How do you cope with chronic pain?

Hello @ferr, welcome To Connect. I'm sorry your chronic pain is worsening over the past years. Coping with chronic pain can be a difficult challenge that requires a mind/body approach. I relate to how your feeling and at one time asked the same question. Rest assured coping strategies and lifestyle change can help. The important thing is to stay hopeful. Do you mind sharing a bit more about your health journey and chronic pain condition so others can offer their tips and experiences?

Sure,
I’ve been dealing with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, irregular bowel movements, IBS for 4yrs now, the spasms are starting to become more often. I’ve tried 2 or 3 nausea, vomiting, stomach spasm medication & none have really helped. The pain can go from feeling sore to stabbing/squeezing tight like pain, it sometimes makes me cry it’s so uncomfortable. It’s mostly on the right side under my rib area/flank and around my belly button.

I'm so sorry to hear you're really struggling. Spasms and nerve pain are difficult. I've had my share and know how you feel. I used to not know how to handle them either. How do you currently deal with the spasms considering the medication doesn't does your doctor say? Do you have any other diagnosis besides IBS?

Here are a few helpful conversations that talk about about chronic pain management:

SMART Goals and Chronic Pain: What are your goals?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/smart-goals-and-chronic-pain-how-smart-are-you/
Moderation and Modification: How can it help your chronic pain?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/moderation-and-modification-how-can-you-benefit/
You are not alone in the struggle and it is very challenging to do by yourself. For me, learning mindfulness, meditation, diaphragmatic breathing and relying on joyful distractions have helped. At the end of the day when you're in pain no one else can really help you sometimes it takes mindset, resilience positive self-talk and perseverance to stay hopeful and know that you can get through the next 5 minutes.

Please meet members like @abujan, @betterway, @budo7, @ess77 and @samz0429 who also cope with chronic pain.

And here's a conversation specifically about IBS:

Your Experience With IBS:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/your-experiences-with-ibs-mixed-i-feel-sick-and-alone-in-this/
You may find it very helpful to connect with other IBS sufferers. Will you get back to me and let me know if any of the information I've provided helps? Keep your chin up. 😊

Hi, I am new to this support blog due to my 2nd cancer I just was diagnosed with. I have been a pain patient due to a separate condition of severe neuropathy and Charcot feet. I started using OxyContin about 10 years ago. As my pain increased, I reached a point of where I didn’t want to increase my Oxy intake above the 20 mg/3 hour I was at. I also take Gabapentin 300 mg/ 6 pills/day and Celebrex 200 mg twice a day, but the pain was still too much. I started experimenting with thc/cbd to try and help with the pain from advice I got from my doctor and another friend. I did get a medical marijuana card to help reduce the costs. What works for me is to drink a thc/cbd drink all day long. I got there after experimenting with gummies, vapes, and smoke. The thc drinks ended up what works best for me for reducing pain and not getting stoned. I don’t want to be stoned going through life and starting out slow, It worked and continues to work in reducing my pain when combined with the other medications I am taking. I have not increased my OxyContin intake for 3 years. For nighttime, when my pain is the worst, I started taking thc/ CBN gummies. The gummies have been very effective in helping me sleep through the night. I do also take Trazadone 100 mg at night to assist with the gummies. I have had to increase the amount of gummies I take at night as time passes and my tolerance increased. This has worked for me for a few years now and maybe it can help you with your pain management. My pain never goes away, it’s getting it at a level that I could continue to work and to sleep better than I had before. I hope this helps.

Hello.I am sorry for your pain.Has !n doctor suggested GABAPENTIN? It has very little ,if any ,side effects. The generic name is Neurontin.

I take 600 mgs
Wishing you best of luck.

Person does take Gabapentin 300mg!

For me every NEW pain the last one was some chest pain just below the cage as if it was telling me: STRETCH backwards so that I can feel free of cramp! So I sat on floor with folded knees and feel below bum and resting with both arms, palms on floor shoulder width apart making a right angle with vertical arms and pulling and stretching my upper legs-and-chest with neck stretched and head pulling down and feeling the stretch in my below-rib-cage. It's gone for 3 days now. Sometimes all we need is a limber body that is stretched and strengthened in a well rounded way. Just Play with the body. O' have you tried kicking the fallen cones. They're everywhere here and it it gives a pleasant jolt of energy that is unique. I guess we just need to RE-claim our playful spirit, white-beard notwithstanding!

Which also brings me to realize that maybe a good part of pain could be because we may have abdicated our pleasures e.g. of simple-but-nutritious foods. Most protein I get from pulses (beans peas, peanuts, carbs often from potatoes (just scrubbed and microwaved in 5 mins taste heavenly -- really -- on a hungry belly)

But where do I FURTHER get my impetus from to live with healthier habits? Yes pleasure is one, but I also know what I WANT-to-DO with my life is best achieved in a healthier fitter state. So I try to understand the stresses in the light of how well I'll be to achieve my goal, my PURPOSE-in-LIFE. This last one is crucial for Victor Frankl who lost his both parents and pregnant wife in holocaust, with emerged with the power of purpose to overcome our inevitable hardships. Mayo Clinic's advice above is on the mark for food, exercise and stress management; I'll add purpose, which often we lose in retirement. My purpose today is to find FREE and simple ways to reduce pain and (therefore) increase pleasure. I think it works backwards too!

Gabapentin does. Work for me I take 300 mg twice daily. She ordered 600mg twice daily. With exercise and ibuprofen when necessary I have reduced the dose. It’s a very effective drug for chronic pain

Consider switching to tincture so you can regulate your THC or CBD doses more easily than a gummy.