Misc The Pain Management Mega Thread version 3.0

[brighton]

I already said it didn't belong here but don't think the mods have spotted it yet.

That reminds me, where fore art thou tricomb?

 

[Doomed2pain]

He had a lot of uni work to do last night

 

[macd610]

ugh godammit i thought i had the flu which would have been ok, but its withdrawals AGAIN ! I used poppyseeds (amazing painkiller!) 3 times in the last 7 days and that must be just too much for my body. Feverish and cant sleep much. Yeah just needed to rant. thanks for listening!

I cannot tell you how VERY many times I have mistaken withdrawals for the flu. Once in awhile, I run out of my bt meds a bit early if it's been a really rough month. Usually I do some sort of taper, although usually nothing substantial.
Even if I am only out for 4-5 days, I get flu-like symptoms for at least a week. They usually start soon after beginning the taper. Don't know how long it's going to take me to accept it for what it is from the beginning lol!
Hope you get better soon.

 

[BiggDirty01]

To my fellow back pain sufferers I have a question:

Is winter your worst season for pain? Last winter was my first after spinal fusion, and now after 2 more surgeries this year I am terrified of winter even though L.A. winter is nothing like some of yours; it still gets down in the 30's at night in the part of L.A. I am living in these days.

Does it make you guys feel like you are towing a brick wall when walking? (that is what it makes me feel like)

 

[tentram]

I already said it didn't belong here but don't think the mods have spotted it yet.

try using the report button (at the top right of each post) -

- to bring it to their attention instead of whinging about it in the thread. reported posts go into a forum for review that only moderators can see. it's easier this way and saves cluttering the thread further

To my fellow back pain sufferers I have a question:

Is winter your worst season for pain?

yes by far. it's fair to say any weather with short and quick fluctuations between hot and cold fuck me up; the cold more so.

 

[Hazey420]

Any temperature change affects me but winter definitely affects me the worst. Im usually bed bound all winter.

I agree I am the same way with my pain, i can tell if its going to change weather since we dont have seasons and no snow. It sucks. Winter here consists of rain if we are lucky, rain really gets my pain going, we have no humidity, its a dry heat out here. If we had cold weather I would die...cant go back to the cold now...

 

[Doomed2pain]

I did report it, the mods just hadn't got to it.

Hazey

We didn't used to get much snow but now we get snowed in and it hurts so bad. I can feel the weather change too. We get loads of rain and the day before my pain always flares up, which is very often we get loads of rain in the UK.

 

[ssssdagr]

I just started posting, so hi everyone, my name is Sara! I deal with chronic pain every day as of feb almost 2 years ago and it's changed my life completely. Anyone suffer specifically from nerve pain? before I go through and read the whole thread lol

 

[macd610]

Welcome, Sara! I think you'll soon find many fellow pain patients with similar issues. This is a wonderfully warm, welcoming forum...especially this thread (I've almost come to think of this thread as a forum in itself lol).

I hope you all are doing well. For those of you who are not - you're in my thoughts. You know who you are

Just need to vent a bit, so thank you all in advance. I've been dealing with some issues recently besides my chronic pain. Had a kidney infection a couple of weeks ago, was given an antibiotic, but have been continuing to have symptoms.
Went for my pain med appt this a.m. and my MD tested my urine again. Last time it had blood and leukocytes (sp?)...I think the latter is what shows infection.
Today no leukocytes, but an alarming amount of blood. My MD said he is concerned about bladder cancer and referred me to a urologist, to be seen ASAP.
I asked him about the possibility of just a kidney stone or something, and he agreed it was a possibility but my symptoms at this point suggested that it's probably my bladder. On top of my endometriosis pain, I've had a weird sharp pain right at the bottom of my lower abdomen. When it comes, my pain meds do nothing to relieve it.
My Mom had kidney cancer years ago, and I'm trying to be positive but really, I'm scared to death
Thanks for listening, guys.
Cat

 

[Doomed2pain]

Pain in your abdomen could be your kidneys i had blood in my urine a few times and i had pain down the left side of my abdomen and uterus. My crps caused it i get it frequently. Try not to worry too much hun it could be a number of things including a continuation of the infection that needs different antibiotics due to the strain of infection.

 

[macd610]

Pain in your abdomen could be your kidneys i had blood in my urine a few times and i had pain down the left side of my abdomen and uterus. My crps caused it i get it frequently. Try not to worry too much hun it could be a number of things including a continuation of the infection that needs different antibiotics due to the strain of infection.

Thank you SO much for your encouraging words. I think what made it seem even scarier was my doctor's attitude. And wouldn't an infection show up on the urine sample?
Maybe he is just trying to prepare me for the very worst possible scenario, you know? Anyway, I hope to God it's nothing more than a kidney stone or something. I have an appointment on the third so I will have more information then
Thanks again and I hope you are doing better.

 

[ssssdagr]

spending my evening with my comfy blanket and pillows reading a lot of this thread

 

[Jktm]

Ya, so fuck the pain management clinic I went to on Wednesday...Filled out they're 12 page new patient paperwork, paid a $40 copay, and sat in there for 2 fucking hours for the PA to come back in to let me know the doctor wouldn't treat me because of my psychiatric history, and suggested I go to a state board certified psychiatrist for pain managment...because psych's treat physical pain [/sarcasm]

Hopefully this other pain management clinic will treat me...goddamn, are these doctors worried about their patients or their DEA licenses?

Was given just enough tramadol to get me to the appointment to, so I got to go back into full bupe withdrawal (which ended today thankfully)...gotta love that 36 hour half-life...

 

[phenethylo J]

You said you don't like benzos to help you sleep, have you tried explaining to your doctor why it doesn't help? If you talk to them they can perscribe different kinds of benzos, up the dose, or possibly give you longer lasting ones

I don't like that forced tired feeling they give me. I was first put on temazepam and then got switched to clonazepam. Both helped at first but tolerence builds quick and I don't want to keep raising my dose. I am already prescribed hydrocodone/apap, morphine, gabbapentin, tizanidine, sulfasalazine, prednisone and prednisolone eye drops daily I prefer not to add to that list. Plus they will just make my sleep issues worse in the long run. When I started going to my pain doc in jan she told me she did not feel comfertable giving me them anymore do to that fact she put me on a way higher opiate dose than my old doc had me on and gave me one last script so I could taper off and said I would have to get them from a differnt doc if I wanted to stay on them. Since I had already tapered off them by my own choice shortly before I started going to her I didn't bother. I know they will just make my sleep issues worse in the long run. The only reason I went on them in the first place was because I had to quit weed for 4 months when I failed that drug test for weed and it was either go on benzos or drop out of college due to sleep deprivation.

In some cases, such as mine, my pain doc also prescribes MMJ in certain cases so he/she could give a shit if you tested positive for cannabanoids somewhere else. It is getting more and more common that MJ is being prescribed for pain, especially nerve or arthritic pain.

Every state is different and I am in pretty progressive state that understands the medicinal qualities of MJ. I could get a MM card but until it isn't looked down upon during per-employment screens I have to stay THC free. I am trying to subsidize my disability benefits which do not provide me enough money to live a meaningful life.

I would love to get on mmj but sadly I live in Florida and I know it won't happen here anytime soon. My mom and aunt sugested I move to a medical state but moving across the country is a big expense and like you I am on disability which doesn't provide a whole lot of money.

lol...this reminds me of my situation...

I was in an out-patient program for depression, anxiety, etc., and I told the doctor that I had smoked MJ the week before I started the program. He said he was fine with this, but that he would be doing drug screens. He sends me for one at the end of the first week and pissed dirty for THC as expected. He sends me again the third week, at the end of which, I went back inpatient for worsening depression, anxiety, anorexia, and suicidal ideation. I get back out of the institute wanting to go back to the outpatient program, but when I got there, they said that the doctor felt that their program wasn't for me because I failed the drug screen for THC (~21 days after smoking), and said that a chemical dependency program would be better for me.

Who the fuck goes to chemical dependency counseling for MJ in the first place, and where did this quack get his M.D. for him to not realize it can take 30+days for someone to deplete THC below the point of detection, especially when this individual has low testosterone? People can be fucking stupid...

When I failed that drug test for weed from my doc I used get opiates from that bitch doc called me 9am to tell me I failed when she knew I had sleep issues and my uvitis was acting up. It is an extreamly painfull inflamatory eye condition related to my arthitus that makes it feel like a molten hot knife is going through my eye and makes me unable to take the most miniscule amount of light. My flaire was starting to clear up and her call made it come full swing as well as give me a full fledged panic attack and nervous break down. When I came in I told her it helped me sleep and her exact words "it helps you sleep because other people say it does; tobaco used be abvertised as something to relax you but is actualy a stimulent. Luckly I was able to convince her not to discharge me and I gained her trust back.

 

[ssssdagr]

Ya, so fuck the pain management clinic I went to on Wednesday...Filled out they're 12 page new patient paperwork, paid a $40 copay, and sat in there for 2 fucking hours for the PA to come back in to let me know the doctor wouldn't treat me because of my psychiatric history, and suggested I go to a state board certified psychiatrist for pain managment...because psych's treat physical pain [/sarcasm]

Hopefully this other pain management clinic will treat me...goddamn, are these doctors worried about their patients or their DEA licenses?

Was given just enough tramadol to get me to the appointment to, so I got to go back into full bupe withdrawal (which ended today thankfully)...gotta love that 36 hour half-life...

the first pain management clinic i was trying to get into was saying the wait time would be 5 months, fuck that. the other, was 3 months, so i had to wait.

i quoted mainly to say fuuuck tramadol (in my case) shit almost killed me. I had to take it for a year before i was switched to hydrocodone at that interventional pain clinic that i go to for now where i'm trying to get switched. it's caused me to lose 40 pounds to where i'm complete bones.

 

[Hazey420]

I dont understand these pain clinics they have to know everything about you just to give you better or different meds then your normal Dr. I Have had some people I know that went through the same bullshit you guys did. And having to wait to get in also bullshit, no pain clinic here takes my insuance so I have never been and that 40$ copay would kill me, I can barely afford my meds each month, its hard enough to pay the bills and try to buy food at the same time, I choose meds over food every time. Right now I am in insane pain no percs for the last week been living on valium and Gabupentin for the last week, I must admit the Gabupentin works but I can only take up to 600mg a day. So hopefully I can get them filled. My insuarance is doing the bullshit of well its too early to get them. I went to a different Pharmamcy last month and got them early so fingers crossed that it will happen again. Its sad i never thought I would be this way doing the best I can to manage this pain and live at the same time why why why wont this just go away, shit even when I had cancer they took it out of me and got all of it and it went away and has not come back. I have a question for all who have been to pain clinics do you get bettter meds? stronger meds? or just anything you ask for?

 

[milagro]

I have a question for all who have been to pain clinics do you get bettter meds? stronger meds? or just anything you ask for?

It does seem pretty extreme. It is difficult to understand how the whole pain management bullshit works until you have been through it. As for the quote above, I can attempt to answer;

Better meds? Too subjective to answer. Stronger meds? If you mean stronger meds than you would get from a General Practitioner? Yes with a caveat. Pain Management Doctors can prescribe a larger variety of medications for chronic pain but you do not get anything you ask for. They make determinations based on a variety of factors and if they feel that medication management is best for your situation then they will make that recommendation.

I just hope people understand that you cannot simply walk into a pain clinic and get a prescription for strong painkillers. That is how pill mills operated. The result of the pill mill's lackadaisical practices was the creation of a huge drug addiction problem and a spike in prescription opioid medication overdoses.

The result of that mess was to adopt and enforce prescription regulations to a point that the only places that could prescribe such medications as Opana, Hydomorph, Oxy, etc. were clinics that followed new, tough guidelines like urine tests and strict accounting of medications prescribed.

Some of these pain management centers are run very professionally with respect given to the patient while others should have a swastika stamped on their new patients paperwork. Personal responsibility went right into the garbage and many people in chronic pain not only have to deal with the every day physical pain but the new, bureaucratic nonsense.

Thanks Mr. Kirlekowskie.

Sorry for the rant. In a country where there are so many medications that can help those suffering live more productive lives, most of control has been given to agencies that have absolutely no patient contact.

Edit:Just a note that this ^ is more representative of my area of the country. There have been new State laws that are very tough and at times too restrictive on the prescription of opioids. I cannot comment on how pain clinics operate in areas outside of this state.

 

[Hazey420]

It does seem pretty extreme. It is difficult to understand how the whole pain management bullshit works until you have been through it. As for the quote above, I can attempt to answer;

Better meds? Too subjective to answer. Stronger meds? If you mean stronger meds than you would get from a General Practitioner? Yes with a caveat. Pain Management Doctors can prescribe a larger variety of medications for chronic pain but you do not get anything you ask for. They make determinations based on a variety of factors and if they feel that medication management is best for your situation then they will make that recommendation.

I just hope people understand that you cannot simply walk into a pain clinic and get a prescription for strong painkillers. That is how pill mills operated. The result of the pill mill's lackadaisical practices was the creation of a huge drug addiction problem and a spike in prescription opioid medication overdoses.

The result of that mess was to adopt and enforce prescription regulations to a point that the only places that could prescribe such medications as Opana, Hydomorph, Oxy, etc. were clinics that followed new, tough guidelines like urine tests and strict accounting of medications prescribed.

Some of these pain management centers are run very professionally with respect given to the patient while others should have a swastika stamped on their new patients paperwork. Personal responsibility went right into the garbage and many people in chronic pain not only have to deal with the every day physical pain but the new, bureaucratic nonsense.

Thanks Mr. Kirlekowskie.

Sorry for the rant. In a country where there are so many medications that can help those suffering live more productive lives, most of control has been given to agencies that have absolutely no patient contact.

Thank you for the explanation, we have allot of people here who abuse the pain clincs here its sad I have seen more then one person getting like 12 meds at a time, Mostly the Vics the Percs, the Phentanal patches, anything they want basically. I am fine with the meds that I am on, and dont feel a need for anything stronger. When I first got hurt I was on 7 meds at a time but that is when I was younger. Now I am only on 4 My Dr is paranoid with my liver, its a blood test every 3 months I dont drink at all just the meds and Herb, that is what helps me with my pain management.

 

[macd610]

Hello everyone! Just checking in to see how you all are doing? anyone have anything to share? I luckily have not had to deal with pain management clinics. my primary care doctor is comfortable managing my pain, and has been through extra training to deal with CPP's and our special needs.
soon after I started seeing him and getting treatment, he had a patient overdose on a medicine that he had prescribed for them. because of this, he implemented new policies for anyone getting treated for pain.... pretty much the same things pain clinics do, I think. I had to sign a pain management contract, and I have taken several urine tests. I must use the same pharmacy every time I get my prescriptions filled, unless there is a good reason to use a different one ( for example, if they don't have my medicine in stock or something like that).
he says he has lost lots of patients since beginning these new procedures. he said that many people tested positive for cocaine, and many patients had no medication in their systems at all. according to him, he gives everybody a second chance and after that he discharges them.
seems pretty fair to me, and pretty laid back compared to what many pain patients have to go through to get there medications.
anyway, I hope you are all having a low pain, or even better, a pain free day
Cat

 

[Jktm]

That's actually pretty common among all internists or primary care physicians to require the implementations of a pain contract. Mine had me sign one when I was on tramadol and flexeril alone, and had me sign it on my second visit to her.