Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

My name is Dilson B. Oliveira. I live in northern California. I am writing here in hope to find help for my beloved wife who is suffering with chronic mid-back pain that, we believe, radiates to her stomach. She's not been able to eat since May 2017. Such symptoms started right after a car accident we were involved in on 05/13/2017. A driver hit the rear of our car on a freeway. He was at least at 75 miles/hour.
She's been hungry since the accident and can't eat due to inflammation to the esophagus and severe reflux. A biopsy was completed during the endoscopy. The result showed inflammation to the esophagus. She’s been to 3 E.Rs. She did several exams: X-Rays, CAT Scan, MRI. All came out normal. The doctors we visited could not find any possible reason for her symptoms. I guess they are too busy with endoscopies, colonoscopies, etc. to be able to do a thorough research. Sorry for showing our frustration.
My wife describes her symptom as like a nail fastened to her mid-back that radiates to her stomach. It’s like the nail that penetrated her mid-back and stomach. We googled and found the following abstract released by “US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health”: Esophageal dysfunction in cervical spinal cord injury: a potentially important mechanism of aspiration.
“Format: Abstract
J Trauma. 2005 Oct; 59(4):905-11.
Esophageal dysfunction in cervical spinal cord injury: a potentially important mechanism of aspiration.
Neville AL1, Crookes P, Velmahos GC, Vlahos A, Theodorou D, Lucas CE.
Author information
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Respiratory complications are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI). We hypothesized that patients with CSCI had esophageal dysfunction, predisposing them to aspiration. The purpose of this study was to characterize esophageal function in these patients.
METHODS:
CSCI and similarly injured control (spinal cord injury below T1) subjects were prospectively enrolled from two trauma centers. All underwent esophageal manometry to measure lower (LES) and upper esophageal sphincter (UES) pressures. A subset of patients had detailed manometry and 24-hour pH studies performed to evaluate dynamic esophageal function.
RESULTS:
Eighteen CSCI and five control subjects were enrolled. The groups were similar with regards to age, sex, injury mechanism, Injury Severity Score, and hospital stay. Resting LES and UES pressures were similar in CSCI and control patients and did not differ from established norms. Five CSCI and two control patients underwent detailed manometric assessment. Defective UES relaxation was observed in all CSCI patients but not controls. CSCI patients had increased UES relaxation pressures (18.4 +/- 5.3 versus 3.9 +/- 0.7 mm Hg; p = 0.01) and UES bolus pressures (23.8 +/- 2.2 versus 10.2 +/- 6.9 mm Hg; p = 0.006) compared with controls. Esophageal body and LES function were normal. Two of five CSCI patients had abnormal 24-hour pH studies.
CONCLUSION:
Patients with CSCI demonstrate significantly disturbed dynamic function of the pharynx and UES while resting parameters remain normal. Because adequate UES relaxation is critical to the clearance of secretions and coordination of swallowing, this is an important potential mechanism of aspiration in patients with CSCI.
PMID: 16374280
[Indexed for MEDLINE]”

The last gastro doctor we shared this information said: This is just an abstract! To this date we don’t know what he meant with his comment. I translate it as “I am too busy with endoscopies and colonoscopies.”
Anyway, if any of you know someone who’s going or went through the same symptoms and doctors who know how to treat it, please share your valuable information.
Best New Year to you all!
Dilson

Hi, I am new. I am relatively new to my chronic pain. I mean I have had my back issues for years but to me that was just something that was here and there type of pain.
Almost two years ago I went into the ER in the worst pain I have ever experienced(yes, worse than child birth) . I had two kidney stones, my first, I also had two ovarian cysts and was diagnosised with anemia. I know it's no where what others experience but since then I have constant pain. The pain is in my lower stomach but also can start under my ribs all the way down. It's a constant pain but some days I can deal while some it feels as if I am repeatly being kicked or stabbed in my stomach. My anemia has had me worn down. I did try iron pills but caused a bleeding ulcer. I recieved two iron infusions. I just moved about four months ago and so the process is restarting again. But some days I am ok and can do ok. Other days just doing one daily chore wears me down and can't do much.
I have chronic headaches 5/7 days. Sometimes the migraines come as well. I was also just recently diagnosised with hypothyroidism.
My back and hips are also an issue but I need to figure out more important things prior to dealing with that.
I just feel as if my whole body is fading away and not wanting to function. The difficult issue in all of this I do not know my health background, I am adopted. So this brings me to mayo and start my tests this coming week. I just hope to find out some answers.
Thanks for listening.

Hi, I am new. I am relatively new to my chronic pain. I mean I have had my back issues for years but to me that was just something that was here and there type of pain.
Almost two years ago I went into the ER in the worst pain I have ever experienced(yes, worse than child birth) . I had two kidney stones, my first, I also had two ovarian cysts and was diagnosised with anemia. I know it's no where what others experience but since then I have constant pain. The pain is in my lower stomach but also can start under my ribs all the way down. It's a constant pain but some days I can deal while some it feels as if I am repeatly being kicked or stabbed in my stomach. My anemia has had me worn down. I did try iron pills but caused a bleeding ulcer. I recieved two iron infusions. I just moved about four months ago and so the process is restarting again. But some days I am ok and can do ok. Other days just doing one daily chore wears me down and can't do much.
I have chronic headaches 5/7 days. Sometimes the migraines come as well. I was also just recently diagnosised with hypothyroidism.
My back and hips are also an issue but I need to figure out more important things prior to dealing with that.
I just feel as if my whole body is fading away and not wanting to function. The difficult issue in all of this I do not know my health background, I am adopted. So this brings me to mayo and start my tests this coming week. I just hope to find out some answers.
Thanks for listening.

@johnbishop, @gailb, @hopeful33250, et al, I don't know how helpful these two articles from the latest issue of "The Scientist" might become, but they feel like a collection of clues to some important improvements in understanding and treating certain prevalent forms of chronic and persistent pain.

The first article provides some basic insights on how pain pathways divide within the body: https://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/51198/title/Infographic--Two-Pain-Paths-Diverge-in-the-Body

The second provides a long article detailing new insights on Glia cells as forms of immune cells operating in the nerves and the brain: https://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/51172/title/Glial-Ties-to-Persistent-Pain.

I'll be interested in learning whether our chronic pain members find hope in these perspectives.

@johnbishop, @gailb, @hopeful33250, et al, I don't know how helpful these two articles from the latest issue of "The Scientist" might become, but they feel like a collection of clues to some important improvements in understanding and treating certain prevalent forms of chronic and persistent pain.

The first article provides some basic insights on how pain pathways divide within the body: https://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/51198/title/Infographic--Two-Pain-Paths-Diverge-in-the-Body

The second provides a long article detailing new insights on Glia cells as forms of immune cells operating in the nerves and the brain: https://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/51172/title/Glial-Ties-to-Persistent-Pain.

I'll be interested in learning whether our chronic pain members find hope in these perspectives.

@johnbishop, @gailb, @hopeful33250, et al, I don't know how helpful these two articles from the latest issue of "The Scientist" might become, but they feel like a collection of clues to some important improvements in understanding and treating certain prevalent forms of chronic and persistent pain.

The first article provides some basic insights on how pain pathways divide within the body: https://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/51198/title/Infographic--Two-Pain-Paths-Diverge-in-the-Body

The second provides a long article detailing new insights on Glia cells as forms of immune cells operating in the nerves and the brain: https://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/51172/title/Glial-Ties-to-Persistent-Pain.

I'll be interested in learning whether our chronic pain members find hope in these perspectives.

Hi, I am new. I am relatively new to my chronic pain. I mean I have had my back issues for years but to me that was just something that was here and there type of pain.
Almost two years ago I went into the ER in the worst pain I have ever experienced(yes, worse than child birth) . I had two kidney stones, my first, I also had two ovarian cysts and was diagnosised with anemia. I know it's no where what others experience but since then I have constant pain. The pain is in my lower stomach but also can start under my ribs all the way down. It's a constant pain but some days I can deal while some it feels as if I am repeatly being kicked or stabbed in my stomach. My anemia has had me worn down. I did try iron pills but caused a bleeding ulcer. I recieved two iron infusions. I just moved about four months ago and so the process is restarting again. But some days I am ok and can do ok. Other days just doing one daily chore wears me down and can't do much.
I have chronic headaches 5/7 days. Sometimes the migraines come as well. I was also just recently diagnosised with hypothyroidism.
My back and hips are also an issue but I need to figure out more important things prior to dealing with that.
I just feel as if my whole body is fading away and not wanting to function. The difficult issue in all of this I do not know my health background, I am adopted. So this brings me to mayo and start my tests this coming week. I just hope to find out some answers.
Thanks for listening.

My name is Dilson B. Oliveira. I live in northern California. I am writing here in hope to find help for my beloved wife who is suffering with chronic mid-back pain that, we believe, radiates to her stomach. She's not been able to eat since May 2017. Such symptoms started right after a car accident we were involved in on 05/13/2017. A driver hit the rear of our car on a freeway. He was at least at 75 miles/hour.
She's been hungry since the accident and can't eat due to inflammation to the esophagus and severe reflux. A biopsy was completed during the endoscopy. The result showed inflammation to the esophagus. She’s been to 3 E.Rs. She did several exams: X-Rays, CAT Scan, MRI. All came out normal. The doctors we visited could not find any possible reason for her symptoms. I guess they are too busy with endoscopies, colonoscopies, etc. to be able to do a thorough research. Sorry for showing our frustration.
My wife describes her symptom as like a nail fastened to her mid-back that radiates to her stomach. It’s like the nail that penetrated her mid-back and stomach. We googled and found the following abstract released by “US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health”: Esophageal dysfunction in cervical spinal cord injury: a potentially important mechanism of aspiration.
“Format: Abstract
J Trauma. 2005 Oct; 59(4):905-11.
Esophageal dysfunction in cervical spinal cord injury: a potentially important mechanism of aspiration.
Neville AL1, Crookes P, Velmahos GC, Vlahos A, Theodorou D, Lucas CE.
Author information
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Respiratory complications are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI). We hypothesized that patients with CSCI had esophageal dysfunction, predisposing them to aspiration. The purpose of this study was to characterize esophageal function in these patients.
METHODS:
CSCI and similarly injured control (spinal cord injury below T1) subjects were prospectively enrolled from two trauma centers. All underwent esophageal manometry to measure lower (LES) and upper esophageal sphincter (UES) pressures. A subset of patients had detailed manometry and 24-hour pH studies performed to evaluate dynamic esophageal function.
RESULTS:
Eighteen CSCI and five control subjects were enrolled. The groups were similar with regards to age, sex, injury mechanism, Injury Severity Score, and hospital stay. Resting LES and UES pressures were similar in CSCI and control patients and did not differ from established norms. Five CSCI and two control patients underwent detailed manometric assessment. Defective UES relaxation was observed in all CSCI patients but not controls. CSCI patients had increased UES relaxation pressures (18.4 +/- 5.3 versus 3.9 +/- 0.7 mm Hg; p = 0.01) and UES bolus pressures (23.8 +/- 2.2 versus 10.2 +/- 6.9 mm Hg; p = 0.006) compared with controls. Esophageal body and LES function were normal. Two of five CSCI patients had abnormal 24-hour pH studies.
CONCLUSION:
Patients with CSCI demonstrate significantly disturbed dynamic function of the pharynx and UES while resting parameters remain normal. Because adequate UES relaxation is critical to the clearance of secretions and coordination of swallowing, this is an important potential mechanism of aspiration in patients with CSCI.
PMID: 16374280
[Indexed for MEDLINE]”

The last gastro doctor we shared this information said: This is just an abstract! To this date we don’t know what he meant with his comment. I translate it as “I am too busy with endoscopies and colonoscopies.”
Anyway, if any of you know someone who’s going or went through the same symptoms and doctors who know how to treat it, please share your valuable information.
Best New Year to you all!
Dilson