Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

Hi everyone, I’m glad to have found this group. I’ve been dealing with chronic pain for quite a while now and like many people here I’m still trying to figure out the balance between managing symptoms, staying active and maintaining a normal life. Some days are manageable and some are much harder, but it helps knowing there are others who understand what living with chronic pain is actually like. I’m looking forward to learning from everyone’s experiences and hopefully supporting others along the way.

@colleenyoung Hello, I am Krissy. Looking for advise on finding a doctor that will prescribe and administer the
Rx strength capsacian patches for PHN thanks!

Hello all - I am Pam I have CPRS from my hip to my toes on one side and an assortment of tendinitis & bursitis and bone pain. The only medication I've been given is meloxicam which does nothing agony I live in Ohio. recommendations are welcome
I've done hypnotherapy
Marijuana is useless

Hi, I’m Dave.
I’m a 68 yr. Old very recently retired self employed remodeling guy. 50 years of driving nails is enough!
I joined to see how others are dealing with chronic arthritis. I can do most of the things I used to do but much slower, 4 hrs max. A day due to the pain. Both hips replaced. Need new knees. They couldn’t read an X-ray of my back due to all the arthritis, lumbar is limiting mobility. RA in both hands, I even get injections in all my knuckles, lower back ablations and epidural’s didn’t work. I attended pain management for 12 years, a combination of low dose Percocet, muscle relaxers and Gabapentin helped tremendously and I even broke the Percocet in half. When I mentioned retiring, I was told that 12 years of coming there and retiring constituted no more meds, I was given one last prescription of each and I had a bunch left over, more than enough to ween myself off and I did but now I’m about a chronic 8 on the pain scale. I’m curious what others do to help with severe arthritis, be it holistic or whatever, I don’t care, I’ve still got a ton of stuff left to do and by the grace of God, a long time to do it! Sorry so long but I was told to introduce myself and since it’s a pain site I figured I’d lay it all out there.. ish. Thanks for having me!!

Good job, you're right on. We need'nt tippy toe about. Manners and support always welcomed.

Being cut off from those meds is pretty shocking. Was that explained at the start? Congrats on off dosing yourself successfully. Bravo.

Hope you find some helpful benefits here. Welcome. Mayo Clinic has much to offer.

@pamglutemedius
You obviously need a pain management doctor. Where in Ohio? I would be willing to help you research who is the best around where you live. Feel free to DM me.

Sciatica arthritis bursitis and tendonitis..about a year ago I can't say I was fine but it sure has came on like a tsunami of pain in the last year..I just get co codamol and supplement with aspirin but always take my aspirin on a full stomach..

@elizadolittle Aww, give your Miss Molly a HUG from me. She sure does sound like a comfort for you. I do think that especially dogs have a way and know in their hearts that we hurt and so up on your lap they go or lie down next to you for comfort. I am curious - do you have a BURNING PAIN SENSATION across the lower back - from one side to the other? If so, does any of your medication help relive that burning pain. TRAMADOL never worked for me. I'm now on the buprenorphine patch 10 mg. My pain doctor raised the mg from 7.5 mg to 10 mg a week ago. I do NOT see much pain relief yet, but I was told to give my body a month to adjust to the high mg. So, that is what I'm doing. And I do have a walking relationship with my walker, so I walk as much as possible to help with my leg strength. And I, like you, try to remind myself that there are people a lot worse off than me with their pain. DON'T FORGET - HUG MISS MOLLY FOR ME. Please, if you have time, update me on your pain situation and Miss Molly.

@kayejen I'm taking a combination of Tramadol and Acetomenophen(?). There are times that good old Voltaren works. One of my biggest problems is that when I'm not in pain I forget to take my Tramadol/Acetomenephen. Then I have to work to catch up. I'm good at taking it first thing in the a.m.
I don't have a pain across my back. It's mainly in my right side. I'm experiencing a lot of sweating especially when I forget to take my painkiller.

I had my last COVID shot last week. The pharmacist said that one of my tests showed I was low in potassium. I do eat a lot of bananas. I've discovered that by freezing the overripe ones that they are really easy to use in baking. After thawing you snip the end off and squeeze the innards out like toothpaste. I have a great recipe that uses bananas and blueberries. It's supposed to be for a loaf but it makes 12 muffins.

Miss Molly and I had a great sleep this afternoon. I was on a Zoom meeting. After an hour, I gave up because I kept falling asleep. I went downstairs and went to sleep on the chesterfield. Every so often I'd feel a little nose poking me.
I find I get more work done after dinner than I do before. I've taken up crocheting again because I can do that when I'm miserable and just watching TV. I've completed one afghan for my great grandson and almost finished one for my great granddaughter.

I find a combination of acupuncture and lazar helps. A visit to the chiropractor helps as well. I used to enjoy a good Jacuzzi bath. The bath in my townhouse is one of those deep ones and I've only used it a couple of times. I suspect I should go back to swimming. I used to take a kick board: put it under my arms and kick up and down the pool. That stretched my spine.

You have to keep moving even if it creates pain. It's the old, "if you don't move, you don't move!"

Keep moving. You don't have to run a marathon every day--just every other day!!

I just got a disturbing phone call from a friend. She's a lovely person, kind and supportive. I thought she was still back east visiting. No. She was back home. Fell and has been in the hospital for the last 6 weeks. Now she's become homeless because her landlord wants her suite. I may have a solution for her. A friend of mine has moved out of his condo and is living in the suite at his son's. I hope it works out for the both of them. I can't believe this has happened to her.