1. < Chronic Pain

Chronic Pain members - Welcome, please introduce yourself

Posted by Kelsey Mohring @kelseydm, Apr 27, 2016

Welcome to the new Chronic Pain group.

I’m Kelsey and I’m the moderator of the group. I look forwarding to welcoming you and introducing you to other members. Feel free to browse the topics or start a new one.

Why not take a minute and introduce yourself.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Chronic Pain Support Group.

mikween | @mikween | Aug 9, 2017
In reply to @boourbonman "I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana...." + (show)
@boourbonman

I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana. Judi and I did it. We then went down to Edgewater FL. and got two 500 mg bottles. $70 each. So we were suppose to start with 5 drops (each drop is a mg.) three times a day and slowly work up to 10 drops 3 times a day. Do the math. 16 days for $70. We are both at 5 drops 3 times a day and no relief. I sure hope it starts to ease our pain. Will Keep you posted.
Hoot

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HI @artscaping, how dumb of me. You are so lucky that u live somewhere where it s legal. I guess you would not know of any good sites to go to to get some good hemp oil. I have read that a lot of those sites are not any good. Charletes Webb being one of them.
Or does anybody out there know of any good sites where they get Good HEMP OIL? Thanks for all of your information. By, the where do u live? I told my bofriend, if I ever get off of this useless pain meds. We are going to Denver to ride to pot bus.i saw that on tv and thought it was hilirous. God Bless at your age you sound like you have things pretty under control. Have a wonderful day!

REPLY
Hoot | @boourbonman | Aug 9, 2017
In reply to @boourbonman "I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana...." + (show)
@boourbonman

I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana. Judi and I did it. We then went down to Edgewater FL. and got two 500 mg bottles. $70 each. So we were suppose to start with 5 drops (each drop is a mg.) three times a day and slowly work up to 10 drops 3 times a day. Do the math. 16 days for $70. We are both at 5 drops 3 times a day and no relief. I sure hope it starts to ease our pain. Will Keep you posted.
Hoot

Jump to this post

I live in Florida.Yes, you have to get a dr who then sends a prescription to the state. It you go to https://mmuregistry.flhealth.gov you can find out exactly how it works. The Dr. that I use is at bernardcannabiscenter.com. I was just taking various pain meds. They did not help much. So far I am not getting that much help from weed but I am increasing the dose very slowly. Hope this helps.

REPLY
Mentor
Chris Trout, Volunteer Mentor | @artscaping | Aug 9, 2017
In reply to @boourbonman "I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana...." + (show)
@boourbonman

I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana. Judi and I did it. We then went down to Edgewater FL. and got two 500 mg bottles. $70 each. So we were suppose to start with 5 drops (each drop is a mg.) three times a day and slowly work up to 10 drops 3 times a day. Do the math. 16 days for $70. We are both at 5 drops 3 times a day and no relief. I sure hope it starts to ease our pain. Will Keep you posted.
Hoot

Jump to this post

To answer your question, I have a home on the Mississippi in Minnesota and one in the mountains in California. Both states have MM dispensaries. The MN ones are managed by Bachman and appear to be well done with good product and helpful pharmaceutical advisors. However they limit the product options to 3 types and do not sell edibles. My day starts with a butterscotch jelly stoner in my coffee. I try to stay ahead of the pain from the get go!

REPLY
Mentor
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Aug 9, 2017
In reply to @hazelblumberg "I developed earaches in September 2016. My primary care found no ear or sinus infection and..." + (show)
@hazelblumberg

I developed earaches in September 2016. My primary care found no ear or sinus infection and sent me to an ENT, who diagnosed TMJ pain. I went to my dentist for help. He gave me weekly anesthesia shots into trigger points (OUCH!) and exercises to do, including massaging the trigger points and opening my mouth as wide as I could numerous times in the shower while my face was warm and wet. (I have been wearing a night guard made by my dentist for over 20 years; he replaces them as they wear out.) The pain continued and only got worse; it was at the top of my head, in my ears, in my jaw, above my palate (as though I'd eaten hot food). My dentist sent me to an oral surgeon, who did 360-degree x-rays and found no joint damage. He told me I was therefore not a candidate for surgery (YAY!) and prescribed Flexeril, a muscle relaxer. The pain only got worse, and I continued to wake up in the night with horrific pain. Ibuprofen didn't even touch it.

My dentist then sent me to a physical therapist, who didn't listen to a word I said. I came in on a "good" pain day: my pain level was about a 5 out of 10 (10 being the worst). After his examination and showing me how to do various exercises, he triumphantly told me that my pain level was now reduced. I said "No. My pain level is now about 7.5." He said he didn't believe me. He attempted to push me to go to his outside clinic to get "magnet therapy," and he tried to push me to see a friend of his who is a naturopath. Two days after this session, I was still in excruciating pain and doubt I'd ever return to this physical therapist, although he had me schedule 4 more 1-hour sessions with him.

I called my dentist again, and he called in a prescription for Tylenol plus codeine, which I can take every 4 to 6 hours. My dentist seems to have no further solutions for me.

My primary care is currently out of town, but I will see her when she gets back (in August); she may be referring me to a pain management specialist, which my dentist recommended--however, my dentist refuses to give me a referral to such a specialist, even though the specialist will take referrals from dentists or doctors.

I have been treated for many years for clinical depression and panic/anxiety disorder by my psychiatrist, and the meds have helped me immensely. On Monday I see my psychiatrist for my usual 6-month med check, and I'm going to ask him for help with the terrible TMJ pain. I have also had fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome for a long time. The fibro pain has greatly lessened over time and hardly bothers me, but the CFS continues.

The TMJ pain makes it difficult to concentrate. I'm self-employed, and I enjoy my work. But pain gets in the way, as it does in every single situation: work or pastimes. My dentist mentioned massage therapy, but I'm in too much pain right now to try it. Another friend mentioned using a TENS unit. I feel as though I'm not living; to be in constant pain is hardly living, at least to me.

Any other suggestions? Would a TENS unit help? I'm more than willing to purchase one. I'll try just about anything to be pain free. Sometimes I am pain free. But I spend about 2 weeks out of every month in serious pain. I am feeling very discouraged.

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Hello Jim @jimhd

Please update us, if you can, regarding your test results.

Teresa

REPLY
Mentor
Jim, Volunteer Mentor | @jimhd | Aug 9, 2017
In reply to @boourbonman "I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana...." + (show)
@boourbonman

I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana. Judi and I did it. We then went down to Edgewater FL. and got two 500 mg bottles. $70 each. So we were suppose to start with 5 drops (each drop is a mg.) three times a day and slowly work up to 10 drops 3 times a day. Do the math. 16 days for $70. We are both at 5 drops 3 times a day and no relief. I sure hope it starts to ease our pain. Will Keep you posted.
Hoot

Jump to this post

Hazel, a lot of doctors won't have anything to do with MM, or the clinic they work with has a policy of not prescribing it. My pcp said if he knew I was taking it, he'd stop prescribing my ms contin and Clonazepam. No doctor in central Oregon will prescribe. If I were to want to start it, the local dispensary brings in a prescriber once a month. Everything about mm is outrageously expensive, even though it's legal here in Oregon.

Jim

REPLY
HazelBlumberg | @hazelblumberg | Aug 9, 2017
In reply to @boourbonman "I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana...." + (show)
@boourbonman

I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana. Judi and I did it. We then went down to Edgewater FL. and got two 500 mg bottles. $70 each. So we were suppose to start with 5 drops (each drop is a mg.) three times a day and slowly work up to 10 drops 3 times a day. Do the math. 16 days for $70. We are both at 5 drops 3 times a day and no relief. I sure hope it starts to ease our pain. Will Keep you posted.
Hoot

Jump to this post

MM is legal here in Florida, and there are, I think, three dispensaries in Tallahassee. My primary care just said that there were a lot of hoops to jump through. She's scouting out a pain-management specialist who can see me soon, and then she'll write me a referral to him or her. I'm guessing that the pain-management person would prescribe the MM, but I have no idea.

I get my prescription for clonazepam from my psychiatrist, for panic/anxiety disorder. I've been on clonazepam for at least 20 years! It's hilarious: I always have to hand over my driver license when I pick it up at the pharmacy, and then it costs me less than $2 for a month's supply; I take 0.5 mg two or three times a day. I doubt my psychiatrist would stop prescribing it if I went on MM.

The last person who wrote me a prescription for Tylenol + codeine was my (now former) dentist. I have quite a few of them, so with any luck, I won't need any refills for a while, anyway. Fingers crossed.

Continuing to have pain-free days. I think I'm up to ten! Zowie! I have had some brief breakthrough pain, but it's only gone up to, at most, a 5, and not to the agonizing 8-10 that I've normally had.

Hazel

REPLY
Mentor
Chris Trout, Volunteer Mentor | @artscaping | Aug 9, 2017
In reply to @boourbonman "I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana...." + (show)
@boourbonman

I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana. Judi and I did it. We then went down to Edgewater FL. and got two 500 mg bottles. $70 each. So we were suppose to start with 5 drops (each drop is a mg.) three times a day and slowly work up to 10 drops 3 times a day. Do the math. 16 days for $70. We are both at 5 drops 3 times a day and no relief. I sure hope it starts to ease our pain. Will Keep you posted.
Hoot

Jump to this post

Hi Jim,
Just an FYI...my pcp and my neurologist know about the MM use and are encouraging. I am more than encouraged because I can function most of the day with greatly reduced pain and absolutely no side effects, no addiction worries. I always maintain clarity of mind and have not had to deal with the depression that chronic pain can cause. MM can be pricey but doesn't have to be outrageous. I just cut back on eating out, put my TV/Internet service on senior programming and seasonal hold, let go of Sirius in the car. (Now I just sing badly!) I play the senior card with all of my household services. It is amazing how the price gets cut. Many companies have senior rates but don't announce them. You have to ask. And by the way....you can receive discounts from the MM dispensary depending on volume and loyalty. Only no-no is alcohol...doesn't mix at all well with MM unless you wait 4 hours from medicating to pour your first glass of wine. I have been on this regime for 3 years so if you have additional questions, I may be able to relay my own MM experiences with some sense of validity.

REPLY
Mentor
Jim, Volunteer Mentor | @jimhd | Aug 9, 2017
In reply to @boourbonman "I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana...." + (show)
@boourbonman

I promised you all I would let you know when I got approved for Medical Marijuana. Judi and I did it. We then went down to Edgewater FL. and got two 500 mg bottles. $70 each. So we were suppose to start with 5 drops (each drop is a mg.) three times a day and slowly work up to 10 drops 3 times a day. Do the math. 16 days for $70. We are both at 5 drops 3 times a day and no relief. I sure hope it starts to ease our pain. Will Keep you posted.
Hoot

Jump to this post

@hazelblumberg

My service dog took over the job after her predecessor died suddenly and unexpectedly of a stroke in 2/16. He was a wonderful dog, an Aussie/Border Collie mix, who was going to be put down the day we found him - he was the runt of the litter and no one wanted him. We had him for 9 years. After he died, I found Sadie in the local HS shelter. She had a lot to overcome, but she's certainly stolen my heart. She was around 2,and the online photo of McNabb looks like her identical twin.

My therapist told me to spend lots of time with her this week. That's not hard, since she follows me everywhere I go, inside and out. If I go out, so does she, and often she lies in the grass watching what I'm doing. If she goes away from me, she always comes back to check on me. Sometimes she sits down right in front of me, on top of the weeds I'm pulling.

Aside from the regular services she provides, her loyal presence provides great therapy.

We did have a cat, but she died a year ago. I found what was left of her out in the pasture, and I buried her where she lay. We really miss her rodent control services, though the dogs seem to do pretty well at that. It's fun to watch them stalking - just like a cat. We have mixed feelings about getting another cat because he/she would be left home alone any time we went on a trip. Our neighbors have a few cats, and I imagine they work our field as well as their own.

Jim

REPLY
Mentor
Jim, Volunteer Mentor | @jimhd | Aug 9, 2017
In reply to @hazelblumberg "I developed earaches in September 2016. My primary care found no ear or sinus infection and..." + (show)
@hazelblumberg

I developed earaches in September 2016. My primary care found no ear or sinus infection and sent me to an ENT, who diagnosed TMJ pain. I went to my dentist for help. He gave me weekly anesthesia shots into trigger points (OUCH!) and exercises to do, including massaging the trigger points and opening my mouth as wide as I could numerous times in the shower while my face was warm and wet. (I have been wearing a night guard made by my dentist for over 20 years; he replaces them as they wear out.) The pain continued and only got worse; it was at the top of my head, in my ears, in my jaw, above my palate (as though I'd eaten hot food). My dentist sent me to an oral surgeon, who did 360-degree x-rays and found no joint damage. He told me I was therefore not a candidate for surgery (YAY!) and prescribed Flexeril, a muscle relaxer. The pain only got worse, and I continued to wake up in the night with horrific pain. Ibuprofen didn't even touch it.

My dentist then sent me to a physical therapist, who didn't listen to a word I said. I came in on a "good" pain day: my pain level was about a 5 out of 10 (10 being the worst). After his examination and showing me how to do various exercises, he triumphantly told me that my pain level was now reduced. I said "No. My pain level is now about 7.5." He said he didn't believe me. He attempted to push me to go to his outside clinic to get "magnet therapy," and he tried to push me to see a friend of his who is a naturopath. Two days after this session, I was still in excruciating pain and doubt I'd ever return to this physical therapist, although he had me schedule 4 more 1-hour sessions with him.

I called my dentist again, and he called in a prescription for Tylenol plus codeine, which I can take every 4 to 6 hours. My dentist seems to have no further solutions for me.

My primary care is currently out of town, but I will see her when she gets back (in August); she may be referring me to a pain management specialist, which my dentist recommended--however, my dentist refuses to give me a referral to such a specialist, even though the specialist will take referrals from dentists or doctors.

I have been treated for many years for clinical depression and panic/anxiety disorder by my psychiatrist, and the meds have helped me immensely. On Monday I see my psychiatrist for my usual 6-month med check, and I'm going to ask him for help with the terrible TMJ pain. I have also had fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome for a long time. The fibro pain has greatly lessened over time and hardly bothers me, but the CFS continues.

The TMJ pain makes it difficult to concentrate. I'm self-employed, and I enjoy my work. But pain gets in the way, as it does in every single situation: work or pastimes. My dentist mentioned massage therapy, but I'm in too much pain right now to try it. Another friend mentioned using a TENS unit. I feel as though I'm not living; to be in constant pain is hardly living, at least to me.

Any other suggestions? Would a TENS unit help? I'm more than willing to purchase one. I'll try just about anything to be pain free. Sometimes I am pain free. But I spend about 2 weeks out of every month in serious pain. I am feeling very discouraged.

Jump to this post

@hopeful33250

Teresa, I will update. Waiting for the results is really hard.

Jim

REPLY
Mentor
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Aug 9, 2017
In reply to @hazelblumberg "I developed earaches in September 2016. My primary care found no ear or sinus infection and..." + (show)
@hazelblumberg

I developed earaches in September 2016. My primary care found no ear or sinus infection and sent me to an ENT, who diagnosed TMJ pain. I went to my dentist for help. He gave me weekly anesthesia shots into trigger points (OUCH!) and exercises to do, including massaging the trigger points and opening my mouth as wide as I could numerous times in the shower while my face was warm and wet. (I have been wearing a night guard made by my dentist for over 20 years; he replaces them as they wear out.) The pain continued and only got worse; it was at the top of my head, in my ears, in my jaw, above my palate (as though I'd eaten hot food). My dentist sent me to an oral surgeon, who did 360-degree x-rays and found no joint damage. He told me I was therefore not a candidate for surgery (YAY!) and prescribed Flexeril, a muscle relaxer. The pain only got worse, and I continued to wake up in the night with horrific pain. Ibuprofen didn't even touch it.

My dentist then sent me to a physical therapist, who didn't listen to a word I said. I came in on a "good" pain day: my pain level was about a 5 out of 10 (10 being the worst). After his examination and showing me how to do various exercises, he triumphantly told me that my pain level was now reduced. I said "No. My pain level is now about 7.5." He said he didn't believe me. He attempted to push me to go to his outside clinic to get "magnet therapy," and he tried to push me to see a friend of his who is a naturopath. Two days after this session, I was still in excruciating pain and doubt I'd ever return to this physical therapist, although he had me schedule 4 more 1-hour sessions with him.

I called my dentist again, and he called in a prescription for Tylenol plus codeine, which I can take every 4 to 6 hours. My dentist seems to have no further solutions for me.

My primary care is currently out of town, but I will see her when she gets back (in August); she may be referring me to a pain management specialist, which my dentist recommended--however, my dentist refuses to give me a referral to such a specialist, even though the specialist will take referrals from dentists or doctors.

I have been treated for many years for clinical depression and panic/anxiety disorder by my psychiatrist, and the meds have helped me immensely. On Monday I see my psychiatrist for my usual 6-month med check, and I'm going to ask him for help with the terrible TMJ pain. I have also had fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome for a long time. The fibro pain has greatly lessened over time and hardly bothers me, but the CFS continues.

The TMJ pain makes it difficult to concentrate. I'm self-employed, and I enjoy my work. But pain gets in the way, as it does in every single situation: work or pastimes. My dentist mentioned massage therapy, but I'm in too much pain right now to try it. Another friend mentioned using a TENS unit. I feel as though I'm not living; to be in constant pain is hardly living, at least to me.

Any other suggestions? Would a TENS unit help? I'm more than willing to purchase one. I'll try just about anything to be pain free. Sometimes I am pain free. But I spend about 2 weeks out of every month in serious pain. I am feeling very discouraged.

Jump to this post

Jim, @jimhd
I'm sure the wait it difficult! I'll be praying for you.

Teresa

REPLY
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