My wife (75yo) has severe, recurring daily post-herpetic-neuralgia (from Shingles) pain in her upper right quadrant for 8 years. This is a daily occurrence, sometime ending in crying and near screaming. We never do anything late afternoon or evenings.

We have seen and consulted with numerous MD's. We have talked with the very best pain specialists in the country. We have tried non-standard remedies and tests.

We found that her cortisol levels (stress hormones) were extremely high, her vitamin D extremely low, and she needed a different type of thyroid supplement. These have all or are being treated through non-standard medicine, and have gotten much better. We have been through the "learning to live with pain" bit, and she does meditation and calming things which help some.

Many of what we have tried did NOT come to us from a single medical source. We searched the world, and our neuro/pain specialist has - at our suggestion - incorporated some of these things.

Here are some suggestions

Nortryptiline (sp?) - of significant benefit. She could not take amitryptiline, as it caused heart arrythmia. However, the nortryptiline has been of great help with the pain. Prescribed with propanolol

Clonazepam - calming and an anti-pain drug

Morphine - she takes a dose at noon and another at 4pm. It interferes with her sleep, so she takes it early.

Exercise - swimming, walking, some bicycling

Stress reduction - we do everything possible to reduce stress in both of our lives. No phone calls after 8pm, staying out of neighborhood and other squabbles, dealing effectively with stress causing relatives. Stress is directly related to her pain level. DIRECTLY!

We sing together. It helps.

DID NOT WORK

Terrible experience with a so-called "pain clinic" at the university of Colorado Health Center, where they tried to inject steroids into her nerves. It did not help, she ended up in the hospital with a collapsed lung, the MD had the bedside manner of a - well, it won't print here.

Lidocaine patches did not work. Developed a rash.

We went through a whole menu of topical creams that were supposed to get drugs into her nerves through the skin. She developed allergies to most of them, and they did not really help.

Lyrica and Neurontin

Acupuncture

Current

Right now, with the mix above, she is likely in the best (least) pain in several years.

Also, can you take Celebrex? I take that because I am on an adult dose of aspirin daily, and cannot take NSAIDS either.

Please feel free to contact me by PM for any further info.