Saturday, April 05, 2008

post thoracotomy pain

One more post today. How do you best deal with post-thoracotomy pain. I admit I see it fairly often as well.

Patient writes in a recent comment

I have acute persistent pain in my right breast and along the six inch incision at the base of my breast. I have tried gabapentin, Lyrica, and Topimate. I am on my third round of corticosteroid injections into the intercostals. I am reluctant to use narcotics, but if the steroids do not work, I am at a loss. I cannot move my right arm without pain. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

3 comments - CLICK HERE to read & add your own!:

Α. Παπαγιάννης said...

Hi! I wonder whether a combination of a NSAID (e.g. full dose ibuprofen) plus old-fashioned amitriptyline in escalating doses might do the trick. This is probably partly musculoskeletal and partly neuropathic pain. I believe new drugs have added nothing to the old antidepressants for neuralgia, as long as one can tolerate them.

Α. Παπαγιάννης said...

Apologies for my name appearing in Greek--this is how I am registered in Google. In plain English it is A. Papagiannis.

Anonymous said...

Don't waste your money on Traumanil, it is based on old-fashioned herbal medicine (mislabeled "homeopathic"). A workers comp doc gave it to me for my lumbar/sciatic pain caused by three herniated disks and it has done nothing but leave me with a sticky back.