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Chronic Pain MEGA Thread

Back after a major re-occurring flare-up that has been going on and off for the last 6-8 weeks. Major pain, slipped into a major depression. Was literally in bed for 8 days straight. Now I am being threatened by my boss at work because of my attendance. But, I am on FMLA. He is bullying me and making work stressful and a hostile environment. I am trying to recover, but with that added burden its not helping. I know he is wrong and I am talking with Human Resources tomorrow, but some people are so ignorant.

I am getting admitted back into the pain management program. I have Fibromyalgia. I have had it for over 15 years. The crazy thing about fibro is it is unpredicatble and it changes as time goes by. This time last year, my flare ups were totally different than they are now. I know one attributing factor is that I am all alone. I dont have any friends or family where I live. So, when I get sick I am all alone. Then it gets worse because then I get lonely, depression hits and it just starts cycling downward.

It just seems like everything happens at once and overwhelms you. I am so tempted to go back on pain medications just to get numb again.
 
i got dropped after 5 yrs for someone anonymously calling the pm dr and claiming i sell pills...now i never did and the anon person is a guy who i refused to sell to and he retaliated. they never counted my pills and i never had a bit of trouble there...a ua showed correct levels...now i have a red flag and am looking for a new pm dr...

lesson...never let anyone know your dr's name or pm clinics info
 
Chronic pain due to RA

I have chronic pain due to Rheumatoid Arthritis. I was taking RX pain meds, but became addicted. After I quit using the pills, I decided to only use cannabis, Lidocaine patches, and APAP or Naproxen Sodium. The pain and stiffness is unbearable sometimes, but I have never gone back to the RX options. Mainly because I am afraid I will become dependent on them again.

I recently broke my foot and was given Lortab 5/500. I was only given 40 tablets, so I don't foresee a problem right now. My RA pain is a lot better now, which is great.
 
minutemaid said:
I was in a motorcycle crash 4 months ago. My pelvis and legs were shattered and crushed a couple of disks in my lower back. My medical insurance dropped me, so I haven't been able to do physical therapy, get any more ops (spine & hip) or get any pain relief.

i don't know what to do anymore... i have no more money :(

how do you guys without insurance do it??
Click to expand...

in fl there are tons of "pill mills" cash only though maybe medicaid?
 
Tillianne- Why do you think your RA pain is a lot better now? Is the disease better or is it just the pain from it that is better? Does cannabis help?
 
I had the same problem with my back doctor then i was sent to pain management i was 24 then and they literally look at you like oh well your so young. Here im thinking so young people cant experiemce pain like middle aged or older people? Like come on doc how does this have bearing on a decision its not like im a child and have my mom cut aspirin for me. Its ridiculous! With me i have 4 different discs bulged from cervical to lumbar one pinches on foraminal nerve, i agree with the other poster you need a new doctor
 
Are there any certain methods people use to subdue their pain along with painkillers? Im always looking for suggestions. Suffered from neck and back pain for 4 years i do take prescribed meds but i want to know if theres other ways to make them more efficient like my dilaudid. Thanks
 
Frankss - welcome to bluelight.

check out the most current CP megathread in Other Drugs where I have many posts in which I pretty much go from taking medication only and in tons of pain to using only alternative techniques. Right now I am somewhere in the middle, but here's a long post I made regarding techniques to supplement pain meds. (it should actually read: pain meds to supplement other techniques.)

This was addressed to someone else, but it is totally applicable to probably 75% of the people in here. I really didn't see the light until Cane2theLeft was just like, dude, if you want to get better stop abusing your fucking meds and try other therapies. Medication should be a last resort.
and he was right.


muvolution said:
GBM-

Dude if you have that serious of a disease you need to be seeing a specialist for your spine with integrated pain management. You should obviously start on the lowest dose possible, but I would say either Norcos (Hydrocodone 10/ APAP 325) and see how that goes, but you'll probably at least need something like oxycodone in a single agent pill because lots of Paracetamol over time is bad for your liver.
400mg of tramadol is probably like 15mg of hydro/oxycodone, although it is hard to quantify since Tramadol has multiple modes of action.

So like I said, start as small as you can (your Dr. will want this also, and work up from there.)

I personally feel that the morphone class drugs are better for long term use, but their BA is low orally (which doesn't matter at Rx'd doses) unless you have any kind of digestive or liver impairment, which it sounds like you do. I would look into hydromorphone as it is very strong, can be used for fairly-immediate relief orally, doesn't require lots of digestion or metabolism, and is easier on your bowels.

OK, so that's just for the meds.

You should see a traditional Taoist 5-point acupuncturist. It REALLY DOES help with ailments, especially with your digestive track. A good acupuncturist will also give you diet advice and supplements that will help. You really have to put alot of trust in the acupuncturist doing your treatments, like you can't get just anyone or skip around. It's really personal and they are really good just to talk to, a good acupuncturist makes you think about yourself an your health so much more. I could never Imagine that it would actually help this much, I was always super skeptical, but it is rad.

This shit really works - It isn't a replacement for western medicine, but in combination, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Exercise. Lots of exercise, as much as you can get within (if you have them) your activity restrictions. you gotta be doing stuff so the body produces its own endogenous opiates also.

If you are in a state that allows it, I would certainly get Medical Cannabis. You are certainly qualified. If not, talk to your doctor about Marinol (synthetic THC pills)
EDIT: just saw you are in the process of getting it - good.

She seems to be just tacking on drugs rather than using a strong(er) opiate like she should. This can be just as or more dangerous than just writing a decent opiate script.

So is she a spinal specialist? If not I suggest you find one immediately. They can do things like nerve blocks and spinal injections for long-lasting pain release. The use lots of different medication from benzocaine, epinephrine and whatnot to depot shots of hydromorphone and an NSAID.
IF these work well they can then implant a nerve pacemaker that disrupts the pain signals before they hit the brain, so you will be able to get better relief from your medications. If you don't want an artificial part in your body (I don't) they can just continue the shots which you can do anesthesia for so you don't even feel it, and they are great.

Check out those options in your area and get back to us, eh?
Best of luck, PM me if you have questions.
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Oh, man. I feel so bad for you. I'm 29, and I've had chronic pain for 6 years. I don't know how I live through the days when I don't have pain meds. Want to know more about poppy pod tea. I'm detoxing from Vicodin right now, and it's about the worst shit I've ever been through. My stupid PM doctor gave me a transdermal patch instead of a pill, and then after I looked it up, I discovered you're supposed to detox from the opiates first and then start on the patch. The patch makes detox, like, abazillion times worse because of some inhibitor it blocks in the brain. So you're pushed into detox all at once, ferociously. I have three kids, two of whom are home with me alone during the day. I've been on my ass for two days. I have at least a couple to go. Thank God it's the weekend now, so I don't have to worry about the kids for the next two days. This is awful.
 
meredith - If you are referring to a buprenorphine patch made for Opiate Replacement Therapy, you only have to wait ~24 hours
 
OK so shit hit the fan last month. I had a total meltdown. I am now on disability and being seen in an intensive outpatient therapy program. I have been suffering from fibromyalgia for 16 years along with other physical and emotional issues. I was addicted to opiates for 11 years and have been clean for almost 6 years.

I am at the point now where I am wanting to go back onto pain medication. I am doing the theraphy and acupuncture but I am still in pain. I meditate and do yoga but I still have pain. After having pain for so long, I just feel like I am done fighting it. Just want to take the magic pill and be done with it. I am very aware of my addiction issue and so is my doctor, so we will try and find something that will not get me "high" but will help with the pain. For a while I felt like if I went back on the pain meds I would be a failure, but now I am needing to just focus on me and get better and back to work.

My insurance company is HUGE, so there is so much red tape. They would not take me back into pain management, said that I had to deal with my stress and emotional issues. Which is pissing me off because my shrink is pushing it off to my PCP and my PCP is pushing it off to my shrink.

So, I am having to learn to live one day at a time. Which is hard because I am a planner.
 
TINK said:
OK so shit hit the fan last month. I had a total meltdown. I am now on disability and being seen in an intensive outpatient therapy program. I have been suffering from fibromyalgia for 16 years along with other physical and emotional issues. I was addicted to opiates for 11 years and have been clean for almost 6 years.

I am at the point now where I am wanting to go back onto pain medication. I am doing the theraphy and acupuncture but I am still in pain. I meditate and do yoga but I still have pain. After having pain for so long, I just feel like I am done fighting it. Just want to take the magic pill and be done with it. I am very aware of my addiction issue and so is my doctor, so we will try and find something that will not get me "high" but will help with the pain. For a while I felt like if I went back on the pain meds I would be a failure, but now I am needing to just focus on me and get better and back to work.

My insurance company is HUGE, so there is so much red tape. They would not take me back into pain management, said that I had to deal with my stress and emotional issues. Which is pissing me off because my shrink is pushing it off to my PCP and my PCP is pushing it off to my shrink.

So, I am having to learn to live one day at a time. Which is hard because I am a planner.
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Since i know more then a few people who have fibromyalgia i know how much of a negative impact it can have on a person's life. I am sorry that yo8u have to go through that because that must really suck. I am a chronic pain patient myself as i suffer from trigeminal neuralgia aka the suicide disease :\ . It has at times made my life a living hell i have to say and when i get bad attacks due to it not being treated properly or having a flare up all of a sudden i really can't do much besides lay around in bed. So yeah i do know how bad chronic pain can be as it can make me really depressed or down right suicidal if it get's bad enough.

From what i know of fibromyalgia from knowing people who have it and reading up on it a good bit is that there are a good few treatment options out there. How well all these treatment options work is open for debate and everyone reacts differently to medications. What works for me for example in treating such and such may do nothing or cause very serious side effects in you and vice versa. This is why advice from a good doctor is important.

There are options to treat fibro that are non narcotic so you could try some of them if you haven't already. Lyrica was the first medication that was approved for treating fibro i believe and since then cymbalta and Savella which are serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors have been approved in the US for treating fibro as well. Those are the only 3 approved to treat fibro in the US but this doesn't mean that you will necessarily get a better result. I would say that trying lyrica would be worth a shot if you haven't already and if you can afford it or have insurance to cover it. Gabapentin is alot like lyrica (pregabalin) and would be worth a shot if lyrica didn't work for you or if you can't afford lyrica. I can't afford lyrica and my insurance doesn't cover it hence why i am on gabapentin. Some tricyclic anti-depressants such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline and doxepin have been used in the treatment of fibro. They can have more side effects then lyrica or gabapentin though. There are also others out there and you could discuss treatment options with your doctor.

Good luck on finding something that works for you.
 
Does it count if the pain is chronic... but for a period of time?

As oppose to having a bad back, and hurting 24/7 the rest of your life
 
Pain Management Patients Support Thread

I used the search engine, and am aware of the existence of the pain management megathread located in OD. However that thread deals more with pain medication discussion, and wanted to start one here in TDS that focuses more on support and experiences. We have some very caring members here on bluelight, and some of us suffer with chronic pain, pain that can severely impact one's life in almost every aspect. It ranges from issues of confidence, anxiety, depression, mobility, libido, and has an impact on your family, friends, and loved ones. I wanted to start off this thread by discussing my recent experience with my new pain clinic. I posted this in the pain management megathread in OD as well, but I'm hoping that I'll get more of the compassionate, supportive responses I'm looking for here in TDS.

Who else is attending pain management classes in addition to medication?
At my clinic, you attend several weeks of classes in a room with a dozen or so other CPP patients, taught by specialists, pain psychologists, pain doctors, and pharmacists that specialize in pain mgt. The goal is to learn other techniques to deal with things like breakthru pain, and all the implications one's pain has on their ability to live the lives they want to live. I've been benefiting greatly from guided imagery to help me get to bed (pain is at its worst mornings and nights). They teach you a whole bunch of skills and also ways to potentiate the opiates.

It's also helped me immensely just having the support of others who know what you're going through. You see so many people that have it much worse than you and how they still lead meaningful lives through the program is truly inspiring. This clinic is by far the best chronic pain clinic I've ever been part of, the first one where the doctors look at you as a person, not a number and a medical file, and THEY LISTEN.
 
ill make this quick, couldnt believe it last year, less than 1 week after i got on suboxone, i got rear ended in a car accident which casued herniated disks in my neck and ruptured disks in my back, so no pain pill for me :( they dont do shit after bein on suboxone either even after a few days of not taking any suboxone... crazy
 
Other pain clinics I've been a part of are SO much more conservative, and you can feel the DEA looming over your shoulder. The discussion of opiates at pain clinics being shunned makes NO sense to me.

At my clinic, they seem to accept and embrace opiates. They don't throw them at you, not by a long shot, but this is by far the most compassionate team of doctors, pharmacists, and psychologist I have ever seen.

I just got off the phone with my pain psychologist, he called and asked me how I was doing. I just broke down and cried. Never before had a doctor who knew about my pain took the time out of their day to check on me.

I had lost all hope in healthcare before this pain clinic, and for the first time in my life seriously contemplated suicide.
 
I am new to this forum. I was in pain management for nearly 10 years on very high doses of opiates. 3 years ago I moved to a new state and had to start with a new doctor. I was on a drug called Opana plus oxycodone for breakthrough pain. When I started with the new doctor he did a conversion and told me I was on the equivalent of about 1300 mgs of morphine, he was not happy about it. The sad thing is I am an RN and was clearly in denial. I started weaning down and got to 400 mgs a day plus 4-5 30mg oxycodone. I was not having an easy time so I called my insurance company to be admitted for detox, the place had this lovely website, promised me I would be comfortable. Drove 7 hours to get there, they strip me of all belongings and lock me in a psych unit. The doctor I saw put me on tramadol during the day and phenobarbital at night, said I would be done in 7 days. I figured I can put up with anything for 7 days. on day 6 a new doctor comes in I have never seen before. I had weaned off all their detox drugs, I am not saying I was feeling good, but I was managing ok. So this new doctor says I can't leave the next day unless I" take a naltrexone challenge" right after she says the long acting opiates can take 14 days or longer especially since I was on them so long. I tell her I am a nurse and I have seen this drug given to addicts before and I don't want to take it. She says if you don't, you cannot leave and if you leave AMA we will report you to the board of nursing for working impaired. So now I'm scared. I have kids, I need my job. So like a dumbass, I take the naltrexone. even though I had had no opiates (except the tramadol they gave my which I know is synthetic, anyway, I became so violently ill almost immediately. The nurses in this facility did not take care of me, they offered me oral meds which I was puking my guts up and couldn't swallow anything (by the way, I have had stomach surgery called a fundoplication and was not supposed to be able to vomit) I was crapping myself and they left me to lay in it for hours. Being a nurse myself, I cannot believe the treatment I received, it was barbaric. For 4 days I was in that bed vomiting and unimaginable diarrhea. They gave me no IV, they did not test my potassium or calcium levels. So after 11 days they made my husband and daughter drive 7 hours to pick me up. Here I am at home now, the last of my own opiates I took was 25 days ago, and the last of their tramadol was 20 days ago.

My problem now is twofold. I am not vomiting but my bowels are still loose I take immodium only when its like water, none in a few days. I cannot sleep for anything, like maybe 2-3 hours a night, I have tried Benadryl but I am so over drugs, I don't want sedatives. I have zero energy, just a walk up the stairs gives me palpitations and a shower makes me feel like I just ran a marathon. Mentally I feel very strong, and clear. Physically, I feel like I'm gonna collapse. I saw the doctor, she offered me benzos, which I refused. Am I ever going to feel normal again. Not to mention the pain, I'm on Celebrex, which does NOTHING. the best thing I have is 800 mg ibuprofen which I am not supposed to take cause when all this crap started I wrecked my stomach my taking it all the time, but nothing else helps. I must say though, I was in almost as much pain on the opiates, so after time, its true, it doesn't help.
 
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I just wanted to add some things I've recently discovered for myself personally.

First off I used to be prescribed benzos for many years and it got to the point where 3mgs Clonazepam did nothing and I decided it was time to quit them. I now can find some solace & pain relief in basic medications. Albeit I find stimulants to help increase blood flow ten fold which temporarily irradiates pain, I've more recently found 1mg klonopin & 150mgs of ultram to work fantastically. I am probably going to try to stick with that regime instead of the stims as it's fair safer on my body. I suggest putting the time into exercise and ultram for pain - it works much better than I could have ever expected.

Also, I wanted to note that I stopped taking neurontin for the simple reason of it blocking too much of my nerve endings. It's basically a bad way (in my eyes) to keep pain in check, because the body is still aware of the physical sensations that are being masked. I'd rather feel my pain and know where I stand with it rather than mask it and try to cope & pretend that everything has gotten better.

-dp
 
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