I have been taking prescription pain meds for about four years for chronic pain due to nerve damage.  The nerve damage occured from disc herniation; I have had two laminetomies. The most disruptive pain occurs at night in my legs.  I lose a great deal of sleep.  During the day the pain is basically weakness and fatigue centered around and coming from my lower back and sciatica.

I am wondering if at some point the spikes and valleys of opiate pain killers creates an additional pain syndrome and whether others on these medicines are, like me, unsure of the nature of their pain?  Is it being caused by withdrawal or by actual nerve inflammation?  Also are there any suggestions as to how manage weaning off pain medicines to see what's what?  The pain medicine I take is hydrocodone, short-acting.