Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

How do you deal with the constant pain?

Hi Rachel
Thank you so much for trying to help me.
I get to wear I get really depressed about this condition but then I try & snap out of it.
I do try to focus on other things like my Grandson that lives 100 miles away & I get into decorating the house.
I do force myself to clean the house & I have things I need to do & I try & do everything on that list but sometimes I can't & then I get down. I know I have the progressive type, so it is kind of hard to be positive.
I take no opioids bc of my bleeding ulcers, so I have nothing for pain relief except medical marijuana & that does not help anymore so I just try & live with it.
I really think the best medicine is keeping your mind busy bc when I get bored, I notice my pain more.
Thank you, Rachel.
Wishing you the best.
Genie
I don't have trouble falling or feeling unstable. Mine is the needles & pins feet to the knees.
I see my Mental Health dr. on Mon & see what he says.
I also take Cymbalta & I do think that is what take my edge off when it does.

@tigreyes2004 Thanks Genie, I'm wishing you the best also. I'm glad you're here on Connect for support.

You are a girl after my own heart! I too love to decorate the house for holidays or just rearrange a few things to keep it fresh. Those little things keep us active and distracted and are SO important. It's awful to have to live with chronic conditions and come to terms with the fact that it's not going to go away and our best ammo is symptom and stress management.

I understand, acceptance of my condition was hard to come by also. I'm happy to hear you are meeting with your mental health doctor Monday. Treating the whole body is important. Learning how to achieve emotional and behavior stability, and develop a plan of action for when you aren't feeling so stable on those difficult days, helps. Has your mental health doctor been working on helping you deal with grief and loss?

Do you remind yourself, as exhausting as it may be, that you have survived 100% of your bad days prior and you will get through another day. Sometimes focusing on pulling in the view finder and getting through the next 5 minutes or hour of a day helps reign it in. Doing that can be an accomplishment in itself.

Just like a rain storm...the sun eventually shines again and we do have better days. Focus on those better days and small wins of finding joy and being proud of yourself for hard you work everyday. Speaking of small wins, I'm impressed that you do not take an opiate. Regardless of why, that is a big win in my book! You are better off for it. Be proud.

Darn straight, we all notice pain more when we get bored and have no "brain vacation", as I like to call it. You sound like you are doing a great job of trying to keep busy in your house, with family, etc... Sometimes though our need for staying busy leads to pushing and crashing which stirs up symptoms and sets us back both physically and mentally.

Please try to not get down on yourself. Give yourself grace when you get frustrated with not being able to finish a task. Remind yourself that you did get some of it done, and the rest will have to wait until you rest, or for another day. I had to work on not being a perfectionist and allowing myself to say 'good enough is good enough". Also, flexibility to break up tasks, schedule in rest breaks and have a more realistic approach and expectation of goals is a great help. Have you ever tried to schedule out your day with moderation of activities versus having the "to do list"? Do you think that might help?

Thank you Rachel for your kind words.
I am trying to keep myself together.
I guess we all have good & bad days.
It is my grandson who is 3 that really keeps me going.
I use to be a Preschool Teacher so I have a lot of fun things I do with him. He is a handful now, but it keeps me happy.
It is a cute age.
I am going to try & hanfg in there.
Thanks again
God Bless
Genie

Are the pins and needles constantly going on? I’m trying Gapentin and Cymbaltabut nothing see to help. Constant pain.

I'm Peggy. I live in Bethany Beach Delaware now, I have Axonal Sensory Neuropathy. I've been looking for information about it, to add to what my doctors told me, have not found much about Axonal Sensory (there is a lot about Peripherol and Diabetes but it doesn't apply to me). I take Gabapentin, and my doctor just added Horizant. I try to take just what I need, or a little less (for fear of over-medicating).
When I'm under-medicated, I feel like I'm standing in a bonfire that's the size of a city block, while I'm being electricuted, swarms of wasps are stinging the upper body that is not engulfed in flames, and swords are ramming up through my feet to my brain. Some of you understand, you have felt it too.
The most information I have seen comes from these Mayo Clinic groups and I am so grateful for Mayo and all of you who share the solutions and medicines that you try. I also have Tramadol that I can take some days (I take 1/2 of one), but not every day as doc says it starts to lose its effectiveness. And for really tough nights, I have some codeine left over from surgery 5 years ago - doc said I can take one (but I only take half of one) when all the other medicines aren't cutting it.
I feel pain all of the time but when the medications are right, it goes down to 1 or 2 level and I can ignore it. Last night, pain kept me awake most of the night, I should have taken codeine but I was afraid to add it to the Gaba and Horizant that I had already taken. That's my life now. Hubby and I retired in 2018 - we have always thought that we would play golf and travel when we retired - the way I live is very different from that.
I have friends here, we are all vaccinated and boostered but still wary of getting together because of covid (our little resort town has about 20,000 vacationers right now bringing their germs from big cities and not wearing masks) so we meet daily on zoom - we keep each other fairly sane and in touch with Reality. Thank you all for sharing information about Neuropathy. I wish for comfort for all of us. Peggy

It does not take the pain away.
I keep increasing the Gabapentin every so often.
It only takes the edge off at times but I have the pins & needles constantly too & I just try & ignore it & go on but there are times that I am so bad that I end up in bed.
If I get real bad, I soak in the bathtub with hot water but when I come out the pain is back.
I notice when I overdo it with housework bc I am a fanatic .
My dr. said he thought it was the Cymbalta that is helping me bc it sends signals to my brain to relieve the pain.
I wish you the best Pamelaz. Keep in touch.
I also have a lot of other health issues too.
God bless
Genie

Hey, my name is Visa. My issues started with breast cancer in 2007. Chemo, lumpectomy, and radiation started unbearable and painful nerve damage in my arm and breast area. 3 years on pains meds for pain they told me I shouldn't have..REALLY!!! Two spinal cord stimulators...removed due to hardward failure. Now, I have a Stimwave implant that is shocking me. Each "fix" has created a new issue.... It is never "their" fault!!!!! I am so sick of hearing such crap from uncaring doctors.

I have very bad arthritis all over my body, Sjogrens and my fibromyalgia is awful. I was tested for fibro and I reacted to all the points. My orthopedic said it was the worst case he had ever seen. I had a hip replacement in 2010 and I need one for my other hip now as it is bone on bone. The problem is my orthopedic said he wouldn't operate because my back is so full of arthritis. I am in constant pain and don't walk well. He said I would be sent home the day after surgery and would have to be able to walk. I see a spine doc in 2 weeks but has anyone been told that? My next question is for pain control. I have started taking THC . I take 1800mg of Gabapentin, and 1300mg of tylenol a day. I am allergic to Tramadol and don't want to start opiods. I would appreciate any ideas. Thank you, Joan

@jmb73 Hello Joan, I'm sorry to hear you have so much pain from fibromyalgia and arthritis and need another hip replacement. It seems you may have to trade one pain for the other if you were to have a replacement, and yes, you will have to get up and walk same day to get the new hip working. Have you considered a second opinion from a different ortho doctor about your hip? My mother-in-law was in a similar situation with bone on bone and needing knee replacements, but chose to live with and manage the existing pain versus having corrective surgery. I guess it comes down to which is the lessor of all evils.

Regarding pain management...I commend you for not taking opiates. Perhaps speak to your doctor about increasing Gabapentin, there is room for an increase. Has THC begun to provide relief? Outside of medications, what pain management tools do you use to self-manage?