Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

Hi
I also have several autoimmune diseases and can relate to many of the comments about chronic pain
I meditate at night mostly and like heat for joint issues, ect
I also use CBD
What works for everyone!?
It helps to know there are others too who can relate

I am a 63 yr old female. I have dealt with back pain (scoliosis) and anxiety since I was a child . I have recently had unexplained intense bladder pain for the last two months. My urologist tells me that I am holding my anxiety in my bladder. It is a day to day struggle. I have tried a long list of antidepressants and anti anxiety meds. I started about a week ago taking Nortriptyline (for depression, anxiety, and pain) and Ambien for sleep (Ambien gives me only 4 hrs of sleep). My anxiety has gotten worse in the past few months, waking up with waves of anxiety and waves of panic every morning. I am trying everything to cope. I starting walking 30 min early every morning for the past 10 days. This seems to help. Thank you for reading my post. I appreciate any encouragement you might give.

Warren, Bless You! I have had dry eyes for over 28 years. They hurt, burn, sting, tear, feel scratchy and like something is in them. Sometimes I get the clear sticky discharge. I have had it so bad that it was hard to get my eyes open in the morning and was put on Retasis (prescription) 9 years ago and that helped greatly. I recently had cataract surgery which was an easy surgery and my vision is great, but, it left me with drier eyes, This spring has been brutal with allergies which effects my eyes too. So what helps? I am presently on Lotamax (prescription) for inflammation, Restasis twice a day for the past 9 years (prescription), Systane complete drops PF 4 times a day rotating Systane Gel drops & Systane Eye Ointment at night. I run a cool mist humidifier beside my bed at night to keep moisture going. I also just purchased on Amazon Brude Moist Eye Heat Compress. You heat these up for 20 seconds in the microwave and make sure they are not too hot and put on your eyes. I believe it is helping. The wind hurts my eyes terribly. Punctual plugs have been recommended by my eye doctor and I am seriously thinking about trying them. Has this been a recommendation for you? If you are at the computer a lot, remember to blink every few seconds. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated. Try not to rub your eyes. I apologize on behalf of the people who made the hurtful comments. People don't understand and we can't expect them too. Antihistamines for allergies make my eyes drier. I hope some of these suggestions help.

My name is Forrest and I'm a 60 year old man battling chronic pain in my lower back due to compression fractures from osteoporosis as well as chronic pancreatitis and attacks that are becoming more and more frequent recently. My pain management specialist had me on Norco at the moment and we mix it up every couple of months with Percocet. I was told that he won't answer entertain any type of injection therapy due to my being on blood thinners due to coronary artery disease so I'm spending most of my days and nights trying to deal with the never seems to be ending stabbing pain in my upper and lower back and legs. Found this forum after searching for any information on other issues I seem to be having with absolute debilitating fatigue and feeling just plain horrible most of the time. Thanks for listening.

Name is Burt.
Fell in Vietnam War and injured left buttocks. Sun after injury was mild but over the years has progressed to involve radiating down to left outer foot. I have a Boston Scientific nerve stimulator since 2018 but seems to have stopped helping. 2 weed ago I had an epically caudal steroid injection but have not had any improvement.
I heard of a Sprint PNS device but do not know if it helps sciatica besides pain that originally started
Thank you for any help
Burt

Forgive my typos
2nd sentence is Soon after injury
Line 8 Two weeks ago I had an epidural caudal

Hi Forest,
I am also a 60 year old man with chronic back and leg pain. Mine is due to osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, and scoliosis. I take Tramadol with acetaminophen 4 times a day on average days. When the pain is more intense I use Percocet 3 times a day. And every evening for the last 3 years I taken marijuana edibles. I usually take 5 mg around 5:00 and another 5 mg an hour before going to sleep. It has been a life changer. It doesn’t end my pain, but it reduces it and importantly, it reduces my stress and makes me feel happiness instead of despair.
I live in Illinois where marijuana is legal, but I have a medical marijuana card because it saves me money and allows me to move to the front of the line at the dispensary. I recommend trying it. Good luck.

Thanks for the reply and advice. Unfortunately here in the backwards state of Texas medical marijuana is very restricted to a very limited group of illnesses. I'll talk with my PCP and see what he thinks about it. As it stands now I take a Norco 10mg with 325 acetaminophen twice a day and a Robaxin 500mg three times a day which doesn't seem to do anything and at night I add an Ambien tablet 10mg to try and get a little sleep but now I've become tolerant of the Ambien and it's not working either. I would really like to see if I can get injections or nerve blocks if that's what they're called to help but the pain management specialist I go to says that because I have a cardiac stent and am taking brilinta which increases the risk of bleeding he refuses to entertain any of those procedures due to fear of an uncontrolled bleed. I understand he's being overly cautious but it's getting to the point where I am at a pretty constant 7 or 8 on the pain scale and this affects my ability to sleep and function as well as hold down a full time job. I wish there was an easy way to file and receive approval for SSDI but that's a whole other story. I was in the emergency room in March this past for chest pain and upper back pain as well. Bouts of nausea, shortness of breath, night sweats, chills, no appetite and extreme fatigue. Emergency room P.A. saw me and started the process of ruling out heart problems with chest x-ray, cardiac CT scan, and put on telemetry and tons of blood work. Long story short they decided it wasn't heart related and suggested I contact my bariatric surgeon who did my gastric bypass 23 years ago. Couldn't do that as he passed away about five years ago. Referred to gastroenterologist and she actually impressed me very much. Listened intently, asked questions, seemed very knowledgeable and caring and refered me for a colonoscopy and endoscopy in a couple months but needed to get cardiac clearance for anesthesiologist to put me under. Went to cardiologist and he suggested a stress test which I failed. So now he's saying I have to have another cardiac catheterization before they can give clearance to look at my north and south pipes. Hell I could be dead before they figure it all out. But the gastroenterologist who actually payed attention and listened to me and was engaged in a meaningful conversation with me sent me for the correct tests. The x-ray, CT scan of abdomen, and blood work. What it all determined was a moderate hiatal hernia, diverticulosis, chronic pancreatitis, post surgical changes to lobe of liver (I've never had liver surgery) and compression fractures of T11, T12 and L1 vertebrae which have been causing close to 70% or my horrific pain that I deal with 24/7 and the other 30% attributed to the chronic pancreatitis which has been attacking me almost non-stop for last two months. If anyone reading this has ever had acute pancreatitis I fee for you. It's probably the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. I go to my pain doctor and explain all of this to him and his answer to all of it is to switch me back to Norco from Percocet due to tolerance. Neither one of those wunderdrugs work to alleviate pain in the degree that some people are in a world of hurt. I really don't know what to do. I don't want to get pissy with him because of all the stories about how they arbitrarily drop patients and then you're out of luck with any relief. Any suggestions please?

I’m Birdie and I’m in 24/7 pain. This all started in 2009 from getting zinc poisoning and it gets worse as the years go by. I’m a miserable mess that is trying to stay strong but…

I started using cbd to help with excruciating pain. I have since failed a drug test with pain Dr. She told me to be clean next month. The problem in my state is there’s no pain meds to be found. I’m currently trying to quit my pain meds and Valium on my own. Has anyone just started using cbd with thc for their pain?