Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself
Welcome to the new Chronic Pain group.
I’m Kelsey and I’m the moderator of the group. I look forwarding to welcoming you and introducing you to other members. Feel free to browse the topics or start a new one.
Why not take a minute and introduce yourself.
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Chronic Pain Support Group.
I am also 75. And I envy you. My pain is so intense some mornings i can barely get out of bed. My mix of spinal stenosis, scoliosis, and degenerate disc disease does a number on me. I have a good pain doctor who is always trying to find some way to help me. I get easily discouraged.
I am sorry for your pain. Are you enrolled in a pain clinic? Have you tried acupuncture or biofeedback? I use narcotics twice a week for chronic pain in my head, jaw, neck, back. I do not have spinal stenosis at this time (I am 50), but I do have arthritis, disc degeneration, and disc bulging along my entire spine. All contribute to daily, chronic migraine, in my case. Pain will spread eventually. I had radio frequency nerve ablation in my neck (they burned away a nerve, which will eventually go back.) Chronic left shoulder pain is much better; still waiting for pain in neck, head, to improve. I wish you all the best. Fight for low-dose narcotics if you are so inclined. Doctors are afraid of prescribing it, and you may be intolerant of the meds due to age, but fight for a treatment trial, or perhaps trigger point injections while under anesthesia.
What kind of doctor do you see for your back? I was just diagnosed with some of the same back issues you named. Thanks, christine
I'm not sure if that question was for me but I will attempt to answer. I've had two spinal fusions. One left me with debilitating pain and the other one supposedly saved me from imminent paralysis. I have no residual pain from the second one. So, of course, i saw surgeons at that time. Now I see only a pain doctor for my back. He is encouraging me to see a "back doctor" even though I constantly say that I refuse any and all elective back surgeries. He's a good, decent man and an excellent doctor but he keeps a tight reign on pain meds. As long as there are people on street corners selling, for instance, vicodin at $10.00 a pop, it will get more and more difficult for people like us to get help.
I have a very good doctor who really listens to me. Objectively I know my pain is bad. I literally scream when trying to pull up pants. I have to bend over so my husband can pull them up. Night is really bad with my shoulder hurting so bad I cry. Emotionally I feel really good. Doesn't sound possible but for me it is true. After trying several antidepressants I've found one that is really working (thank god). I've been taking it for 2 years now and it is still working well. I am able to really enjoy cruises and other travel and we do it alot. I almost feel guilty posting here because mentally I feel so good.
You're very lucky you can travel. Scoliosis and spinal stenosis make it painful to sit and walk far. I don't sit st home. Takes classes at gym for yoga and Pilates. Painful but I work thru it. I volunteer at my grandsons elementary school once a week to read to the students. I'm not doing everything I want but I refuse to give in to pain. Be well
Good for you edieguinn ..... you can be very proud of yourself for your tenacity.
abby
Briansr and all you other souls with terrible pain ....... you just mentioned it Brian, and I was thinking the same thing. Now I'm not a drug advocate by any means, but it does seem that medical marijuana really helps a lot of people. I can't imagine living with the kind of pain some of you are describing. Surely there is somewhere you can go to get an Rx for medical marijuana .... at least to give it a try and see if it helps.
abby
I'm thankful for Refresh, as well, @reneewise50, and use gel at night and lubricant during the day, as you do. The only difference is that it doesn't seem to matter to my eyes what brand I use. Equate, from Walmart, is what I use now, as it's the cheapest. Living on Social Security Disability, cheap is good - most of the time. I started using it when my ophthalmologist told me that my dry eyes were the probable cause of double vision. I still have double vision, but my eyes do feel better. Maybe the cataract surgery I'm having next month will help that.
Jim
@tompet
I know this was posted last year, but I just now came upon it. I really hope that you're in a good position right now. Things weren't going so great last May. I've been using a CPAP machine for around 15 years, and it has changed my life. Before then, I was chronically fatigued, from waking up so many times at night.
Maybe I'll be able to find more recent posts from you. I'll look.
Jim