Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

Hi Everyone! I have CPS, CFS, Fibromyalgia, OA & Post Surgical Neuropathy. I think most of my pain started at age 11 or 12. I was dx with the Fibro in my mid 30s. Almost a year ago I had tracheal repair surgery in Rochester Mayo via a right sided thoracotomy, I was on a ventilator for 2+ weeks with dual ventilation, ECMO for 2 weeks & tracheostomy for 4+ weeks. I've had 5+ knee surgeries, 2 c-sections, gastric bypass, 4+ pelvic laprascopic procedures and my gall bladder laprascopically removed. I have constant pain ranging from a 5-9 on the 0/10 painscale. I'm still trying to find pain management help as my PCP isn't able to help much. The pain doctors won't see me after reading my chart as they said there is nothing they can do for me. I am taking duloxetine 90 mg Q/D, naltrexone 4.5 mg Q/D. I have tried all the OTC topical gels, creams, patches with no success. My doctor is trying to get a lidocaine/diclofenac gel/cream compounded. The pharmacy is having trouble following directions and the dx has been changed several times to try to get insurance to pay for it. I have been offered the 1 day and 3 week option of the Pain Rehab Clinic, but the 3 week clinic is not affordable for me in regards of motel/meals. etc. So I need feedback and ideas to deal with this pain. My PCP has given me the option of medical marijuana but that is also not within my budget. TIA!

Hi Everyone! I have CPS, CFS, Fibromyalgia, OA & Post Surgical Neuropathy. I think most of my pain started at age 11 or 12. I was dx with the Fibro in my mid 30s. Almost a year ago I had tracheal repair surgery in Rochester Mayo via a right sided thoracotomy, I was on a ventilator for 2+ weeks with dual ventilation, ECMO for 2 weeks & tracheostomy for 4+ weeks. I've had 5+ knee surgeries, 2 c-sections, gastric bypass, 4+ pelvic laprascopic procedures and my gall bladder laprascopically removed. I have constant pain ranging from a 5-9 on the 0/10 painscale. I'm still trying to find pain management help as my PCP isn't able to help much. The pain doctors won't see me after reading my chart as they said there is nothing they can do for me. I am taking duloxetine 90 mg Q/D, naltrexone 4.5 mg Q/D. I have tried all the OTC topical gels, creams, patches with no success. My doctor is trying to get a lidocaine/diclofenac gel/cream compounded. The pharmacy is having trouble following directions and the dx has been changed several times to try to get insurance to pay for it. I have been offered the 1 day and 3 week option of the Pain Rehab Clinic, but the 3 week clinic is not affordable for me in regards of motel/meals. etc. So I need feedback and ideas to deal with this pain. My PCP has given me the option of medical marijuana but that is also not within my budget. TIA!

Hi Everyone! I have CPS, CFS, Fibromyalgia, OA & Post Surgical Neuropathy. I think most of my pain started at age 11 or 12. I was dx with the Fibro in my mid 30s. Almost a year ago I had tracheal repair surgery in Rochester Mayo via a right sided thoracotomy, I was on a ventilator for 2+ weeks with dual ventilation, ECMO for 2 weeks & tracheostomy for 4+ weeks. I've had 5+ knee surgeries, 2 c-sections, gastric bypass, 4+ pelvic laprascopic procedures and my gall bladder laprascopically removed. I have constant pain ranging from a 5-9 on the 0/10 painscale. I'm still trying to find pain management help as my PCP isn't able to help much. The pain doctors won't see me after reading my chart as they said there is nothing they can do for me. I am taking duloxetine 90 mg Q/D, naltrexone 4.5 mg Q/D. I have tried all the OTC topical gels, creams, patches with no success. My doctor is trying to get a lidocaine/diclofenac gel/cream compounded. The pharmacy is having trouble following directions and the dx has been changed several times to try to get insurance to pay for it. I have been offered the 1 day and 3 week option of the Pain Rehab Clinic, but the 3 week clinic is not affordable for me in regards of motel/meals. etc. So I need feedback and ideas to deal with this pain. My PCP has given me the option of medical marijuana but that is also not within my budget. TIA!

1. How are people getting CRPS diagnosed? I'm a textbook case for the pain disorder but any doctor I've ever seen won't ever touch CRPS, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, etc. that's not special for me but rather that seems to be a set of illnesses that doctors in Washington state won't come near.
2. Outside of the above I have a litany of issues that clearly warrant proper opiate treatment (I've shown in the past that doses of around 80mg MME a day triple quality of life) but can't find a doctor in Washington state to even discuss anything other than Tylenol 4. Again, this isn't exclusive to me. What are people to do outside of using the darkweb or flying to Miami?

Hi Everyone! I have CPS, CFS, Fibromyalgia, OA & Post Surgical Neuropathy. I think most of my pain started at age 11 or 12. I was dx with the Fibro in my mid 30s. Almost a year ago I had tracheal repair surgery in Rochester Mayo via a right sided thoracotomy, I was on a ventilator for 2+ weeks with dual ventilation, ECMO for 2 weeks & tracheostomy for 4+ weeks. I've had 5+ knee surgeries, 2 c-sections, gastric bypass, 4+ pelvic laprascopic procedures and my gall bladder laprascopically removed. I have constant pain ranging from a 5-9 on the 0/10 painscale. I'm still trying to find pain management help as my PCP isn't able to help much. The pain doctors won't see me after reading my chart as they said there is nothing they can do for me. I am taking duloxetine 90 mg Q/D, naltrexone 4.5 mg Q/D. I have tried all the OTC topical gels, creams, patches with no success. My doctor is trying to get a lidocaine/diclofenac gel/cream compounded. The pharmacy is having trouble following directions and the dx has been changed several times to try to get insurance to pay for it. I have been offered the 1 day and 3 week option of the Pain Rehab Clinic, but the 3 week clinic is not affordable for me in regards of motel/meals. etc. So I need feedback and ideas to deal with this pain. My PCP has given me the option of medical marijuana but that is also not within my budget. TIA!

@kathyec I had migraines from my teens up until I completed menopause. I stopped working when my son was born and would have liked to return but I just figured I wouldn't last long at any job because of my headaches. I got them either once or twice a month, each time lasting 3 to 4 days. They coincided with ovulation and menstruation. Nothing seemed to help. Imitrix came out but I read you should not take it if you had heart issues. I have not but since everyone in my family dies from heart problems I figured it would not be a good thing for me. My daughter has unfortunately inherited my migraines though and she does take it and most of the time it works for her.
I did find the headaches were worse with certain triggers and that even in parts of the month when I would not generally get them if I ate certain things I did. For me two of the triggers were definitely chocolate and raw onions. There were others but I forget exactly what now. I did find I could eat white chocolate.
Sometimes I would get a little relief from an antihistamine but "excedrin migraine" never helped.
I hope you find something. I think I was one of the few women who was thrilled to go through menopause. I am glad my daughter can get some relief but it is not 100% generally, and sometimes she has to take it two times. When she has a headache sometimes she calls and I think talking to someone who can be soothing helps a tiny bit. I used to find that too with a woman I knew. She was always very calm, and sort of a slow talker and when she happened to call it temporarily helped. I had another friend who knew the minute I said "hello" when she called, that I had a migraine. No one else could hear that.
If you find anything that gives you relief please let me know, I will pass that on to my daughter.
JK

@kathyec I had migraines from my teens up until I completed menopause. I stopped working when my son was born and would have liked to return but I just figured I wouldn't last long at any job because of my headaches. I got them either once or twice a month, each time lasting 3 to 4 days. They coincided with ovulation and menstruation. Nothing seemed to help. Imitrix came out but I read you should not take it if you had heart issues. I have not but since everyone in my family dies from heart problems I figured it would not be a good thing for me. My daughter has unfortunately inherited my migraines though and she does take it and most of the time it works for her.
I did find the headaches were worse with certain triggers and that even in parts of the month when I would not generally get them if I ate certain things I did. For me two of the triggers were definitely chocolate and raw onions. There were others but I forget exactly what now. I did find I could eat white chocolate.
Sometimes I would get a little relief from an antihistamine but "excedrin migraine" never helped.
I hope you find something. I think I was one of the few women who was thrilled to go through menopause. I am glad my daughter can get some relief but it is not 100% generally, and sometimes she has to take it two times. When she has a headache sometimes she calls and I think talking to someone who can be soothing helps a tiny bit. I used to find that too with a woman I knew. She was always very calm, and sort of a slow talker and when she happened to call it temporarily helped. I had another friend who knew the minute I said "hello" when she called, that I had a migraine. No one else could hear that.
If you find anything that gives you relief please let me know, I will pass that on to my daughter.
JK