Clooney: I thought of suicide
GEORGE Clooney has revealed he once considered suicide after suffering chronic back pain for years.
George, 59, suffered a severe injury in 2005 filming thriller Syriana, when he tore the outer layer of his spinal cord.
The Ocean’s Eleven star said the resulting pain dominated his life to the extent he even considered killing himself.
But the father of two, right, later saw a pain management specialist and had spine surgery to alleviate some of the worst symptoms.
He said he still gets headaches but the pain is more manageable
already on at least three different pain medications, including opioids.
Opioids and other non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can have serious side effects, including joint problems.
They found a single dose of tanezumab every two months was enough to provide long-term relief and the chances of developing serious joint problems were low, even though there is a risk with this type of drug.
Dr Markman said: “In the future, clinicians may have to weigh the different risks of lumbar fusion surgery, now. George said: “I was at a point where I thought I can’t exist like this. I can’t actually live. For a three-week period I started to think I may have to do something drastic about this. “You start to think in terms of, you don’t want to leave a mess, so go in the garage, go in the car, start the engine. “But now I’ve gone from where I can’t function, where I just can’t live like this, to a bad headache. It’s been a long recovery. “You can’t mourn for how you used to feel. You have to come to terms with it.”
chronic opioid use, or NSAIDs against the unique risks of a rare but rapidly progressive form of joint problem associated with blocking nerve growth factor.”
Lower back pain affects one in 10 worldwide, and causes more disabilities than any other condition.
Around 20 per cent of people who suffer from lower back pain in the UK will seek treatment, costing the NHS £1billion a year. It has warned referrals for spinal surgery are on the rise, and a growing number are waiting more than 18 weeks from referral to treatment.