Chronic Back Pain for Years

@wisco
Good afternoon,

Forgive me for jumping in here but Cymbalta never worked for me however that’s not to say that it won’t work for Jim, especially since it would be poly therapy. My brothers legs were crushed in an automobile accident and both female arteries were severed and he went through 18 hours plus of surgery. Both his legs are full of pates, pins, rods screws, bolts you name it and he has to wear braces and walk with crutches and needs additional surgery but can’t have it because of inactive staph which may become active. However what I was trying to say was that he takes Advil along with all his pain medication which he says helps him.
Good luck Jim,
Jake

Your brother sounds lucky to be alive if he severed both femoral arteries! You can bleed to death with just one being cut! Good grief! 😳 Yes, guess Cymbalta (now available generically) is worth a try. I am lucky it has helped me.

@wisco
Hi,
Yes, very lucky indeed.
I’m glad the Cymbalta is working to help you. What a difference in people.
Take care,
Jake

What is a Tens unit?

Well, hoping your increase in overall dosage will help you. As to comments, you certainly were correct about some of them!

1. Nerve pain doesn’t respond to anything usually very well but any doctor worth his salt knows that nerve pain causes muscle pain, cramps, joint pain, and others types of pain that opioids WILL treat. Nerve pain is torture but add the others on top of it and you have hellacious pain. The first statement is a “federal fabrication” to fit their narrative.
2. Long-term opioids are never used for acute pain. They were designed, manufactured, approved by the DEA, and prescribed for long-term pain usage. They include MS Contin, OxyContin, Fentanyl, and others.
3. If dosed correctly and managed correctly, opioids can be used adjunctively or alone to treat chronic pain. They’ve been used for decades for successfully for this purpose.
4. Yes, all opioids and long-term pain medications available in the arsenal against chronic pain can be dangerous with long-term use including OTCs. Tylenol and naproxen can cause liver damage, ibuprofen (Salsalate, Celebrex, Mobic) can cause ulcers and kidney damage, aspirin can cause platelet damage, and alcohol...we won’t talk about that legal depressant.
5. Doctors don’t like to manage long-term pain patients because they don’t make money...
Doctors take an oath called the Hippocratic Oath. To deny care and treatment of a patient who falls within their scope of practice with the availability of regular compensation routes and practices is considered malpractice.
6. What matters is the chronic pain management of the patient not the money to be made by what can be done through that care. Why? Chronic pain patients have unique issues such as allergies (drug and food), full records of past treatments which usually include injections, stimulators, and other alternative therapies.
7. Chronic pain patients are not stupid and doctors need to stop treating us like we are.

@ellens The unit has electo pads that attach to where you are hurting then attach to a machine Tens That admits a little electrical charge you can increase the amount you get to your tolerance it has different modes kneeding, accupuncture,tapping and more It relaxes the muscles it's like a mini massager I've had mine for a long time

Good responses! I will also add that nerve pain, like any type of chronic pain, lends itself to inducing or worsening depression. In some situations the depression can become severe enough that some patients will have suicidal thoughts and/or attempt suicide. I remember when I was having my severe jaw issues - much of which was nerve pain - and not finding the right diagnosis. Between no answers, not being believed and minimal relief, I was pretty frantic. Later, when talking with surgeons who replaced my jaw joints, I was asked what was it I found (most) helpful in my journey. I know one of the things I said was, “Being given genuine hope.” Hope is an incredible thing to help someone feel they might be able to genuinely move forward with their life.

@wisco50 @faithwalker007

Depression was a pre-existing condition for me, including suicidal ideation and attempts, treated for ten years before neuropathy pain started. Recovery from the depth of my depression, once it was recognized and treatment began, took more than 5 years to reach a safe, non-suicidal level. When pain was added, I was still fighting to stay alive.

I know the frantic feeling, and for sure the lack of hope. Pain relief continues to be very elusive for me, and the chronic pain/depression cocktail is (can be) lethal at worst, difficult at best. That history is certainly in my mind continuously, and I always wonder how that history plays into my doctors' decisions about any treatment plan they offer me. Do they intentionally prescribe sub-therapeutic dosages of pain meds because they think I might take an overdose on purpose? I don't bring it up with a doctor, though I do talk with my therapist about it, because I don't want to introduce to them the idea that it might be a possibility.

This discussion is taking place in the back pain thread, which is OK, but back pain isn't on my list of complaints. Until the recent stenosis surgery, I had escaped the spinal problems that all 5 of my siblings have dealt with. And if an MRI hadn't shown the stenosis, who knows if I would ever develop problems because of it. But at least we've ruled it out as a cause of the pain in my feet and ankles.

Time for me to stop chatting. I'm fortunate to be able to sleep well.

Jim

Good night ttyt