Chronic pain in from osteoarthritis & stenosis

@jcoleary. Only available with a prescription in Canada.
Our healthcare system seems to enjoy seeing people suffer.

@nycmusic The thing that helped the most was the pain pump I had implanted in me. It changed my life for about six months. Unfortunately, I have a congenital defect in my spine that causes degeneration in it faster than normal, so pain from further degeneration began to override the pump's effectiveness. Mine has a mixture of Dilaudid, Baclofen and Bupivacaine (kind of like a local anesthetic), though it did not have the Bupivacaine in it during the time of my best relief. It was added to help my pain when it got worse again. As I am sure you know, Dilaudid is a narcotic. However, the dose is low, and very little of the pump's medication gets into the bloodstream, though a little does, so there are some side effects but far less than taking them orally. My dose on the Dilaudid is 0.9mg/day, and the pump delivers medication constantly throughout the day. Also, there are other, nonnarcotic medications that can be used. I looked at Prialt (ziconotide), which is made from a snail toxin and, I believe, is more like a nerve agent such as Gabapentin. However, the potential side effects, such as psychosis, scared me since I cant take, Lyrica, Cymbalta and Gabapentin due to side effects.

When the pain pump began working less and because my Dilaudid dose was at the upper end of microdosing (max 1.0mg/day) I made my second attempt with implanting a spinal cord stimulator, but this time using paddle electrodes instead of the inline variety. That has helped some. Between it and the pump, and with walking and PT exercises, I am doing OK compared to a few years ago, but still am quite restricted in my activity and still get significant pain almost daily.

I am happy to answer any questions.

It sometimes feels as though they cannot focus on more than one thing at a
time. We usually have numerous problems, not just one. Looking for the
answer for 30 years seems a long time. I didn't know that sugar was
inflammatory. I have learned so much from all the help I have received.
I want to say thank you to everyone who responded; each of you had
information for me, which has helped so much. Alsos just knowing that
you're not alone makes a person feel good. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE.

@borwin98 for some people simple sugars cause inflammation.
"Excess added sugars, especially refined ones like fructose, sucrose, and glucose (often in sodas, sweets, processed foods), drive inflammation by spiking blood sugar, increasing insulin, raising cytokines, promoting Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs), and contributing to obesity, all triggering the immune system and worsening chronic inflammation linked to diseases like arthritis and diabetes. "
Farmed fish and certain sugars aggravate my arthritis for sure. I notice it now at almost 69. The aging process made me notice these things more, I suppose! (maybe I eat less of these things and when I do, its noticable!)

@jcoleary I had my pain pump implanted almost three years ago. I had a good trial with Dilaudid. I have not gotten relief so far. I am currently at 2.35 mg/24 hrs. I have seen others here who have had to go up as high as 4 mg to get relief. I would like to think that you can go up higher, based on my experience. I wish you well.
PS I had a Medtronics SCS for about three years. It helped a lot until it died.

@heisenberg34 Thanks for the info. My doctor is a believer in microdosing and said that he will not go above 1mg/day. I also went from 0.9mg/day to 1mg and got dizzy, especially when I would bolus myself. I assume that the body would adjust to the higher dose. Did you have any issues with dizziness and do you have any other medications in your pump besides Dilaudid?

@heisenberg34 Thanks for the info. My doctor is a believer in microdosing and said that he will not go above 1mg/day. I also went from 0.9mg/day to 1mg and got dizzy, especially when I would bolus myself. I assume that the body would adjust to the higher dose. Did you have any issues with dizziness and do you have any other medications in your pump besides Dilaudid?

@loriesco You are only a baby, 68, WOW. I have nearly30 years longer on earth. I'm 120 lbs, so not too heavy, but sugar is my weakness. I'm trying to cut it out, so I will try harder. I've learned so much from all who have tried to help me, and I'm so appreciative of this. Thanks to everyone, and God bless all.

@jcoleary I had my pain pump implanted almost three years ago. I had a good trial with Dilaudid. I have not gotten relief so far. I am currently at 2.35 mg/24 hrs. I have seen others here who have had to go up as high as 4 mg to get relief. I would like to think that you can go up higher, based on my experience. I wish you well.
PS I had a Medtronics SCS for about three years. It helped a lot until it died.

@heisenberg34 It seems doctors wish us to suffer so we will choose MAID. Chosen so far in Canada, 75,000.