilitating, but a few days on the chloroquine gets me moving again.

Thanks to all that responded to my post. Without the internet we would not know how many people are in pain.

I'm so sorry for everyone's pain. I have pain most of the time but until recently I have been able to work through my pain. Since September I have not been able to do anything other than lay in bed or on our couch. I'm one that likes to be up doing some sort of project. That said, no matter how bad I feel, I keep in mind that there is always someone who is having a worse time then I.

I remember hydroxychloroquine in Vietnam. We took it once each week at lunch. Right after lunch there was a long line at our three hole out house as everyone that took hydroxychloroquine had diarrhea. I stopped taking it because of diarrhea, and I was lucky that I didn't get malaria. I was a door gunner on a helicopter and was everywhere from Saigon to an island off the south tip of Vietnam.
oldtrojan66
Explorer
Feb 19, 2015
Yellowboat, maybenack and others, First, Thank You for your service to our country! I am also a Vietnam Vet, but did not participate in combat. I was a support guy (ok, clerk, if you must know), but I am very sorry for the way our government (whoever is in power) treats our Vets. My unfairness gland is very sensitive and this really sets me off. I was taking Norco for a while, also Furinol #3 w/codeine, but wanted to be off the opioids. Had some cannabis issues in the 70's and I don't remember my back ever hurting then! Of course, there is a lot I don't remember about that period. Best to you with your pain treatment, and again, thanks for serving.
Halmfamily
Explorer
Feb 19, 2015
Completely understand. I take Diclofenac for the swelling in my back and it helps a lot. For pain its Ultracet and only take when I really hurt. Glad you are feeling better. The backs seem to have a mind of there own, hurt today, conquer the world tomorrow.
traveylin
Explorer
Feb 19, 2015
tried gabapentin for 6 weeks for a combination of diabetic foot pain, arthritis and bad knees. the initial feel good lasted for a couple weeks only and problems of forgetfulness started. gaba works by blocking nerve signals in your brain and has some side effects.
I figure hurt is better than comatose. since the fed gov has put unreasonable restrictions on proven pain management medication, many will be looking for a new method of dealing with it.
Mr__Camper
Explorer
Feb 19, 2015
rjxj wrote:
mabynack wrote:
My dogs have arthritis and we give them gabapentin. It's done miracles for them. I was injured in a helicopter crash in New Mexico in the 70s while in the AF. I had compound fractures to both legs just below the knees and had a steel rod go through my groin and out the side of chest just under my left arm. I tried using the VA for treatments after I retired, but it takes six months to get an appointment and the hospital is 120 miles away. They never give me any input into when the appointment will be, they just send me a card telling me to be there at a specific time and date. I called to complain once and they took another six months to get me a new appointment.

They prescribed a medication for high blood pressure once and it made me really sick as soon as I started taking it. I called to see if I could get back in and they told me it would be another six months to get the medication changed. I gave up and bought private insurance.

I was never in the service but that's one thing that grinds my rear. How in the heck can this happen to the people who put their lives on the line for us. Unbelievable.

10% of L.A. homeless are vets. On average 22 vets take their own life each day. Wait times have been reduced at VA Hospitals but are still too long. How can any of that be happening in 2015?
azrving
Explorer
Feb 19, 2015
mabynack wrote:
My dogs have arthritis and we give them gabapentin. It's done miracles for them. I was injured in a helicopter crash in New Mexico in the 70s while in the AF. I had compound fractures to both legs just below the knees and had a steel rod go through my groin and out the side of chest just under my left arm. I tried using the VA for treatments after I retired, but it takes six months to get an appointment and the hospital is 120 miles away. They never give me any input into when the appointment will be, they just send me a card telling me to be there at a specific time and date. I called to complain once and they took another six months to get me a new appointment.

They prescribed a medication for high blood pressure once and it made me really sick as soon as I started taking it. I called to see if I could get back in and they told me it would be another six months to get the medication changed. I gave up and bought private insurance.

I was never in the service but that's one thing that grinds my rear. How in the heck can this happen to the people who put their lives on the line for us. Unbelievable.

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