What is pain management?

Posted by martoof @martoof, Oct 18, 2021

Is pain management (PM) merely *not complaining*? Making pain subside or go away? Distracting oneself from the pain? I ask because I recently went to a pain management clinic, where after a lengthy intake/question process, I was prescribed Vicodin! Any qualified, serious input would be deeply appreciated! Thank you!

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@kenc

Normally it is as, best I can describe it, set of usually wholistic form of treatment with the intent of not using narcotics to treat pain. Except for physiatrist prescribing various dosage of Cymbalta and OTC substitute for Gabapentin, I have had very little success with what may be called mind therapy and physical therapy aspects of pain management. However, some people have had some success by participating in the entire process.

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I can not use any Gabapentin or ssri drugs, they affect my brain very strange. Until anyone has had this, they would never understand the pain. I have never needed pain pills in my life. They do not give me any sensation of being high. I would never abuse them. They work for what they are intended to be. As soon as we get this figured out...I want off of them asap. Will most likely have to taper them. I again don't know, as this is my first time ever taking them, for a chronic pain condition.

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@kenc

PND is not that rare, just hard to diagnose.

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Thank God im going to a Doc at Loma Linda 2 day...41 years of practice...they are prepared to see me. He knows how bad I am now. This started 5 years ago from being rectally over dilated in a hemorrhoid banding. This Doc discovered the scar tissue to prove it. 5 years....ugh!!!!

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@olivedog

I can not use any Gabapentin or ssri drugs, they affect my brain very strange. Until anyone has had this, they would never understand the pain. I have never needed pain pills in my life. They do not give me any sensation of being high. I would never abuse them. They work for what they are intended to be. As soon as we get this figured out...I want off of them asap. Will most likely have to taper them. I again don't know, as this is my first time ever taking them, for a chronic pain condition.

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Please make sure you follow your doctor's advice and make a conscious effort to not increase the medication on your own. I am taking hydrocodone, which provides some relief, but I work closely w/ the Doctor on taking the medication and regardless of the pain, etc. I only take the amount and frequency he prescribes.

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@olivedog

I can not use any Gabapentin or ssri drugs, they affect my brain very strange. Until anyone has had this, they would never understand the pain. I have never needed pain pills in my life. They do not give me any sensation of being high. I would never abuse them. They work for what they are intended to be. As soon as we get this figured out...I want off of them asap. Will most likely have to taper them. I again don't know, as this is my first time ever taking them, for a chronic pain condition.

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@olivedog
Are you able to describe how the Gabapentin makes you fee
Jake

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@jakedduck1

@olivedog
Are you able to describe how the Gabapentin makes you fee
Jake

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Very strange, disoriented, affects my brain and made me feel confused....just very almost paranoid.
This was 100 mg, one day, tried 1 more day, and worse. No thanks!!!! Too many side affects for me.
I'm bad enough...do not need this too!!!

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@olivedog
Hello again,
If you try another medication you might have fewer or less severe side effects if you take a controlled release formulation if one is available. It also is helpful for compliance. I have Epilepsy and is very helpful for me since my memory is compromised from seizures and and I will lose my drivers license if I’m non compliant. Constant or extended release medication keeps your blood plasma level within a more steady therapeutic range. Some people are very sensitive to this. I know a number of people who are affected by this problem and when they switched their seizures substantially decreased including mine. My Neurologist only dispenses immediate release medication if there’s not an extended release formulation or the patient insists, usually because of they are more expensive.
Take care,
Jake

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@olivedog

If you were on instant messenger I can refer you to the group. Go to Margaret Fish on FB, and message me there...I am from Temecula, CA.. I will get you into the great group. They have been through it all, and mention
Stimulators a lot. I will do the best I can for you. Yes!!!! No more nerve injections for me!!!!! Made me sooooooo bad. As my urogyno nurse ...the good one ...said kenelog can last 6 months...this junk is traveling thru the whole nerve!!! It's so bad...that urogynecologist will not call, zip!!! So I am bypassing him and going to his older wiser colleague at Loma Linda. This is not fun stuff!!!!!

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Yes, this is a horrible condition and not many doctors treat it. Besides the anti-seizure medicine I mentioned that worked, I used a physical therapist who massaged the scar tissue. Don't give up searching for a doctor who deals in this field. It will go away but it took 14-1/2 years for me.

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I am sitting here right now...awaiting the time I can have a pill. I neverchave gone under the 4 hour mark. I have never been on these things in my life, until I got injectedcinto the pudendal nerve! Was confined to my rectum...now underc4 months has progressed everywhere the nerve is. No one would believe this pain. I have no life. I belong to a good forum
called Pudendal Nueralgia Support, poor everyone on there. Doctors wanna run, cause they have really no way to fix this.
I can not take ssri drugs, and I am so mad I have to take norco....never in my life b4 this. Then u get sent to pain management and made to feel as you are a ciminal. It's not just the pain, it's all the horrid stuff you must go thru to have no pain. I would not wish this on anyone. Going to look into locating the probably tiny creepy culprit, and getting it released. These doctors are all out of state. The urogynecologist i did just see, dumped me to another doc, who takes no insurance, & wants $1000.00 just for a consult...so greedy hands take us too!!! This is only 4 months of this pain. I'm at a loss of what to do. I tried myofacial release on the glutes...but am in too much pain to get there. Just disgusting no one knows or even cares about trying to fix this...they say it's rare...that's a lie...most are from Previous surgeries and botched jobs like mine....was overdilated in a hemorrhoid banding procedure....just plain old sad. Men & women get it,
Young & old. SAD!!!!

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I feel for you. I had this monster for 14-1/2 years and sat on a donut. I have said this many times on here before........Topamax (anti-seizure medicine) I was taking for another issues worked in 2 weeks. Please......mention it to your doctor, even your family doctor. Just try it! My Physical Therapist at the time mentioned that she heard it works. What have you got to loose except the medicine is unpleasant.

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@mikaylar

Well, Olivedog, I had this condition for 14-1/2 years. I sat on a donut everywhere I had to sit. The only this that finally worked was an an anti-seizure medicine (Topamax) for an unrelated issue. And it worked fast - within 2 weeks. Ask your doctor. Good luck!

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@mikaylar
It’s great you found relief.
My neurologist recommended I take Topamax for my seizures however I declined. In epilepsy circles it’s often referred to as Dope-a-max even by some doctors. I’d suggest you have regular check ups with an ophthalmologist. It can cause various eye conditions including blindness although rare and can lead to kidney stones and other kidney issues and since I’ve already had 8 kidney stones so another reason I didn’t want to try it.
Best of luck to you,
Jake

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