Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

This is my first post. I’ve had rectal pain non stop for seven years. It started after having a BCIR surgery. That is an internal bag for waste made out of small intestine so it can be emptied using a catheter. My rectum was removed forty years ago due to ulcerative colitis. I had illiosmy for two years then a Koch Pouch which is similar to the BCIR. It lasted for many years until 2000 with the valve failed and started leaking. The rectal pain is unrelenting and feels like a hot jagged post twisting and poking into my backside. I’ve tried everything from a hysterectomy to a spinal laminectomy to every kind of injections you can think of. I’ve recently received a DRG Stimulator that goes under the tailbone. It is the first thing to give any marked relief but the pain is still such that my life is very restricted. Has anyone ever heard of a intrathecal pump for pain in this area?

Welcome Allan,
You may also be interested in joining the conversation about neuropathy happening here https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/anyone-here-dealing-with-peripheral-neuropathy/ Members sharing on this discussion thread may have clinical trial suggestions and tips about the AMA guide.

Frank1, Warren, wear your goggles with your head held high and with a smile. Being diffren isnt something to be ashamed of, some people are just afraid of things they dont understand, thats why you hear the comments. Thats why its good not to judge anyone because we dont know what they are going through, are what sicknesses people are suffering from. A smile and a kind word goes a long way. Have a very blesses day!! salena54

Oh my! So glad u still have foot! Funny, but I had two blood clots in arm. One in each artery. Like you, I almost lost the arm. Had I waited any longer I would have. So, seems we have that in common. Is your foot your source of chronic pain? If so, how do you treat your pain? Glad you've joined in discussion. Or, maybe you've been on this forum for a while..*she shrugs*. I am new and just beginning to recognize names. Thanks for the kind wish. Same to you!

Well it started 2 years ago when I broke my ankle. My orthopedic surgeon kept saying it was healing great according to the xrays, but it was still very swollen and had a purple and blue tone, and it hurt like hell if any one touched it. He happened to know another orthopedic surgeon who studied complex regional pain syndrome at Jefferson Hospital. But now worked with the Rothman clinic. My doctor actually drove me 2 the other office to show the other doctor my foot. He immediately was like it looks like you have C.R.P.S. . Symptoms are severe pain in an appendage after you've broken or sprained something. It also turns bluish and purple. The pain is unreal. They call the skin " mermaid " skin.

Sorry I didn't finish last night I go to therapy once a week for someone who doesn't live with all my crap every day. The crps also jumped into my arm it was horrible. I was in so much pain. So to be diagnosed although I already was, for spinal implant surgery you have to see a neurologist, rheumatologist, 2 psychiatrists and a pain management specialist. So you can get the stimulator that's crazy ...lol. it works a on both arms and hands. There is a generator in my but that send electromagnetic signals to my spine. Its saved my hand. But it's not curable and it jumps from different parts of your body. It might, it might not. Stress and weather play a huge part in how I feel each day!! Keep your spirtsup!

@artscaping, Hello, I'm very interested in your post. I hope to hear more of your experience. Thank you!

@tjp4 and @snowflake and others,
I have not been on the Chronic Pain site in a while. I am a mentor in the Women's Health group but often visit this group because I suffer from chronic pain from scoliosis and spinal stenosis. My symptoms have been progressive burning pain in my legs and aching in my lower legs and ankles. I have avoided any surgery for this and took opioids and gabapentin with few if any side effects. Since late last year I began trying a new drug called belbuca mainly because my pain doctor is trying to minimize the opioids he prescribes. I was a skeptic since I have suffered with chronic pain down my legs and into my ankles for over 10 years and I have tried pretty much everything nonsurgical. Belbuca is both an opioid agonist and opioid antagonist as I understand it. So it does have some opioid in it but it is not as high on the drug schedule as regular hydrocodone which is what I have been taking. The belbuca comes as a tiny stick-on patch that you put inside your mouth on your cheek until it dissolves. It usually takes not more than 30 minutes. It is a 12 hour medication which if it works correctly should eliminate all the pill taking or reapplication. I began at a low dose and did not think it did much. Then I went up on dosage and within a week I had reduced my opioid pills from 6 per day to 4 per day. I no longer have the nerve/burning pain in my legs much at all but still have some of the other skeletal/muscular pain in one of my lower legs and ankles. So I increased the dosage again starting today and am going to see how I do. I have very good insurance but even if you do not, there are some coupons for belbuca that I got from my doctor (there may be some online as well).

I am just wondering if anyone else has tried belbuca and what your experience was. I also wanted to share mine just in case someone might be interested in checking it out by discussing it with your doctor. My pain is quite severe and has been for many years so finding something that helped even a little was really quite encouraging. Just wanted to share it with the group.