Christine: Re: MANY questions about adhesions
From: Nancy E. Hale (nanny@nbnet.nb.ca)
Sun Jul 28 19:03:00 2002
Hi Christine:
Please accept my belated welcome to the group. I'll give you what answers
I have experience with.
1) I have low back and pelvic pain that worsens when I start moving
>around and doing stuff, and it's especially painful when I eat. Does
>anyone experience this?
Yes. That's the short answer. It doesn't bother me too much when I eat,
unless I overindulge in something, but that goes for activity as
well. Some days aren't too bad, others are pure hell.
>2) Does it make sense that it's adhesions causing the pain?
Yes, it does make sense. The adhesions are tying things together in ways
they were not meant to be connected, pulling things out of place, putting
pressure on things that are not meant to have pressure put upon them.
>3) Could it still be adhesions even though the pain lessens and will
>sometimes go completely away when I don't eat and have been still for a
>while?
Have you ever had a pulled muscle? When you are totally relaxed and
putting absolutely no strain on that muscle, the pain reduces and sometimes
disappears. You forget, and try to use that muscle - BAM!
>4) Are there ANY tests out there that can diagnose adhesions without
>surgery?
Not that I am aware of, unless you have a severe distortion of the organs
affected.
>5) I've been taking 3 Vicodin ES a day for almost 3 months now. Could
>this be contributing to my pain?
I can't answer this. I have no experience with Vicodin.
>6) Now that I've been taking Vicodin so long, could I be more sensitive
>to pain?
Not sure, but my opinion would be not likely.
>7) When I've been standing for a while at work I start to get back pain
>that a little higher and I feel like I'm going to pass out. It
>continues to hurt when I walk around, but I don't feel faint. Only when
>I'm standing for a few minutes. Does anyone experience this?
Haven't had this happen to me, but I do experience loss of feeling in my
legs, which my doctor and I are suspecting is caused by the pelvic adhesions.
>8) Is surgery really the answer to release adhesions? Has this worked
>for anyone? What keeps the adhesions from growing back? Have other
>alternatives worked for anyone?
As far as I know, there is no other way to release adhesions. Surgery can
be successful with the right surgical techniques and preferably with the
use of a barrier, which is what keeps the adhesions from reforming.
>9) Will I have withdrawal symptoms if I go off of the Vicodin
>completely? If yes, how bad would they be?
I'm not sure, but you probably would go through withdrawal. How bad would
depend on how high a dosage of Vicodin you have been on.
Please remember that I am not a medical professional, I am only a fellow
adhesion sufferer. My best advice to you would be to read - start with the
IAS home page (http://www.adhesions.org) and check through the reference material
and links available from there. Search through the message board archives
for posts on a specific subject. Read the stories on the Adhesions Quilt
and add your own. Ask questions. Learn.
Good luck in your battle. Pain-free hugs.
Nancy in NB
Help spread the word. Find out more about National Invisible Chronic
Illness Awareness Week September 23-29, 2002, at
http://www.invisibleillness.com
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