Wow, What a ride.
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
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
