[Maria]

I took amytriptyline (Elavil) for 5 years post my second spine surgery for horrible burning nerve pain that was down my buttocks/bilat lower extremities. It took the edge off but didn't really do the trick like the Neurontin did altho the worst of the neuropathies sort of went away after 5 years post op and then I had remaining residual pain that I started the Neurontin for and took for 12 years before realizing this pain had "gone."

I agree this type of pain will drive one crazy.. it just gnawed at me constantly and really made life intolerable before getting it under control. The best combo of drugs that worked well for the pain actually was Neurontin and Methadone. Lumbar ESIs on regular basis helped with the low back pain and the burning to some degree. Tho that all wasn't instituted until 2001 and my last surgery that made the probs chronic (vs. episodic) was in '92.

Hope you get relief soon. So what if you have to use drugs to do it? If your pain is anything like mine was believe me it's well worth it.