Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

I use a heating pad at bedtime and that helps. I can't take tramadol or gabapentin. I haven't found a muscle relaxer that works for me. Which one do you use. And I do stretching and pull my legs up to my chest; that helps, too. Guess I'm just so tired of not having the pain free body I once had.

@kathyec When I was a teenager I was given Fioricet for migraine pain. What I found was that I had rebound headaches worse than the original headache. Eventually in my 20's I was put on a beta blocker (blood pressure pill) My head felt like it was bleeding with these headaches. I would put my hand to my head expecting to find blood.I suffered so much and then I kept a calendar of my migraines. turns out they were mainly hormonal migraines. Years later I was put on Imitrex. That was a lifesaver! I had almost 40 years of dealing with migraines until I had a hysterectomy. I still get migraines but they are few and far between.
Here on Connect,there is usually someone in a similar situation as you. I have sent a message to the moderators to help direct you to the best group who also have a history of dealing with headaches/migraines. @justin McClanahan

@psearby17 I hear the frustration in your post about "not having the body I once had." I have fibromyalgia along with problems of my cervical spine. Pain is a daily factor. Fibro gives me terrible muscle spasms so I take Baclofen. It works quite well for me. Have you tried it for your muscle spasms? It may be something to talk to your doctor about. I also wanted to direct you to a post. What Distracts You from Your Pain. Many of our members are creative in getting some relief. Please check out this linkhttps://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-distracts-you-from-the-pain/?pg=11#comment-101099
Jen

I read here how others are getting help with chronic pain. I get nowhere and have learned mentioning pain is like using a dirty word. It is in my chart I have chronic pain. I have tried advocating for myself in an appropriate way-my blood work is normal so go back in 6 months and hear the same old song. Why even bother?? Yes, I am extremely discouraged. Clinics are taking over although they call themselves medical groups and charge big money. I know, quit my whining. I can still drive, am still ambulatory, can keep my bills paid, am not in debt...

Hi @parus, I'm sure others here with chronic pain can relate to your feelings...including myself. I have some pain but I don't consider it chronic. But it does remind me of my mother - a sweet, crippled up lady with severe RA and almost always in pain. She always had a smile on her face and I believe she was able to deal with a lot of her pain by music and positive thoughts like you said. One of the songs she used to sing to with an old 78 record she had was a Bing Crosby hit - Accentuate The Positive. She was a joy to be around.

Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters-Accentuate The Positive
-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8fRZu_s34U

John

@johnbishop Love that song and love it's message! Thanks for a great musical reminder. Teresa

I received an interesting email today from the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy on chronic pain. The article also has a link to submit your comments to the FDA by September 10, 2018. Seems to be a good opportunity to provide feedback to the FDA.

FDA and FPN survey patients on chronic pain and treatments
-- https://www.foundationforpn.org/2018/07/17/fda-and-fpn-survey-patients-on-chronic-pain/

John

What kind of Doctor do you go to to get a pain pump ?

A Neurosurgeon named Dr. Michael Park at M Health in Mpls. MN did mine.

This is probably old news to those in this group, but the group is new to me. SUMMARY: car accident 9/2000 ; Chiara malformation discovered a year later, decompression surgery; labral tear right shoulder repaired 2003; fusion at c5 to c7 for compression on spinal chord 2006. Physical therapy chiropractors massage therapy pain medications trigger point injections botox injections tens units facet injections radio frequency procedures etc etc etc etc. Most recently I have been given lidocaine patches, had the flexeral replaced with tizanadine, and been given naproxen 550 mg. I was on steroids for five days for inflammation and that helped, but that is not sustainable of course. Recent mri shows continued degeneration at c3-c4. C7 -t1 shows mild to moderate facet degeneration, and the degeneration has spread down. Right arm feels hot and heavy, ring finger and pinky number or tingly at times. The worst pain is at the scapular/ shoulder blade level - like a stake has been shoved in and left there. I feel like puking. Not sure how much longer I can put up with this, especially if worse is yet to come as things continue to "degenerate". I am on a depression med, and some people like to think the pain is mostly imagined. Thanks in advance for suggestions.