I take Lyrica for my phantom pain. They were experimentling with it at the time of my accident. It works great. You and your doctor just have to experiment with the dosage and number of times a day to take it. If I forget to take it or take it too soon I get phantom pain and have to take another one to get back on schedule. Let me know how it works for you, Arlen

Hi Austen Nice Boston you have there I have a granddog named Sparky whose a Boston he gets along great with my grandson Hayden whose only 8 months old they like to play fetch the baby kicks the ball and Sparky fetches it. Any way I take Lyrica also and it helps a lot with the phantom pains, possibly you could just take it at night. if that's when it bothers you, it makes me a little tired too. I see you read some pretty cool stuff I would like to recommend The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind, it's a series of about 10-12 books like fantasy/magic adventure all rolled into 1, if you ever want to chit chat or anything send me a line :)

You need to talk with your doctors for sure .My recommendations as I have been aka for 11 years after having 68 surgeries.I had excrutiating life draining PLP. Due to my brain forming such a memory of the pain I was in while recovering in the burn unit from being dragged down I-75. I had a complete degloving of entire leg including loss of heel down to bone. 23 broken bones plus I was hit by a car two years later.I'm so thankful that my pain is better. MEDICATIONS Elavil, only at night-will make you sleepy but also works on the transmitters and can greatly decrease PLP. Cymbalta is also used for nerve pain. Helps me. Honestly the best med that has done wonders for me is methadone. Its not what one might think. Please discuss with your docs as I know this is causing you distress which affects every aspect of your life. Stay tough cutie pie. Staci

Hi Austan... I was taken off the Morphine pump (once I was discharged from the hospital after my Hemi-Pelvectomy procedure), I was put on a 100 mg. Fentanyl patch when transferred to a physical rehabilitation hospital. I gradually titrated down to 75 mg, then 50, then 25 over the next year. I eventually moved to Oxycodone (10 mg used as needed - which was 3 to 4 times a day.) I actually had a period of time where I moved off of all opioids completely, but I was in an intensive meditation group at the time and even did Ramachandran's "Mirror Box Therapy" which was amazing. Once I returned to the "real" world of our American society however and started working insane hours in an "ergonomically correct" chair, I found myself back in intense pain and was prescribed Oxycodene again. I take it (as needed) along with Klonopin at night to help with sleep/discomfort /anxiety. Other non-pharmaceutical tips are: Icy cold baths/ showers followed by a hot bath/shower, a heating pad, gentle massage and vitamin B complex. And as a transfemural amputee, I bring a little pillow I can tuck under the side where I am missing the pelvis to keep me up straight. If I drive/fly or sit for long periods (3 or more hours) - pillow or no pillow - I will suffer for it later. UCLA pain clinic recommended Fentura - an immediate release pain med., but my insurance does not cover it and it is about $80 per tablet... so I cringe & bear it and just wait for the Oxy to kick in. Sometimes it feels like I am on an electric chair or like someone is pinching my raw sciatic nerve with a pair of hot pliers. The Fentura was an amazing remedy so I did not needlessly suffer before the Oxy kicked in, but that is just too expensive if your insurance plan doesn't cover it. One last tip: Exercise. It has helped tremendously with the pain & anxiety management - so I recommend keeping a regimen. I work out 3 times a week at the gym and surf or ski. The ocean has been very healing for me - a great form of physical & emotional therapy, but that is a very individual preference. Hope this was helpful.... www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?i...