Dear Roz,

I am really sorry for your suffering!!! I know how the pain feels and ever more so the helplessness. I only know one thing the more medications you take it's worse. Just think about your liver, kidneys and stomach. That's what taking lots of medicine does to your organs. The damage of those many times is irreversible!!! However, I understand when you're in pain you don't think about it. All of those medications are helping and alleviating the symptoms, but not really treating the core of the problem. I have no answer to that. I myself take lots of pain medications and other as well and now I have a problem with my liver. My enzymes have been elevated for the past one year. I am simple scarred for the future??? Try to maybe change the doctor, who would be willing to help you in other ways with less medications. I hope this is helpful. Good luck and be better, goodnight!!!

Hello Roz. I feel your pain and am sorry you are suffering this way.

What I learned while attending Mayo Clinic's Pain Rehab Center was to start cutting off the many fuel lines to my fire to decrease pain. There are 4 components to do this:

- chemical
- emotional
- behavioral
- physical

You mentioned morphine. Narcotics are notoriously not used for chronic pain. Narcotics induce hyperalgesia which is induced pain, and become counter productive in helping. Long term use creates cognitive impairment among dependency and damage to organs. They are used short term for this reason and given to folks after surgery, or severe cancer patients for pain.

Do you speak to a psychologist to emotionally handle your pain? You need an outlet as living in chronic pain can become overwhelming to do alone.

Do you try your best to find distraction and not dwell on your pain so that it does not produce counter productive behavioral issues? Do you know anyone funny and positive that takes your mind to a happy place?

What physical activity do you do? There is always modification and moderation in order to accommodate your abilities, but definitely ways to be more physically active.

I see you've been a Connect member for 10 years. Thank you for having faith in what we promote on Connect and sticking with us. We're here to encourage and educate you, and let you vent briefly when you need to.

I hope today is a better day for you Roz. Sending lots of positivity your way for a better tomorrow. 🌻

Constant pain causes often causes severe depression. May want to seek the help of a pain manager, which includes a pain management psychologist (and maybe a vascular doctor and/or a neurologist). There are tools at the doctors disposal that he (or she) may use to mitigate the pain.