Chronic pain - Let's talk

ladyjane85 I am sorry you have so much pain, I think all of us here suffer a lot and it seems they (the rulers) are trying to make it more. I have lost count of the surgeries I have had and I have decided to not have any more if at all possible. I am 68 and have had chronic pain since I was 20 so I think it is time to stop prolonging things and let God make the decisions for me. I hope things go well for you and that if you have this surgery it will be the one to make things better for you. I have talked to my doctor about things and he suggested a hospice? I need to explore that more with him. God Be With You. 19lin

This is a wonderful discussion. So many pain sufferers need to know how pain affects people differently. Managing pain is more of an art form than science, but the two go hand in hand.

The four biggest areas of pain management I always look at for myself are:
1) Brain receptors
2) Targeted pain on areas of the body
3) Stress relief
4) Diet and exercise

I mean when it comes to the "science" of pain, we could simply take medications that disrupt pain receptors in the brain limiting neurons from firing, but in my experience (i.e. opiates, and the like) also have a negative affect on the quality of life, giving pain patients what is known as "brain fog", loss of memory, sleep disorder and so on.

On the flip side, attacking the areas of pain alone is sometimes not enough. So I'm constantly asking people, what's their "perfect" mix of the two. Being unbalanced with either one can label you as an opiate user, abuser of the system, but not taking the right combination can play a huge role in the quality of life that you have and your mental state as a hole.

Then there's the debate about over-the-counter vs. prescribed medications. Which ones do you chose when your pain meds don't work? Is it appropriate to go out and add Tylenol, Aspirin and Aleve to the mix? When is it acceptable behavior or not? What affect will it have on your system, especially your stomach and the increase of acids.

Now one of my favorites and often overlooked is more natural ways to conquer pain, specifically meditation. Since pain is all but managed through the brain, then in my opinion meditation is the method underutilized to "clean up" the junk in the mind that's coming in. Or another way to put it, when you meditate, it's like "cleaning up" your computers hard-drive so that the computer itself goes much faster afterwards.

Daily medication doesn't mean sitting in some spiritual room with candles and scented incense. No, for your it could mean having some quiet time with tea in the morning reflecting on your day, outlining your goals for the day (as the pain allows, or as others would call "the # of spoons), and allowing your mind to filter out the stuff that increases your stress in order to tackle the pain coming in.

Stress I find goes hand in hand with pain as well. Finding "me time" is so important to decrease pain on a daily basis. Less stress = more active, better sleep, and easier to manage pain. Do whatever you need to relax your mind and body on a daily basis (I understand hard to do while in pain, but daily rituals will help eventually).

Most people are shocked when they hear that i'm in chronic pain. I rarely show it to people around me. Sometimes it's hard not to show it, which can be exhausting depending on the level of pain you have and what's affected.

Over the last 20 years, I've survived multiple blood clots throughout my body. I've had massive open wounds for 10 years straight, my legs are constantly wrapped with bandages and compression bandages. Rarely does anyone see me with shorts so I don't have to explain to them what it is and what they're for. But over time, I've found that by hiding my pain only increases my stress and doesn't allow my brain to release it, talk about it, or be ok with asking for help.

I hope this peaks more discussions on "daily tips" or "rituals" that you do which helps to decrease pain. I think it's obvious here that we all have experience with meds and our own pain management, but I'm really interested to hear what else I can try from your own experiences!! 🙂

Martin R. Lemieux

To suebreen 54 - I have gone to to pain dr/anesthesiologists for over 20<br />
years. Epidural shots of many locations have not worked on me.<br />
<br />

Hello Sharonmay7,<br />
<br />
Thanks for your reply! I apologize for getting back to you so late -- its<br />
9:28 PM and my day (night) is just starting. I've been asleep almost all<br />
day since 6:30 AM when I tried to start today. Yes the pain is really bad<br />
today. I've had to resort to taking the prescribed narcotics to try to<br />
ease the pain, and one of their several side effects is that I sleep all<br />
the time.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Although I have a B.S. in telecommunications, I can't find a job because I<br />
always have to take a nap during the normal workday. Additionally, no<br />
company wants to take a chance on me because I am too much of a liability.<br />
If I fall on the job, they all think I will sue the company. Even though I<br />
have offered to sign a waiver stating I would never sue any company that<br />
interviewed me, I have still been rejected. Yes it’s really tough trying<br />
to live on a fixed income. Sometimes I get so mad at the politicians who<br />
always seem to find a "loop hole" so there is rarely a real COLA on my SSDI<br />
check, but really that doesn't help. I have finally realized that a bad<br />
attitude doesn't help the pain at all.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I have tried just about every "latest cure" for the arthritis, but nothing<br />
has truly worked. My last attempt was to buy Dr. Ho's pain therapy system<br />
-- but it barely helps. It’s a TENS unit that is pretty strong and has 7<br />
modes or treatment options. The real problem though is that for it to<br />
really work, I need to attach 16 TENS pads to my whole body, and then run<br />
it all day long. Additionally, it does nothing for the constant migraines<br />
I suffer from.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I too joined this site in hope that I might be able to find something that<br />
will help me. So it was really nice to hear from you. I have tried and<br />
tried to help my family (brother and sister-in-law and their grown<br />
children) to understand why I rarely make any of the family get togethers,<br />
but honestly, they have no clue. Although I wouldn't wish this on my worst<br />
enemy, it wasn't until my brother hurt his knee and couldn't walk without<br />
limping, that he finally caught an idea of what it’s like to have constant<br />
pain all the time. Fortunately, a shot of cortisone eliminated his knee<br />
pain so of course, he told me to make sure I should see his doctor so I<br />
could get cortisone shot in every area that causes the pain. I kept his<br />
request to myself because I would need at least 30 or more shots of<br />
cortisone if it were to help, and there is no guarantee that it would<br />
help. Oh well...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks so much for listening Sharonmay7! I really appreciate being able to<br />
talk or chat with someone about this hell I live in. I think the hardest<br />
point for me is that I watch my body falling apart while my mind is still<br />
active. Unfortunately another side effect of the narcotics is that I can't<br />
seem to remember much of anything. My short term and long term memory is<br />
fading, and if I don't write most everything down and make notes for<br />
myself, I forget what I am doing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I hope you don't mind, but I added your name to my prayer list, and truly,<br />
I pray that things will improve for you. If you don't mind, and please<br />
know I am not a 'stalker,' what state are you located in? Thanks, I live<br />
in Arizona -- actually I live in Tucson, Arizona. Thank you again for<br />
the good thoughts and your wish for better nights for me. I do hope to<br />
hear back from you as well.<br />
<br />
Best Wishes,<br />
<br />
Bob815c<br />

Hello Sharonmay7,<br />
<br />
Thanks for your reply! I apologize for getting back to you so late -- its<br />
9:28 PM and my day (night) is just starting. I've been asleep almost all<br />
day since 6:30 AM when I tried to start today. Yes the pain is really bad<br />
today. I've had to resort to taking the prescribed narcotics to try to<br />
ease the pain, and one of their several side effects is that I sleep all<br />
the time.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Although I have a B.S. in telecommunications, I can't find a job because I<br />
always have to take a nap during the normal workday. Additionally, no<br />
company wants to take a chance on me because I am too much of a liability.<br />
If I fall on the job, they all think I will sue the company. Even though I<br />
have offered to sign a waiver stating I would never sue any company that<br />
interviewed me, I have still been rejected. Yes it’s really tough trying<br />
to live on a fixed income. Sometimes I get so mad at the politicians who<br />
always seem to find a "loop hole" so there is rarely a real COLA on my SSDI<br />
check, but really that doesn't help. I have finally realized that a bad<br />
attitude doesn't help the pain at all.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I have tried just about every "latest cure" for the arthritis, but nothing<br />
has truly worked. My last attempt was to buy Dr. Ho's pain therapy system<br />
-- but it barely helps. It’s a TENS unit that is pretty strong and has 7<br />
modes or treatment options. The real problem though is that for it to<br />
really work, I need to attach 16 TENS pads to my whole body, and then run<br />
it all day long. Additionally, it does nothing for the constant migraines<br />
I suffer from.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I too joined this site in hope that I might be able to find something that<br />
will help me. So it was really nice to hear from you. I have tried and<br />
tried to help my family (brother and sister-in-law and their grown<br />
children) to understand why I rarely make any of the family get togethers,<br />
but honestly, they have no clue. Although I wouldn't wish this on my worst<br />
enemy, it wasn't until my brother hurt his knee and couldn't walk without<br />
limping, that he finally caught an idea of what it’s like to have constant<br />
pain all the time. Fortunately, a shot of cortisone eliminated his knee<br />
pain so of course, he told me to make sure I should see his doctor so I<br />
could get cortisone shot in every area that causes the pain. I kept his<br />
request to myself because I would need at least 30 or more shots of<br />
cortisone if it were to help, and there is no guarantee that it would<br />
help. Oh well...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks so much for listening Sharonmay7! I really appreciate being able to<br />
talk or chat with someone about this hell I live in. I think the hardest<br />
point for me is that I watch my body falling apart while my mind is still<br />
active. Unfortunately another side effect of the narcotics is that I can't<br />
seem to remember much of anything. My short term and long term memory is<br />
fading, and if I don't write most everything down and make notes for<br />
myself, I forget what I am doing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I hope you don't mind, but I added your name to my prayer list, and truly,<br />
I pray that things will improve for you. If you don't mind, and please<br />
know I am not a 'stalker,' what state are you located in? Thanks, I live<br />
in Arizona -- actually I live in Tucson, Arizona. Thank you again for<br />
the good thoughts and your wish for better nights for me. I do hope to<br />
hear back from you as well.<br />
<br />
Best Wishes,<br />
<br />
Bob815c<br />

Has anyone out there been diagnosed with Central Sensitization?

Has anyone out there been diagnosed with Central Sensitization?

Hi all! Though holiday weekends are something to look forward to, we know they can also be full of activities which can be hard on those with chronic pain. How was everyone's long weekend? Were you able to manage the pain and enjoy some fun and relaxation? Wishing you all the best!

@suebreen54, @briansr, @19lin, @leh09, @ladyjane85, @seanbeck, @mlemieux