Banjaxed Back

McChubbin

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but I really need to talk about this and get it off my
chest as it is causing a great deal of worry.

Firstly, some background information:

For as long as I can remember, my back has been twisted more times than a pretzel.
I always had low-grade problems that were generally percieved to be little more than "growng pains" but the real trouble
began when I was in my very early teens during a trip down to the country.

Whilst idly staring out the window in the backseat of my dad's car, we were suddenly thrust into the path of a Tayto truck
that was coming the other way.
Apparently, my father had unwittedly driven down an unmarked one-way street and had he not slammed
on the breaks-missing the truck by MILLIMETRES-I probably wouldn't be writing this today.
Yet, despite escaping almost certain death, I didn't walk away from this near miss completely unharmed.

No, the power of the breaks was so strong that they caused me to jolt forward with such force that had
I not been wearing a seatbelt, I would've gone through the windscreen.

I ended up with severe whiplash which I'm certain has never truely healed.

Fast forward to 2004. I'm 16 years old and on the way to catch a bus into town for some reason or other.
The bus comes along 10 minutes late (as is the norm in Dublin) and I step on board, blissfully unaware of the horror
that would unfold in less than 30 seconds.

Seeing there were no available seats on the bottom, I made the uncharacteristic move of heading upstairs.

The bus pulled away from the stop as I ascended, causing my already shoddy balance to skew.
Still, I clung to the rail and hawled myself up to the top of the stairwell.

My right foot had barely touched the last step from the top when the horn sounded with a deafening screech
and the bus shuddered to an abrupt stop. To this day, I've no idea why the driver slammed on the breaks like that
(my guess is some Adidas-clad geebag in a Ford Escort ran a red light) but the consequence of it was that I lost my
foothold and went flying down the stairwell, almost ripping my arm out of the socket in the process.

It was lucky that I'd held onto the rail, otherwise I would've cracked my skull open on the rough metal panels at the bottom.

Dazed, bashed and bleeding from where my knee had collided with every step, I screamed at the bus driver
(not a smart move in retrospect) for being such a wreckless driver but he just looked at me with that
all-too-familiar souless, nilalistic glare that befits the face of all Dublin Bus drivers.

No-one came to my aid-they just gawked, staring at the woman who'd just fallen arse over tits down an entire flight of stairs on a moving bus. No-one even asked if I was alright, let alone bothered to help me to my feet.

As the bus route was close to my grandmother's house, I stayed on for as long as I could,
crying with agony as my body ached in places previously unknown. Getting off at a stop closest to my reletive,
I hobbled to my grandmother's house and nearly gave her a heart attack when she saw the state of me.

A dash to the local GP followed. My injuries were moderate but serious:

The cartilage in my kneecap had all but been completely obliterated by the impact of getting slammed into the steps,
I had multiple scrapes and scratches, most of my right leg was one swollen mess of purple, zombie-esque bruises and
worse of all, my left shoulder was semi-dislocated.

I was a train wreck.

It took weeks to recover and to this day, my knee gives me no end of trouble.
I'd love to say that the dickwad driver responsible for this horrific tale was stripped of his license and
castrated with a spork but sadly, I have no such luck.

My mother was so shocked and applauled by the state I was in that she called head office to lodge a formal
complaint, yet the only answer she recieved was "Eh, it's on file."
Although we tried to pursue the matter, there was little we could do as apparently, the bus stairwell was a "black spot"
and as such, there was no CCTV footage.

That was the end of it.

Or so I thought.

Yesterday, after enduring 5 years of ningling pains in my spine that come and go,
I woke up in such an extreme amount of pain that I nearly threw up. All day yesterday, I was stricken with nausea
and could barely turn my head without whincing.

Fed up of this recurring nuisance, I ambled over to the doctor's surgery over the road and
explained everything I've just typed to my GP. After looking over my medical records and a quick examination of several
vertabrae in my neck, lower lumbar region and the discs in my shoulder, she came out with the following:

If the pain doesn't improve after a fortnight regime of anti-inflammitries, joint gel and painkillers, I've to be referred to a neurologist and undergo physiotherapy.

If the neurologist finds that the pain isn't improving, then I'll most likely need to get a freakin' MRI SCAN ON MY SPINE.

If that wasn't shocking enough, I have a wait of at LEAST 1 year just to get an APPOINTMENT to SPEAK to a neurologist
on public healthcare but if I opt to go private, I'm looking at a hospital bill of at least €600-1000.
Then, if it turns out that I have a slipped/herniated disc as my doctor suspects, then I'm facing the possibility of
invasive, expensive surgery that could potentially mess things up even further.

What can I do?

You might think I'm jumping way ahead of things but I know my body well enough to know that this pain isn't minor.
My back has been ****ed up for far too long now and I'm sick to my back teeth of putting up with the aches, twinges and pangs day in and day out.

By the merciful beard of Darwin, I really hope that physiotherapy is all that's needed to sort this mess out.
That I could deal with, but an MRI and possible surgery?

Talk about a head trip.

The worse thing out of all this is that there's a high likelyhood that I'll never be able to take the bus driver to court.
I know the exact date, time and route of the incident, yet, without the veichle number, driver's name or CCTV footage,
I can do nothing to prevent that lunatic from endagering another person's life.
It also doesn't help that the legal system in this country is such a joke that he'll no doubt walk free.

Urgh.

I've no idea what to do.
I'm fearful that my back won't respond to the medication-the pain has been largely resistant to most
treatments over the years and I fear it's only a matter of time before it gives out compeletly.

I'm going spare over this and I needed to talk about it as the possibility of surgery puts the frighteners on me.

Zaph

I think this might be better suited to LTI, but mods feel free to bounce it back if you don't think it's for you.

Moved from PI.

Bonito

I'm in the same position as yourself but not to the extent you are, then again you've couple years ahead of me.

Due to car accidents, working with heavy loads that I was not trained properly to handle etc my back is in absolute tatters. I went to my GP and the 1st Q he asked was am I a swimmer and I said no I've barely even been in a pool because I cant swim and he said well that's a bit alarming. The lats in your lower back are massively developed as if you were a keen and experienced swimmer. I was then given difene for when I had bouts of pain but he also gave me exercises to strenghten the muscles around my spine. He referred me to 2 hospitals for MRI scans and said I'd be waiting about 6 months. No word in 6 months so went back to him and he sent off another 2 letters. It's now been near 2 years and I still have not recieved word from the hospitals. Same as yourself I have been offered to go privately for the MRI scan but it will cost me 500-600 euro PER SCAN! but I'd be seen in 8-12 weeks.

Like yourself it deteriorates rapidly from week in to week out. Especially when I cease exercises. From visually looking at my spine my GP could see several compressed discs and vertebrae that are literally rubbing against each other because the cartilige has been compressed to a wafer thin layer between the vertebrae. My spin gives off awful grinding and cracking noises and I know that when I'm older I'm going to be in cripples of pain with my back but I can do nothing but keep the strength in my muscles in my back to support my spine which is as brittle as a spiders web TBH.

You might try considering pursuing the event on the bus through a legal direction rather than just putting a complaint through. You were injured because of actions by the driver so it wasnt your fault and you're going to need compensation for medical expenses etc and also the way it hits you emotionally is a big knock back.

I would give you advices on my exercises but if you can't even turn your neck there must be an awful lot of damage done there

Hope something shines through for you soon enough.

McChubbin

Yikes. Sorry to hear about that, Bonito. I myself have been placed on Difene no less than 4 times. I'm beginning to believe that my bosy is building up a resistance to it as it doesn't seem to work as effectively as it should. My GP didn't mention anything about excercises so I might take you up on the offer of advice.

At the moment, my neck isn't too bad thanks to having a hot bath eariler but it's only a matter of time. I've no doubt I'll be in knots tomorrow morning.

As for the bus case, I've no idea what to do on that matter as it happened 5 years ago and all I have is my word against them. I don't even know if they DID make a record of the incident so for all I know, there's little that can be done.

Still, I will try and see if I can talk to someone who knows more about legal proceedings and consider my options. I'm absolutely furious-both with the driver and with myself for not having the savy to take pictures of my injuries to build a case.

All I have is the date, time and route number of the bus but I doubt it's enough.

For no, I'm resigned to shuffling along like the hunchback of Notre Dame, quietly trying to shoot mind bullets at every bus driver I see...

Bonito

It's hell McChubbin but some days are better than others. I had to give up an awful lot of sports. Boxing and rugby being my 1st loves I was devestated You can't bob and weave if your back is going to give you a reminding crunch everytime you pivot on your hips

The damage of my spine comes all the way up to my shoulder blades. If I turn left or right on my torso my discs protrude towards my chest and pinch my bronchus and cut off my airflow 2 fold and I can barely breathe

I found Difene wasnt worth it. It just irritated my stomach. You can mix paracetamol and ibuprofen products because they are of two different families. It gives the pain a good aul one-two-uniflu

Also I found a hot water bottle on my back is heaven as it relaxes the muscles after being tensed the whole day to support me. Don't boil the kettle fully though because you don't want an uncomfortable heat. Also try a hot stone massage and treat yourself to a little bit of a pamper if you have some spare shillings around

As for the exercises they'd be very difficult to describe to you but I'd have to more as show you them unfortunately. If you'd care to pop out from my sock drawer I'd be more than happy to show you :P

Dublin2Physio

Hi McChubbin,

To be honest I'm a little surprised your doc didn't recommend getting a once over from a physio before going the neurologist route but I certainly wouldn't wait a year before being seen.

The longer pain cycles are in place the more difficult they can be to break.
If the meds don't help- I'd act now rather than later.

MRI's aren't something to be scared or worried about- At least if you know what is or isn't going on you can consider all the options and make informed decisions about your health. Most surgeons don't recommend surgery lightly-

If you are worried about cost shop around a little. Private consultants and MRI costs vary just like everything elses does.

Re: the exercises -you are better off with ones chosen specifically for you after a thorough assessment of your condition. Exercises which help one person's back pain can be completely wrong for anothers so please talk to your GP or chartered physio about exercises you can do to help yourself.

McChubbin

Thank you all for the kind replies. I'm due to go back to my GP once my script finishes so I will definately ask her about doing joint excercises. There is a physio working otu of the same medical centre but I've no idea if he's covered by medical card so I will have to find out.

As for the talk of massages, I'm told they can make things worse. I'd love to try swimming as it's a very gentle form of excercise but like Bonito, I can't swim to save my life.

In regards to taking legal action on the driver, I'm entitled to free legal aid so I will try to contact Citizen's Advice over what I can do to build a case.
My Mom recommends InjuryLawyers4U but I always viewed them as a bit on the shady/scammer side of things...

For now, I am going to quietly finish out my script of Difene and then have a long chat with my doctor about my options. Hopefully, this'll be nipped in the bud sooner rather than later.

Also, Bonito: I appreciate the offer of you wanting to show me your "special excercises" but at least buy me a drink first!

Bonito

McChubbin wrote: »

As for the talk of massages, I'm told they can make things worse. I'd love to try swimming as it's a very gentle form of excercise but like Bonito, I can't swim to save my life.

Hot stone massages arent an actual massage they're just heated stones placed on your back at different points to relax your muscles

In regards to taking legal action on the driver, I'm entitled to free legal aid so I will try to contact Citizen's Advice over what I can do to build a case.
My Mom recommends InjuryLawyers4U but I always viewed them as a bit on the shady/scammer side of things...

If you're entitled to free legal aid go with a fully qualified and reputable solicitor IMO.

For now, I am going to quietly finish out my script of Difene and then have a long chat with my doctor about my options. Hopefully, this'll be nipped in the bud sooner rather than later.

Ask about tramadol while you're there Very gentle on your stomach and excellent at soothing pain - just don't mix with alcohol :P

Also, Bonito: I appreciate the offer of you wanting to show me your "special excercises" but at least buy me a drink first!

I'd love to buy you a drink When you can get around comfortably again that is, just in case we decide to hit the dance floor afterwards

McChubbin

Bonito wrote: »

Hot stone massages arent an actual massage they're just heated stones placed on your back at different points to relax your muscles

Ahh, that's good to know. I live close to several of those "Herbs & Holisitic" places so i might go check out their rates. Also, has anyone here had experience with acupuncture? it's something I've been considering for a while.

If you're entitled to free legal aid go with a fully qualified and reputable solicitor IMO.

Will do. I plan to look into this tomorrow at the CA building. Not going to let the fecker away with it!

Ask about tramadol while you're there Very gentle on your stomach and excellent at soothing pain - just don't mix with alcohol :P

I'll enquire about that but considering how you mentioned it's not good to mix with alcohol, am I right in assuming it's codine-based?

I'd love to buy you a drink When you can get around comfortably again that is, just in case we decide to hit the dance floor afterwards

Careful, now! You may regret the decision to break out the dancing shoes. I make Moshzilla look like Ginger Rogers.

Bonito

McChubbin wrote: »

Ahh, that's good to know. I live close to several of those "Herbs & Holisitic" places so i might go check out their rates. Also, has anyone here had experience with acupuncture? it's something I've been considering for a while.

There was a wide study done in Britain on acupuncture. It found that the majority of places offering it done a placebo - they never actually punctured the skin where there was blocked energy - not sure what the case here is in Ireland but i'll try fish the source out for you

I'll enquire about that but considering how you mentioned it's not good to mix with alcohol, am I right in assuming it's codine-based?

Tramadol is a synthetic stripped-down piperidine-analog of the phenantherane alkaloid Codeine and, as such, is an Opioid and also a pro-drug (Codeine is metabolized to Morphine, Tramadol is converted to M-1 aka O-desmethyltramadol).

Basically it's a family member of codein but is more of an analgesic in comparison. I myself found it a lot lighter on my stomach and had less adverse affects than the likes of codeine, tylex and difene so it's worth a try at least. I wasnt advised by my GP not to consume alcohol I just so happened to find out for myself when I realised my pint hit me a lot harder than usual!

Careful, now! You may regret the decision to break out the dancing shoes. I make Moshzilla look like Ginger Rogers.

Now, THIS, I would pay to see :pac:

McChubbin

Bonito wrote: »

Now, THIS, I would pay to see :pac:

Not for all the breakfast rolls in Dublin.

Anyhoo, back on topic: It is currently 4am and I'm still awake due to a niggling pain in the right side of my rib cage. Currently browsing Boards whilst I wait for the Thylex to kick in. (Forgot I had some of my last script left over)

Bonito

McChubbin wrote: »

Not for all the breakfast rolls in Dublin.

Anyhoo, back on topic: It is currently 4am and I'm still awake due to a niggling pain in the right side of my rib cage. Currently browsing Boards whilst I wait for the Thylex to kick in. (Forgot I had some of my last script left over)

Hope you get it all sorted soon enough Mc Chubbin

padi89

McChubbin wrote: »

If the pain doesn't improve after a fortnight regime of anti-inflammitries, joint gel and painkillers, I've to be referred to a neurologist and undergo physiotherapy.

If the neurologist finds that the pain isn't improving, then I'll most likely need to get a freakin' MRI SCAN ON MY SPINE.

If that wasn't shocking enough, I have a wait of at LEAST 1 year just to get an APPOINTMENT to SPEAK to a neurologist
on public healthcare but if I opt to go private, I'm looking at a hospital bill of at least €600-1000.
Then, if it turns out that I have a slipped/herniated disc as my doctor suspects, then I'm facing the possibility of
invasive, expensive surgery that could potentially mess things up even further.

What can I do?

You might think I'm jumping way ahead of things but I know my body well enough to know that this pain isn't minor.
(

Your getting WAY ahead of yourself, take one step at a time. Medication is normally the first step, then physio then a specialist or MRI scan though not always specifically in that order.
I dont understand why you would say "a freakin MRI/ shocking", its just lying on a table while your spine is scanned, its not as if you feel anything. Yes it is expensive but at least your having a proper investigation done into what may be causing it.
Having been in the same situation, if you can afford it or scrape the money together go private if you can. Don't wait a another year for an appointment by the time that comes around im sure you would probably have the cost of an MRI and a few private consultations with a neurologist spent on crap.

In regards to surgery, don't even be thinking about that until you know what is wrong, it may not even be an option for you and if it were it's your choice you don't HAVE to have it done.

LegacyUser

Sorry to hear about your situation. I had a herniated disc at L4 S1 (top of the tail bone) and have explored a lot of pain killers, treatments, etc.

If difene affects your stomach AT ALL (I mean the smallest bit - it affected mine and it was not pretty), talk to your dr about lansaprazol (I think that's how you spell it). It's a stomach coater basically and helps because dclofenac/difene/etc is very harsh on your stomach. Always eat before you take it. You can take paracetamol with difene and I prefer it to taking difene. If difene's not helping much or you have any muscle spasms (sometimes your back will over exert a different muscle to the area that's hurting to protect it), see about having an NSAID injection (difene is one of a group of drugs called non steroidal anti inflatories). I got 56 hrs relief from a NSAID injection but I had to sit in a A&E for hours and I don't know if gp's an refer you.

I have read that some back injuries are visible on an x-ray or contrast CT (where they inject dye before they x-ray you) and x-rays can give some idea of what's going on but any info can help with how to deal with whats going on. An MRI will be necessary for a full diagnosis though. Has your dr tested your reflexes? This will help to assess your range of movement, severity of any impact on the nerves and other stuff. If you have nerve damage, it can speed up your appointment with specialists/MRIs. If there is evidence of your nerves being affected there are meds that can help.

Accupunture can be very effective (it definitely helped me). Studies have shown that it is just as effective when it's placed in the wrong place as the "right" place but overall as effective as anti inflamatories (or so I read in New Scientist). I found a chinese herbal place in London which was great. The dr's in China train for 8 yrs (or so I was told) in western and traditional chinese medicine but can have trouble getting their licence here so you can get a trained dr (who can't prescribe western medicine) to accupuncture you and mine did some massage and a little gentle manipulation which mostly helped. Look up TCM in Ireland on google for a list of registered practicioners.

I had an epidural which can work for days to months to forever. Some people need a couple but it can help with pain either while you wait to see a specialist or help you completely depending on what's actually happening. I'm about to have one post-op as I have scarred nerves and this should help me stretch them out. I had one pre op but it only lasted a few days. Still, 5 days with that much less pain was a godsend! There's also nerve blocker injections but I don't know anything about them.

I was told that using a cold pack can be as effective as taking ibuprofen. It will help your muscles contract as with a back injury your muscles swell and/or spasm to hold your spine still and protect it and swollen muscles can cause as much pain as the injury itself. I've read that back injuries should either use just cold packs or alternate hot and cold packs every 20/30 mins.

I had a discectomy and had immediate relief from the sciatica (compression of the sciatic nerve running from the lower back to your feet) but the back pain took a little longer to go than expected. It is scary but they have made a lot of advances in even the last few years - I read about people who had the same discetomy as me 2 yrs ago and their incision was twicw as long and they needed staples! I have a 3 1/2 cm scar on my back and had disposable stitches. I feel so lucky!

Read through back pain forums to see what other treatments are out there and see if you an find someone with a similar situation to yours. Ask advice from other sufferers in Ireland if you decide on massage/physio/acupuncture because some holistic praticioners can make it worse.

And do take that bus driver to court!

Annuv

I'm currently going through a lot of pain due to a back injury too - see here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055804775 for my moaning

I've tried the anti-inflamms, the ice, the lying on my back with the spine extended and waited 3 months but I am no better and I have been advised by a nuerosurgeon that I need a micro-disectomy following a review of my condition and MRI. So now I have to decide whether to go ahead with it or not. There are a few reasons I am hesitant, first I haven't exhausted other possibilites like physio, osteopath, chiropractor, secondly that nearly everyone on the internet says I should avoid it if at all possible, and also it is an invasive surgery with associated risks. So I have some serious thinking to do. After a while you just get tired of being in pain and even though you once wouldn't consider surgery, over time the pain helps you come round to it

Anyway, i just wanted to say to you McChubbin, I empathize with you, back pain if a terrible thing, but don't be afraid of getting an MRI or seeing who you have to see to get your self sorted, just think of it as steps towards getting better.

@ de-disced - can I ask, how was your mobility affected by the herniated disc you had - could you reach forward and touch your toes for example, had you a limp? How long was it before you regained full mobility after the op? Who was the surgeon, if you don't mind me asking? As you can imagine I'm very interested in how your op was overall

Best of luck to both of you

McChubbin

de-disced wrote: »

Sorry to hear about your situation. I had a herniated disc at L4 S1 (top of the tail bone) and have explored a lot of pain killers, treatments, etc.

If difene affects your stomach AT ALL (I mean the smallest bit - it affected mine and it was not pretty), talk to your dr about lansaprazol (I think that's how you spell it). It's a stomach coater basically and helps because dclofenac/difene/etc is very harsh on your stomach. Always eat before you take it. You can take paracetamol with difene and I prefer it to taking difene. If difene's not helping much or you have any muscle spasms (sometimes your back will over exert a different muscle to the area that's hurting to protect it), see about having an NSAID injection (difene is one of a group of drugs called non steroidal anti inflatories). I got 56 hrs relief from a NSAID injection but I had to sit in a A&E for hours and I don't know if gp's an refer you.

That seems a bit extreme but I'll definately talk to my doctor about that. At the moment, the pain isn't bad. I'm currently 3 days into a 14 day script of Difene and although the tablets aren't doing much (not upsetting my stomach as I'm used to them at this stage), I find the gel form really helps take the sting out of things. Having said that, I feel my joints creaking if I turn in certain ways and bending down in particular, it feels like a short, sharp tug of my back muscles.

I have read that some back injuries are visible on an x-ray or contrast CT (where they inject dye before they x-ray you) and x-rays can give some idea of what's going on but any info can help with how to deal with whats going on. An MRI will be necessary for a full diagnosis though. Has your dr tested your reflexes? This will help to assess your range of movement, severity of any impact on the nerves and other stuff. If you have nerve damage, it can speed up your appointment with specialists/MRIs. If there is evidence of your nerves being affected there are meds that can help.

No, my doctor hasn't used the little rubber hammer on me in all the years i've known her. She DID poke about with my back a bit and say it felt 'knotted' at the small of my back but aside from that, no reflex tests to speak of. I DID have an X-ray done last year due to broncitius-related rib pains but as far as I'm aware, nothing untoward showed up about my spine.

I am quite scared of the prospect of being injected with dye. My mother had to have an angiogram for her heart several years ago and the horror stories of needles in the groin or spine fray my nerves. In regards to my fears over having an MRI, I am claustrophobic to a degree and I'm more concerned about having a panic attack in the "tunnel" if it should ever come to that.

Accupunture can be very effective (it definitely helped me). Studies have shown that it is just as effective when it's placed in the wrong place as the "right" place but overall as effective as anti inflamatories (or so I read in New Scientist). I found a chinese herbal place in London which was great. The dr's in China train for 8 yrs (or so I was told) in western and traditional chinese medicine but can have trouble getting their licence here so you can get a trained dr (who can't prescribe western medicine) to accupuncture you and mine did some massage and a little gentle manipulation which mostly helped. Look up TCM in Ireland on google for a list of registered practicioners.

Definately ging to enquire about acupuncture-if I can tackle this problem as naturally as possible, I'll be very pleased. Don't enjoy using harsh medication TBH.

I had an epidural which can work for days to months to forever. Some people need a couple but it can help with pain either while you wait to see a specialist or help you completely depending on what's actually happening. I'm about to have one post-op as I have scarred nerves and this should help me stretch them out. I had one pre op but it only lasted a few days. Still, 5 days with that much less pain was a godsend! There's also nerve blocker injections but I don't know anything about them.

Yikes! That sound very extreme but if it helps towards leading a better life pain-free, I suppose you can't knock it. Still, the thought of getting an injection directly into my spine creeps me out. Only until all else fails will I consider going down that route.

I was told that using a cold pack can be as effective as taking ibuprofen. It will help your muscles contract as with a back injury your muscles swell and/or spasm to hold your spine still and protect it and swollen muscles can cause as much pain as the injury itself. I've read that back injuries should either use just cold packs or alternate hot and cold packs every 20/30 mins.

Tried using heat packs, hot water bottles, Deep Heat and hot baths but the relief is only temporary and at times, tends to come back twice as bad. Haven't tried using a cold pack, though so there might be something to that.

I had a discectomy and had immediate relief from the sciatica (compression of the sciatic nerve running from the lower back to your feet) but the back pain took a little longer to go than expected. It is scary but they have made a lot of advances in even the last few years - I read about people who had the same discetomy as me 2 yrs ago and their incision was twicw as long and they needed staples! I have a 3 1/2 cm scar on my back and had disposable stitches. I feel so lucky!

Read through back pain forums to see what other treatments are out there and see if you an find someone with a similar situation to yours. Ask advice from other sufferers in Ireland if you decide on massage/physio/acupuncture because some holistic praticioners can make it worse.

And do take that bus driver to court!

Sound advice, de-disced. I will definately do my homework as the last thing i want is to make things worse by going to an underqualified quack.

As for the bus driver case, I hear InjuryLawyers4U crops up time and time again from various friends and family. Thing is, I want to go to Dublin Bus/ CIE and get a copy of the accident report (if it exists) but I don't have the first idea on how to obtain such a document without raising suspision.
I feel if they know I'm trying to build a case, they might withhold the information or fob me off.

McChubbin

Sorry for the long lapse in replies. Right now, my back is better than it was but I'm not out of the woods yet. Still getting pangs, especially when i'm bending. I finished up my script of Difene but it didn't really do much other than dull the pain and irritate my stomach.

A friend of my mother happens to be a massuse(sp?) and she's kindly offered to give me a Swedish massage so hopefully, that'll help.

Going to try and get back to the doctor sometime during the week and see about getting my script changed to something that doesn't irritate my stomach as much-it's strange. Difene never had this effect on me before. O_o

Anyhoo, will update after I speak to my doctor.

NUTLEY BOY

DIFENE capsules can be very hard on the stomach. Some people cannot take them if they have certain G.I. problems like ulcers.

You might try ARTHROTEC which is a tablet. It has exactly the same active ingredient as DIFENE but it has a protective coat on the outside to minimise gastric upset.

Your doctor needs to sort this out for you until you get the med that suits you best.

irishh_bob

NUTLEY BOY wrote: »

DIFENE capsules can be very hard on the stomach. Some people cannot take them if they have certain G.I. problems like ulcers.

You might try ARTHROTEC which is a tablet. It has exactly the same active ingredient as DIFENE but it has a protective coat on the outside to minimise gastric upset.

Your doctor needs to sort this out for you until you get the med that suits you best.

i suffer from chronic pain but cannot take difene as i cannot breathe on the stuff , suffer from asthma

Bonito

irishh_bob wrote: »

i suffer from chronic pain but cannot take difene as i cannot breathe on the stuff , suffer from asthma

Difene never aggravated my athsma

NUTLEY BOY

irishh_bob wrote: »

i suffer from chronic pain but cannot take difene as i cannot breathe on the stuff , suffer from asthma

That is a very good point. This is why people should sort out their meds with their doctor to find the one that suits.

Out of curiosity, can you take ASPIRIN ?

McChubbin

I can use Panadol and Nurophen if they count as Aspirins?

irishh_bob

NUTLEY BOY wrote: »

That is a very good point. This is why people should sort out their meds with their doctor to find the one that suits.

Out of curiosity, can you take ASPIRIN ?

well it wouldnt be near strong enough for the severity of pain i have ( on lyrica right now ) so i never use it

magnumlady

My son had back surgery in December. He was given tylex for the pain although he's now on panadol.
Difene was very severe on him, but the difene gel is good. I put that on him when he needs it and it helps the pain a bit.
Also found hot and cold compresses to be useful.
MRI is nothing to worry about. My son had his and he also has asperger's syndrome and doesn't like enclosed spaces, although he didn't like it much it was OK.
Best of luck to you.

coach129

Hi, i am wondering does anybody have any information about getting back surgery in europe under the E111 form? I need a discectomy in my lower back and it looks like it'll be years before i can get it done here

magnumlady

coach129 wrote: »

Hi, i am wondering does anybody have any information about getting back surgery in europe under the E111 form? I need a discectomy in my lower back and it looks like it'll be years before i can get it done here

I tried that for my son, but was told as the surgery is performed in this country they wouldn't entertain him having the surgery in Europe.

coach129

can you tell me which countries you tried? my doctor told me he had a patient who had his done thru a clinic in Grenoble France

magnumlady

coach129 wrote: »

can you tell me which countries you tried? my doctor told me he had a patient who had his done thru a clinic in Grenoble France

I phoned the department that deals with it....although I'm going back a couple of years now so things may have changed. Would you be eligible under the National treatment purchase fund?

coach129

i actually just rang them today, got the answer machine so hopefully they'll contact me back monday, is it any good of an option?

magnumlady

I'd say it's a good option. I've heard of lots of people who have been waiting a long time have got their surgery that way.
It wasn't an option for my son as he had to have a spinal fusion and they wouldn't cover that kind of surgery.

QuiteInterestin

After reading this thread, along with the other thread that was resurrected by Coach129, would be really interested in hearing from the OP and others who contributed to the thread with similar problems on how things worked out for ye!