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Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself
Chronic Pain | Last Active: 8 hours ago | Replies (7051)Comment receiving replies
I developed earaches in September 2016. My primary care found no ear or sinus infection and sent me to an ENT, who diagnosed TMJ pain. I went to my dentist for help. He gave me weekly anesthesia shots into trigger points (OUCH!) and exercises to do, including massaging the trigger points and opening my mouth as wide as I could numerous times in the shower while my face was warm and wet. (I have been wearing a night guard made by my dentist for over 20 years; he replaces them as they wear out.) The pain continued and only got worse; it was at the top of my head, in my ears, in my jaw, above my palate (as though I'd eaten hot food). My dentist sent me to an oral surgeon, who did 360-degree x-rays and found no joint damage. He told me I was therefore not a candidate for surgery (YAY!) and prescribed Flexeril, a muscle relaxer. The pain only got worse, and I continued to wake up in the night with horrific pain. Ibuprofen didn't even touch it.
My dentist then sent me to a physical therapist, who didn't listen to a word I said. I came in on a "good" pain day: my pain level was about a 5 out of 10 (10 being the worst). After his examination and showing me how to do various exercises, he triumphantly told me that my pain level was now reduced. I said "No. My pain level is now about 7.5." He said he didn't believe me. He attempted to push me to go to his outside clinic to get "magnet therapy," and he tried to push me to see a friend of his who is a naturopath. Two days after this session, I was still in excruciating pain and doubt I'd ever return to this physical therapist, although he had me schedule 4 more 1-hour sessions with him.
I called my dentist again, and he called in a prescription for Tylenol plus codeine, which I can take every 4 to 6 hours. My dentist seems to have no further solutions for me.
My primary care is currently out of town, but I will see her when she gets back (in August); she may be referring me to a pain management specialist, which my dentist recommended--however, my dentist refuses to give me a referral to such a specialist, even though the specialist will take referrals from dentists or doctors.
I have been treated for many years for clinical depression and panic/anxiety disorder by my psychiatrist, and the meds have helped me immensely. On Monday I see my psychiatrist for my usual 6-month med check, and I'm going to ask him for help with the terrible TMJ pain. I have also had fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome for a long time. The fibro pain has greatly lessened over time and hardly bothers me, but the CFS continues.
The TMJ pain makes it difficult to concentrate. I'm self-employed, and I enjoy my work. But pain gets in the way, as it does in every single situation: work or pastimes. My dentist mentioned massage therapy, but I'm in too much pain right now to try it. Another friend mentioned using a TENS unit. I feel as though I'm not living; to be in constant pain is hardly living, at least to me.
Any other suggestions? Would a TENS unit help? I'm more than willing to purchase one. I'll try just about anything to be pain free. Sometimes I am pain free. But I spend about 2 weeks out of every month in serious pain. I am feeling very discouraged.
Replies to "I developed earaches in September 2016. My primary care found no ear or sinus infection and..."
Me too....Dilaudid was the only pain med that worked after 3 of my orthopedic surgeries. My surgeon was frustrated that everything else made me "vomit", literally. I thank him for thinking things through and finding the medication that was appropriate for those post surgery pain days.
Justin, I am Marield65, Marie, and you do have a problem on your hands and a good head on your shoulders to be a moderator, so I am sure you will handle that with care.
I on the other hand, being older (71) must have metabolized the DiLaudid more slowly and they would ask my pain level and I would tell them 10 and they would give me more DiLaudid, not knowing i was starting to get delirium. By the time they questioned my husband and found out my hyper aggression was hyper delirium. Nurses and Doctors are not knowledgeable about hospital Delirium. I was in space for 4 days, not being coherent, trying to get out of bed and escape the hospital. I tried to call 911 for help but my phone didn't work in my hospital room and my cell phone was dead, so I tricked the nurse into calling my husband in the middle of the night and when she did, I started yelling his name at the top of my lungs and telling him to help me. I kept yelling help until she let me talk to him and he calmed me down. I thought he and I were planning the big escape the next morning.So I went to sleep and never remembered it again. This went on for 4 days when they weaned me off. I wasn't the same person for a couple of weeks and didn't trust anyone for a couple of months. I don't remember much of being in the hospital at all but I remember where I went in my head, looking for my grandchildren, telling the nurse (they stayed with me round the clock) that if she let me see my grandchildren I would behave. I went to a lot of places in my head and I don't know what I could have possibly put my family through. So,no, you don't want to know what it's like being addicted to DiLaudid. I would rather be in pain, which I was because for 2 weeks after a total knee replacement they gave me Tylenol for pain and nothing more. And I was going through PT with no pain meds with tears coming out of my eyes. That was tough. Best Wishes. From Marield65
I had similar experiences in the hospital because of meds. I don't remember anything except what I've been told. Like you, I remember some of the nightmares - I think that's what to call them. They were horrible. Thankfully, they've dimmed with time.
Jim
Wow, Marie, your story about your experiences with Dilaudid would make me NEVER EVER want to take it! It sounds terrifying!
Hazel
To jimhd, from Marield65. Did they say you had delirium and what was it from? I need to know more about it. Thanks
Marie @marield65, one time I had to stop a med, clomipramine, cold turkey, thus the incoherence. The hospital couldn't give it to me IV, and I wasn't supposed to take anything by mouth. It took 6 people to get me into restraints. It lasted several days. Another time, I reacted to Morphine IV, thought all the tubes and wires were snakes crawling on me. That wasn't as bad as the other.
Jim
Jim, this sounds horrible!!!!!
I was on some heavy-duty pain medication when I came down with Bell's palsy. The pain in my ears felt as though someone were repeatedly shoving a sharply pointed instrument deep into my ears. Yikes! I was told that I could take one or two of the tablets. I wish I could remember now what they were. One was fine. However, when I took two, I started to hallucinate: I saw a computer screen floating in front of me, with my hand in it, writing away on a yellow legal pad. My husband found me trying to shove the "computer screen" out of the way and muttering, "Why do I need a computer if I'm writing all this out by hand?" I NEVER took two pain pills again after that!
Hazel
To Jim and Hazel, I appreciate the fact that you brought into the conversation about how you reacted to the meds. Did they say it was Delirium ? I had Delirium from a bad reaction to DiLaudid and they wanted to tie me to the bed but my husband would not let them so they had a CNA with me 24-7. I kept trying to get out of bed and I just had my knee replacement. I wrote a long post if you could find it , telling what it was like being on the other side.
Jim, when you were in that other world, were you dreaming or hallucinating? I was busy going places looking for my grandchildren while I was in the other world. It was so scary I am afraid to have surgery again. Do you think it will happen to you again? Marield65
Early this year, I was delirious as a reaction to Lyrica. I couldn't finish a sentence, and was in the hospital for a couple of nights. They put in an NG tube, which I've endured a number of times, but this time, I had a panic attack, and they had to take it out. It wasn't immediate, but it escalated over the time of a couple of hours.
It's hard to pin a label on the nightmares. I had the feeling of demonic presence. It was scary and weird. I believed that I went to somewhere in Asia to get expert treatment. I had a lot of weird experiences there. When I recovered, they put me in a barrel, put it in the ocean, and I later found myself back in the US, on the front lawn of a hospital. Strange!
Another time, it wasn't scary nightmares. I was just out of touch with reality. I kept getting out of bed. I thought my brother was in town, driving around, then I thought he was outside the hospital door raping or killing my daughter. My wife had to call my mother in Fresno, CA, and had her convince me that he was there with her (he was living with Mom). I was definitely not myself. I don't know why this happened. I was in the hospital for a severe bowel obstruction. I suppose it could have been medication related.
I wouldn't be surprised if something similar would happen to me in the hospital. I hope not, but it's surely a possibility.
Jim
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Jim, @jimhd
I'm sure the wait it difficult! I'll be praying for you.
Teresa