There is a miracle drug. It is called dying. May God take care of us until them. He knows our pain. He suffered much more than we are suffering. But, yes, please doc...help me.

@oregongirl

Hi, I'm a Volunteer Mentor and I've been reading the posts here. I'm concerned about your statement about dying being a "miracle drug". My concern is around you being in so much pain that dying seems preferable to living with the pain. I have taken Tramadol in the past, but it's for moderate pain. It sounds as if your pain exceeds what it's helpful for. I have a couple of questions:
- Have you had genetic testing to determine what medications will work best for you?
- Are you taking an antidepressant right now? If so, which one?
- Is there a possibility you could go to a Mayo Clinic for evaluation and diagnosis? For me, Mayo has been the best at finding the right answers to my issues in the past when others could not.
- Do you live in a state that allows use of medical marijuana? I have found medical marijuana helpful for my anxiety and some help with pain. I like CBD which is the part of marijuana that doesn't make you high. It helps my emotions to calm which in turn helps my pain.

I sincerely hope you find some help and relief from your pain by participating on Mayo Connect. Please let us know the answers to the questions I asked so we can get to know you better. Thanks and warm regards,

Gail B
Volunteer Mentor

Even calling a Pain Mgt doctor feels like I am calling in and required to present all my prison records. I don't have any. But the receptionist take their job serious. Obviously, they are young and have not yet experienced the pain we have and going through old age with pain. Their answer to my call is for the doctor himself to send the referral, not give it to me. OMG. So, now I have called the University of Texas where I am seen and asked that the doctors refer me to them. TWO of my doctors on my team have referred me to Pain Mgt. So maybe within a month I MIGHT have some help. I am sorry to say that Seniors will probably die sooner due to lack of pain control. When I am having a flare, I would welcome peace. Fortunately, I am a Christian and I pray instead of getting depressed. I laugh at the idiots who have made this path to relief impossible to breach.

What is LDN?

I am so sorry...Did you get any of my message? Please let me know. I must be hitting a key that is sending before I want to send.

Hope you get your pain referral.My Dr put a referral in for me ,haven't heard yet.

I have two referrals and all tests including x-rays. I just have to wait for my doctor to refer and not leave it up to me.

Well the pain mgt St university has access to all my records.

@oregongirl

When I read your posts I read expressions from a person who finds death preferable over life due to pain, yet you don't think you are depressed. I understand that as I was once at a point in my life where I told my friend that I just wanted to go to sleep and never wake up. That was a big signal that I was depressed, but I couldn't see that myself. Thus is the nature of depression. I once heard it described as sitting in your recliner and seeing a magic wand across the room that if you used it would get rid of all the bad feelings but you can't make yourself get up and get the magic wand. That was me.

You can be Christian and be depressed at the same time. You are expressing depression in my experience. There is no shame in being depressed; it's one way our minds use to deal with pain among other causes. Also in my case I believe my brain chemistry was off. I had a hard childhood and that can affect how our brains develop. Add chronic pain from injuries through the years and it's a recipe for depression. I was getting talk therapy for many years, and it did help, but I still needed antidepressants. I know now that I will be taking them for the rest of my life. I'm happy to have found a medication that works with no apparent side effects.

I hope you will consider getting genetic testing to find the correct antidepressant and pain medication (if they test for those) for you.

Warm regards,
Gail B
Volunteer Mentor

I have been on Anti Depressants and have been for over a year. When assessed by my doctor, she asked me to keep the antti depressant meds and if I felt like I needed to start them again, I will have them.. Just let her know. There is only ONE reason I welcome death and that is I am not afraid of death and I know the minute I close my eyes I will be with the Lord at that second. If I were to do anything to harm myself, that would not happen. I will never do anything to affect my place in Heaven. I have cymbalta, which I understand works well with RA. I guess the RA doctors even prescribe it. Why I don't know. But, I have them if I need them. I am sorry if I inflicted some horrible thoughts on you and anyone else. There is a limit to what we should and should not say on here. Stay within the lines