(No, this isn’t an Obama post.)
I went to see a new doctor yesterday. This was the first time Vicki has managed to convince me to convince a doctor to give me a referral to a neurologist. I’ve asked before, and the doctors always said “no, it’s not neurological”, and then given up on finding an orthopeadic or other cause. This time, I got my doctor to promise that after his idea failed, he’d refer me to a neurologist. And it did, and he did.
I hate to get my hopes up, but this guy (or rather his physician’s assistant) outlined a multi-pronged approach to figuring out how much of it is orthopeadic, how much is neurological, how much is caused by sleep apnea (evidently apnea can make you more susceptible to pain – who knew?), how much is due to rheumatoid arthris, etc. I’ve got a blood test script here (Comprehensive Metabolic, CBC + Platelet, Sed Rate, Protein Electrophresis, C-Reactive Protien WR, Creatine Kinase (CK), Angiotensin-1-Conv Enzime, ANA, Anti-Cardiolipn Ab, Lyme Antibody), then I’m going to have three days of a powerful steroidal anti-inflammatory (can’t remember the name, but I’ll never be allowed to compete in the Tour de France now), and three days of a powerful neurological drug. All I have to do is figure out how to accurately compare one day’s pain to another, something I’ve never been able to do. They’re also talking about various tests of nerve function and sleeping with a pulse oximeter and maybe even a sleep study.
Anyway, keep your fingers crossed for me. I would give my left knee to be able to cross country ski again.
Not to mention a head and spine MRI down the pike. The steroid is Prednisone (get ready to feel very cheerful and productive, and to want to eat the world), and the neurological med is Lyrica (which, I believe, is the same thing as neurontin).
And if you give your left knee, you’re not going to ski very well.
Wow. From reading the arthritis newsgroups and other health sites, these are really basic medications. I’m gobsmacked that nobody has tried your out on either of these until now.
Good luck!
But if you gave your left knee, you wouldn’t be able to…. ah, skip it.
Anyway. Here’s hoping this time actually brings progess and relief. Lord knows you’re overdue for both.
Sign me up for the finger-crossing. I really hope this brings you relief.
Best of luck, I know that living with pain is no fun.
Fingers are crossed, toes, arms, eyes, whatever.
Have they really not given you prednisone before?? If so, that’s amazing.