Pain Clinic

mixleader
mixleader Member Posts: 267 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
After surviving 3 surgeries, 30 rads,and right side facial paralysis for the last ten months, I now have moderate to severe pain in my eardrum, temple, jaw, and throat. This pain moves around and is sometimes an annoyance and is sometimes horrendous. My ENT says he is quite sure it is a TMJ disorder. Well, I sure don't like taking drugs for pain, so I am going to a pain clinic this week to see if they can help me. Have any of you had any experience with a pain clinic? I am hoping for an injection that will keep my pain level down so I can avoid heavy duty pain killers.

Roger

Comments

  • Noellesmom
    Noellesmom Member Posts: 1,859 Member
    #2
    Pain Clinics from Noellesmom's husband
    I am not Noellesmom, but her husband Jim. I had Head and Neck cancer. Did not require surgery but chemo and radiation, left me with a tremendous amount of ear and neck pain. I was on the heavy drugs (Fentanyl and Morphine) for about nine months. After two clean PET scans and discussing it with my oncologist, I decided to go to a Pain Clinic. I was afraid I was hooked on the hard drugs and would need them forever or go through rehab. The clinic did me a world of good; under their guidance I was able to take myself off the Fentenyl and Morphine in just a matter of weeks. It turns out I did suffer some nerve damage from the radiation, so instead of the hard drugs they put me on Neurontin and Cymbalta. For breakthough pain, which can be severe, I still take hydrocodone. The Cymbalta is once a day, Neurontin and Hydrocodone is only as needed. I can function and stay awake, with the Fentanyl and Morphine I slept most of the time.

    There is an injection you can get called a "Nerve Block" that will kind of "reset" the nerve endings and relieve the pain. For my money, I would go to the clinic and talk to them about it.

    Good luck and let us hear how it goes.

    Jim
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #3
    Hi Roger

    I went to the Mayo Pain Clinic; it was to help me learn how to take my Pain Pills, I told the lady I already knew how to do that. They will show you what ones to take and how to alternate the different one so that you body does not get use to just one pill.

    That is about all it was to me, I hope you have better results and get out of your pain my friend. I did manage to down grade my pain medication from Loratab and Oxycotton to Tramadol, I hated the effects of the other two.

    Hoping and praying that you will get some relief from the pain.
    Hondo

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