I just can’t seem to catch a break. I got the blood patch yesterday which fixed the spinal tap headache that I thought was going to kill me, and now I’m having breakthrough pain behind my eye that nothing is helping. The pain management doc I saw before the blood patch put me on exalgo 8mg once a day to try to stop the ups and downs of the oral dilaudid I was on every 8 hours. It doesn’t seem to be doing the trick. I’m still taking norco every 4 hours. No relief. I even threw a maxalt in just in case it was migraine related. Nothing. I’m miserable. I had my second mvd 2 weeks ago Monday and its just been misery ever since. I don’t know what to do. I’m at my wits end. Suggestions?
I am saddened that you are in pain again. Have you tried just sleeping for a very long time?
I take zoplicone nightly for sleep. Maybe get something to knock yourself out with.
Smash
Tried sleeping last night but could only get 2-3 hours at a time. Going to try again right now but if this doesn’t do the trick I’m ER bound 
Have you tried Tramadol? Low level narcotic kinda med - that seems to work on more people here than moraphine does!
My dog that we had to put down a few months ago was taking tramadol for her hip pain. We have some left over. Maybe I will give that a try. That just sounds like such an awful thing to do, no?
((( heather ))), I hope you catch a break soon…thinking of you. Contact your surgeon and discuss otherwise I agree, ER might be best. You need rest and minimal pain to adequately recover from your surgery!!
(( hugs )) Mimi xx
So I took an extra exalgo RIGHT before my pain management doc called me. He said up my neurontin to 600mg four times a day. I asked if I should take an extra exalgo and he said no. Oops. Too late. No harm done he just didn’t want to go there yet. Anyway, the combo knocked me out and when I woke up…NO MORE BREAKTHROUGH PAIN!!! It’s a freaking miracle. I’ve still had some smaller attacks, but nothing like the constant unbearable pain around my eye. I’m super duper out of it. Totally loopy, but I will take that over being in that much pain any day. I didn’t tell my pain doc about the extra exalgo but I will next time I talk to him. I did lots of research online and I’m on the absolute lowest dose possible so I’m not too worried. I won’t so it again without him telling me to. Anyway, just wanted to share that my breakthrough pain quit without a trip to the ER!
I am so glad you got to sleep. It often helps me. The only problem is I tend to want to sleep ALL the time. 
Glad you are on your feet again.
Smash
Glad you got some sleep, Heather. Sounds like it was a nightmare.
I’m TN2 and GPN and HFS. Sleep is the only thing that works for me. I also use tramadol on a daily basis to get through the hump of the afternoon and it helps me get some work done. I also take my 3,600 gabapentin 4 times a day and that helps even things out. Also just added trileptal.
Smash, glad to see some else here takes zoplicone. I’ve taken it every night for over three years. But can’t get more than 7 or 8 hours, sometimes only 6.
However, sleep is the only thing the breaks up the daily build of pain.
Heather I hope you have some quiet days now.
Bells
Just did a quick search an of course zoplicone isn’t available in the us. I tried ambien many years ago and I HATED it. It made me hallucinate and freak out and I threw the bottle out my apartment window lol I had bad insomnia last night but I think my sleep schedule is just off from surgery and everything else I’ve been through. I’m just going to take my sleep when I can get. I can feel that damn pain coming back behind my eye again today. I hope I can get it in check. Thank you so much everyone here for all your support!