ARACHNOIDITIS...

[cklaurence]

Sorry to be a drag, and of course, I won't be the least bit offended should you all choose to ignore this topic room all together, but for the first time ever, I found an honest, forthright article dealing with my disease. I am working hard with the "Life with Arachnoiditis" group on FaceBook to try and get the word out on this awful plight. The medical profession (in general) has buried this long enough and lay people must be sure to constantly arm themselves with knowledge to survive the damage that is being done. The in-discriminant use of epidurals to 'lessen pain' is driving the percentage of arachnoiditis cases up, up and up. It is absurd to put women that are in labor through an epidural for something as natural and finite as labor! I am appalled that there is never a true 'informed consent' involved, because the physicians and other 'caregivers' do not disclose the possibility of arachnoiditis to the patients. How many women would assent to an epidural during labor if they knew there was a possibility they would end up in horrible pain--worse than labor--for the rest of their lives? Anyway, try to read it through, and if you or anyone you know and love is for any reason considering an epidural for any kind of pain relief--please, please, please have them read and think the article and think hard before assenting...

http://www.gaia-health.com/articles/000 ... stem.shtml

[Emeritus]

I'll pass the word along, ck. I have a good friend - one of my dinner and dancing partners - who takes epidurals for chronic back pain.

[cklaurence]

I'll pass the word along, ck. I have a good friend - one of my dinner and dancing partners - who takes epidurals for chronic back pain.

They always fail to mention that the result could mean pain far worse than a ruptured disk 24x7 for the rest of your life. I remember how much I wanted out of the pain I suffered--or at least someone to prescribe medication in a dosage that would help rather than look at you like you're a drug addict looking for a fix! The general population of "caregivers" are far more concerned with their own reputations than they are with helping someone suffering from serious chronic pain, Em. It was years before they ordered a simple MRI, which unlike other pain issues (such as fibromyalgia) can be clearly seen. After diagnosis it was a whole 'nother issue finding a doctor that would treat me for it--and then I found that the only ones willing to really prescribe properly for my disease are pain doctors. They (for the most part--I'm not giving any kudos to those sick f*cks that run the so-called "pain clinics," which are actually in the business of feeding addicts legally) are the doctors who are willing to step up to the line and not prescribe by 'what the DEA would do' but rather, with what is necessary to ease the pain until it is at least live-able.
There are experimental treatments for Arachnoiditis where you have IV treatments every day (and must continue, not every day, but on a regular basis) for the rest of your life. No one I can find close enough to where I live that offers the treatments, though.