Pain medication changes due to regulations

@tyyne21wigwam
Thank you so very much for the information. I tried to meditate every day at least 10 minutes a day maybe more. I was exercising every other day on elliptical until I started having other medical issues. I used to be very active but slowly it’s been the opposite. I started going to Pain Management in 1999 and have been going to one or another since then I know Virginia, Tennessee and I do believe the state of South Carolina have passed medical marijuana laws and my state North Carolina is just reserve for very few people and pain is not listed for medical marijuana so it doesn’t really give me a lot of choices. I did acupuncture which helped but cost so much money that I wasn’t able to afford it anymore. I really have tried everything known to man. I actually happened to talk to one of the engineers that worked for Medtronics, he had to undergo back surgery when one of leads, came off and fried his whole entire nervous system up and down his spine. Since I know a lot of people that have tried electrical stuff. One of the drawbacks is having to replace the batteries all the time the other being what happens if a lead comes off. I have many more here that tried but most people I’ve talked to really didn’t see much success in it . I don’t know if it would do any good for me to talk to a Congress person or not. Not sure which way to turn at the moment that’s why I was asking this support group. Some of them encountered the same issue. Most have not which has me guessing who’s right. I wish you nothing but the best in your adventure take care.

@shoegal Take a look at Radio Frequency Ablation. it's very effective, just choose a doctor who does it all the time. Do not make the mistake of getting a doctor who does not specialize in that procedure, I'm telling you. I got my lower back injections 6 weeks ago and I'm almost like in heaven. It's an outpatient procedure. What a relief!

@laughlin1947
Radio frequencies at a great way to help people reduce their pain. My wife has gone through it three times since it takes a little while for your nerve to grow back and each time it lasted more than what they estimated. It’s been 2 to 4 years since she had to have one so anybody that’s considering this for their spine may be a good option. Thank you very much for your comment. Look forward to hearing other people. Have a wonderful day.

@cmedina1
How does the radio frequencies work

@reemylove nnThere are a series of injections involved. First of all, alongside the spine, patients typically get initial injections (and get modest pain relief from two "medial branch block", injections) that help identify which nerves are the source of pain. Those medial branch block injections may reduce the pain a little bit, but the primary purpose of those is to identify which nerves cause the back pain. This takes 2 office visits for the medial branch block injections. So, once the responsible nerves are identified, the radio frequency injections are done within one office visit. The doctor is able to go to the identified nerve endings, then heat up (cauterize) those nerve endings (heat the outer nerve sheaths), and the procedure is over. The cauterized nerve endings block the pain signals going to the brain. You may search the Mayo blog and see what else people say about the RFA. The effect lasts several months, and there is at least one report, with successive RFA treatments, the extent of time they are effective gets longer and longer.

@cmedina1 Thanks for info about spinal cord stimulator. That might be my only option,but I am also hearing to many negatives . I totally understand how difficult this. I have heard that reducing opioids like oxycodone to 20 mg per day can change the sensitivity of your brain to pain and lower pain. I a slowly trying this. It might be helping.

@laughlin1947
Wow this is very interesting
Thank you

@tyyne21wigwam
I take hydrocodone 10mg for my pain from yhe effects of shingles
I take e every 6 hours or as needed
But i hate them

I had spinal fusion surgery in 2012, resulting in 2 rods & 20 screws. The surgeon told my husband that I would need pain meds for the rest of my life. I was 63 at the time & didn’t realize how pain would change my life. We retired & moved from Calif. to Az. 2 yrs later, only having to move again after 2 yrs. when I couldn’t find a doctor who would see me! My family doctor in LA was the only doctor who would help me, so I ended up flying to LA every month to see him & pick up my pain prescriptions. Finally, in 2024, I was able to see a pain management doctor here in Nevada. The first thing he did was lower my medication! Not because I didn’t need it, but because of some arbitrary number the government came up with! I am now almost 77, & know this is now my life, in pain all the time. I hope all of those highly educated people who created this situation are happy.