Sympathetic Nerve Response?

[rohrer01]

Has anyone else had a sympathetic nerve response? The reason I ask is that I've been getting swelling above the spinous processes that come and go. It's happened twice now. The first time I thought it was a bug bite because it was just one very large swelling. By large I mean at least 4 inches in diameter. This weekend it happened again, only this time it covered a span of about 4 or 5 vertebrae and the swellings were probably a little over an inch in diameter each. The swelling was only over the spine, so I couldn't attribute that to bug bites. My family was so freaked out that they wanted me to go to the ER, but I didn't. It was gone the next morning. I mentioned it to my doctor and he said it sounded like a sympathetic nerve response to the pain pathway or something like that. He put me on gabapentin. Anyone else have something similar? Thanks in advance.

[Back-out]

I was interested to read about this syndrome looking up the term on the Oracle (Google) . It seems it was first observed in Civil War soldiers and thought to be a response to having experienced severe pain, even after the injury had healed.

Think of that! This is one more striking objective proof of the way extreme pain affects the organism. In your case, it's documentation to me (and I'd think to your recalcitrant surgeon and insurance company, that you are being seriously damaged by your pain.

And that you need to have your pain relieved! In order to avoid suffering any of a number of demonstrable ill effects pain can cause. Among them are: immuno-suppression, stress syndromes, disorders like this and many more. Pain is not just "something that hurts". It causes long lasting, maybe permanent harm beyond the discomfort. In your case, I get the feeling half your stress is from not being taken seriously. That can shake our sanity, invalidating our most basic experience of life.

If there is a good chance that surgery could relieve your pain - net - it ought to be YOUR DECISION TO HAVE IT NOW. Since pain management has (thank God) become a medical specialty, I think you have a lot of sound arguments to appeal for insurance coverage on grounds of medical necessity.

Yes, you may have to fight for it (just what you are least up for WHILE YOU"RE IN PAIN - man, what a Catch 22), but if you try, you would probably prevail. There are paid Medical Advocates who fight these battles for us, and even though like any worthwhile service they cost money, it might be the best money you ever spent.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/12/health/12patient.html
HELPFUL
(skip the free service. I waited around a long time for someone to call me and when she did, she was nice but ignorant as a pea shooter).

http://tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/...vocates&st=cse
HOPEFUL

Don't give up! Pain changes our entire perspective on life and our potential. You CAN and WILL perceive things differently.

[gmw]

Rohrer -- thanks for starting this thread. I'll look forward to hearing what you learn about this since my surgeon says the issue with my left foot is sympathetic nerve response and will go away with time. I will say, it is better than it was about a month ago, but it is not well by any means at this point.

[jrnyc]

hey rohr
was that your pain management doctor you asked?
am just wondering if a pain doctor could do a nerve block of some kind on that?

jess

[rohrer01]

hey rohr
was that your pain management doctor you asked?
am just wondering if a pain doctor could do a nerve block of some kind on that?

jess

No, it was my PCP. He prescribed gabapentin for it. It's really strange how it shows up below where I'm feeling the pain. ??? Goes to show how much I DON'T know about the human body and mine at that.

[jrnyc]

why not take the question to your pain management doctor...i think he/she would be more qualified to answer it!

jess

[rohrer01]

I agree, but I'm drowning in co-pays as it is. My pain doc is bent on putting in an intrathecal catheter and if I go I know he will be pushing me to do that again.

[rohrer01]

Here's an interesting website I found through the National Institute of Health on the topic. It doesn't quite sound like what I had, but may be helpful to some of you out there:

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/r..._dystrophy.htm

[gmw]

Thanks for posting this link. I am paying very close attention to my pink foot.

Sorry you are in so much pain. I hope you get your insurance company on board with you soon. Is your PCP trying to work with your insurance company to get you some help? My PCP had to justify to my insurance company why it was necessary for me to go to Emory.

[rohrer01]

I told my PCP's nurse that the insurance company wanted as much information about my case as possible and WHY I should need a second opinion. When I got a copy of my referral request, all it said for reason was "second opinion". I was so upset. My doc is willing, but not excited for me to go. I think he's not crazy about "celebrity docs" or those with big name degrees. I don't know why. I love my PCP and have been working with him for years, but this is just one hang up of his. I wrote a three page appeal explaining as many details as I could think of. I was up until 4 a.m. so am very tired. I'm going to re-read it to see if it makes any sense.

[gmw]

It's too bad your PCP was not more helpful. Maybe the appeal will work. It might also help to sit face to face with someone (a manager) with your insurance provider. Will look forward to hearing what you learn next. 4 a.m.? I'd be very tired too! I go to bed at 9 pm and am getting up around 4-5 a.m.