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Harm Reduction The Pain Management Megathread (Chronic and Acute Pain Discussion) Version 5.0 ~ V

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I'm not sure if cross-posting is allowed, but here's the post I just made to the pain management thread in AusDD:

My induction into the pain management clinic was yesterday.

It was basically a full day of presentations by different staff on the pain management team. There was some really good stuff (such as information about how chronic pain works and what happens in your body when you experience it) some sobering but useful stuff (such as a really honest and realistic Q&A about what we can expect from their pharmacotherapy team) some stuff about chronic disease self management and pacing and realistic expectations of life with pain (this was all really basic for me, as I've lived with other chronic illness for a long time, but useful to other people in the group) and some kinda hippie woo stuff about talk therapy and mindfulness and guided meditation (which I didn't think was useful to me at all). Generally a positive experience and I'm glad I went. I feel like I now have more knowledge to approach supporting therapies like appropriately managed exercise and physio and massage and stuff like that.

It was really good to have confirmed that the 'boom and bust' approach is a common and normal thing - I've been overdoing it on my 'good days' and ending up in bed for three days. They gave us some strategies to avoid this and manage our lives without unnecessary flare ups.

Now I have to wait until the end of the month until my first 1 to 1 with an actual clinician.
 
I'm going to get an MRI of my spine tomorrow because of extremely intense nerve pain in my legs that sent me to the ER. If there's no damage, then I might be eligible for a study they're doing in the rheumatology department. However, if theres damage, at least it would explain a lot and help my PM doc realize the seriousness of my ankylosing spondylitis.

She wants me to go on a paleo diet, and told me basically that if I didnt do it, I was fucking myself up for the rest of my life--I almost cried the way she said it. She won't even consider putting me on oxy yet, shes just bumping my hydrocodone from 4 to up to 5 10s a day, even though it doesn't do anything. The fact that I'm still in pain makes me want to take more, and the junky part me is like: yeah take 2 or 3, youll feel better.

Now that I finally don't have to be in pain, I want to be comfortable--not just suck it up and pretend I'm fine, while my joints scream so loud I'm sure everyone can hear. I think she wants me on the paleo diet because I'm over weight after being on seroquel part of last year. I've lost 20 pounds, but I'm stil
50 away from my normal weight. Since she is a new doc, she assumes I'm eating junk and drinking soda. Ugh, it makes me so mad.

The only positive is that I have used my time without hydro (because I squandered it) to detox my body from it, so I wont have to take my next script every few hours to stay well. I even have started tapering off effexor, an antidepressant I've been on for a few years. These two positives make everything else acceptable, like a wave that drags the negatives beneath the water. Maybe that is the poppy tea talking.

Sending you all positive vibes.
Lucy
 
^^There are many diets prescribed by rheumatologists. Also many patients who swear by changing there diet...don't be so quick to diss?

Rtp
 
babesintoyland said:
im.seen for chronic lower back pain and a pinched nerve leading into my lower right leg and for I Have been on percocet forever and they recently switched me to hydrocodone which I hate they called me back letting me know I could switch back to the percocet if I brought in the remaining hydros to be disposed of, only problem is I don't have any left what do I do?!?! They will test anything u bring in won't they?
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Two options i guess - either be up front and tell the truth or find some similar looking pills and hope for the best (shop around - Ive replaced pills with replicas before, you can probably find something otc or in the vitamin section)
 
I did the Whole30 paleo diet for a while and I will say that it made my inflammation almost disappear in a matter of days.

So much so that the inflammation supporting my herniated discs went down and I landed in the hospital for five days.

Still, there's plenty of evidence that some foods such as wheat and dairy cause inflammatory responses in the body. It's worth looking into, even if you end up not doing it or something. Just make sure to compile an opinion based on plenty of verified sources and your personal situation.
 
Yeah that's what I was thinking about swapping out but then when they said schedule and appt to dispose.. I might just wait it out for my refill but that might look so bad seeing as if I called cause about them :(
 
babesintoyland said:
Yeah that's what I was thinking about swapping out but then when they said schedule and appt to dispose.. I might just wait it out for my refill but that might look so bad seeing as if I called cause about them :(
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If they ask about it you could tell them you decided to give the hydros a longer trial period before making a decision.
 
Yeah, I'm doing almond milk instead of dairy and I'm trying to cut out wheat. (Cereal is just so hard to give up!!) But I'm gonna try, haha, if it has helped some of you then it won't kill me to eat some granola for a while.

Welp, gotta get ready to hang out in a big magnet for a bit ;)
 
Thats what I'm doing. I finished my script early, and am waiting to fill my new one on monday which would be a month. I had to wait 2 weeks (and had to go through opiate withdrawal).
 
Lucy Bookit said:
Yeah, I'm doing almond milk instead of dairy and I'm trying to cut out wheat. (Cereal is just so hard to give up!!) But I'm gonna try, haha, if it has helped some of you then it won't kill me to eat some granola for a while.

Welp, gotta get ready to hang out in a big magnet for a bit ;)
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I would recommend the Whole 30 plan for anyone trying to figure out what to cut out for health reasons. Basically, you give up all potentially inflammatory foods for 30 days (wheat, dairy, soy, grains, sugar/sweeteners, etc), and then you add them back in one by one so you can identify which food groups affect YOUR body negatively. I won't lie, it's a rough month, but it starts you out on a clean slate so your body can let you know what's okay and what's potentially problematic. I have a friend with bad joint hyperextension issues who swears by it and has been doing it for almost two years now, and any time he does eat wheat or dairy or other "problem" foods, he can tell the difference almost immediately. The program website has a bunch of great recipes as well to make the transition a bit easer: www.whole9life.com/whole30 .

Personally, I think the program calls for more meat than necessary but you can tailor it to suit your needs/resources and there are also vegan and vegetarian programs available.
 
Sorry, didn't mean to be judgey - I know different things work for different people and most of us are at the point where we'll leap at anything that works. I just raise an eyebrow at a medical professional promoting "paleo", which is not really founded on anything real, rather than "cut out refined carbohydrates and dairy and eat more protein". Does that make sense?
 
wezface said:
I would recommend the Whole 30 plan for anyone trying to figure out what to cut out for health reasons. Basically, you give up all potentially inflammatory foods for 30 days (wheat, dairy, soy, grains, sugar/sweeteners, etc), and then you add them back in one by one so you can identify which food groups affect YOUR body negatively. I won't lie, it's a rough month, but it starts you out on a clean slate so your body can let you know what's okay and what's potentially problematic. I have a friend with bad joint hyperextension issues who swears by it and has been doing it for almost two years now, and any time he does eat wheat or dairy or other "problem" foods, he can tell the difference almost immediately. The program website has a bunch of great recipes as well to make the transition a bit easer: www.whole9life.com/whole30 .

Personally, I think the program calls for more meat than necessary but you can tailor it to suit your needs/resources and there are also vegan and vegetarian programs available.
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How on earth did he cut out soy? It's in everything!
 
Lucy Bookit said:
Thats what I'm doing. I finished my script early, and am waiting to fill my new one on monday which would be a month. I had to wait 2 weeks (and had to go through opiate withdrawal).
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I've posted about my situation of regularly going CT & having to go through opiate WDs, as, like many others, I'm not prescribed a high enough dose to adequately cover my pain. I also have a habit that I'm trying to reign in.

I swear by the power of pregabalin for opiate withdrawal, which dampens down the physical symptoms amazingly.

Do you use/take anything to help when you run out of pills/between scripts? Just curious what others do.

Rtp
 
Poppy seed tea and Kratom have become my Best friend. I startied with hydrocodone ,I then was switched to perks to morphine and finally Fentanyl 50 mcg patches now prescribed.. and 3 of my patches have gone missing and that is 9 days without!!!!!!!

Well yes I freaked....and then I researched...Thank God!

Maybe this is worth a try!! Good luck
 
^thx, though I have at least tried PST & not felt A Thing. In 1kg seeds. Kratom, I'll admit I haven't really looked into..but likely I'd need to get it thru customs. Eg: not likely ;)

But these helped you while CTing from Fent 50mcg? Interesting..

Rtp
 
Ahhh, my post got erased. Let's try a short version first. My doc knows Im a long time methadone users for chronic, severe spine pain. He knows I take from two to four 40mg methadone pills a day. During a very bad flare up, I went to his office and asked of he could prescribe anything for break through pain. He suggested Nelbufrine, which I had never heard of. He did say its both an agonist and antagonist, so at worst, it might reduce the effectiveness of the methadone in my system. I figure, no prob, of that happens, I can simply take another meth pill later.

He injects ten mgs of nelbufrine, and hell commences within two minutes. For the next six hours I was rolling on his bsthroom floor, screaming at full lung capacity, in agonizing pain, body on fire, hallucinating terrifying thing, sweating profusely so I could wring out my clothes, begging for a hospital (he refused). I was punching walls with my fists and striking my head against the tile floor to rid myself of the pain and tremors. I was completely convinced I was going to die.


My doc claims it was my fault because I "don't wait twelve hours in between methadone pills.". Later, I did some research and earned that as it is both an agonist and antagonist, the nelbufrine acted to immediately stop my opiate receptors from receiving anything from the methadone already in my system, and thus put me in a withdrawal from hell.


It was one of the most terrible experiences of my life, and I feel he is not taking responsibility for his fuckup and is blaming me. Why in earth wood he give me an antagonist knowing I use a high dose of methadone and have done so for seven years?? Am I in the wrong here?
 
Rybee said:
Finally seeing a spinal surgeon on Monday night. Fed up of the aggravation caused by painkillers. They're more trouble than they're worth tbh.
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I was seeing a spine specialist for 2 years, she finally came to the conclusion that I was still young enough not to jump into surgery yet, because not all surgeries are successful.

She also stated I could get the shots in my back, but they really hurt, so we decided to just keep stretching out every day, walk every day & take the pain meds.

I rather take pain meds than go thru surgery & have it not work out, & wind up in a worse condition......surgery is a very serious thing.
 
babesintoyland said:
Yeah that's what I was thinking about swapping out but then when they said schedule and appt to dispose.. I might just wait it out for my refill but that might look so bad seeing as if I called cause about them :(
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Just tell them you were busy & couldn't make it in, so you decided to try & make the hydro work out, & they just aren't the same as percs ......you don't want to go in there early & with nothing, you will get flagged right away.
 
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