Anyone else feel Isolated and not go out due to chronic pain?

Hi, I totally understand! Chronic back pain has robbed me of any happiness or joy I feel anymore and stolen my life, my career , and my self worth. I can hardly ever socialize due to chronic pain, I barely ever leave the house unless I have to. I have been through hell with no end in sight. Hundreds of cortisone shots, a failed nerve, a temporary spinal cord stimulator, waiting for the permanent one to be put in. All the doctors say “ I can’t even imagine the pain you are living with” and yet being that I live in NY, they do not give out any sort of pain medication that will work due to the possibility of addiction although I’ve never had any kind of addiction issue! I’m struggling so much and this isn’t a life, this is hell and I don’t no how much longer I can keep dealing with it

@jerila I’m right here with you, although in Chicago, I see a pain specialist who gives me Norco for 5 years. It’s to a point where it’s starting to stop working. I try not to take the amount that he gives me. I’m given 5 a day. I started taking 3 a day with no neuropathy. Now I have been taking 4 a day and gabapentin for neuropathy. That lasted a couple years. Now that’s not working. I take antidepressants because I was told these conditions go hand and hand. I force myself doing the things that I have to do. This is not a life. I see him in a month. I wonder if the Mayo Clinic is the best route.

Hi, I’m Ann. I’ve been living in agony since 2002. Have had two fusions because the first one collapsed and was removed by fingers from my spine. I’ve also had multiple EMGs, neurostimulator, injections, ablations, etc. over all those years.

Here’s what happened to me during a two day surgery:
“Removal of deep spine implant lumbar 3 to 5, with fusion exploration with wound VAC on 12/2/25 and s/p anterior lumbar interbody fusion lumbar 4- lumbar 5, bone morphogenic protein, lateral lumbar interbody fusion lumbar2- lumbar 3, and posterior instrumented fusion with decompresssion/laminectomy and or forameotomies Lumbar 2- lumbar 5. Their PMH is significant for chronic pain on COT with prior spinal fusion surgery 3-4 years ago.

Patient was being discharged when getting dressed to go home she began to feel dizzy and lightheaded. Primary RN checked vitals and BP was 70/30's. -RRT initiated.

Recommendation/Action:
Patient resting comfortably states symptoms have subsided. BP improved to 106/56(73) Prior to symptoms patient had received MSIR 15mg tablet and per primary RN patient had become hypotensive briefly after this med. Hemoglobin came back at 6.7- Ortho paged, awaiting transfusion order. Bedside education completed and rapid response criteria reviewed. Discharge cancelled and current level of care resumed. Should patient become hypotensive or symptomatic again please recall RRT. Plan reviewed with primary RN and code team dismissed.

Released 12/12/2025. Couldn’t get hold of pain management when I finally did they only gave me three day supply. I live alone, I can barely walk and can’t drive for four months, how on earth was I going to find someone! Oxy is a Class 3 (I think), so I would need someone to take me to pharmacy so I could sign for them.

Your insurance should be providing you with a pharmacy that WILL fill your prescription!!!

It would seem all the modern day medical treatments are coming up short in treating Lower back chronic pain. So many individuals are suffering from lower back pain without a permanent solution. I’ve had chronic lower back pain issues for the passed four years, I was operated on 3 times on my lower back, I was inrolled in 6 PT sessions including aquatic pool PT, had several secession of lower back shots, had the stimulator implanted, after a week it was removed because it did not help me, was prescribed Hydrocodone, that did not help. My neurosurgeon, and pain management doctors, are telling me it’s nerve issues that has to regenerate themselves, and it takes a lot of time for that to happen. All these miracle pain supplements advertise on TV where testimonies state there Pain disappeared in 12 hours, others 18 hours and they were pain free for the first time in up to 5 years, all there Pain has disappeared and not returned. I question the validity of their testimonials. What do think??? Is there anyone out there that can substantiate these claims made by product manufacturers and these individuals. I’m going to look into chiropractic/sport therapy options.

Hello Joanne
I’m sorry to hear about your daily chronic pain and how it makes life hopeless and a struggle every day. Suffering to the point since no pills help, tests, er, you name it. Nortriptyline helped mask my gut pain well for 18 years and slowly quit working. I had to finally quit work Labor Day 2021. Figured out I have the rare central mediated abdominal pain syndrome or short chronic abdominal pain. This year has been the worse so far living daily and by hour can chg but 7.5-9.5 daily pain. Ruins your life. Very hard on my wife of 33 years and kids. I’ve missed out on so much. I am willing to talk/listen anytime. Rob. Send me a message and I will give you my email or better cell number. No one can fully understand trying to exist with this pain but the people suffering from it. Please reach out would love to talk to someone. Rob T

Good morning, everyone.
I can relate to the chronic pain issue causing you to basically be removed from the real world. For the past 3 years, I have been dealing with right-side oblique/flank muscle cramping that goes from when I get out of bed in the morning until I go back to bed that night. All day, every day at an average pain level of 7/8. Rarely does it drop below this, but it gets worse depending on my activity level throughout the day.

This has caused me to cancel a vacation and avoid scheduling any type of activity that uses my core muscles. So you can see the problem, how do you do anything without using your core muscles? I cannot do activities I've done for most of my adult life; tennis, martial arts/boxing, stair climbing (we have a group of climbers that meets every weekend, and we have been climbing a 75 floor building every September for charity), and I can't even do basic exercises for my physical therapy, as just those simple movements lock up my side and I have to lay down.

For the past 6 months, the only reason I leave the house is for doctor appointments or physical therapy. I still have not driven a car since October of last year, as I do not want to take the chance of a severe cramping episode causing an accident. I am basically a hermit, coming out into the real world a couple of times per week, but even this will be stopping after this past week's experience with my pain. This physical therapy place I've been going to for three weeks works on body mechanics, proper movement and lifting techniques, and breath work as well. 6 sessions over three weeks has not improved anything, and it has even resulted in more pain over the past few days.

I have been to chiropractors, physical therapists, acupuncturists, and I have tried trigger point injections as well as Dysport (a version of Botox the insurance approved, as they would not approve Botox), all with no improvement at all. I have had 3 epidurals, with the 3rd one back in February this year causing more pain than I had before the procedure. On top of the additional pain, my right side muscles are cramping easier as well.

And I sit at home all day, every day, researching, watching videos, writing to people all over the world, thinking that someone, somewhere, has heard of this, had this, or treated this, as I cannot be the only person in the world with this medical issue. But the longer this goes on with no one having any idea what is wrong, and the more I read about the people commenting here on the Mayo Clinic site, I am starting to believe this is what the rest of my life is going to be. I have been going through this for 3 years, but that is a fraction of the time many people on this site have been dealing with their conditions.

This is so sad that this is what is has come to in the US for medical care. I served my country, I worked for 30 years and retired debt-free in my 50s, I saved what I needed to for retirement, and within a year and a half of retiring, this happened. I've done everything they say we are supposed to do in the US, worked my butt off, provided for my family, with two successful grown children as the result, served my country and was very successful in my career. And now I'm a hermit with no end in sight to my pain.

@rt061069 im so sorry. Frightening when pain can change greatly without explanation. Hard to do anything. Takes away the soul and identity. I understand and find Nature and a dog were my biggest help. Not available now. “No one knows but he who fights the bull.” I will try to check back later. I have no answers but we are not alone. Distractions but which ones? Thinking of you!

I suffer from either pudendal neuralgia or piriformis syndrome. I diagnosed myself. I was so tired and frustrated at all the specialists saying I had one thing, which my symptoms didn’t match. Then what they diagnosed you as having goes n your medical records so every doctor you see, reads your records and agrees with the diagnosis. I had my doctor change my diagnosis on record because I insisted she put down what I believed I have. She took off the false diagnosis and put down what I told her. But I have suffered from severe chronic anal pain for 6 years now and nerve damage from a botched pudendal nerve block. My late boyfriend never wanted to talk about my medical condition or the pain I was suffering. So no support there. I definitely isolate and only go out once a week for groceries or doctor appointments. I live out in the Mississippi boonies and didn’t know anyone for the almost 18 years I lived here. I now have 3 friends. I have no family close by and my best friend lives in CT. I plan day by day. If I wake up and the pain is not so severe, I’ll do my grocery shopping. If I have a doctor’s appointment and I wake up in pain or haven’t slept at all because of it, I cancel my appointment. I live with my 2 dogs and one big cat. Thank God I have them. I get lonely, sad, frustrated, angry because I could be having a productive and fun life but the pain has denied me that. Do you have any pets? They really do help and you’re not alone. All you can do is take it day by day and hope someday soon, our pain will either be reduced or gone.
Hang in there. I wish you well