Almost exactly 3.5 years ago I had major surgery to remove a large parasite from my abdominal cavity. The surgery was a grand success. My oh-so-stubborn daughter, who was determined to remain comfortably in my womb in a breech position, was forcibly evicted. My obstetrician is some kind of surgical artist extraordinaire: I don't even have a scar, even though she was in a hurry to catch a plane.
What I do have is a 2 inch swathe of tissue across my belly with no sensation whatsoever. I have had other minor surgeries, so I am familiar with the (lack of) sensation that results when small nerves are unavoidably cut. I assumed that, given time, sensation would return to my belly just as it eventually did for all those other little cuts.
But no. In fact, not only has sensation not returned, but I have a phantom itch. A persistent, intense itch that has waxed and waned for almost exactly 3.5 years. Imagine, if you will, a large mosquito bite on the back of your hand, and trying to relieve the itch by scratching the air at a point in space about a foot removed from your body. You can scratch the air all you want, but the itch will still be there. Now imagine that the bite has been itching for 3.5 years.
I know all about Ramachandran's work with amputees and phantom sensation, but I'm damned if I know how to apply it to myself. My genius obstetrician (unapologetic for cutting some major nerve in my belly, although I am willing to forgive her) tells me that my only hope is Neurontin. Better living through chemistry!
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
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8 comments:
Well, this doesn't sound promising:
Neurontin is one of Pfizer’s best selling drugs, and was one of the 50 most prescribed drugs in the United States in 2003. However, in recent years Pfizer has come under heavy criticism for its marketing of Neurontin, facing allegations that behind the scenes Parke-Davis marketed the drug for at least a dozen supposed uses for which the drug had not been FDA approved. By some estimates, so-called off-label prescriptions account for roughly 90% of Neurontin sales.
I wonder if Neurontin would re solve my phantom existential despair.
Had something similar happen, with similar grief. Had an asian friend recommend a certified acupuncturist. I was pretty freaked by the needles but I have to say, there is no substitute for repairing nerve damage. I actually got part of my feeling back, it took about a year of regular sessions. If you have nothing to lose, try it. But you need to find a real expert with proper qualifications.
I had a similar numb patch after a hysterectomy eight years ago, *and* that same incredibly frustrating itch! I also figured it was just going to stay numb, but over the last two years, the numb area is slowly but surely shrinking. My gyno says that the nerves do regrow on their own, but *really really* slowly. If you can stand the itch, I would definitely avoid the drug! My husband also had abdomenal surgery years ago that cut the same nerve, and had the same itch and the eventual return of sensation. Good luck!
I've taken neurotonin to cope with neuropathic pain, and I found the side effects intolerable. Like you, I work in academia, so a drug that made me unable to concentrate or follow a line of argument in a journal article as well as just plain generally dopey was actually more of a threat to my overall sense of wellbeing than the health problem it was supposed to treat. I'd second the advice to avoid if at all possible. It might be worth talking to a physician with expertise in neuropathic conditions - itchiness can be a chronic pain issue as well, and there's some psychological refocusing/sensation diminishing techniques that can help.
Well, shit. You guys are raining all over my parade. I thought I was gonna get the "quick" fix.
The itch let up a little yesterday after writing about it. Thank heavens.
After 4.5 years, my numb patch (also c-section) has been reduced to about the size of a dime. That dime still itches dreadfully sometimes, but it's mostly gone.
Massage works, as well as keeping the skin moisturized, since a real itch near the numb area almost always triggers the phantom itch for me.
I also am plagued with a horrendous local itch under my arm just alongside where I had a mastectomy in 2003. After a particulary torturous episode that lasted nearly 2 days (almost lost my mind), I called the Boneshaker who prescribed Sarna lotion, liberally applied, then cover the area with--yep, you saw it here--a piece of saran wrap. I was so desperate I tried it, and it did help some. It's a little messy, but what the heck. Unfortunately, when an attack comes at 2 or 3 in the morning, I am ill prepared to complete the ritual...maybe I will try the neurotonin.
I speak from experience. Massage, essential oils and acupuncture around the scar do help. It takes a while but the body can recover without drugs, if you can stand to be with the itch until it goes away. Also, (this may sound a little far out) try a ritual around the area. Acknowledge what you gained and lost in the process of having your "parasite" removed, and what your child, the surgery and itch have meant to you in the subsequesnt 3.5 years.
And let go of it all.
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