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Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself
Chronic Pain | Last Active: Apr 26 9:22am | Replies (6794)Comment receiving replies
Hi, I'm a female 60 years old. I've lived with chronic pain since I was 27 years old. I was working with disabled children at the time and I was performing a "safety hold" on a child so he wouldn't injure himself or the other children until we could get him to the area where he could vent his anger in a safe place. Anyway he thrusted so hard he caused my back to twist and I ended up with 3 discs herniated in my lumbar area. Since then I've had 4 spine surgeries, hardware, spinal cord stimulator and a implanted intrathecal morphine pain pump. I've had racz catheter procedures done to get the steroid medication through spinal scar tissue. Epidural steroid injections ( more than what is medically recommended) I've had Radiofrequency ablation procedures on my SI joints to burn the nerves, physical therapy, aqua therapy, so......I now have Arachnoditis due to the dura space being penetrated by needles requiring blood patches because my spinal fluid was leaking out.
In 2013 I was diagnosed at the hospital after having a Adrenal crisis. I was rushed to the ER and told after 2 tests that i had Addison's disease. Due to having all those epidural, trigger point, and other steroid injections my adrenal glands had stopped producing the hormones that are needed to live. Now I have to take daily steroids, Hydrocortisone 15 mg in divided doses each day. Also I have to take a medication to keep my fluids in balance. My blood pressure can bottom out if i dont take it and eat lots of salty things. Usually i just take salt tablets.
I have had pretty good results with the intrathecal morphine pain pump. But like everything else it stops working after a few years. I've had mine 5 years. I'm weaning down my dose by 15% weekly. At this rate I'll be off the pump in about 9 weeks not having to incur any withdrawal symptoms.
In the mean time they are giving me Tramadol 50 mg 3 times a day and Baclofen 10 mg 4 times a day for the terrible spasticity that I have each day.
My Faith and classical music is what makes each day bearable. So enough about me...... 🙂
Replies to "Hi, I'm a female 60 years old. I've lived with chronic pain since I was 27..."
@memo Wow you are a true warrior for all yo u,ve been throw can,t imagine the pain you,ve been throw I've got back problems as alot on here do but your to be commended for this
@mdmo I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and welcome you to Mayo Connect. I am a Volunteer Mentor here to offer my knowledge,personal experience and support.
When I read that you had epidural injections in 12 weeks my jaw hit the floor! It's no wonder you have Addisons you poor thing! Bless your heart. I am 54 and have had 20 + years of chronic pain and various treatments for spinal stenosis, herniated disc, bulging disc, radiculothapy, bone spurs on each level of the C Spine. I have had the litany of injections, PT,Tens Unit, Massage, accupuncture, and RFA..you name it. I am not a surgical canidate. My current treatment is Tens Unit as needed and Percocet 10/325, Baclofen, Lyrica and Cymbalta. The Cymbalta and Lyrica are for fibromyalgia.
May I ask at what point in your treatment did you get the pain pump? It's something I am considering. I have been on Fentanyl patches and was successfully weaned off of them and all opioids within 30 days. My doctors were very impressed.They expected the transitiion to take 3 months. As you said Enough about me...
Welcome,
Jen
Congrats on getting off narcotics so quickly. My family Dr about two yrs ago put me on morphine. It took me down a road I will never go again. 24 hrs a day pain and sweats. I did not have any help from Dr as I did not ask for it. I ended up loosing my gall blatter with in days and I was filled with poison. It turned into a major otdeal. They cleaned me out. Three times I was taken to hospital by ambulance while coming off. I was told to be a good girl and take my flu home. The third time a surgeon was on duty and saved my life. My blood pressure was up to 200 at one time, when Dr gave me no comfort and sent me home. Nightmare
@sandytoes As I'm reading this I have my Tens unit on.I read up on Baclofen
in I'm going to talk to Dr about this .My newest thing I have is a bulging disc.
Hi Jen and thanks for the welcome!
I had my Spinal Cord Stimulator put in May of 2006. (I'm working my way to the pump.. :-))
My stim worked real good until I started to degenerate further down. I'd say about 3 years of fairly good pain control but once the degeneration progressed further south it didnt work. It worked about 20% of the time I had it on. So the doctors put me on more oral pain meds. (Yuck) and I was in a wheelchair for a good while. Standing was unbearable. The lumbar ridiculopathy was nightmarish. Electric current flowing down both legs in the back. I had a bandaid surgery that for lack of medical terminology, carved away some of the vertebrae to allow room for the nerve so it wouldn't be rubbing against bone. It worked. I got out of the chair. I was so blessed, I felt normal for a few years. Then in 2013 my doctor decided to put the pump in. He said it would only require 1/300th of a oral dose of morphine targeted right where my pain was. No more nausea, no more constipation, no more feeling the medication. It was going to be much better for me. I had a difficult time with the implant surgery. It normally takes 2 or so hours, mine took 5. The doctor said he got it all hooked up and it wouldn't pump the saline. (Used before the morphine is added) So, he had to back up and find the kink in the catheter. He did and like I said it worked as expected.
It was nice not to have to carry pain meds with me or not to have to keep track of when is it time for my next dose. I felt more free. More pain free than ever.
I've had it 5 years. My doctor here thought my dose was severely high first time we met. I dont remember my exact dose it's something like 4.075 mg per day. Theres not a doctor alive that wont tell you that after a while you build up a tolerance to morphine. It required a little more, and a little more to get the same relief. I hope the trial works for you. Just ask lots of questions. I'm not sure if you read all of what I wrote but not many doctors, very few to be quite frank will fill another doctors pump. Remember this if you're planning to move or travel for a extended period.
Wishing you the best,
~M~
@oregongirl I'm sorry you had such a bad ordeal coming off morphine.Thank goodness for the doctor who saved your life.
Jen what do you do about your bulging disc I,be Ben in pain all day did you find some relief from it?Linda
@lioness At this point, it's just another pain to deal with, you know what I mean? I use heat and ice. I swear that the weather can make it worse just like arthritis.What are you doing for relief? Jen
**edited to add I've done epidural injections for the bulging disk. That gave the most and longest relief.
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@mdmo, I don't know what to say except I'm so sorry for all you're going through, and have been through. I will be worrying about you, and praying for you. Please stay a member of this group and please know you are not alone in your frustration and your pain. @cognac