Expert: Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist - 12/28/2009

Question
QUESTION: I have been diagnosed with Tarlov cysts.  The Dr. has me on Vicodon to control the pain. I have been taking it for about six months with satisfactory results.  

Much of the literature warns of addiction. So far, I do not have any craving or such. I just take it when the pain begins and will get relief for about 8 hours.  How would I know if I am getting addicted?

Thank you,

Roy

ANSWER: HI Roy Seal,

I am sad to hear about your diagnosis of Tarlov cysts.

I found some information about this at:

http://www.tarlovcystfoundation.org/TarlovCystInformation.asp

You do not have automatically to become addicted to pain killers if they are used to kill the pain. Although this is still a controversial area of medicine I believe that pain killers can only be addictive to people who have a predisposition to addiction, such as people who suffer from hypoglycemia ( a pre-diabetic condition).

But if you feel that you are becoming addicted please read some alternatives at:

Management of Chronic Pain at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/pain_management.html

and discus this with your doctor.

_______________________________________________
Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychologist
Hon. Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
www.hypoglycemia.asn.au
Author of "Getting off the Hook"
Freely available at Google Book Search
Skype: jurplesman


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your reply.

I do not have the feeling of being addicted at all.

In fact, I am not sure of the diagnosis of Tarlov cysts causing the pain.  Yes, I do have the cysts, the way in which the pains manifest makes me question the diagnosis.  

From everything I have read, such cysts press or strangle nerve roots which in turn send pain signals to certain and specific areas of the body.  My pain moves around, which the spine surgeon says is impossible. My reply to that is he does not feel the pain I endure.

I am going back the the radiologist that the read the MRI and try to get him to re-examine the pictures to see if there is anything he missed or might be the cause.

Again, thank you.

Roy  

Answer
This is becoming more like a medical problem than a psychonutritional problems. I hope the problem will be resolved.

_______________________________________________
Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist
Hon. Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
www.hypoglycemia.asn.au
Author of "Getting off the Hook"
Freely available at Google Book Search
Skype: jurplesman