Hi everybody! This is my first post - I am glad I found you all.

I'd really appreciate your opinions/insights on my situation. I've had chronic back pain since I had failed spine surgery several years ago. Lots of back problems now - DDD, facet arthritis, etc. I know it's not going away nor can more surgery fix it. I've been through lots of injections, physical therapy, TENs unit, etc. You know the story.

So, I found the online industry a few years ago after sinking into such a bad depression - my physician wouldn't prescribe anything more than Celebrex and more steroid injections. I just couldn't deal with the side effects and the cost anymore. I had liver problems from Vioxx, and stomach problems from massive doses of ibuprofen and Aleve.

I used ROPs till last Spring, when I realized I had to keep increasing my pain meds to get the same analgesic effect. It lead to using more than one ROP, and that just made me feel like the most horrible person on the planet. I felt like absolute scum.

I went to a Sub doctor then, and got my first bottle of 8mg tabs #30, and never went back. I chickened out.

Fast forward to today, where I sit contemplating whether or not to try the suboxone again.

A few months ago, when yet another ROP disappeared, I tried the sub for the first time on my own. Well, I started with the prescribed dose and it was just way too strong. I dosed myself to 1/3 of an 8 mg tab, just once a day, and within a week, I was totally off the suboxone. I tapered gradually every day.

During this time, honestly my back pain was pretty bad, but I can't take ibuprofen or NSAIDS anymore - they kill my stomach. I went back on hydro again after being off the suboxone for a couple weeks. Another failure.

There were so many positive things that came out of trying the suboxone: I felt normal again, clear headed, and I wasn't as anxious anymore. After I stopped the suboxone, I didn't have one single withdrawal symptom. I literally was taking a crumb of the suboxone on the last two days.

But, now I'm at a crossroads here. I am tired of depending on ROPs, but I'm afraid of the back pain without meds. I have so many people depending on me....I'm the sole breadwinner, and I take care of my aging parents as well.

If I take the suboxone for a week, then taper off it again, I will still be left with the back pain. The sub just did not touch the back pain. I cannot find - after several years of trying - a pain specialist who will do more than steroid injections. I've driven hundreds of miles and spent thousands on specialists.

If anyone can offer me advice I'd really appreciate it. I just WISH I could go back in time to my 20s, before this all started, and not be in an MVA, not fall down the basement stairs, etc. Oh, to be young again and have that chance at starting over.

Thank you for listening.....I hope this wasn't too long of a post.

-Bornfree

Hi Bornfree, I just wanted to welcome you to the board here, we are family here at PW, and you are now part of it. There are quite a number of us, (myself included) who carry similar diagnosis, and have been on identical therapeutic pathways, only to find ourselves back to first base with opiod medications to maintain a modicum of quality of life. NO, the post is NOT too long. I am going to send you a private message so watch for the "PM" indicator.
Again, welcome!!
David

Hi there Bornfree.... Depending on what causes your back pain, maybe look into Rhizotomys. I've had several. They have helped. It is when a nerve is touching something it shouldn't they deactivate the nerve with radio frequency via a needle and live xray. My PM doctor performs the procedures in his office under IV anesthia. Another member has something very similar (called a different name but generally the same procedure). There has been quite a bit posted.

Forums Medical Conditions and Treatment Medical conditions, and treatment Radiofrequency Rhizotomy

GREAT POSTS DAVID AND MRS MAG!
.
MY SWEET LADY YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE YOU ARE A WORK IN PROGRESS!IT'S ONLY WHEN YOU DON'T TRY YOU FAIL.

YOU SEEM TO HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF DETERMINATION AND GRIT. I ADMIRE YOU. NEVER GIVE UP!

WE ARE HEAR YOU AND WILL LISTEN ,PASS ON INFO AND COMFORT YOU AND HELP WHEN WE CAN,
UNCONDITIONALLY! THEY HAVE BEEN A LIFE SAVIOR AND A BLESSING TO ME. WHEN YOU ARE WEARY THEY WILL HOLD YOU UP!

WELCOME HOME AND BLESSED BE!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: LILGAL1,

I have a friend in a suboxone program and was curious about what it entailed.I found almost everything on wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buprenorphine

lots of info on who,what and why,hope it'll give you some insight to the reason it exhists and how it's used,not for pain management and definately not for use with benzos.It's saving my friends life,but wish I knew what I think I know about it now,there might be better alternatives and they're still in pain.

Darian537