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Chronic pain in from osteoarthritis & stenosis

Posted by borwin98 @borwin98, Dec 25, 2025

I'm 96.5 years old and in constant extreme pain. I have chronic pain in my lower back with osteoarthritis, stenosis, and degenerative disc disease. The only thing my Doctor says is to take Tylenol, which has no effect. I've asked for something stronger, but he doesn't believe in pain pills. I have been trying to find another Doctor, but so far no luck. It would be nice to be pain-free for my few final days. Any suggestions?

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borwin98 | @borwin98 | Jan 17 7:42am
In reply to @loriesco "@borwin98 yeah, I know that feeling. Maybe get a service dog. And you can leave him..." + (show)
Profile picture for loriesco @loriesco

@borwin98 yeah, I know that feeling. Maybe get a service dog. And you can leave him to the authorities in your will. I had my best friend for 16 years. Now I have a "new" one who is 12. They adjust! (WE don't!) get a doggie! The pound/shelter has so many good ones!!! OR - just go for a visit and give them some love!

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@loriesco

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loriesco | @loriesco | Jan 17 8:57am
In reply to @borwin98 "@loriesco" + (show)

@borwin98 there was nothing in your post save my name!

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nycmusic | @nycmusic | Jan 17 10:27am
In reply to @borwin98 "@loriesco I would love to have a dog. I haven't had a dog for three years..." + (show)
Profile picture for borwin98 @borwin98

@loriesco I would love to have a dog. I haven't had a dog for three years now. I thought it was cruel to leave a dog behind.

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@borwin98 you don’t necessarily have to have your own dog if that won’t work out…you can help neighbors with their dogs/go on dog walks with them….or volunteer at a shelter…some people go to shelters only to comfort dogs there (not necessarily on a schedule)…

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Sarah Burris | @sarahburris | Jan 17 3:17pm
In reply to @borwin98 "@loriesco I would love to have a dog. I haven't had a dog for three years..." + (show)
Profile picture for borwin98 @borwin98

@loriesco I would love to have a dog. I haven't had a dog for three years now. I thought it was cruel to leave a dog behind.

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@borwin98

Adopt an older dog and put who will care for him/her in your will. There are so many dogs out there who need your love, even for a few years.

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nycmusic | @nycmusic | Jan 17 6:23pm
In reply to @jcoleary "@nycmusic The thing that helped the most was the pain pump I had implanted in me...." + (show)
Profile picture for jcoleary @jcoleary

@nycmusic The thing that helped the most was the pain pump I had implanted in me. It changed my life for about six months. Unfortunately, I have a congenital defect in my spine that causes degeneration in it faster than normal, so pain from further degeneration began to override the pump's effectiveness. Mine has a mixture of Dilaudid, Baclofen and Bupivacaine (kind of like a local anesthetic), though it did not have the Bupivacaine in it during the time of my best relief. It was added to help my pain when it got worse again. As I am sure you know, Dilaudid is a narcotic. However, the dose is low, and very little of the pump's medication gets into the bloodstream, though a little does, so there are some side effects but far less than taking them orally. My dose on the Dilaudid is 0.9mg/day, and the pump delivers medication constantly throughout the day. Also, there are other, nonnarcotic medications that can be used. I looked at Prialt (ziconotide), which is made from a snail toxin and, I believe, is more like a nerve agent such as Gabapentin. However, the potential side effects, such as psychosis, scared me since I cant take, Lyrica, Cymbalta and Gabapentin due to side effects.

When the pain pump began working less and because my Dilaudid dose was at the upper end of microdosing (max 1.0mg/day) I made my second attempt with implanting a spinal cord stimulator, but this time using paddle electrodes instead of the inline variety. That has helped some. Between it and the pump, and with walking and PT exercises, I am doing OK compared to a few years ago, but still am quite restricted in my activity and still get significant pain almost daily.

I am happy to answer any questions.

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@jcoleary thanks for the detail, very generous…I can see that you have tried many things to try and get out of pain…brave soul ! I hope this info can help others here…meanwhile hang in there and savor those precious moments with less or no pain !

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marthadean | @marthadean | Jan 18 10:58am

I am 85 and have suffered with osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis for some time. At first I could make the pain tolerable with motrin but with the onset of peripheral neuropathy I needed a change and have found Aleve works well. One has to watch salt intake and beware of stomach upset but it does control the pain quite well..

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borwin98 | @borwin98 | Jan 18 1:18pm
In reply to @marthadean "I am 85 and have suffered with osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis for some time. At first..." + (show)
Profile picture for marthadean @marthadean

I am 85 and have suffered with osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis for some time. At first I could make the pain tolerable with motrin but with the onset of peripheral neuropathy I needed a change and have found Aleve works well. One has to watch salt intake and beware of stomach upset but it does control the pain quite well..

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@marthadean, I have heard that Aleve works well. I'll give it a try. Thank you for your help. It's much appreciated.

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mrmacabre | @mrmacabre | Jan 18 1:39pm
In reply to @borwin98 "@marthadean, I have heard that Aleve works well. I'll give it a try. Thank you for..." + (show)
Profile picture for borwin98 @borwin98

@marthadean, I have heard that Aleve works well. I'll give it a try. Thank you for your help. It's much appreciated.

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@borwin98 Aleve is the only OTC pain med that helps with my arthritis pain.

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rochesterminnesota | @rochesterminnesota | Jan 18 4:56pm
In reply to @mrmacabre "@borwin98 Aleve is the only OTC pain med that helps with my arthritis pain." + (show)
Profile picture for mrmacabre @mrmacabre

@borwin98 Aleve is the only OTC pain med that helps with my arthritis pain.

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@mrmacabre Too much Aleve can damage kidneys!

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jaldog | @jaldog | Jan 19 4:32am

I’ve been on tramadol and and hydrocodone for 20 years. Same dose. My hips both require surgery and my pain is much worse, but my doctor refuses to increase my dose. What will help.

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