Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

The inflammation/ arthritis has found a nice place to settle in. My body. Knees, shoulders,back. Getting back in the gym has made me feel good more energy lost inches around my waste but my knees shoulders and back ferlnit

Great that you are active! Motion is lotion, and move it or lose it are phrases that come to mind, but moderation is key.

Have you seen these conversations?

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/
How do you apply moderation when you go to the gym?

Hi Kelsey,
I am just seeing your intro request. Thank you for moderating this group. My name is Susan Verrecchia and I live in Montreal, Quebec. I have been suffering from fibromyalgia since 2016 as well as from chronic back pain due in part to a spinal degeneration that rheumatologist in Canada and the US (my imaging files were sent to some in Boston) are trying to determine the cause of.

The diagnosis seems to be vascilating between SAPHO and anklylosing Spondylitis.
Last year, the pain and vertebrae and intervertebrae degeneration worsened significantly to the point where I was hospitalized 3 times in an effort to find some pain relief.

I have tried many drugs including Lyrica, Cymbalta, Gabopentin, Tylenol with codeine, CBD oil etc to no avail. I am presently taking ibuprophen as well as Dilaudid which helps a little by taking the edge off.

I am presently taking Cosentyx by Novartis in an attempt to reduce the inflammation and stop the spinal degeneration. The pain clinic also prescribed Novilone which is a synthetic version of CBD oil to see if it would help with the pain and help improve my sleep quality but unfortunately it hasn't worked.

I recently invested in a 4-motor chair which has helped reduce the stress on my back by being able to adjust the angles of the back and lumbar supports and the elevation of my elevation of my feet which has provided me with significant relief for most of the day. I have more pain as night time approaches and the pain can cause severe back spasms getting in bed which are oftentimes excruciating.
At least they now only happen at the most once a day compared to many times a day before I purchased my chair.

I go to a pain clinic at the Montreal General Hospital where my pain doctor recently gave me back vertebrae injections of cortisone and anesthesia which has helped alot in alleviating pain to the point that I am optimistic that I may be able to walk without my walker for short periods of time. This is timely given I would like to leave my home and restart enjoying life by socializing a little more and sitting in my back yard enjoying some fresh air and heat now that warmer weather is almost here.

My orthopedic surgeon is recommending a vertebrectomy with a cage and fusion operation which I am considering having in the Fall if I feel more confident that it will help relieve the pain I have rather than increase it. It may be fibromyalgia in my dorsal muscles that is contributing to alot of the pain I feel, and which medication doesn't seem to alleviate much.

With less pain, I now have a more positive view of my life. Doing daily relaxation meditations I have found helps relax my body and improve my outlook.

I look forward to having an enjoyable summer outside of my living room and bedroom!

Hi my name is Cheryl. I am 65 and have had 4 cervical spine surgeries, and 4 lumbar spine surgeries. I have went the cortisone shots, nerve ablation only thing that has helped is pain medication which are always stopped 6-12 weeks post surgery. I know people who are a lot worse off than me. I have finally started using a cane due to falls. I just want to have it stop. I wake up during the night due to pain so my sleep is not adequate for my body to heal

Hi all first ever post for me.
First I’d like to eliminate all drug seekers. Here’s my story and why I said that so please read through.
In 1990 I was rear ended at a stop sign due to the t. Plastic ware saleswoman trying to pass me because she was late for her show.
C6-c5 fused with plates and graph.
100% repaired @20 years later in
2008 I was rear ended at a stoplight by a 16 year old who her dad said passed out as often as she had her period. AND. He let her drive with that knowledge.
in 2010 I couldn’t take it anymore
And all the looking I’d did I found
the worst surgeon. He did two more levels 6 weeks later on checkup I was 90% better. Until he mentioned one of the screws popped out and I would need to go under for 15 minutes to pull out the screw with a pair of needle nose pliers. No such luck. The morning I went in ,I brushed my teeth and when rinsing I found blood comming from my throat.
The rest is all my misery. The highlights were two anesthesiologist spending 25 minutes on intubation while I was awake. They finally got it in holding
the most rigid small tube with pliers and smacking it down my throat with a hammer. And yes I was up for it all. The following da a nurse came in the room and asked if I knew who she was. I said of corse I do. You assisted the 2 docs
With my intubation. She said but I was totally gowned and you couldn’t see my face. But I knew your voice because for 25 minutes
You kept telling me I was gonna be ok. She said I was a champ because that was the most intense and longest procedure she had ever seen in her career.
Removed 67k in hardware and sawed a chunk of hipbone and did bone graph on two levels and could not put any metal clips in so rigid cast for 3 months and 3 months
Of antibiotic infusions from the infectious disease doctor.
After 9 months I got to go back to work. My pain management dr treated with all the opiates. He looked into my eyes and said sometimes pain management is the way to go because not all spine surgery is a success It could be bad. Boy I wish I heeded his word.
Now my drug opinion. Surgery failed so I did 5 years pain management anyhow.
My brother is 1 1:2 years younger than I. He started with back pain
and he was physically fit. The pain doctors told him to stop all weights. Quit working out.
My brother michael come over my house for a visit. He asked me if he could have some of my pills. Of course I had to say I couldn’t give him any because I was on a scheduled plan. He said he had been black balled from 2pm doctors because his scripts only lasted 2out of the 4weeks prescribed his p m doc accused him of being a addict and my brother spazzed out on the doc.
Luckily for my brother the pm doc
Sent him for the 4th mri in two years and gave him a one week r/x
for pain meds. And low and behold he had a tumor wrapped in
The spinal cord in the thoracic spine. 1week later rush in Chicago
Removed the tumor and low and behold no more pain. My problem is as close as my brother
were he always hated me for not giving him any of my narcotics I am all to cognizant of the drug life people go down. It took years to make amends with my brother. I finally dropped the restraining orders. And was looking for the best time to reunite with my brother. Now I only regret not giving him some of my pills.
My brother killed himself only days before we were to reunite.
That was the day I quit pain management. I will go back on pain management because I hurt so bad Now it’s been years The pain gets real bad and all I can do to stay away from the doctor because every pain pill I will ever take for the rest of my life will drive a nail deeper in my heart over the loss of my brother Michael.

I have chronic nerve amplification do about 2 months diagnosed. Cannibis did not help me. Question: to all the people with CPA or CP Syndrome, do you ever get pain in your head, forehead, ears? It comes and goes every 5 minutes for a day. Very painful and hard to function. Anyone experience this?

Hello,
My name is Jeffrey Eden, I'm a 58_yr old male.
I was diagnosed with Syringomyelia, Charcot joint and chronic pain.
I've been seeing a neurologist and neurosurgeon here at Mayo since 2005.
I moved from the southwest side of Chicago to International Falls, MN. Back in 2003.
I look forward to meeting new people on here, and finding new ways to deal with chronic pain among other things.

My name is Patricia. I am 65 yo and have had multiple autoimmune issues, neck and back pain for years. For years I have had pain under my left scapula, neck and lower back. 10 years ago my neck vertebra crumbled. Long story short I have cadaver bones, a plate and 8 screws in my neck. Recently I found out why I have hurt all these years under my left scapula from a CT scan - I have a protruding T10-T11 calcified disc. I have been told this is a very risky surgery.

I am waiting for relief from severe anxiety related to severe bladder pain. I started nortriptryline to help with both five days ago. Each day is filled with prayers for help from God for some relief.

Screw them, Warren, and hang in there. Keep looking for a possible solution.