Posted on 09/05/2014 11:54:52 PM PDT by Vendome
Don’t punish yourself. Unless someone has been in extreme pain there is no way that they could understand it.
I’m right there with you.
Busted up shoulders, knees, ankles, ribs and a few concussions.
All from me singing “I’ve got to be free! I’ve got to be me. What else can I be...”
Plus I grind my teeth so bad that even with a dental night guard I wake up everyday with what feels like a migraine.
I’m not trying to make it through the day. I’m just getting a head start on what is persistent and the difference is some 4 hours, compared to 15-30 minutes and I’m usually good to go for the rest of the day.
Yep....
I’m right there with you.
I’ve busted up every joint from my neck down and if it rains...arghhhh!
I would be very happy if one of my doctors would prescribe me a pain killer. Instead I get “off label” meds like Neurontin and Topamax that didn’t work and only caused more problems, some that I still suffer from even after 3 years.
Now on Cymbalta also for my nerve pain. Been 2 months and not really getting relief but at least tolerable side effects but starting to have more. One of which is strange dreams so when I looked that up I found a lot of people that had major “horror movie level” nightmares when they stopped taking it. I am on the lowest dose now and afraid when I tell the neurologist when I see her next month it isn’t working she might increase the dose instead of stopping.
Tried the trigger point injections in my lower back last year. Slight infections at two of the sites but I did get some relief from spasms for a while.
Have genetic RA pain that started in my hands around 8 years old, back issues since my teens, nerve damage in my right thigh since Feb 2002 and various other problems. Can’t remember the last time I went pain free for more than a few hours even on strong pain killers.
I suspect MS and one doctor said I probably have FM but have had no tests. Have had two EMG and nerve conduction tests and some ultrasounds and tons of lab work. Getting a sleep study in a few days.
Back x-rays show damage in L5-S1 but the rest of my back is a mess too.
Left arm, inside right ear, and both feet has numbness that comes and goes but has been staying longer lately than a few weeks. I have several “hot spots” on my legs and feet and two on my back that feel warm but the skin is normal temp. My whole front of my right thigh up to my hip and down past my knee is nerve damage that is always numb, with burning, stabbing, spasms and weakness occurring daily. The burning usually likes to happen when trying to sleep. I have to be extra careful when the numbness and weakness is really acting up below my knee because I have already fell once and tore open my skin and I don’t heal that fast. Prone to skin infections and ABC’s (abscesses, boils and cysts) so I don’t like my skin broken open for germs.
Good thing I usually have high pain tolerance that most people would never be able to handle but after over half of my life in pain it wears a person down.
Over the hour plus it has taken me to type this and the post before this that I changed my mind about posting, my right ear has gone numb 3 times, my right foot is numb near the toes and one of the hot spots on my back decided to act up followed by needing to itch near that spot.
Your symptoms are so believable. When I first hurt my back, in the first couple of years, I would randomly have the sensation that ice water was being poured down my back.
The bottoms of my feet would feel like someone had a clothes iron on them.
One thing I've noticed about both Pain Killers & Benzodiazepine by those who have justified long term use medical need. They from the git go do not get any utopia, buzz, chill, feel great feeling of being high from the use. Rather it allows the person some functional normalcy. Strength of dosage and times a day taken is also a very strong factor often receiving no mention.
The medical need patients get the same stigma as the recreational use morons even by some doctors thanks to these type of campaigns by government and media. Giving someone long term maximum dose pain killer or Benzodiazepine initially is a disaster in the making unless there is in fact a true medical need. I've gone sixteen plus hours without Xanax before and I've seen my wife go over 24 hours without any serious withdrawal symptoms but we take low consistent in the blood stream dosages. After 12 hours my body tells me I start having anxiety. I can take a half mg of Xanax or 2 mg and no change in how I feel. But it is when I am doing an activity that triggers it I notice that I forgot to take the pill. It's not withdrawl in the sense you mention. It's the fact the triggers that set me off are now translated much stronger. I'm real careful about even OTC cold meds. I have to be. So does she.
I also take Singluar and Claratin every day long term for allergies and that's even with allergy shot therapy. The Claratin I take two times on some days. I imagine some would freak about that as well. The shots themselves do have some potential to kill me unless I can get help fast. I take three shots for regular allergens and three for stings. It comes down to what risk do you take for functionality? Should government be the deciding judge to that? IMO NO! You don't sit in the waiting room for twenty minutes after taking the allergy shots for no reason. Should government end allergy immunizations because X number of patients will go into shock? They've even considered regulating peanut use.
Different medications unrelated to any of this will also produce different responses to the patient by medical professional. Medications you wouldn't even think about. Let's say a person using 500MG of Cephalexin taken once daily for well over 9 years. They freak. LOL You can't do this!!!! They freak because they do not understand why. Simple. Patient has an Ileostomy and Colostomy and a portion of the urinary tract it routed through a section of intestine. Bladder wasn't removed due to risk to patient because of anatomical issues increasing risk. But it was disconnected to the kidneys.
The Cephalexin is used simply because it greatly lowers the chance of UTI. Without it? Person may well die. UTI can go to Pneumonia and CHF in some patients real fast like it does with my wife. It hasn't happened since the antibiotic was stepped up 6 years ago. The Urologist prescribes it. He finally told us tell them to call him next time. LOL
The way I see it there are three types of narcotic users.
1. Someone has an injury or an operation, has significant pain, takes prescribed narcotics for as short a time as possible until the pain is not seeming to cut them in too. Maybe 2-3 days, maybe a week. Not more. They can’t get off them fast enough and they git rid of them as soon as they’re done.
2. Someone has an injury or an operation, starts taking narcotics for same and never stops. Started taking them for legitimate reasons but becomes a chronic user of same and a chronic pain patient.
3. Street drug users.
Ideally one would target policies in light of these three groups but all that easy to do.
It NEVER ends.
Never !
Get the damned government out of my face. (And I don’t take any pain meds——so far,thank God)
.
Just curious can you eat much lettuce? I'm not trying to be funny or sarcastic it's a serious question with a good reason.
Why do you ask?
I relate to your situation. God bless you. My unsolicited advice is to not waste any of you precious time and energy trying to educate FReepers (or anyone else) who is ignorant about chronic, intractable pain.
Opiates. I can barely tolerate Hydocodone it makes me nauseous. I'll take it till I can finally breath again without my back grabbing. Usually three dosages is it. Over the years I developed a strange intolerance to lettuce. A family friend underwent stomach banding due to dangerous weight issue. The doctor warned her do not eat lettuce because it contains enough opiates it would make her sick. I would bet pouring hot grease over it would make it stronger as well.
That’s interesting. I have the same problem. My sister did as well. At least I know I can never be addicted to drugs. Or lettuce. :)
I have no problems with lettuce and eat it regularly. I am curious as to your reason for asking.
It contains opiate family chemicals. Some persons can eat it some can't. I explained in a a post or two back to someone else.
LOL It didn't ever bother me till maybe about maybe ten years ago. I would not have thought about opiates had someone not told me.
:)
Never !
Get the damned government out of my face. (And I don’t take any pain meds——so far,thank God)
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Agree 100%.
Do you think medical marijuana should be available to patients with chronic pain?
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