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Severe Back Pain


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Hello All,

 

I posted this today on my blog but wanted to post it here also to get the most feedback I can.  Please excuse the length of the post.  I tried to be as brief, but concise as possible in explaining the a chronic pain problem I am struggling with.

 

So some history: Before tapering off the Valium, I had a pre-existing back problem.  The bottom right side of my back got injured somehow (?) during or right after my pregnancy b/c I began having terrible pain there, esp. at night.  I don't know if this was protracted withdrawal or what???

 

Anyway, it has now been two and a half years & the pain has only gotten worse.  I went to lots of doctors & specialists, got an MRI, went to a chiropractor for months, went to physical therapy, got massage therapy, took suggested supplements, bought a tread milll and walked, did home exercises to strengthen my core, tried to lift correctly and stopped picking up my little girl so much, but still I am in awful pain. Also, I am not overweight, eat a healthy diet, and only wear good tennis shoes everyday for my back.

 

Over the years the doctors' have told me that I do not have any spinal problems and the problem is "just" muscular. So, right now I just try to cope with the pain.  I take Tramadol daily and Vicodin on occassion (I do not abuse these drugs).  I also take the maximum recommended doses of tylenol and ibuprofen daily.  I get up several times a nite when my back seizes and spasms and do my muscle rub, back stretching, heaing pad routine until I can fall asleep again.  I have recently ordered an expensive TENS unit online b/c I heard it can help. Overall, I'm  desperate at this point since nothing else has worked.

 

Anyway, I haven't really mentioned my ongoing struggle with my back on this site because I didn't think it was important.  The truth is my back pain problem is harder for me to deal with sometimes than the benzo taper.  In addition, the reason I am sharing about it now is that the back pain has become much worse lately, especially over the last week.  I have now tapered to 19.5 and am sticking at that dose. Still, I am wondering if ithe increase in pain may be connected to tapering the Valium, since it's a muscle relaxer.  Still, I have not read about anyone else complaining of severe muscle spasms/pain in a localized area of their body as a withdrawal symptom. 

 

So I'd like to ask if anyone else has heard about a w/d symptom like this (severe, chronic muscle pain in one area or an area that had already been injured)?  I am considering trying to go see yet another doctor about my back, but do not feel optimistic as I've seen so many doctor's who have said the same thing "It's just a sore muscle that needs rest and you need to strengthen the opposing muscles".  I tried to do that over and over and am not better.

 

Anyway, thank you very much for listening.  It feels good to vent some. Chronic pain just sucks!

 

Of course, I would appreciate anyone who has any feedback. 

 

Thanks,

Maggie

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Hi Maggie

 

I posted a tiny reply on your blog, mainly just support, but seeing as how you asked for more info here I will tell you about a couple of things that I have learned (am still learning).  (I didn't post in your blog because i am often very insecure that people think I talk to much, one of those things)

 

1.  My wonderful psychiatrist has told me that people with anxiety disorders actually have an increased number of pain sensors in the brain.  It has to do with how adrenaline works long-term in a body.  There are many systems it messes with and one of them is the pain sensors.  Therefore when you are in a state of increased anxiety you will actually feel pain more acutely.  I am not telling you this is all in your head, please don't take it that way.  It is just one option to think about.  It is possible that the w/d is causing more anxiety in your body and this is turning on those extra pain sensors. 

 

2.  When I went off clonazepam the first time I had a severe and blinding headache that started after I had engaged in ummm how to say this descretely, lets just say hubby and I had some fun.  I ended up in the hospital and they did a ton of tests including MRI, CT scan, 2 spinal taps etc.  Nothing turned up.  The pain was excrutiating to the point where I was having small seizures.  No one clued in until my psych doc got involved and she said it was obviously from going off of the drugs.  In the end they figured what had happened was the teeny tiny muscles that are on the side of my head went into prolonged spasm. 

 

So I for sure think that the drugs are making your back pain worse for a whole ton of reasons.  These damn drugs are the nastiest thing on the earth!!

 

Hang in there Maggie! 

 

Lori

 

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Hi Maggie,

 

Benzos are muscle relaxants. It could be that withdrawal is ratcheting up muscle tention.

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  • 1 month later...

i wore a tens unit day and night (not sleeping with it) for a yr or more - it helped - i had it just high enough not to cause a spam - scares me that i have knots all over my body on benzos and now i am getting off.

 

i am not as bad as i have been in the past - but a new door is starting to open - so far so good.

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  • 5 weeks later...

I don't know if this is O.K. or not for back pain, but I occasionally take a pill called "flexeril" for severe muscle spasms.  I am off work after having degenerative disc disease in my neck and now it appears my back and having a cervical fusion of my neck. 

 

Now that I am trying to get off of benzs (for panic disorder & anxiety), don't want to take anything.  Flexeril never appeared to be a drug I wanted or needed to be on (no physical or psychological dependence at least with me).  When I get severe muscle spasms, just take flexeril for a day or two and they seem to go away.

 

I believe that the valium (it was prescribed to my husband just for muscle spasms once) may be affecting why you have an increase in spasms. 

 

However, after being on too much prescribed medicine, I wouldn't recommend any medication for anyone for anything any more.

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i think all pain pills are inflammatory - i have been given big bottles of them - but ya know i noticed all they did was drug me - never did make the pain go away and of course then you have constipation which may cause you to forget your back pain - but not a good trade.

 

i have found yoga to help, tens unit to help heat to help and occasionally ice helps - i am presently searching for a miracle cure - or a cure that everyone knows about but me - or that some people know about i have not learned yet.

 

my neck has spurs all over it and i am getting a widows hump - all seems real necessary to me - but you need the right answers to deal with these things so if anyone hears of a drug free way of dealing with it please let me know - that will be my next crusade.

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