I am posting this topic because, after talking to my doctors, am considering using a pain clinic. I have never done this before and right now I think I can do without it. Guess that is because I had a better night! Usually my Neuropathy wakes me up. I have spinal stenosis, RA and PMR so I agree I will probably need a pain clinic soon. But the idea is so new to me that I would appreciate your input. Thank you and I hope you are all feeling better today! SueLeehi, i have never been to a pain clinic but i have a friend who has degenerative disc disease and she goes to a pain clinic to get methadone for the pain. i think if you need to be on the more stronger pain meds , a pain clinic is a good idea.I think it depends on how comfortable your rheumy is with pain mgmt. Mine handles my pain medicine and scripts for other treatments (like physical therapy) and the one appointment I had at a pain clinic didn't go very well. Instead of focusing on the diagnoses the rheumy had sent me for, they focused on other conditions and things I had already tried, basically telling me to wait to see if my current meds (non-pain meds like Enbrel) did anything first. They completely ignored the reason I was there. Like everything else, I am sure there are good clinics and bad ones, but this was a highly recommended one at a local university hospital. Neither my rheumy nor my orthopedic surgeon seems to think very well of them.I've never considered a pain clinic. My RD and internist work closely together and have come up with a plan for my pain which works. It took us awhile to get the right combo. Once the pain was in control the Remicade and MXT started to work and I've been pain free fpr the last 3 weeks, with no inflammation or swelling, except for my da#m knees. We've discussed a pain management program but my docs are comfortable in prescribing and want to be in control (they're little control freaks) which I like. This doesn't mean that a pain management program isn't right for you. LindyMy pain clinic turned out to be completely different than I expected. The doctor who runs it is very Eastern medicine with a western medicine degree. She wanted me to do acupuncture and massage therapy, which I am doing-am still reserving my opinion on these treatments, I think they are helping but nothing life improving.
She does prescribe me oxycodone and some adrenal supplements as well. She has done two IV infusions on me and also some tpi, trigger point injections. I am not sure if this a typical of most pain clinics. I see her again tomorrow and if she doesn't come up with something better, I may try another one as this just isn't working for me.
Hi, I hope I'm not repeating what you've already read. I went to a pain mgt. doctor before my Prednisone/MTX/remicade, took affect.He wanted me to take tons of GABApentin, but after the first dose, I FELL in the shower and bumped my head. TTTOOOO much med for me! I just needed to wait out the RA drugs, I think. Sarah Lynda
Sorry to hear you fell! Why did they give you Gabapentin? Is it for another disease? Hope you are feeling better, Sarah.Gabapentin is typically used for neuropathy. I was so surprised this year when I looked at the new diagnostic codes for 2007. There were actually new codes for pain. For years I have to explain to my student that when you try to code "headache" the actual code you get is "facial pain". Not a very good description. Due to the increase of pain management techniques and pain clinics new (and more accurate) codes are needed.