I just got home from my neuro appointment. I meet him every 4 weeks, and every time we tweak my meds.
The last 2 visit's he's brought up referring me to a pain specialist as he's filling out a percocet prescription. This visit we scheduled another MRI, 3rd one in 7 months, and I'm sure at the next one we'll refer to the pain specialist.
I lack faith in the MRI as I had just about as much pain at the last one and was sure they'd see something, but they didn't find anything like they did on the first one, but the first one was done at a different hospital, on a different machine, with a different radiologist......the first one found a lesion at the location of my pain.
I'm wondering from those of you who have been to the pain specialists, are they a lot better than your neurologist for facial pain? Do they switch your meds all around or go off what you're already prescribed?
Right now I take 150mg nortriptyline, 1200mg oxcarbazapine, 60mg cymbalta, 5mg percocet and still have pain. He said the front of the face pain is atypical TN, but he said the pain/numbness/tingles at the back of the head and down the neck are part of a broader scope of "progressive atypical cranial facial pain".
He mentioned checking the thalamus for "Thalamic Syndrome" and the MRI order under symptoms he wrote "? thalamic lesion" and "extra axial vascular loop".
Shindig,
I’m too lazy to go look at your profile and I forgot are you in Washington State? If so, Washington had this nutty new law with opioids or narcotics, and you have to see a pain specialist. It’s an odd law and a pain the butt at that. So this could be one reason your neuro brought this up. If I’m wrong on the state please excuse me.
Now on to your other question. A pain specialist my want to change the dose or a medication for you, if you have not done a nerve block and are a good canadit for one may one to do this as well. I had one pain doc I ran away from as fast I could for a long list of reason, a second pain doc that switched all of my medications and did not know what to do with me in end as nothing helped or I had issues with from the long list of medications I tried with the second pain doc, and my third pain doc so far has been the charm. He put me back on one of my medications, and put me back on a slow release and immdent release opioid. We are still adjusting medications to control the pain levels better at this point. I’m hoping at one point well get to the perfect dosage for me.
I would recommending to look up the pain doctor your being refered to and see what their ideas are on how to handle pain and if they break it down further such as face pain, back pain, and so on. Hope this helps you a little.
That seems like a lot of MRI's in such a small period of time, I don't think I would subject myself to that. The first one I had, just about did me in . . . Our one tuff man to make it thru that!!!! I'm unsure about all of the other possible list of diagnosis you might have. I have yet to even find a neurologist I like! So your one step ahead of me! I guess I have nothing left to say expect, good luck!! Keep us posted, I would be interested to hear if the pain dr was helpful to you . . . . for your sake, I hope so!!