Btw… I am very happy with my spinal stimulator. It was implanted in December 2014 and I am almost pain free. To me taking fewer mess so that I can function was worth it, even if I am not 100% pain free. 80% is worth it to me!
I am a 25 year old ATN (TN2) person. Vicodin saved me before I got diagnosed, I used it 10mg once a day, along with 800mg Ibuprofen in order to sleep 4-5 hours a night, that was the only way I could sleep. I did that most nights for 3 months. I survived the days on alternating Tylenol an Ibuprofen occasionally switching out a Tylenol shift with 5mg of Vicodin. My pain has not stopped for 10 months now, not for an hour. I have been on a few medications that alleviated my pain. Lyrica worked wonders at only 75mg twice a day, but after 3 weeks it caused me to fall into a deep, dangerous depression and increased anxiety way out of my control. So I recommend it with reservations. Nortriptyline is now my main line of defense, I am still adjusting the dose, but I would happlily recommend this, it has the bonus of combating the depression that the pain, sleep deprivation, and Lyrica had worsened.
I wish you luck! If it is working for you hopefully your doctors can understand that. I get narcotics when I have kidney stones (lucky me, right? >.<) I ration those babies, my last lifeline!
Sending you good thoughts,
Erika