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High pain tolerance
I have constant deep inside upper left abdominal pain for over 4 months. Doctors still don't know how to treat my constant abdominal pain because I have a high tolerance to pain. I look fine on the outside but my abdomen and the inside of my body isn't good. In 2019 I had a small bowel obstruction and had a couple surgeries. I now have 2ft of my small intestines left and I have all of my large intestines. I am able to eat food. I do LR IV fluids 5 times a week to help with dehydration but no other treatment for my Short Bowel Syndrome condition/symptoms.
Constant abdominal pain not related to food, gas,bloating or indigestion. Abdominal pain doesn't change with bowel movements. Moving around/walking doesn't change my constant abdominal pain. Resting doesn't change my constant abdominal pain. Stretching abdominal exercises don't help my constant abdominal pain. My pain level is at a constant 6 out of a 10 even with a high pain tolerance level.
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@arbez
I see a social worker and she has said several times that I am handling things very well.
@tjanet Glad you are seeing a Social Worker regularly, they can be invaluable.
@arbez
I haven't noticed any improvement with having a social worker.
@tjanet Maybe not, but just keeping you sane and giving you a place to dump your emotions (instead of on family/friends) is worth something.
@arbez
I don't stress about my health issues. Seeing my social worker doesn't help my health issues at all. I don't have depression. My mental health is very good.
Waiting for a referral to go through to get a nerve block in my spine to see if that helps my constant abdominal pain. I am hoping that will help since my GI doctor doesn't know what to do.
@tjanet Maybe you don't need a social worker. Most people find it helpful to help with the anxiety, stress, frustration and yes sometimes depression that goes along with long bouts of pain and the issues that arise because of it. Issues like impacts to interpersonal relationships, trying and failing to get answers to your medical problems, financial impacts (time off or loss of job), inability to do things you used to love doing, etc.
Just passing on advice from someone who has benefited greatly from therapy. If you aren't benefiting from therapy you should probably save your money.
@marcd2k find a GOOD MFR myofascial release therapist on an ongoing basis. It sounds like the only thing you haven't tried. It sounds like what you need. I always tell people it is like the world's most painful massage. What has happened is that your muscles have glued themselves together and they PULL together as a unit and cause a lot of pain. They go into a spasm to counteract the constant pulling. this can happen for any number of reasons. Bad posture, bad habits, bad spinal alignment, weakening of the paraspinals. What MFR does is break the glue bond between the fascia sheaths around the muscles so they can glide over one another and stop pulling as a unit. It will take a long time (how long to take you to get into this condition - well, reverse that in time to get out of it!) In ADDITION, you will have to figure out (the MFR therapist will diagnosis most likely) what is causing the strain. Could be some scoliosis, could have been some trauma, could have been driving for a living or the opposite sitting at a desk job. ALSO - you might want to visit a good kinesiologist (a healthcare professional who studies human body movement and uses exercise-based interventions to improve physical function, aid in injury rehabilitation, and manage chronic conditions) they have a different selection of medicines. Each which act on different pathways to relax different muscles for different reasons. I have used Tizanidine which worked very well) and also Baclofen which also works very well. I use them mostly overnight when I go to bed and my muscles are all locked up. I wake up much better. The Tzanidine I took 3 x a day for a few months. Your body adjusts and it was great. But just like it relaxed my muscles it also relaxed the rest of me and I was too fatigued so I stopped that.
For topicals I like Diclofenec 3% by script and old fashioned CVS muscle rub. (together) plus some lidocaine 5% script strength and a heating pad. Love my heating pad.
If you read this far: BOTOX!!!! Yes, botox will get your muscles in spasm paralyzed and to relax. It is heavenly. Than after a few months you will need to build your muscles to be strong and overcome what put you there or you will be right back. Sounds like a visit to an Orthopedic Spine surgeon would be in order to have him check if your spine is out of alignment. It is the foundation. If it is off it is no wonder you are having these problems and you haven't been helped. People are happy to take your money and aren't looking deep enough to resolve your issue. It is because you are not at the correct specialists yet. You'll love the botox. Get insurance approval so its covered. It is covered with prior authorization. I paid out of pocket before ACA was around. Well worth the money!!!
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1 ReactionAcupuncture. Try a college if money is an issue. Plan to go several times to get it figured out. Also, try the FODMAP . https://www.monashfodmap.com/
I know you said its not digestive but maybe you have SIBO so have a SIBO test too. If you have been treated for SIBO it can return. I keep Xifaxin in the house. I only need 1 to 3 pills and I am fixed for several months. It returns.
Good afternoon my name is Jim & I have a lot of pain neuropathy, diverticulitis, heart problems with the worst pain I’ve had is the neuropathy in my right foot I cannot believe that we cannot find her medication to cure neuropathy. I’m sitting here suffering in my chair, pain level probably 8 to 10. I asked my doctor for a pain medication now would not do it, but he prescribed me Lyrica. Same thing as gabapentin on the worst drugs on the market I also have spinal stenosis in pain 24 seven this is not life that I wanna live. I feel like I confined to my house even though I’m still working. I suffer every day I get out of this bed every day. I’m at the point in my life. I don’t know what to do. it just seems to me being 73 years old that the medical field does not care about their patience. The only thing they know how to do is shove a pill down my throat anybody’s got neuropathy. I feel sorry for everyone of us if this stuff is no joke. May God bless us all.