Re: [TMIC] medication
Htufresno(AT)aol.com
Sat, 5 Jun 1999 00:05:16 EDT
Hi Benny. My name is John and I've had TM for 7 years. In the beginning I was
just paralyzed, level T4. My attitude was , I was a paraplegic and I was
going to make the best of it. In the first year my knees started to squeeze
themselves together, so tight I had to roll a towel to keep the knees apart
to avoid pressure sores. My skin began feeling very sensative and the inside
of my torso was feeling strange. I described it as "a sunburn inside". My
body was changing and changing for the worst. Pain inside, skin sensativity
like I can't describe. First med was oral baclofen.
That made me very sick and didn't work. Then other anti depressents, I forgot
all the names. They didn't work. The doctor sent me in to see if baclofen
administered direcly to the spine would....it did. It worked so well a pump
was installed in my belly to pump baclofe directly to my spine. My knees were
no longed pasted together. Now the pain was to be addressed. I went from more
pills to morphine mixed with the baclofen. The dosages were increased then
decreased then increased and decreased....while this was happening I was
taking oral medication to see if they would work with the pumped stuff. I was
really bummed. I was depressed and in no way the person I use to be. Three
years and 4 trips to the hospital for toxcitity from the med I was taking at
that time....Later ....One day my brother told me to sign on to this group
and it was here that I learned of neurontin. I asked the doctor for some and
at first it was no help. He told me to give it time. I didn't feel any relief
to 4 months. Finally it kicked in and life was beginning to look better. Now
I take baclofen intrathecally and neurontin orally.
I feel I know what you're going through......we all do. Educate
yourself and your doctor because he can't know everything. Don't look for the
quick cure....there isn't any. And take life one day at a time. If it weren't
for the bad times I had .... I wouldn't appreciate the good times.
take care.......john