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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.

lioness | @lioness | Jan 20, 2018
In reply to @lyssia "It's nice to know that other pain sufferers feel as I do. I do not want..." + (show)
@lyssia

It's nice to know that other pain sufferers feel as I do. I do not want the insurance companies or government telling my doctor or me (a responsible drug user) what I can or can not use to help my situation. I have a really good pain management doctor for several years now and between the pain medication (use only occasionally right now) injections (upper back trigger point and cervical facet joint steroid) acupuncture, tens, exercise, supplements, meditation practice for me he also has other things as appropriate for the person. I find that this subject of not wanting the doctors to prescribe pain medications to anyone, the insurance companies wanting other medications to be used (that may or may not work or have more side effects) and the government looking at punishing the doctors for prescribing or limiting what amounts can be given to be on my mind a lot. I am at a place at this time where the combination of everything that I use is working pretty good for me and I don't want to go back to where I was in the beginning because of the drug abusers. I don't think that the responsible doctors should not be bunched in with those that are handing out pain meds indiscriminately for a profit. Thanks for letting me vent. : )

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JenniE found Dr. Gross on You Tube just under search type his name There are 3tales I listened to one so far.Linda

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lioness | @lioness | Jan 20, 2018
In reply to @lyssia "It's nice to know that other pain sufferers feel as I do. I do not want..." + (show)
@lyssia

It's nice to know that other pain sufferers feel as I do. I do not want the insurance companies or government telling my doctor or me (a responsible drug user) what I can or can not use to help my situation. I have a really good pain management doctor for several years now and between the pain medication (use only occasionally right now) injections (upper back trigger point and cervical facet joint steroid) acupuncture, tens, exercise, supplements, meditation practice for me he also has other things as appropriate for the person. I find that this subject of not wanting the doctors to prescribe pain medications to anyone, the insurance companies wanting other medications to be used (that may or may not work or have more side effects) and the government looking at punishing the doctors for prescribing or limiting what amounts can be given to be on my mind a lot. I am at a place at this time where the combination of everything that I use is working pretty good for me and I don't want to go back to where I was in the beginning because of the drug abusers. I don't think that the responsible doctors should not be bunched in with those that are handing out pain meds indiscriminately for a profit. Thanks for letting me vent. : )

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Not sure my last post came through.Dr Gross can be found on You tube, just type his name in search .

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Mentor
Jim, Volunteer Mentor | @jimhd | Jan 20, 2018
In reply to @baxtersmom "Thank you for your comments on those of us who find narcotics helpful. I have been..." + (show)
@baxtersmom

Thank you for your comments on those of us who find narcotics helpful. I have been taking them for many years responsibly with the care a very forward-thinking well-trained pain management doctor. He is trying his best to deal with all the regulations and does a lot to help minimize the hassle for his patients who have shown him they are responsible and trustworthy with these medications. I never feel like I am being treated like a drug-addict. Without these medications my career (I am a professor at a major University) would have ended years ago because I would not have been able to keep teaching and being on my feet for all these years. I encourage people to find a good pain management doctor who shows them the respect and trust and care that they deserve. My pain management doctor also does many different things and recognizes that pain management medicine is not a one size fits all practice. He uses injections, nutrition, spinal cord stimulation, supplements, and many new and cutting edge techniques. He also refers to other doctors and practitioners who he thinks may be helpful. He is very available to me and his office is extremely responsive. His care kept me out of a surgery that I think I would have regretted many many years ago. This is what we all deserve and while I have terrible pain almost every day which increases as I get older, I know that I can continue the search that we all are on for what works for us with the help of a caring and knowledgeable doctor. It took me a long time to find him. When I began my search, he was probably still in medical school. I guess my message is don't give up on finding good pain management people. And speak up in defense of those of us who use narcotic medications responsibly. We need to advocate for ourselves.

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@jeannegordon4

Can't your doctor prescribe more medication for you? Maybe another doctor would understand that you need more than you're getting. Or that you might need to find another medication that works better for you.

Jim

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jeannegordon4 | @jeannegordon4 | Jan 21, 2018
In reply to @baxtersmom "Thank you for your comments on those of us who find narcotics helpful. I have been..." + (show)
@baxtersmom

Thank you for your comments on those of us who find narcotics helpful. I have been taking them for many years responsibly with the care a very forward-thinking well-trained pain management doctor. He is trying his best to deal with all the regulations and does a lot to help minimize the hassle for his patients who have shown him they are responsible and trustworthy with these medications. I never feel like I am being treated like a drug-addict. Without these medications my career (I am a professor at a major University) would have ended years ago because I would not have been able to keep teaching and being on my feet for all these years. I encourage people to find a good pain management doctor who shows them the respect and trust and care that they deserve. My pain management doctor also does many different things and recognizes that pain management medicine is not a one size fits all practice. He uses injections, nutrition, spinal cord stimulation, supplements, and many new and cutting edge techniques. He also refers to other doctors and practitioners who he thinks may be helpful. He is very available to me and his office is extremely responsive. His care kept me out of a surgery that I think I would have regretted many many years ago. This is what we all deserve and while I have terrible pain almost every day which increases as I get older, I know that I can continue the search that we all are on for what works for us with the help of a caring and knowledgeable doctor. It took me a long time to find him. When I began my search, he was probably still in medical school. I guess my message is don't give up on finding good pain management people. And speak up in defense of those of us who use narcotic medications responsibly. We need to advocate for ourselves.

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Dear Jim, It's a minefield to hazard a request for more Opioid medication---ask for too much and doctors think you're addicted. I'm told the FDA recommends (?) a certain monthly number of tablets as "approved" or "normal" prescription for chronic pain---and the doctor can exceed that number---still within limits without raising an alarm with the FDA or the hospital administration overseers. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE, OR A LOT OF HOOY. My doctor limits my prescription to 40 Tabs every two months, and yet I run out after 5 weeks usually---when the pain is persistent. There are periods (summer) when I've extended 40 Tabs over 3 months. This month I'm going to run out at 4 weeks. That's 1.33 Tabs daily---only relief for about 4 hours a day. I can hardly become addicted at this rate.

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Gail, Alumni Mentor | @baxtersmom | Jan 21, 2018
In reply to @baxtersmom "Thank you for your comments on those of us who find narcotics helpful. I have been..." + (show)
@baxtersmom

Thank you for your comments on those of us who find narcotics helpful. I have been taking them for many years responsibly with the care a very forward-thinking well-trained pain management doctor. He is trying his best to deal with all the regulations and does a lot to help minimize the hassle for his patients who have shown him they are responsible and trustworthy with these medications. I never feel like I am being treated like a drug-addict. Without these medications my career (I am a professor at a major University) would have ended years ago because I would not have been able to keep teaching and being on my feet for all these years. I encourage people to find a good pain management doctor who shows them the respect and trust and care that they deserve. My pain management doctor also does many different things and recognizes that pain management medicine is not a one size fits all practice. He uses injections, nutrition, spinal cord stimulation, supplements, and many new and cutting edge techniques. He also refers to other doctors and practitioners who he thinks may be helpful. He is very available to me and his office is extremely responsive. His care kept me out of a surgery that I think I would have regretted many many years ago. This is what we all deserve and while I have terrible pain almost every day which increases as I get older, I know that I can continue the search that we all are on for what works for us with the help of a caring and knowledgeable doctor. It took me a long time to find him. When I began my search, he was probably still in medical school. I guess my message is don't give up on finding good pain management people. And speak up in defense of those of us who use narcotic medications responsibly. We need to advocate for ourselves.

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I don't think the FDA or anyone is going to do anything if your doctor is seeing you regularly and prescribing a reasonable amount to you.
I went through rationing my pain meds for a while and finally I just could not stand it any longer. My pain doctor has a wonderful Physicians Asst. and one day I just told her I was in such incredible pain that I stayed in bed all day. Now I can get up to 180 tablets of Norco 10-325 in a month. I don't however use this much but it takes the stress off knowing they are there in case I have a bad period of time. Usually it is worse in the cold months and it has been pretty bad lately. My mom died in December and I traveled to Illinois for the burial and it was very cold and I needed them then--plus just the stress from everything. My pain doctor told me that even if I took all that he is prescribing, I am still at about half of what most of his chronic pain people get. So I think sometimes doctors use the current public concerns about opiates in order to just not take the risk of giving someone too much. I also think that my pain doctor has been treating me for a very long time. He makes me come at a minimum every two months and I have to do a drug test/urinalysis every time. When I first started seeing him it was probably 15 years ago and I was using 1-2 tablets a day. So if you think about it, I haven't really increased that much over such a long period of time. I do not however get complete relief from the medication. I have to plan my days to do the most activity earlier in the day and I like to plan a couple of hours in the afternoon just to rest with my feet up. I strongly suggest that you talk to your doctor about the amount of pain you are having and see if you need more or different medication. If this doctor does not trust and understand your pain then there are others out there who will. I am so sorry you have such pain and that it is probably intensified by not feeling that you can ask for what you really need. But you just have to in order to be able to function. If you trust that you are not becoming addicted and those around you are not concerned then don't worry about the reaction you might get by trying to get the treatment that you need. We have to be advocates for ourselves.

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LynneB | @lynneb2110 | Jan 21, 2018
In reply to @baxtersmom "Thank you for your comments on those of us who find narcotics helpful. I have been..." + (show)
@baxtersmom

Thank you for your comments on those of us who find narcotics helpful. I have been taking them for many years responsibly with the care a very forward-thinking well-trained pain management doctor. He is trying his best to deal with all the regulations and does a lot to help minimize the hassle for his patients who have shown him they are responsible and trustworthy with these medications. I never feel like I am being treated like a drug-addict. Without these medications my career (I am a professor at a major University) would have ended years ago because I would not have been able to keep teaching and being on my feet for all these years. I encourage people to find a good pain management doctor who shows them the respect and trust and care that they deserve. My pain management doctor also does many different things and recognizes that pain management medicine is not a one size fits all practice. He uses injections, nutrition, spinal cord stimulation, supplements, and many new and cutting edge techniques. He also refers to other doctors and practitioners who he thinks may be helpful. He is very available to me and his office is extremely responsive. His care kept me out of a surgery that I think I would have regretted many many years ago. This is what we all deserve and while I have terrible pain almost every day which increases as I get older, I know that I can continue the search that we all are on for what works for us with the help of a caring and knowledgeable doctor. It took me a long time to find him. When I began my search, he was probably still in medical school. I guess my message is don't give up on finding good pain management people. And speak up in defense of those of us who use narcotic medications responsibly. We need to advocate for ourselves.

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@gailg, what an intelligent and thoughtful way to put it.

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LynneB | @lynneb2110 | Jan 21, 2018
In reply to @lyssia "It's nice to know that other pain sufferers feel as I do. I do not want..." + (show)
@lyssia

It's nice to know that other pain sufferers feel as I do. I do not want the insurance companies or government telling my doctor or me (a responsible drug user) what I can or can not use to help my situation. I have a really good pain management doctor for several years now and between the pain medication (use only occasionally right now) injections (upper back trigger point and cervical facet joint steroid) acupuncture, tens, exercise, supplements, meditation practice for me he also has other things as appropriate for the person. I find that this subject of not wanting the doctors to prescribe pain medications to anyone, the insurance companies wanting other medications to be used (that may or may not work or have more side effects) and the government looking at punishing the doctors for prescribing or limiting what amounts can be given to be on my mind a lot. I am at a place at this time where the combination of everything that I use is working pretty good for me and I don't want to go back to where I was in the beginning because of the drug abusers. I don't think that the responsible doctors should not be bunched in with those that are handing out pain meds indiscriminately for a profit. Thanks for letting me vent. : )

Jump to this post

@jlfisher56 , I just learned of a study they’re recruiting for now for the use of the BCG vaccine (a variety of tuberculosis, vaccine is perhaps 100 yrs old) for fibromyalgia. There are other things involved, including that new blood test for fibro. Here’s the website with the application, with much information on the matter: https://fmtest.com

REPLY
Mentor
Jim, Volunteer Mentor | @jimhd | Jan 21, 2018
In reply to @baxtersmom "Thank you for your comments on those of us who find narcotics helpful. I have been..." + (show)
@baxtersmom

Thank you for your comments on those of us who find narcotics helpful. I have been taking them for many years responsibly with the care a very forward-thinking well-trained pain management doctor. He is trying his best to deal with all the regulations and does a lot to help minimize the hassle for his patients who have shown him they are responsible and trustworthy with these medications. I never feel like I am being treated like a drug-addict. Without these medications my career (I am a professor at a major University) would have ended years ago because I would not have been able to keep teaching and being on my feet for all these years. I encourage people to find a good pain management doctor who shows them the respect and trust and care that they deserve. My pain management doctor also does many different things and recognizes that pain management medicine is not a one size fits all practice. He uses injections, nutrition, spinal cord stimulation, supplements, and many new and cutting edge techniques. He also refers to other doctors and practitioners who he thinks may be helpful. He is very available to me and his office is extremely responsive. His care kept me out of a surgery that I think I would have regretted many many years ago. This is what we all deserve and while I have terrible pain almost every day which increases as I get older, I know that I can continue the search that we all are on for what works for us with the help of a caring and knowledgeable doctor. It took me a long time to find him. When I began my search, he was probably still in medical school. I guess my message is don't give up on finding good pain management people. And speak up in defense of those of us who use narcotic medications responsibly. We need to advocate for ourselves.

Jump to this post

@jeannegordon4

I concur with Gail that it's unlikely that the FDA has anything to do with your doctor's prescribing. My observation is that you need more than you're getting and if your doctor is even marginally caring about your pain and its interference with daily living, he shouldn't hesitate to prescribe enough so you don't spend half of your time in pain. Put the pressure on him. We have to speak up in order to be heard and treated appropriately.

Jim

REPLY
lioness | @lioness | Jan 21, 2018
In reply to @baxtersmom "Thank you for your comments on those of us who find narcotics helpful. I have been..." + (show)
@baxtersmom

Thank you for your comments on those of us who find narcotics helpful. I have been taking them for many years responsibly with the care a very forward-thinking well-trained pain management doctor. He is trying his best to deal with all the regulations and does a lot to help minimize the hassle for his patients who have shown him they are responsible and trustworthy with these medications. I never feel like I am being treated like a drug-addict. Without these medications my career (I am a professor at a major University) would have ended years ago because I would not have been able to keep teaching and being on my feet for all these years. I encourage people to find a good pain management doctor who shows them the respect and trust and care that they deserve. My pain management doctor also does many different things and recognizes that pain management medicine is not a one size fits all practice. He uses injections, nutrition, spinal cord stimulation, supplements, and many new and cutting edge techniques. He also refers to other doctors and practitioners who he thinks may be helpful. He is very available to me and his office is extremely responsive. His care kept me out of a surgery that I think I would have regretted many many years ago. This is what we all deserve and while I have terrible pain almost every day which increases as I get older, I know that I can continue the search that we all are on for what works for us with the help of a caring and knowledgeable doctor. It took me a long time to find him. When I began my search, he was probably still in medical school. I guess my message is don't give up on finding good pain management people. And speak up in defense of those of us who use narcotic medications responsibly. We need to advocate for ourselves.

Jump to this post

I agree.My rheumatologist knows the pain I have ,she prescribes 90 pills at a time.I once asked another Dr.years ago and he limited me ,so I fired him, lol, and started with Dr. I have now .I would say look for a rheumatologist that knows about chronic pain.Linda

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lioness | @lioness | Jan 21, 2018
In reply to @baxtersmom "Thank you for your comments on those of us who find narcotics helpful. I have been..." + (show)
@baxtersmom

Thank you for your comments on those of us who find narcotics helpful. I have been taking them for many years responsibly with the care a very forward-thinking well-trained pain management doctor. He is trying his best to deal with all the regulations and does a lot to help minimize the hassle for his patients who have shown him they are responsible and trustworthy with these medications. I never feel like I am being treated like a drug-addict. Without these medications my career (I am a professor at a major University) would have ended years ago because I would not have been able to keep teaching and being on my feet for all these years. I encourage people to find a good pain management doctor who shows them the respect and trust and care that they deserve. My pain management doctor also does many different things and recognizes that pain management medicine is not a one size fits all practice. He uses injections, nutrition, spinal cord stimulation, supplements, and many new and cutting edge techniques. He also refers to other doctors and practitioners who he thinks may be helpful. He is very available to me and his office is extremely responsive. His care kept me out of a surgery that I think I would have regretted many many years ago. This is what we all deserve and while I have terrible pain almost every day which increases as I get older, I know that I can continue the search that we all are on for what works for us with the help of a caring and knowledgeable doctor. It took me a long time to find him. When I began my search, he was probably still in medical school. I guess my message is don't give up on finding good pain management people. And speak up in defense of those of us who use narcotic medications responsibly. We need to advocate for ourselves.

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If like to add a follow up to the above post of mine.I hope this is the correct format.When I lived in another part of Calif.,I was concerned about the Percoden I was on ,my rheumatologist told me the amount I was on ,onkly 3a day would not make me addicted it took alot more then this a day.Previously I was on Vicoden ,same thing ,so I wouldn't be to concerned.In my opinion a rheumatologist knows more about fibromyalgia but other Dr.s are starting to be educated on this Good luck

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