I'm not a doctor, so please don't take this as advice, ok? But I, too, have pain issues from multiple back surgeries following an injury 26 years ago, as well as fibromyalgia and the autoimmune disease, Sjogren's Syndrome. I was recently diagnosed with Gastroparesis after a year of vomiting and stomach pain, not being able to eat...you know the score.

Anyway, I have an implanted device that delivers dilaudid to a place in my spine that was injured after a car accident AFTER I'd already had a spinal fusion and I take additional pain medicine for breakthrough pain. It makes doing the test for gastroparesis impossible because it would be positive regardless, but after a year of every test under the sun, the doctor feels very confident with his diagnosis and I'm doing really well with the smaller meals and a combination of the gastroparesis/FODMAP diet.

My gastroenterologist has never suggested I go off my pain meds or the other medication I take for my other conditions. While I've been cutting back some on my oral meds and I want to talk to my pain doctor about what I might be able to do to cut back with my pump, my gastroenterologist seems to understand that my pain is a part of me and he's treating me as a whole, not just as a stomach.

Since you have major PTSD as well as pain, is it possible to talk to another doctor who would treat the whole you? Again, I'm not a doctor, I just hate to see anyone have to choose which disease they're going to have treated, That's totally unfair. I understand there's some give and take, but as a fellow pain patient, I can sympathize when someone tells you, that's it, stop your pain meds. Right, and while I'm at it, I'll go back 26 years and undo the injury, it's about as likely. I've definitely been able to cut mine back, but getting rid of them overnight is never going to happen.

I wish you the very best. I know there is a whole lot I can do to help make my disease better and I'm doing all I can every day, but it helps to have a doctor who's working with me and all of my warts. I hope you get the support you deserve for all that you're dealing with.

All my best, Tracy

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