Author Topic: Dealing With Chronic Pain? (Read 912 times)

Spirithawk · « **on:** November 16, 2012, 10:09:46 AM »

I know I'm far from the only old geezer on here who has to deal with chronic pain. My question is how do you all deal with it. I'm suppose to take morphine twice a day and vicodin every 4 hours. It helps but I realy hate how it makes me feel. Like I've a hangover. Basicly I take the pain meds when gritting my teeth no longer works. Unfortunately chronic pain is not going away any time soon if ever at all. Soooooo, my question is how do you all deal with it? I try to find things to do to take my mind off it but that doesn't always work. Heating pads, ice packs and hot baths help but seem very temporary at best.

Conan The Librarian · « **Reply #1 on:** November 16, 2012, 10:38:11 AM »

I haven't had chronic pain but have had pain due to injuries. For me, good old aspirin works like a miracle. I was offered pain meds but didn't want to use them. I have also tried things like tylenol and ibuprofen and they don't do anything for me. Good luck!

I think some people have stomach problems if they take a lot of aspirin and in extreme cases it can lead to ulcers, so check into that angle.

I have known several people with bad arthritis and they all preferred aspirin, but one lady had stomach problems if she took too much. These people with arthritis were taking a lot of aspirin, like every few hours, every day.

I think I saw an ad for a kind of aspirin that is coated so it causes fewer stomach problems, but I don't know anyone that has used it.

Poopers · « **Reply #2 on:** November 16, 2012, 11:24:15 AM »

Try eliminating inflammatory foods from your diet ( Google for a list ) Dairy and grains being a big culprit. And believe me, it PAINS me to say dairy because I was born and raised in Wisconsin hehe

Not only can it help with or eliminate chronic pains, it also helps with allergies.

Researching the Paleo diet or Caveman diet will get you some results, both basically involve eating only whole foods that were available to man before farming was invented.

BUGEYE · « **Reply #3 on:** November 16, 2012, 01:25:22 PM »

I know how you feel. I started using tramadol instead of narcotics. after a year or so it was less effective, so I went to a neurologist, and he's treating me for tremors and the medicine he gave me also helps make the tramadol more effective. he gave me gabapentin.
so far I'm doing well on the combination.

don't give up, there's ways other than narcotics to help your pain.

powderman · « **Reply #4 on:** November 16, 2012, 01:54:27 PM »

SH. The vicodin helped me after open heart but it did NOT stop the pain, it did make it bearable, and the meds do NOT last 4 hours either. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain but that was the worst I ever had I believe because it came from so many places, ribs, chest, shoulders. Every once in a while if I pick up something hvy or just turn the wrong way my ribs will still after 9 years almost put me to the ground.
The pain is basicly a temporary problem that WILL get better in time. I prayed a lot as well as my friends and Church praying for me. Prayers is a wonderful thing. My prayers for you are daily and I will increase them as long as needed. I took part of the time of being incapicated to do some more Bible reading, that too gave me comfort. You are in my daily prayers my friend and will continue to be. May God give you comfort and peace. Charlie.

thumper113 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 16, 2012, 02:22:42 PM »

If it is something you can apply a topical for, get some capsaicin cream/roll on. It deadens the nerve ending and really helps.

BUT follow these rules or you will regret it.

Only put on a little right where it hurts. 10 minutes later put a dab on the next spot that hurts. For my hands, I simply dab between the knuckles.

Do not smear it on like Bengay. It will burn you if you put it where there is no pain. (The active ingredient is from hot peppers.)

Do not cover it with a bandage (or anything more than normal clothing).

Do not immerse it in water.

Do not put it on anywhere you will sweat. (I had to have my entire back coated one year and then ended up driving in a hot car. My back blistered from the sweat and being trapped by the seat back.)

If it starts burning, use milk. DO NOT get in a bath.

I have had severe arthritis for over 20 years and this is my miracle drug that lets me function.

If you remember to go slow on putting it on, you will be amazed. I could not deer hunt without it.

Ranger99 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 16, 2012, 03:20:11 PM »

please send unwanted vicodin to me.
i have old bone breaks that hurt in
the dreary weather and nothing helps
like vicodin and jd .
or just moving around gets the blood
stirring around and helps some, and
is easier to get than vicodin.
also try a soak in epsom salts with
the water as hot as you can stand.
the capsaicin stuff is good if you can
stand it. (don't get it on the soft spots

)

ChungDoQuan · « **Reply #7 on:** November 16, 2012, 08:50:12 PM »

Acupuncture. By a REAL, licensed LAc or DOM. Look for one who is NCCAOM certified, and has a MSOM (Master of Science in Oriental Medicine.) Some states allow Chiropractors or MDs to do "acupuncture." Generally, they are hit-or-miss with their treatments. An MD or Chiropractor only has to complete a weekend course to be allowed to do acupuncture--- a real one has as many hours in school and internship as an MD has medical school, internship, and residency. Best thing is: no drugs at all!

yellowtail3 · « **Reply #8 on:** November 17, 2012, 02:01:08 AM »

a little marijuana in modest amounts will help. I'd recommend edibles, unless you're just a real fan of smoking.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #9 on:** November 17, 2012, 02:29:37 AM »

I'm sorry I can't recommend anything diganali.

It's a terrible, helpless feeling to see a friend or loved one in pain and not be able to do anything about it...

All I can do is pray for your strength to get you through this and that the journey be a short one.

DalesCarpentry · « **Reply #10 on:** November 17, 2012, 02:37:03 AM »

I feel your pain and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I have severe chronic back pain that I have been dealing with for years. I am in stage 2 of a condition that only goes to stage 3 before I am in a wheelchair. My doctor prescribes me 10MG Vicodin and Tramadol for the the pain. The best way to describe my pain to people that do not have a back problem is like a severe toothache that does not ever go away. There are some days I hurt worse than others like when it is wet and cold outside. That is one of the reasons I moved to Florida last year to get away from the cold that seems to make my condition worse. That did not work out and I am back in Pa now. I sometimes run out of my meds because it it has been a very rainy and cold month and I end up taking more meds than prescribed just to keep from crying. That's no lie. I sometimes hurt so bad all I can do is lay in bed or rock back and forth and cry.

All my pain meds do is make life bearable. They only dull the pain and never totally remove the pain. I am in the process now of trying to find a new doctor that prescribe me something different because my doctor will not give me anything other that the Vicodin and Tramadol. These meds did do their job much better when I first started taking them years ago but I have become immune to their ability to dull my pain efficiently. I don't have an easy desk job either I am a carpenter and it is a physically demanding job. Without the meds I just plain and simple can't work. You asked how to deal with chronic Pain. To be honest I don't think there is an answer to your question. You just do. There have been times that I have hurt so bad that being dead would be preferable but all in all I love life and when I feel really down I think of my daughter and that some how helps me get through. I quit drinking a couple years ago and that at one point was my self prescribed pain management. I am sure many of you that have been here for years remember my drunken posts I used to make. I am rambling on here and I just wanted to let you know you are not alone. You will just have to find your own way to deal with the pain as I have. Good luck and I wish you a pain free day. Dale
PS Here is a picture of my daughter she is almost 17 years old now and thinking of her gets me through a lot.

yellowtail3 · « **Reply #11 on:** November 17, 2012, 03:53:58 AM »

Beautiful girl. I'm in favor of daughters, having two. Hang in there, Dale.

DalesCarpentry · « **Reply #12 on:** November 17, 2012, 04:04:29 AM »

Quote from: yellowtail3 on November 17, 2012, 03:53:58 AM

Beautiful girl. I'm in favor of daughters, having two. Hang in there, Dale.

Thanks Dale

bobg · « **Reply #13 on:** November 17, 2012, 05:05:34 AM »

I haven't found anything that really works for my arthritis. My doctor said most of the meds. are worse for you than the arthritis. He did give me a script for codeine. It has to get to the point where i can hardly walk before i take it though. Don't like the side effects. What is the most difficult part to get use to is i can't hunt any more.

Sourdough · « **Reply #14 on:** November 17, 2012, 10:28:15 AM »

I go and soak in a Hot Tub every morning at the Gym. Sometimes I stop and soak again in the afternoon before going home. It really helps, warms me to the core. Stops the arthritis pain for a while. When the arthritis and four herniated disk gets to the point I have to take something, one Vicodine at night, and I'm floating for two days.

KIMBER45 · « **Reply #15 on:** November 17, 2012, 04:35:30 PM »

Quote from: ChungDoQuan on November 16, 2012, 08:50:12 PM

Acupuncture. By a REAL, licensed LAc or DOM. Look for one who is NCCAOM certified, and has a MSOM (Master of Science in Oriental Medicine.) Some states allow Chiropractors or MDs to do "acupuncture." Generally, they are hit-or-miss with their treatments. An MD or Chiropractor only has to complete a weekend course to be allowed to do acupuncture--- a real one has as many hours in school and internship as an MD has medical school, internship, and residency. Best thing is: no drugs at all!

I totally agree. +1

joeinwv · « **Reply #16 on:** November 17, 2012, 04:45:27 PM »

Tramadol is a better option and less addictive than opiod meds. Gabapentin works for some - Lyrica is a metabolite of gabapentin and works better for some.

You can also try SNRI meds, like Effexor, Savella, Cymbalta - these are pain regulating meds that are not narcotic. They can affect liver function. Ask you Dr.

Another option may be Celebrex or similar drugs. Again, some negative liver potential, but doesn't get you 'high'.

Best advice is to get to a pain specialist. They will work to manage your condition without pushing into opiod addiction.

twoshooter · « **Reply #17 on:** November 18, 2012, 01:43:48 PM »

One of the sad things is that many MD's are now frightened to prescribe pain meds for many with legitimate need. I took Bextra until they took it off the market, then Celebrex which was off again /on again on the market. The capsaicin and Tylenol Arthritis, and some Celebrex is how I function. Vicodin makes me see things best confined to cheap horror movies so I will pass. There should be no reason that so many hurt as much as they do. When my father had terminal cancer the Dr told him "Tom, this medication may be addictive", to which Dad replied "if it is, it won't be for long".

Spirithawk · « **Reply #18 on:** November 19, 2012, 03:25:09 PM »

I apreciate all the advice. I have multiple reasons for the pain so it can get pretty trying. Right now it looks like I've other fish to fry. Got a call from my VA doc. He did blood tests last week and it seems my Hemaglobin is realy low. Dropped from 14 to 10.9 which aparently is a pretty drastic drop. He said I could be bleeding somehow but I've seen no signs of bleeding. Could also be a med so was told to drop it and another one too. Also could just be results of the recent surgery. Anyhow, I'm to closely moniter my pulse and blood pressure, drink lots of fluids, drop the meds and head to the ER if I get dizzy or short of breath again. Seems like just when I take care of one problem something else pops up.

Ranger99 · « **Reply #19 on:** November 19, 2012, 05:25:37 PM »

hope things work out for you

facetious · « **Reply #20 on:** November 19, 2012, 11:36:55 PM »

Quote from: yellowtail3 on November 17, 2012, 02:01:08 AM

a little marijuana in modest amounts will help. I'd recommend edibles, unless you're just a real fan of smoking.

But then you have to check the box that asks if you have ever used marijuana the next time you buy a gun and thy will judge you to be immoral and say no. But hay you can use all the prescription narcotics you want and be OK. Thy don't ask about that

Anna · « **Reply #21 on:** November 20, 2012, 01:23:38 AM »

The one that can be so debilitating is simple Sciatica. It can come on in someone's younger years and literally bring them to thier knees like an electric shock. There are doctors and clinics that claim they
can repair it with surgery, but I have yet to see where that has worked for the long haul.
It either comes back with a vengeance or the surgery only makes things worse. Any back surgery is a tricky procedure at best, so just be careful of anyone who tells you they can fix you with a one shot pony like that.

Morphine huh ? You poor man, I watched my father go through a bout with that stuff and he just flushed it all saying the remedy was worse than the condition. Acupuncture is a good way of controlling
chronic pain, it is an on going process with some permanent results. Sciatic pain is a lot of times misdiagnosed as something else, unless your pain is localized as in a previous injury. One sure tale sign is if your pinky finger or fingers start to go numb. It can even show up in your big toes and is often wrote off as one of the stages of diabetes. It can also cause reduced blood flow to an extremity.
Resulting in some form of atrophy that in of itself can become very painful.

As far as pain itself I will have to go along with CDQ on this one. Asians have for century's sought many remedies for pain, includeing certain localized excercises that we in the west are just now starting to recognize. Acupuncture is but one of these used as an alternative type of medicine when all else has failed. Drugs only hide the symptoms where some of these procedures go right to the source.
You might try it, mainstream medicine didn't recognize chiropractors as being anything but quacks
for a very long time before starting to recognize the benifits of that in sports medicine.

I mean it was Native Amercans that gave us aspirin. Sometimes we in the west are slow to catch on.
Out of arrogance or an unwillingness to admit that some of the older ways were better than what our
science sees as the only way. Exorcisms or witch burning used to be considered the remedy for what was later called mental illness. Usually causeing more damage than good for sure.

ChungDoQuan · « **Reply #22 on:** November 20, 2012, 02:07:57 AM »

Chinese medicine looks at pain in a completely different way than western medicine. Their treatments with acupuncture, herbs, massage, and exercise work very well, especially on nerve types of pain like sciatica. Their methods also work, in general, on the things western medicine has problems with. I have two sisters in law that get acupuncture for fibromyalgia, another one who takes Chinese herbs for hormone imbalance, and I know two people who get acupuncture for migraines and hyperthyroid problems. They don't just treat pain, but they are good at treating it.

tobster · « **Reply #23 on:** November 20, 2012, 03:35:33 AM »

Hang in there Spitithawk. If it helps any you are not alone. Without going into detail, 2 failed back surgeries and 3 fused discs make everyday a challenge. Heavy duty pain meds are a must for me and I have tried EVERYTHING. The worst side effects for me are nightmares every night and poor judgement. Nothing makes you feel dumber than going to the mailbox to discover you have mailed a payment to yourself instead of the provider! Hot baths help as does hot weather. A day hot enough to make the horses sweat when they are standing in the shade is my kind of weather. A big hurdle is coming to the realization that doing what you used to do , or want to do , isn't going to happen. My family is very supportive as is that little black dog that is always there in the middle of the night.

RevJim · « **Reply #24 on:** November 20, 2012, 03:42:18 AM »

Hey SH, you just had a humongous surgery, and you just need some time to heal. I suggest you don't wait "until you are gritting your teeth" as then it takes a higher dose to get ahead of it. Take your meds ( nasty as morphine is, a month or so more is tolerable on it) and your Vicadin, stay "ahead" of that awful pain. Your body had a tremendous trauma, it doesn't need the added stress of trying to tolerate pain too. Just for a while longer, veg out, watch TV, sleep. and heal. Later, you can sort this all out. I've been where you are (not heart, but neck/wrist/arm/hand/and now, new knees,ha) and yes, it is miserable w/o the meds and a fog with them. The fog is better right now. Everyone had good suggestions, but you ain't 'there yet", patience young man!

45-70.gov · « **Reply #25 on:** November 20, 2012, 03:52:21 AM »

the doctor looked at my x-ray said he can't beleive i can walk
some days walking is more painfull than others
some days i even run

when i told him i take 2 asprin a day he looked at the x-ray said ''wow''
he said as long as i did what i wanted with so little meds that no need for a hip now

but a new hip is in my near future
just asprin and hard headedness

after heart surgery a few months ago
i took all the drugs i could get while in intensive care
once home i ONLY took drugs at night to sleep....AT NIGHT
sleep is very important to recovery

DRUGS SEEM TO IMPARE MY ABILITY TO BLOCK OUT THE PAIN

Spirithawk · « **Reply #26 on:** November 20, 2012, 09:56:31 AM »

Besides pain from the two heart surgeries, which those who've been there know how intense that can be, I've severe Fibro Myagia, Rheumatoid and Osteo Arthritis, Spinal Stenosis with the nerve channels calcified and pinching nerves the length of my spine, Sciatica, Periphial Neuropothy, and calcified & fused vertabrae in my neck that pinches nerves to the point it has reduced use of my left arm. My problem is that many pain pills I'm allergic too. The rest are devided between those that should but do absolutely nothing and those that work but are seriously potent like Morphine, Dilaudid, and Toradol with Vicadin at the low end of effective. Vicadin along with something else is necesary for it to work. So so far it's take something strong or grit my teeth. I know doctors have told me to regularly take the pain meds whether I feel the need or not in order to keep the pain from getting intense. That's all well and good except for one little thing. The more you take......the more you need. I prefer to not go that route!

Anna · « **Reply #27 on:** November 20, 2012, 02:22:59 PM »

Quote from: ChungDoQuan on November 20, 2012, 02:07:57 AM

Chinese medicine looks at pain in a completely different way than western medicine. Their treatments with acupuncture, herbs, massage, and exercise work very well, especially on nerve types of pain like sciatica. Their methods also work, in general, on the things western medicine has problems with. I have two sisters in law that get acupuncture for fibromyalgia, another one who takes Chinese herbs for hormone imbalance, and I know two people who get acupuncture for migraines and hyperthyroid problems. They don't just treat pain, but they are good at treating it.

I am on your side on this one CDQ. In my younger days I would have never believed it.But now I
have seen these Asian remedies work short of miracles on people where every other medical procedure
had failed at. I've seen a paraplegic walk again, a man in an iron lung breath on his own again.
I may be on the psychological end of it,but I've had patients that were so destressed by pain that they were close to death and anything we could do was worthless. But what your talking about brought them back to a point we could save them.

FPH · « **Reply #28 on:** November 20, 2012, 02:50:03 PM »

I'm afraid we have bastardized acupuncture and have begun using it for ailments that it was never intended for. I do believe in the placebo effect and mind over matter. I was one of those folks that the Doctors said would be confined to a nursing home for the rest of my life. That was if I made past the first 72 hours. I have seen a cold eraser tip cause a blister on a man's wrist, just by the power of suggestion during hypnosis. The mind can be a powerful tool.

ChungDoQuan · « **Reply #29 on:** November 20, 2012, 04:43:09 PM »

Chinese medicine is thousands of years old. Some of it does not make sense if you try to explain it in terms of western medical science. They discovered antibiotic herbs long before there was penicillin. There are Chinese herb formulas that kill MRSA and C-Diff germs. Chinese medicine is a complete medical system, so there is very little that it can not treat. The diagnosis and actions of the herbs and needles frankly do not make sense if you try to interpret them using our science. One thing I can tell you--- it's not placebo. I know of a vet in Memphis (at least one) that uses two Chinese medicine practitioners to help with the animals. I doubt that dogs, cats, and horses are responding to placebo effect. My own MD gets acupuncture for sciatica. He says, "I don't know what they're doing, and what they tell you doesn't make sense, but it works."