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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Phillipa on April 6, 2011, at 22:25:48
In reply to Re: shingles, posted by floatingbridge on April 6, 2011, at 21:53:10
The posted link says it can work after having shingles as can recur. Very painful. Sigi glad just a few. Phillipa
Posted by mtdewcmu on April 6, 2011, at 23:04:20
In reply to Re: sensible help needed with norco » mtdewcmu, posted by Phillipa on April 6, 2011, at 20:55:23
> The article you posted says it helps after shingles. My neighbor got it after having it on her face. Dangerous place to get it. Phillipa
You are right.
Posted by Phillipa on April 6, 2011, at 23:44:57
In reply to Re: sensible help needed with norco, posted by mtdewcmu on April 6, 2011, at 23:04:20
Thanks usually I'm wrong to be right means a lot emotionally to me my problem but thanks Phillipa
Posted by violette on April 8, 2011, at 19:22:35
In reply to sensible help needed with norco, posted by floatingbridge on April 4, 2011, at 13:42:51
I think the feelings that lead to your search for relief would best be addressed by psychotherapy, with a relationship with another human being skilled enough to help you attain what you need. From all your posts, it seems like you are the patient of a biological-based psychiatrist, which is a lose-lose situation for so many of us.
Posted by floatingbridge on April 8, 2011, at 21:02:57
In reply to Re: sensible help needed with norco, posted by violette on April 8, 2011, at 19:22:35
Hi Violette,
Nice to see you :)
I feel and think my issues are multifaceted. Mental illness, such as first and second degree relatives with serious physically based illness only further complicated by maladaptive behaviors, etc.
For me having a pdoc who is also a therapist has lead me only so far, and in fact, is now in conflict with what I think my best interests are. So, I'm looking for a new pdoc most likely, and a therapist who can meet what I'm looking for in a therapist.
Wish me luck, and thanks for your insight. Hope you are well enough.
fb
Posted by floatingbridge on April 13, 2011, at 5:50:49
In reply to Re: shingles, posted by sigismund on April 6, 2011, at 20:50:14
sigi, how's the neurontin treating you?
Posted by floatingbridge on April 13, 2011, at 6:02:19
In reply to sensible help needed with norco, posted by floatingbridge on April 4, 2011, at 13:42:51
My gp made the step from 20mgs to 15mgs on Saturday.
Now it's rough. I'm not panicked anymore. WTF & whatever are my attitudes. However, now there is inadequate pain control. Not crazy, rebound, ER pain. Just the f*ck my day all day aches.
What bothers me, is that, besides the holy Grail of LDN, I don't see any easy answers except live with it. (Which means living less freely. I'm not a frickin meditation master. My teacher is a seven year old--quite capricious and free with the ole Zen stick :-/ )
I can see my body desensitizing to norco. That's cool. 20mgs was tolerable. Gawd, how long, if ever to feel alright on 15mg? Arrgh. Grr.
Oh, just griping.
fb
(Ouchy!)
Posted by sigismund on April 14, 2011, at 17:22:03
In reply to Re: shingles » sigismund, posted by floatingbridge on April 13, 2011, at 5:50:49
>sigi, how's the neurontin treating you?
The shingles has gone away. The Tagamet shortened the whole thing.
I take 300mg gabapentin at night to help with sleep. It is OK. I don't want to take much because it's not that good for me, but it is OK.
It really would help with opiate withdrawal. A lot of the withdrawal is extreme restlessness mixed with agitation and pain.
Neurontin will get rid of the physical restlessness.
Posted by floatingbridge on April 14, 2011, at 18:18:01
In reply to Re: shingles » floatingbridge, posted by sigismund on April 14, 2011, at 17:22:03
Thanks sigi,
I'm glad Auntie Shingles' visit was brief.
Can one stop neurontin fairly easily? I found Lyrica easy--not at all like an ad.
However, besides other affects, I was a cognitive zombie on Lyrica. People said I slurred my words :(
So neurontin sounds milder.
Posted by violette on April 14, 2011, at 19:15:47
In reply to Re: sensible help needed with norco » violette, posted by floatingbridge on April 8, 2011, at 21:02:57
Hi FB, Just checking back in with you.
I know your health issues are multi-faceted, and much of family are totally insane so i can relate to that as well.
Thought it could be worth mentioning that when i first started seeing a psychiatrist who was also a therapist, I got worse before I started getting better. Much worse. Panic attacks, physical pain, hallucinations, nightmares, hypochondria, and so forth. My primary coping strategy was reading obsessively about psychology. Now that i allowed attachment and dependency with my therapist/doctor, and accepting emotions, the storm has settled, I have had no need for medications and most of those symptoms have disappeared. My pschosomatic symptoms even changed in accordance with what was going on in therapy. Not bad after just one year of this therapy, especially considering I spent over a decade on medications and other waste of money therapies.
If your current therapist/doctor works with emotional defenses, it could be why you are feeling worse. It might sound cliche, but even though we are all different, it's very common to feel all torn apart when this is occurring. For some of us, it's necessary because it leads to integratation of all the disavowed emotions and split off parts, which leads to a chance to redevelop your sense of self, real healing. Anxiety and depression, among other things, are often symptoms of a condition. And you know this to be true intellectually-meds only do so much. They are often like a band-aid. But even band-aids need removed after so long.
It's not for everyone, and i hope you don't give up. For some reason, when i read your posts, I always think you don't have to suffer as much as you do and that chasing meds might be a way of running from your emotions. I'm not implying that you should not take them, but think about how many years you've been here searching for medication after medication, and how many different medications you've tried, how many different combinations you've tried. Has it gotten you anywhere? Maybe finding a new therapist will get you somewhere. I hope so. I recall you telling me you have attachment issues (C-PTSD), so please remember that therapy for C-PTSD should be about your relationship with your therapist, and all the feelings that emerge in the transference.
Whatever you do, I hope you find your inner peace. Best of luck to you. :)
p.s. if i have it all wrong, please ignore my post. I am just trying to help, not sure if i am or can.
Posted by floatingbridge on April 14, 2011, at 19:40:28
In reply to Re: sensible help needed with norco, posted by violette on April 14, 2011, at 19:15:47
Hi Violette,
Glad you caught me online.
I'm pretty much ad free right now. I do have mechanical damage to lower spine, hence the norco taper and hot pursuit of pain relief (!).
We'll see what shakes out with the pdoc/therapist. I'm suspecting he walked me to the door to greater awareness, but may not go through it with me. I've been grieving the loss. Thanks to his help, I
can withstand grieving.I'm glad to hear that so many of your symptoms have resolved--that's good news--and it seems to me you have worked quite diligently towards this goal. So, congratulations :) !!
Yes, there is still therapy in my present, and in my future. C-ptsd only complicates a medical condition like spinal damage. Stress creates flares. Triggers create stress.
Thanks for wishing me luck. Take care of yourself, and don't be a stranger.
fb
Posted by sigismund on April 15, 2011, at 1:09:28
In reply to Re: shingles » sigismund, posted by floatingbridge on April 14, 2011, at 18:18:01
I have not taken Lyrica, but what I read led me to believe it was stronger and more toxic than gabapentin.
Neurontin is cognitively impairing but not greatly at low doses.
You can stop it much more easily then opiates certainly. Just taper it a bit.
Posted by sigismund on April 15, 2011, at 1:16:53
In reply to Re: sensible help needed with norco » violette, posted by floatingbridge on April 14, 2011, at 19:40:28
>I do have mechanical damage to lower spine, hence the norco taper and hot pursuit of pain relief (!).
30 years ago I had a laminectomy for a ruptured disc at L4-5 and though it was successful in its own terms I was always prone to real pain and disability. Once I felt tense (as you do) thought I needed some meaningful exercise, went out to chainsaw something in the garden, something went in my back and it was on again. I thought OK then and lay on my back reading about C20 European history and drinking milk and dates and did nothing more for 6 weeks.
I have done 5 years of daily Pilates since then and can lift logs half the day and still be OK.
Posted by floatingbridge on April 15, 2011, at 12:08:59
In reply to Re: sensible help needed with norco » floatingbridge, posted by sigismund on April 15, 2011, at 1:16:53
Pilates really interests me. I would need one on one instruction at first.
Do you need or use one of those machines? I'd like a mat, some straps, maybe. (I did iyengar yoga for some years...)
Sigi, ouch! So you adopted Pilates sometime after the surgery?
I feel like I am slowly getting better. My MT says my body has a very intact sense
of health. And the DO is actually helping. Thanks for your encouragement. A little chapter in tolerance :) And very glad you healed and know how to maintain.Spine injuries, like your set-back, can and
do heal. Right now the DO thinks, well my old MRI shows a narrowing of the discs.... I don't know. Is that bone on bone?You have been through quite a bit, sigi. But somehow, you seem to maintain
your wit.fb
I was given (and took) 10mg doxepin last night. I think I need waaay less. And I feel *remote*. We'll see. I hope I don't have to withdraw from doxepin after withdrawal from norco :-/
Posted by sigismund on April 15, 2011, at 14:27:47
In reply to Re: sensible help needed with norco » sigismund, posted by floatingbridge on April 15, 2011, at 12:08:59
We use all sorts of things. I do a class with maybe one other client and an instructor. There are the reformers (the machines) and a thing like a torture device called the Cadillac and balls and rollers and the magic box and all sorts of new things without names. Upstairs they have the Gyrotonics. This outfit is owned by woman who was from California.
My surgery was maybe 20 years ago, and I only started this 5 or 6 years ago.
I wonder if discs tend to narrow over time? It means they are losing the cushioning that separates one vertebra from another. Between L4 and L5 I must have little because the internal capsule burst and extruded onto the nerve and had to be removed. It means there are vulnerabilities and peculiarities about how my spine works. But everyone my age at the studio has an injury pretty much, which is why most of the instructors are also physiotherapists. We have classes with 2 or 3 people per instructor, and then there are mat classes too, and I do a series at home.
Posted by floatingbridge on April 15, 2011, at 17:37:02
In reply to Re: sensible help needed with norco » floatingbridge, posted by sigismund on April 15, 2011, at 14:27:47
I like the idea of doing mat exercises at home. I guess the machines are o.k. I find them intimidating, but I've got gymphobia. I can deal with that :)
Pilates, as in Mr. Pilates was an interesting gentleman. I have only a cursory biographical sketch. Turned down the pomp and glamour of the Third Reich....
Posted by sigismund on April 15, 2011, at 17:51:56
In reply to Re: pilates » sigismund, posted by floatingbridge on April 15, 2011, at 17:37:02
And then there is Feldenkrais.
Posted by floatingbridge on April 15, 2011, at 19:41:26
In reply to Re: pilates, posted by sigismund on April 15, 2011, at 17:51:56
> And then there is Feldenkrais.
My stress/pain therapist mentioned this just yesterday. I know the name, but...? She found this to be very helpful for her own RA and back instability.
Both bodywork and movement.
Have you experienced any of it?
Posted by sigismund on April 16, 2011, at 15:02:59
In reply to Re: pilates, posted by floatingbridge on April 15, 2011, at 19:41:26
Yes, I have done Feldenkrais workshops and stuff.
There are two aspects to it.There is the series of movements (which I have done some of) and the hands on stuff (which I haven't).
The exercises are about graceful easy movement really.
It's good, but it is not as good for providing strength and stability to protect the spine from further damage as Pilates.
The other thing to keep an eye out for is gyrotonics.
Posted by Phillipa on April 16, 2011, at 19:23:02
In reply to Re: pilates » floatingbridge, posted by sigismund on April 16, 2011, at 15:02:59
Sigi what the heck is that? And I'd think if arthritis disc's causing unstable spine me also that pilates wouldn't be good for it. You have back pain also? PJ
Posted by sigismund on April 17, 2011, at 0:08:05
In reply to Re: pilates » sigismund, posted by Phillipa on April 16, 2011, at 19:23:02
I haven't had significant back pain for ages.
One aim of Pilates is to require you to do particular movements holding what they call a neutral spine. This makes you use the deep muscles around the lower torso to hold your spine still. Eventually this spills over into the rest of your life and you can move with more support to vulnerable spots in your spine.
Here is wiki on gyro
Posted by floatingbridge on April 17, 2011, at 0:35:47
In reply to Re: pilates, posted by sigismund on April 17, 2011, at 0:08:05
Hmm. Cool. I think I have seen one of those machines. Somewhere. I'm glad you posted the wiki link--the name was a little alarming for someone in my current state ;-/ My grandparents on one side are from Hungary, though about ten years ago discovered our surname is actually Persian. FWIW. I love the studio name, white cloud.
Thanks--I will remember this. And the feldenkrais. The movement has a presence in Australia, I see, and lots of (as in too many) in my area, but I'm not rushing about these days. I'll find someone.
Up to anything interesting this weekend?
Posted by sigismund on April 18, 2011, at 15:47:52
In reply to Re: pilates » sigismund, posted by floatingbridge on April 17, 2011, at 0:35:47
I'm fond of Hungary (but not Austria) because I love lost causes. Austria-Hungary is OK. See if you like this. I thought it was beautiful writing.
http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl?init=/babble/poli/20060417/msgs/646024.html
Posted by floatingbridge on April 18, 2011, at 16:08:49
In reply to Re: pilates » floatingbridge, posted by sigismund on April 18, 2011, at 15:47:52
Thank you. Yes. I don't know that author. Do you?
And the thread. Estrella? Declan? A politics board? A pbc?
People were actually involved in a discussion.
Posted by sigismund on April 18, 2011, at 18:33:12
In reply to Re: pilates » sigismund, posted by floatingbridge on April 18, 2011, at 16:08:49
Yeah, I read that book and the one before or after. His name is Patrick Leigh Fermor (or something like that) and in 1932 he walked from Holland to the Black Sea through Germany, Austria and Hungary. Then the war happened and that old world vanished.
I was Declan. And yes, there used to be life on the Politics Board once. I don't know why people don't want to talk about it. Politics is so interesting, especially recently. In the broadest sense. Look at how the GFC has panned out. And Loyd Blankfein when, asked about bonuses after the bailout, said that Goldman Sachs (or whoever it was) was 'doing God's work'. Classic.
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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