Question: I have neck pain around c4 to c6 (not sure which one is degenerated - probably c5?) that causes extreme nausea. With steroids I can function normally and the pain is basically gone. I have a problem in that they keep trying to take the steroids and meloxicam away just when I am starting to get the full benefit and I go back to being extremely nauseated. At its worst, when off steroids, no amount of sumatriptan and ondansetron can take away the nausea so that I can function at work. My physical therapist has pinpointed the problem to being mainly being joint in nature. My range of motion is not perfect but not bad either for all cervical vertebrae. I have joint pain after my last 2 of my 3 physical therapy sessions as my steroids have been tapered down. I am 51 years old and have to sleep in a recliner every night because of my neck problems. My general practitioner referred me to a doctor he hoped would give me a cortisone injection but thus far has refused to give me medications of any type. My problem started out with discomfort along the entire cervical area when laying down at night around October of last year and has escalated to my current problem that leave me vomiting in the bathroom at work and unable to function if not on steroids. The pain is a symptom and precursor to the nausea. When it starts to get out of control, my face will heat up and then I know I may be in big trouble.

We have tried treating the pain with tramadol but it makes me more nauseous even if I take enough to make the pain go away. The pain seems more like it is a corresponding symptom that is happening when the nerves and joint are irritated. The nerve irritation and inflammation at the joint coincides with an increase in nausea that sometimes turns into a hard to treat migraine. I don't have access to an X-ray that I can upload. They see arthritis and narrowing and a loss of the normal curve to the neck on the X-ray. I have not had an MRI.

I am not worried about the pain. It is more of an aggravation than a problem. What can be permanently done about the nerve irritation and joint inflammation? I am only on 7.5 mg of steroids per day. Without it I would have bern been fired from my job long ago.