My name is Elizabeth & Iam a single/recently divorced mom to 4 children, Lindsey 17, Ryan 16, Jonathan 12, and Marina, 11. Since early June 2005, Ryan has been experiencing extreme back pain and weakness, leaving him unable to attend school(10th gr) and do much of anything. He lays on the couch with his laptop (purchased so that he could attend school via internet) and sleeps in between classes. We have seen every type of doctor one could imagine, including most recently an acupuncturist and faith healer. He spent 3 days at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital In Cleveland, Oh this past August in hopes of determining the cause of his pain. The Neurologist there concluded that his problems were most likely psychological and directed us to a psychologist and pain management physician, Howard Hall at RB&C who trains pt's in self hypnosis and bio-feedback. All very nice and relaxing, but he's still in extreme pain. As I write he, he has just had a "spasm" type episode with back pain that originates at the same spot, to the rt of his vertebrae in the thoracic region. This pain occurs throughout the day, incapaciting him. On Nov. 28th, I found a 3 page suicide note from Ryan and found him attempting to hang himself, fortunately he is okay, ...I found him in time. His letter spoke all about the pain and how he can't stand it anymore. He spent a few days at a peds psych. hospital. He's now on prozac 20mg every a.m. and elavil 100 mg @ bedtime, as well as a muscle relaxer prn The only med or intervention that relieves his pain is vicodin and percocet or morphine. Physicians will not prescribe any more narcs for him due to his age and their lack of dx of why he's in pain. We have some meds at home (vicodin, etc) that we give him when the pain in unbearable. I'm at my wits end. I found your website after a pediatrician at work (I'm a Pediatric RN at a local hospital) mentioned POTS to me. I had never heard of it. I checked his BP and pulse rate when standing. His heart rate sitting was 100, upon standing for about 2 minutes it was 130-140 and he felt weak and dizzy. I would so very much appreciate a note to help Ryan see that there are others out there who can understand what he's going through. He was an active teenager, skateboarding and hangin out with friends before all this began. Now he just sits at home, hardly able to do anything. Is pain usually associated w/POTS? Thanks for listening.
