Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

Posted by Kelsey Mohring @kelseydm, Apr 27, 2016

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.

@boourbonman

I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana. Judi and I did it. We then went down to Edgewater FL. and got two 500 mg bottles. $70 each. So we were suppose to start with 5 drops (each drop is a mg.) three times a day and slowly work up to 10 drops 3 times a day. Do the math. 16 days for $70. We are both at 5 drops 3 times a day and no relief. I sure hope it starts to ease our pain. Will Keep you posted.
Hoot

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dear blindeyepug yes, you have finished what i should have said about the pharmacutical company's and everything else. i have presented this in earlier posts. glad to see there are other people who recognise this. I WONDER WHAT THE DOCTORS USE FOR THEIR PAIN? if you notice, it is 4:18 am, have been awake since 2 am due to pain.

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@hazelblumberg

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.

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Wow, Marie, your story about your experiences with Dilaudid would make me NEVER EVER want to take it! It sounds terrifying!

Hazel

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@boourbonman

I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana. Judi and I did it. We then went down to Edgewater FL. and got two 500 mg bottles. $70 each. So we were suppose to start with 5 drops (each drop is a mg.) three times a day and slowly work up to 10 drops 3 times a day. Do the math. 16 days for $70. We are both at 5 drops 3 times a day and no relief. I sure hope it starts to ease our pain. Will Keep you posted.
Hoot

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blindeyepug, I think you've hit the nail right on the head. It's Big Pharma that wants to keep us away from MM because, hey, there go THEIR profits. So, sure, they'd like to build up a nice, fat addiction in all of us, and then shake their fingers at us for being opioid addicts. What a bunch of garbage! I'm so sick of greed being king, queen, and emperor of the US!

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@boourbonman

I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana. Judi and I did it. We then went down to Edgewater FL. and got two 500 mg bottles. $70 each. So we were suppose to start with 5 drops (each drop is a mg.) three times a day and slowly work up to 10 drops 3 times a day. Do the math. 16 days for $70. We are both at 5 drops 3 times a day and no relief. I sure hope it starts to ease our pain. Will Keep you posted.
Hoot

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Hi, blindeyepug. First, sounds more like you have some form of amyloidosis. Second, I will not use MM again. I wrecked my car and nearly broke my leg. So far, I can tolerate the pain, so that's what I am doing. The data shows I only have a few months, so that's just the way it is.

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@colleenyoung

Hi all,
I'm Colleen, Community Director and part of Connect's moderator team along with Kelsey. I want to say a special thank you to @leh09 @19lin @seanbeck @suebreen54 @mlemieux @ladyjane85 @lolomarie @zjandre @briansr @salena54 @sharonmay7 for all your contributions and making new members feel welcome.

Cheers to continued connecting on Connect.

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My clinic tried to force me to go back on MM. In Oregon.

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@boourbonman

I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana. Judi and I did it. We then went down to Edgewater FL. and got two 500 mg bottles. $70 each. So we were suppose to start with 5 drops (each drop is a mg.) three times a day and slowly work up to 10 drops 3 times a day. Do the math. 16 days for $70. We are both at 5 drops 3 times a day and no relief. I sure hope it starts to ease our pain. Will Keep you posted.
Hoot

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@hazelblumberg Yes, there is so much greed in industry but I think the pharmaceutical companies are ahead of all others when it comes to that. Granted, they do make some good things that help us but what they charge for many of those is ridiculous. Prior to my liver transplant I was prescribed xifaxan. The going price for that is @ $2400 for a one month supply. Thankfully with our insurance we only had to pay @ $750 but that is still too much. We were able to manage the cost but I know many people would not be able to, which is simply unfair.
JK

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@boourbonman

I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana. Judi and I did it. We then went down to Edgewater FL. and got two 500 mg bottles. $70 each. So we were suppose to start with 5 drops (each drop is a mg.) three times a day and slowly work up to 10 drops 3 times a day. Do the math. 16 days for $70. We are both at 5 drops 3 times a day and no relief. I sure hope it starts to ease our pain. Will Keep you posted.
Hoot

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dear blindeyepug there is an epidemic now because of these pain pills and the media is blaming the people who have become addicts because of these pills. and we the people are being blamed for this. who are they kidding, we are not stupid, we are in pain. you are so right and i stand with you and i am sure many others will agree. BRAVO! .

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@colleenyoung

Hi all,
I'm Colleen, Community Director and part of Connect's moderator team along with Kelsey. I want to say a special thank you to @leh09 @19lin @seanbeck @suebreen54 @mlemieux @ladyjane85 @lolomarie @zjandre @briansr @salena54 @sharonmay7 for all your contributions and making new members feel welcome.

Cheers to continued connecting on Connect.

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dear cassie123 the doctors should at least let us try the mm and if it does not do the job then revert back to the addictive pills or whatever.

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@boourbonman

I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana. Judi and I did it. We then went down to Edgewater FL. and got two 500 mg bottles. $70 each. So we were suppose to start with 5 drops (each drop is a mg.) three times a day and slowly work up to 10 drops 3 times a day. Do the math. 16 days for $70. We are both at 5 drops 3 times a day and no relief. I sure hope it starts to ease our pain. Will Keep you posted.
Hoot

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dear hazelblumberg correct me if i am wrong. years age we experimented on animals. and now i think they outlawed that. if it is so, then i think
THEY ARE EXPERIMENTING ON US. using us as the guinie pigs.

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@boourbonman

I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana. Judi and I did it. We then went down to Edgewater FL. and got two 500 mg bottles. $70 each. So we were suppose to start with 5 drops (each drop is a mg.) three times a day and slowly work up to 10 drops 3 times a day. Do the math. 16 days for $70. We are both at 5 drops 3 times a day and no relief. I sure hope it starts to ease our pain. Will Keep you posted.
Hoot

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@hazelblumberg I have lived in Virginia, Hawaii and Florida and received treatment through pain management doctors for spinal stenosis, arthritis, degenerative disc disease, CRPS, and fibromyalgia. I have been on everything from Vicodin to Fentanyl patches. Florida is the first state I've lived where MM is legal. All of the pain management doctors and I have been to will absolutely, no questions asked, kick me out of the pain management program if I use marijuana of any kind. I have had to sign contracts agreeing to this. Of course, to be fair, the list also includes any other illicit drugs. I get drug tested at each visit before any prescriptions are issued. In 2015 I moved from FL to VA and was taken off ALL pain medication by my PCM in Virginia and the pain management clinic wouldn’t treat with opioids. Why? Because and I quote "you don't need it." (There were issues with bias against Military Spouses being hooked on unnecessary pain meds) I had more cervical epidurals, PT, acupuncture and massage therapy. I was still in terrible pain. ADL- Activities of Daily Living, which is basic self-care of bathing and dressing became increasingly difficult to accomplish. Eight months ago, I finally got a doctor to listen to me and I was prescribed Vicodin. The amount I received was less than one pill a DAY, but hey, I could at least choose what hour of the day I wished to have less pain!
When I moved back to Florida in March, I went to a pain management group that had an affiliation to a doctor I saw in a different part of the state. I was given the choice to go back on Fentanyl patches because (by titrating my opiate dose up over time). I declined. I am on 1 Percoset 10/325 4 times daily. It doesn't take away my pain entirely like the Fentanyl patch did. It lessens it to the point that I can live a better quality of life. If my doctors here in Florida stopped prescribing opioids for the pain I suffer, I would gladly seek MM. Until then I will stay doing what I am asked to do. I never have felt high or been dependent on pain meds. Hazel- I write this because I thought you would like to hear why I choose to go to a "brute who’s obsessed with power and control" Sometimes we have no other choice.

Jen

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