DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... Had My EMG Today

An EMG is a nerve and muscle test, that tests the function and health of muscles and nerves. As some know, I have been having issues with my back, and also with my feet.

The EMG shows nerve and muscle damage to both legs below the knees, and damage starting in my left hand. Ugh. It's sad, because my pain doctor has been acting like I was imagining things or something .... so having this test show damage should eliminate that particular train of thought .... but it sucks knowing that I have permanent, progressive, and (currently, anyway) irreparable damage to nerves and muscles.

Oh well ..... I just wanted to vent.

Sorry to hear this. Maybe the Dr will believe you now and give you proper treatment.

I have the same thing..nerve pain can be unbearable at times even with the medicine I take.

I'm glad you got "proof" so to speak but man I feel for you.

Maybe if your interested one day I'll show you in a PM what the Cleveland Clinic did to my neck and you'll understand why I have sympathy.

I'm sorry to hear that bud. It's good to vent though, and this is a great place for that.

It sucks being in the position of either being nuts, because they can't find the cause of your pain ..... or else having permanent damage that is only going to get worse .... and not being quite sure which one is worse.

I understand completely on the medication. Nothing seems to help much. The things that works best for me are Aspercreme with Lidocain, and a TENS unit. Those 2 things have maintained whatever sanity I have left.

Well, at least now I know (and the doctor knows) for certain, and there is no more debate on this aspect of things. Hopefully the Clinic will be able to offer some constructive options that can help.

I use a tens unit daily..been on a high dose of Lyrica for a few yrs...so Y=town I understand...Nothing takes nerve pain away..have it from my neck and shoulders to every limb in my body. Its like I'm on fire with weird sensations of and needles in my hands and feet.

Ad in no feeling in some spots and over sensative in others and damn you cant win.

I understand my friend.

Ytown -

What happened to you that made you have a bad back? Was it from a work-related accident?

I've always been curious, as well.
And Y... would a change in physician be worth considering? I mean, if the guy isn't trusting his patient's word....

quote above by Y:

"It sucks being in the position of...being nuts"

That Newspaper Reporter correspondence course I took is really paying-off.

Hey Y, The only wishes I can have for you are:

1) Of course, that the pain subsides all by itself,
2) Short of that, that the doctors prescribe effective pain relief for you.

I'm convinced that there are effective pain relief medications, but doctors would rather cover their asses and not prescribe them for you.

You see, if you're in pain, it's not a problem for the doctor.

If you become dependent on pain medication, the doctor now has potential exposure.

Being dependent on prescription pain medication is not necessarily a bad thing. It's not a good first option, but it's better than pain. Isn't it?

Regardless Y, you're in the thoughts of some screwball Browns fan in Rocky Hill CT.

I feel for you, My Dawg.
I can't imagine what that must be like.

Oh, and T.E.N.S. units.... I have one that I use for elbow pain. Love the thing. It gets really bad from Thanksgiving through New Years- our busiest time of the season. Sometimes after concerts, it will take me 1-2 minutes to straighten my elbow from the playing position. 30 minutes with Mr. T, and I'm (almost) good as new.

I realize that repetitive stress injuries are nothing like neural pain, but thought you might like knowing that others are getting T.E.N.S. treatments, too.


For you uninitiated, TENS stands for

"Transcutaneous Electronic Nerve Stimulation"

Attach two electrodes on your skin to either side of the injured part/send gentle electrical impulses through. For all but the most severe cases, the pain simply melts away. Amazing stuff.

Clem thanks for that. Its awful...the pain never stops. I use the tens while posting here..daily for a couple hours..it helps.

To the guy that thinks pain meds will help and be ok...no offense but I'm on stuff that can drop a horse...and I'm telling you nerve pain is MISERABLE.

It can dull your senses but man nerve pain is no joke. I FEEL AWFUL for anyone dealing with this.

I'd give anything to make it stop...and would give everything I have/own to make it stop and have my health back.

I shared proof of my condition with a poster here in PM's not that he doubted but because I got some stuff from people here doubting things Ive said and felt compelled to prove myself.

I consider you a friend to that poster and appreciated you listening.

Clem THANKS again...it means a lot to people like me AND Y-town

I despise being treated like a drug addict just because I complain of pain. I've just learned to live with mine because these neuropathy pain drugs are useless.

I agree with everything you just wrote. If I didnt have a heavy dose of pain meds I wouldnt be able to do anything.

Y-town I didnt mean to derail your thread this is one topic I understand intimately.

My feet are in constant pain on top, and numb on the bottoms.My 2 smallest toes feel like the Incredible Hulk is crushing them in his hands. That's really the only way I can describe it.

Someone mentioned changing doctors, and I am going to the Cleveland Clinic next week. I don't want to make a change, though, if the new doctor is not going to do anything for me, so I am going for a consultation before I fire my old doctor.

The doctor I am going to see at the Clinic does not use narcotics, which is also a huge plus for me. Plus they have some patient assistance programs, which could, potentially, lessen the financial burden on me.

You know I understand your pain as well as anybody bro. Your description of the hulk crushing your feet is perfect. That's what it feels like when I have to wear shoes. The pain is bad enough when your just sitting or laying around bearfooted. Add socks and it's even worse. Throw on some shoes and walk for a while and watch the tears start running down your face. I still refuse to take any pain meds but man it sucks. This is one of those cases when I can tell someone I feel their pain.

Brother I did this route as long as I could...man more power to ya if youre able to do so. Ive got something going on they found out after my stroke that goes way beyond nerve pain and THAT was the determining factor to start the narcotic route...and that route is a two edged sword..for me man it seems I'm allergic to alot and least, very opioid sensitive.

I'll put the good thoughts your direction and hope you get some bearable relief.

People who dont go through severe chronic pain have no clue...I do this many days and it makes my wife cry watching and being helpless. I'm at the point I cant cycle anymore and need a cane for anything other then short distances.

If someone is in a hurry walking with me they are just crap out of luck...I do a ton in a pool and that is about the only exercise I can do that isnt very hard on me...used to swim like a fish now its a life jacket but I love being in the water.

You already know, you GM have all the good thoughts I can direct also.

Ytown i know you've been fighting this for along time. Hope you can someday get some relief from your pain.

I haven't worn socks for almost a year now. I just can't do it. In the winter, I cut off a couple of pairs of socks so that I could keep my ankles warm, but over my toes? No way!

71, you're right. No one can possibly understand chronic pain without experiencing it. I typically sleep for about an hour, before my feet or back wake me up. My feet get dramatically worse when I lay down, which sucks. The thing that makes chronic pain even worse is that doctors cannot always test for it, and there are too many people who fake it. It paints everyone who suffers from chronic pain with a "faker" brush. Every test I have had done, prior to this EMG, hasn't shown anything all that bad, that should cause severe pain. I saw a neurosurgeon at University Hospitals, and he said that my MRI showed some things ..... but that there was no "open and shut" track to take, as far as surgery. He said that they used to do surgery on cases like mine, but the outcomes were basically 50/50, and so he now wants patients to take every other possible route before they start cutting. I have heard too many horror stories about back surgery to want to rush into that.

One good thing about the Clinic is that they have programs to help people with limited finances .... so hopefully I'll be able to start taking some steps that might help. My current pain doc wanted me to do epidurals, but that costs me almost $1000, and I can't do that. I hope that I can get back to a place where I can work a few hours a week, and start to feel like a useful human being again.

Anyway, sorry. Rant over.

Thank you nor. (and everyone else with similar sentiments) I appreciate it.

I'm sorry to hear this. I hope you can get some relief from the pain. I had severe back pain and sciatica about 20 years ago. After physical therapy failed, I ended up having a partial laminectomy of L4-L5 disks, and it was the right answer for me.

Have you ever tried acupuncture? (I never have, just thought I'd ask.)

I have thought about it, but haven't done so yet. It's another thing that I will probably try though.

Hey YTown I don't mean to hijack this thread, but since it's about medical issues I wanted to get your input as well as others on this topic:

I was watching a Vice episode about ALS yesterday, and I was wondering:

For you guys with chronic illnesses or pain, and there's no sign of it decreasing, how do you feel about the FDA not letting chronic/terminal patients take experimental drugs?

I mean in their cases, what's the worse that can happen?

Would you guys be willing to take those if they allowe you to? To at least provide data for the scientist trying to come up with a solution?

I think anyone who has a dire illness should be able to try anything and everything they choose. I watched one of my best friends go from a "Weekend Warrior" to dead within a matter of years because of ALS.
That disease takes everything. I mean EVERYTHING from a person. I sat at the edge of the bed and watched him take his last breath because of the MF'ing disease.

He was 43 years old and it took a good man from a vibrant father of 3 to someone who couldn't eat, breathe or move on his own.

Our motto from the day he was diagnosed has been "F*ALS" and will continue until there is a cure, a treatment or I die...

Oh... I apologize, YTown. I hope that you can get your issues under wraps. My kids have added you to their prayer list.

Mi

Swish I can't speak for Ytown but I hate chorionic pain. I had oa attach my joint'. I have tried so many drugs to relieve it that I can't use almost any pain med's without itching. I'm looking for something new.

You are a good man. I wont speak for anyone else on this its my own view point. I would eat an umbilical cord for the freshest stem cells if it meant it would help...take that stuff and inject it into my brain stem..I wouldnt care. Give me any experimental drug for scientific study.

I think anyone thinks its not moral can stick it. End of life stuff due to awful disease is horrific to see. Going through it is terrible. From the moment you find out you have something that is going to be a slow painful death...is a feeling worse then one can imagine.

This could be a great thread topic Swish...I'm just not for sure on how serious it would be taken...man I think Ive been called a liar..someone trying to put me on blast..to just thinking I have some kind of nefarious reasons for coming to this board. But for me to put out in the open my health problems and deal with what would come from that may not be the right thing for me to do.

Ive been very open on this board...coming from a very private life/personality type person to talking and being an open book has not been easy.

For those healthy cherish it...for those not..I understand and you have my utmost respect for speaking on it...its an ugly topic in this country with pain meds or experimental meds to the physically disabled.

WV if there is an afterlife your friend appreciated what you did even if he wasnt able to tell you in the end...I hope I have a friend half the person you was in that moment when my time comes.

Damn I'm checking out...I'm not hiding crap..want to know freaking ask...Want proof freaking ask..Id thought as much as Ive posted my personality has come through..and good or bad I am who I am..and have been honest with the people here.

Have a great night everyone...Swish it is a great topic for a real honest discussion...I have no confidence it can happen.

I think that people with any kind of diseases (like ALS and such) that cause the body to waste away should be allowed to try any experimental treatment they want.

Thank you WV. Prayer is always greatly appreciated.

YTown;

It's not as bad as what your facing, but I know what nerve pain is like. About three years ago I had a pinched nerve in my neck flare up, caused severe pain in my lower my right arm. I'd wake up in the middle of the night in agony, almost wishing someone would cut my arm off. That went on for about three weeks until meds and time 'fixed' it. Been fine since although I'm a lot more careful with my neck now.

If I had to deal with that every day, I would be getting some killer weed /or stay drunk.
Not kidding.

My father suffered from neuropathy in both feet his last few years, and I witnessed the extreme pain and discomfort he went through. I empathize with you and am saying some prayers that you'll get some relief.

Back in 2000, I had a nerve that was impinged in my collarbone/shoulder. No one could figure it out, until I was finally sent to an orthopedic surgeon, who immediately saw what was wrong, and did the surgery 3 weeks later, and immediately fixed the problem. I am hoping for a similar outcome with this, at least in part.

Back pain isn't easy.. Neither if foot pain.. I'm sorry you are going through this. Best of luck man..