Have chronic back pain and have been on the the 100 mg patch for ...

I wanted to see what people have to say about using this patch with other pain medications. The patch has been good for me for 3 weeks now in helping me sleep through the night and get through the day even though I am a little one off feeling. I was in a car accident 4 years ago and ended up with a doctor that was in the law suit craze where they get their full charge, whatever it is, when the suit settles. Problem was, the guy that hit me had no insurance and nothing personal either. The surgeon only took out one disc in my neck and right out of surgery let me know he saw some problems in there he would have to go back in and work on. Not knowing what relief felt like I endured him for 2 years and then when he finally got it through his head all he was going to get paid was my health insurances payment, he threw me out of his office like I had hood winked him. Wow!! doctors have gotten all about the money! At that 2 year point I didn't know you could die from too much pain and I nearly had a stroke, someone in perfect health otherwise. Went on leave from work again and found another surgeon who would "fit me in his schedule". Mistake, he was going to miss his plane so he forgot to put a screw in the plate after taking out 2 more discs in my neck. One week later and a new neck brace they put on me the fusion popped and then the real pain started. I forced myself to go back to work after 3 months and take Loritab, Robaxin 1 or 2 every 4 hours. Flexeril to sleep. After 9 months holding out to a new FMLA protection at work again I sought out the surgeon to fix his mess. He told me I had a perfect fusion and called my primary physician and yelled at him for encouraging me. I could barely get out of bed. Once that operation failed I was in so much debt I lost my house, went bankrupt and ended up near losing my family and definately friends were gone. No surgeons wanted to touch me after 2 surgeries and who could blame them. The regular x-rays looked like a perfect fusion. Then July 2007 another guy hit me one block from the head on crash that started all of this in 2003. It pulled the whole thing apart and showed no fusion at one level and turned out 2 levels and went for my leg too and more arm pain to boot. No fusion at 2 levels and a little screw holding it together. By October I couldn't work anymore again and kept going from surgeon to surgeon. One strung me on until Thanksgiving and I began having out of body at night to get away from the pain and I ended up on Oxycotin and percacet both and still in pain. I knew I wouldn't live much longer and finally found a surgeon who knew exactly what to do and even though there was still more horrowing tests to stab the nerves, he operated in December 2007. He fixed it by wrapping wire around 2 vertibrae, fused again and tension screwed them and put in the missing screw from the back side of my neck. 2 months later I wanted off the big drugs and wanted no medications for pain. There is too much residual nerve pain in my arm, leg and neck so I cannot go off of everything yet. I started the withdrawal on my own and after 4 days I checked myself into a rehab place to help me. They kept me 4 days and sent me home with just Robaxin and Adivan. Great meds but not enough so I was in a blackout for 4 days. Cut off all my hair and skinned my face down the asphalt because I didn't know I was taking the Adivan too much as if it was for pain. I almost overdosed myself but I didn't know a doctor can only prescribe you what you agree to. I didn't want pain meds so he didn't prescribe them. Bad idea on my part. I found out I am not super human. Hard way to find out about the fact I am in an organic body and have to work with it. They got me back to the hospital in time to put a pound of charcoal down my nose to soak up the overdose I didn't know I took and help me recover. I am now on the Fentanyl patch with 4 Robaxin and 4 Percacet a day and a Seroquel to level it all out for me. The nerve damage is rough and somehow this keeps me from feeling it. I have to take the Seroquel at 8 pm so I can get up at 6am and go to work now otherwise I can't think all day. I hope this helps someone cope with what you are going through. This has been very rough to be from heaven to hell and pucked out back to earth to deal and get over it. Wow what a ride. I read all this from others and can't tell if there is an end to the pain and suffering from car accidents and having to take these medications. At first they are a god send then they are from hell to get off of. You can die of pain so take care of yourself. I have found a profound neuro surgeon if anyone needs one. He loves the art of his skill and it is no frills. His people skills are low but it is about his surgery skill I have found that is so important. The patch is good to help me stop reaching for pain meds all day and sleep through the night. It is doing what was intended. It stops the roller coaster of meds wearing off which out weighs the woosie feelings for me. I am an analyst and was able to step right back into work after being out since October 4th 2007...long period to be out. I have had excellent recall of skills and computer work. there is the cloudy feeling but I don't want the intense pain I have when not on it. hopefully the surgery will reduce the damage and I will get off all of it in this year sometime. I am looking at it one day at a time now and it makes life better to work with for me. I am 54 now and have grandkids that love me and children that are glad to see I am better. Hearing about someone else is sometimes a lifeline for someone else in dispair. hope this helps. I was glad to find this site. thanks for posting your comments!

i have sept. 2001 experienced a 'black out' while i guess i was driving my vehicle. My license has been suspended due to isssst being explosed by a local 'monroe muffler' business for not having auto insurance and driving. I wasnot aware that local 'auto; businesses worked with the police to help turn in uninsued drivers...yes i was placed on some loookout list and ws repeatdedly pulled over NOT FOR ANY TRAFFIC INFRACTION but because local police knew i possed a suspended license. I no longer can drive untill 2017!!!!!????? I''m definitly losing/ lost snity and I'm the single parent of and autistic young adult son...
THe fines are over 6.0000.00 dollars... get out of your state if possible and reapply for a license.

And hre's the strangest occurrance, I blacked out onr nite after returning from local ER. I had given a friend a rideTo the ER. I never made it home (7 miles) because I must haveblacked out on the way. I was currnetly talomg 75 mg-every 3 dys of duragesic the patch. The poolice repoeted that I sain a rear -end collision with a school bus, 49 + miles frome my residense....I regained awareness in a hospital and have no other explaination for the black out except for an abnormal reaction to the duragiesic patch, which I was used to andhad taken for over 3 months?

I give up on this system and myself it makes n bit of logical sense

goodluck to you

from previous message sender.... excuse typing ..it's HORRIBLE but I letft out one important piece of info.

I was in a tracter trailer underride acident in 1998 and suffered since from severe chronic pain, lots of metal in my legs

My beautiful friend, my dog Jeffery was with me and was killed in the crash,
I hate the area I live and I will always miss my angel, Jeffery,q