Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

@gypsyblue So sorry you have this problem! It hurts so bad. Have Dr. appt in July. Thanks for letting me know about your medications as I will ask my doctor about them. I am taking 300mg Gabapentin twice a day. Dr. said take 2 capsules3 times a day. I am not doing that as it makes me foggy and affects my memory. I take lots of Tylenol in between the Gabapentin. I guess removing the cyst is not an option for you as it is for me. I also lie down on back on the floor which gives some relief. Yes. opioids are ok if that is the only thing that helps with the pain.
Thanks for reaching out to me. Stay in touch.

Hello, I’m not sure how to begin being a member of a support team. I have lived 30 years with severe lower back pain,, I had failed back surgery and every procedure in the medical books, Nithing helped. I also have knee arthritis which is causing me to be homebound and I have overall body pain which Drs say is fibromyalgia. I really need support. I have no life, I’m so tired of all this pain.. hard to take shower, get dressed, wash dishes etc. Feels like a nightmare, I wish I cd wake up from. I have more to share. First want to learn how I begin

Please guide me.
Christina Venegas

Hi - I had a Thalamic Stroke three years ago. Originally there were no after effects, other than continued tingling in my left hand and left foot. Three years on - tingling in left hand and up the arm is worse and constant. And - my legs don't seem to function properly. Both legs hurt pretty much all the time, and I have a hard time walking .... Used to be able to walk 40 minutes with no pain and just normal tiredness. Now, after 10 minutes my legs are so painful and the exhaustion is unbearable. In addition, my left foot burns and tingles pretty much all the time. I cannot wear shoes for any length of time and even have to take my socks off frequently. I am not on any pain medication but Gabapentin has been suggested. I'm afraid to take it because it is known to affect cognition. Any comments - advice ?

@kathrihe, I tried Gabapentin and Lyrica. Both made me feel terrible mentally and physically. Cysts are fluid filled and they can come and go. Unless they get really large and are compressing the nerve, I will leave them be. My mother had neuropathy severely in her arms and she took gabapentin 2700 mg three times a day. It was the only thing that helped her in addition to opioid medication’s. Doctors usually start you on the lower dose and then continue to increase until you find a level of pain control. I am fortunate that the opioid medication’s do not affect me other than normal side effects such as constipation, etc.. I don’t feel foggy or goofy and I definitely don’t feel as bad as I did with the gabapentin. I have a few other autoimmune issues that the opioid medication is helping also. I also have a history of multiorgan histoplasmosis, so I am not a candidate for biologic medication’s to treat some of my other autoimmune issues. I hope to avoid surgery as long as possible! Maybe you will get lucky and your cysts will dry up and leave you alone. Hopefully they can determine what is causing the cyst and maybe address that issue so you can avoid surgery too 😊.

@christinadv23 Hello and welcome to the club 😉. Although it may not be the club you want to join, we are all here experiencing many of the same and different issues. I follow several of the Support groups here because I have several strange issues. I find it comforting that there are people from all over the country, sharing their stories of their symptoms their problems what works what doesn’t and I find lots of helpful information. There is no owners manual necessary to be part of a Support group. I’m sorry to hear your daily suffering for so long, but I do understand. I have fibromyalgia also. The never-ending body pain and the fatigue does become very tiring and wearing on you. One question I have without knowing much is how is the support of your physician team? Don’t give up and keep searching for answers and relief. Have you checked into alternative medicines and therapies? Where you live may limit what’s available to you as well. Somehow, you find your way here 😊.

You could simply say: "Hi everyone, I'm new to the group and have been living with chronic pain for a while, so I'm here to learn from others, share experiences, and find support from people who understand the daily challenges of managing pain."

Am on gabapentin 900mg split into 3 doses at night and 50mg of trazone for depression from lack of sleep due RLS after prolapse surgery 3 years ago. Sick of feeling sedated and tired the next day and still waking in pain early morning.

For all you new chronic pain members... Have you been diagnosed with a definite problem? If so, has a treatment option(s) been prescribed? If pain meds do not work or the meds have lost their efficacy, you might want to look into other options: surgery, spinal cord stimulator trial, or intrathecal pain pump trial. There might help you. The trials are minimally invasive. I wish you all well.

Had spinal decompression surgery and now suffer with severe chronic lower back pain how has anyone coped with this issue?

Newly diagnosed with CPPD after a decade of being dismissed with "mild" arthritis in my painful knees, maybe it's your back, "I wish I had your knees!"...etc.. Colchicine didn't work after 4 weeks so doc switched to plaquinil, but it takes up to 6 months to work. Fingers crossed. CMC surgery 6/24/26. Deformed CMC and bone on bone possibly caused by the CPPD.