Introductions for This New Forum

[serenityqueen]

I'm hoping that my undertstanding of this new forum is correct. I have posted in many of the forums on SR and have also "met" several members who also have chronic pain due to a variety of illnesses. Over time and reading different threads, others have shared what illnesses they have that cause them to deal with chronic pain on a regular basis. I thought it may be beneficial,if you so choose, to take a moment or two to share what medical conditions you deal with on a daily basis that result in your need for alternative pain control methods.

I have Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis, both diagnosed about 7 years ago.

Recently diagnosed also with Osteoarthritis.

I'm 43 years old with a strong family history of RA and Osteo. My Mother is seriously disabled and has had numerous bone breaks such as her pelvis twice and a hip due to RA and Osteo.

I have some other medical problems but they don't necessarily cause pain so I don't feel they need to be mentioned

God Bless,
Judy

[soberone2003]

Serenity queen I was reading your post regarding chronic pain. It intrested me because I have severe arthritis in my knee and avoid pain meds due to my recovery. I am only 37 and am a nurse and have over 85% of my cartilage lost due to chronic injury- first injury due to drinking. I have had numerous surgeries on this knee and I just found out I have severe arthritis. I am seeing an ortho MD and chriopractor for pain relief. I am researching Synvisc injections for my knee- this replaces the fluid in the knee. There are some meds like Lyrica for chronic pain that are non narcotic. One med I just started trying that is non narcotic is voltaren gel, it is applied to your joint that is affected up to four times a day for pain. So far it is helping. I will probably end up with some type of cartilage transplant in the future, I am too young for a total knee. I hope some of this info helps. I am too afraid to risk my sobriety for pain meds.

[serenityqueen]

I hope I'm not stepping on the boundaries of this new forum, but I too, refuse to take any narcotic pain meds. I choose not to play Russian Roulette with my Recovery. I worked soooo hard for it.

So far, Prayer, acceptance, meditation, journaling, heat, ice, massage, anti inflammatories as well as all kinds of other Rx's that are not pain type meds but for actually treating the diseases are keeping this bearable. I do know, the more I think about the pain, the more it hurts. So, I try not to think about it. I feel that when I focus on something, it only brings it closer to my attention.

Judy

[soberone2003]

I am with you. I try all of those things too. I try to stay active. I like that so that I keep my mind off of the pain. I alternate heat and ice also. I pray, meditate, call support members too. I just try not to focus on it too much. i have worked to hard and like my life after almost 5 yrs of recovery to even chance anything. I have too much of an addictive personality.

[nandm]

Welcome everyone to this new forum. I am thankful to see it.

A little intro:
I have been in recovery, using AA, for a little over 7 years now. I had a back injury almost 2 and 1/2 years ago. This damaged some discs in my back. I have tried physical therapy, spinal injections (a series of 3), chiropractor, accupuncture, the multitude of OTC ointments and rubs, massages, OTC pain relievers, anti-inflammatories, oxycodone, muscle relaxers, and TENS. I spent the first two years basically taking it easy and trying to just let my back heal. But I finally got to a point about 6 months ago where I realized I was in pain anyway so I might as well stop letting life pass me by.

Today, I weigh what I do with the amount of pain and down time it will cause. I use oxycodone, ibuprofen, flexeril, ice/heat packs, and the TENS when the pain is severe which is a couple of times a week. Other than that I take the occassional flexeril, ibuprofen, ice/heat packs, and TENS unit for any other pain.

I at times get frustrated as there are people in AA who do not interpret the Big Book the way I do that believe that anyone on pain medication is not sober. AA is for alcoholism. As long as I am taking the medications as prescribed and not to get high or change my perception of reality, the fact that I take medications is irrelevant to my sobriety. I do have a partner that also provides me feedback when she feels I may need to try other options for pain relief and makes suggestions to keep me from going to the major pain relievers first (not that I believe I would anyway but it is nice to be accountable to someone).

Good to see everyone here so far. Looking forward to talking more with each of you.

Judith

[nandm]

Woops forgot to say I do yoga and meditation as well to help with pain managment

[serenityqueen]

Kudos to nandm for the way she worded things about being tired of people in AA who frown upon someone using PRESCRIBED medications and their PROPER DOSE.

[barb dwyer]

WOW! Am grateful for this new forum!!!!!

I've been hinting at this for a good while now!! wooHOO!!!

I am unsure as yet of a diagnosis - just was diagnosed with thyroid ... uh.. failure, that 'could' be connected to fibro, but doc (until I find a new one) wants the thyroid hormone at normal levels before continuing to search for pain causes.

I am ALSO "noNAR" (no narcotics) at my own request having sobered up with the TEENIEST morphine/oxy addiction hooked on to it. I know I can't be trusted to "take as prescribed". Period. And yet as we all know - NON narcotic pain medications are few and far between for actually relieveing pain.

So I am VERY interested in pain management, alternative remedies for pain, etc.!!!

I'm so excited at this new forum - I don't know what else to say!!!!

[nandm]

Barb, have you tried TENS therapy for your pain yet? It basically consists of attaching 2 to 4 electrodes around the problem area. Then a small electrical charge is intermittently applied. I have found it to be almost a miracle for me. It is completely non narcotic and for me it even helps when I am to the point of having muscle spasms so I don't even have to take a flexeril many times. A lot of times they will apply it in physical therapy. It feels kind of like suction cups on the skin and kind of like a massage. The electrical stimulation not only relaxes the area but it interupts the pain messages to the brain.

[barb dwyer]

NandM-

NO!
I didn't even think about that - I had a boss a LONG time ago who was in a car wreck - who'd need me to go in the lounge with her and put those on her back when it'd flare up.

Wow.
I never considered that because I just thought it'd be one of those things that you get 'hurt' to a certain degree ... and they automatically gave it to you or something.
You know - like from a phys. therapist or something.

Look at how great this forum already IS!!!

[Morning Glory]

Barb, my thyroid was only borderline low and it caused a great deal of pain for me. I think you are going to notice a big difference.

[barb dwyer]

Thank you, MG -

I'm actaully so thrilled after being treated like a hypochondriac by this 'doc' that I don't know if the relief is from finding out I *DO* have something quite wrong - or if the medication is already working????

Thing was - I kept going back to the doc.
It's a clinic with a 'sliding' scale,
so my choices are unbelievably limited right now -
but I didn't quit - I kept going back.

I'm getting quite an education, both online and with so many people in my immediate surroundings with the same type disorder.
SO I can't really disagree with her wanting to wait it out a bit... so long as the liver panels come back soon.

[nandm]

Barb you can google TENS unit and pick one up online for around $100. The electrodes are reuseable for about 15 to 20 times. They last longer if when you take them off you put just a little water on them when you place them back on their holder. This keeps them able to transmit the signals longer. I did not have to show a prescription to buy mine but I would suggest before anyone get one to discuss it with your doctor as I am sure there are conditions that they would be contraindicated in.

I am so glad they finally found out it was your thyroid. The thyroid can create so many other problems depression, osteoporosis, weight gain, tiredness, tingling hands and feet, bulging eyes, and many other symptoms.

[barb dwyer]

thanks NandM

I'm going to check this out ... my other pain spots are from old injuries, and I"ve had them so long I wouldn't know how to tell the weather without 'em. But the back thing - I never knew *I* could just ... go get one of these things!

And yes;
I suppose we can also submit that thyroid + topomax = CRAZY as well.
OR crazy as hell - however you want to look at it.

what's really disconcerting is how many of the symptoms coincide with so many for various mental illnesses? Kinda made me wonder about it all too.

[splendra]

I have chronic pain and have never taken anything stronger than aspirin for it. I feel that paying careful attention to my posture is very helpful and important and I am sure that how I sit, stand, and walk has a lot to do with how much pain I feel.

I broke my neck in an accident when I was a child we did not know it. I knew my neck hurt really bad but we did not go to the doctor for it. Years later I went to he doctor because of dizziness and headaches and lots of pain and it was discovered then that my neck had been broken.

I remember telling my mom after the accident I thought my neck was broken and she said I would be dead if it was.

The doctor that diagnosed me wanted to put me on meds and I was against it. I had acupuncture instead. It helped and they also helped me to realize how important it is to hold my body correctly.

When my pain flairs up I take aspirin and do some exercises to help me get my spine in alignment. I have noticed that when I sit too much my body hurts much more than when I remain active and in motion.

I have a friend who has RA her posture is terrible she sleeps on a couch when she has a very good bed and she drives a lot which keeps her body frozen in one position for hours at the time. She also plays piano and sits for long periods of time to practice. She went out dancing not long ago and was very sore the next day. Which to me says she is too inactive and needs to build up to being more active rather than go all out when she has had long periods of being inactive.

[barb dwyer]

Splendra -
After what's been *my*
world for the last six months -
I can't stress enough she go get her thyroid checked out!

I had joint pain like I've never experienced before.
OTC meds would not TOUCH it.
The non narcotic pain meds from the doc didn't do much either.
I thought I had the most rapid onset case of 'room-a-tizz" in history. (rheumatism = rheumatizz - southern thing)

Felt like glass in each joint.
SO ... just a thought.

If I did the teeniest bit of exercises - my muscles would swell and get really really sore, too. My hands would swell unbelievably. And just GRIND when I tried to move.

Just after one week (today, in fact) of the littlest bit of medication (which is the equivalent of throwing one spit in the ocean)
I am amazingly ... better.

I'm not WELL ... but better.
WAY better.
SO maybe she's got a touch of this as well?

I also feel that's a great illustration of how "x" amount of pain is registered and tolerated by one person, but intolerable to another.

Like a six on the pain scale to you - is a nine to her.

[serenityqueen]

It's amazing the difference in the way Dr.'s treat chronic pain conditions today vs. years ago.

When my Mom was diagnosed with RA, the Internal Medicine Docs immediately put Mom on complete bedrest for nearly 2 months. Can you imagine how stiff and sore this made her on top of the pan she was already having?

I know when I had my gall bladder taken out, naturally I wasn't very active the first few days following surgery. The joint pain from laying around was horrible. Much worse the the post op pain.

I gotta move, get stretched in the morning and keep these joints from getting stiff!

Just love this new site!

God Bless,
Judy

[butterfly19]

Soooooooooooo,

We have a forum for pain management now?
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! You have no idea how helpful this could be for me! I'm butterflly19 and I'm 29 years old. I have been going to outpatient rehab since April 22, 2008 for my five year opiate addiction and am currently on suboxone.

Although I'm only 29 y/o, I can assure you I've been dealing with pain for a very long time. I have scoliosis, severe joint pain, multiple back and ankle injuries from ballet dancing years ago, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). As of lately most of my pain is all joing related. I've never been diagnosed with RA, but there is some family history of that as well as mixed connective tissue disease (another autoimmune disorder). Most of my symptoms lead me to believe that I may likely have one of these conditions. Now before everyone goes thinking I'm a hypochondriac, I should probably say that I do work in the medical field and have for 7 years, though at present time I cannot work due to my recovery. So I do know a lot when it comes to the world of medicine, but I obviously don't have much luck in treating myself for my pain problems. I seem to have some sort of disability when it comes to reading the instructions on a prescription label! Ha Ha!!!!

I truly am thankful for this forum! Since starting on the suboxone I thought it would help me manage my pain. I see now that it DOES work great relieving pain associated with withdrawal, but surprise, surprise, I'm past that pain now and it seems that this particular joint pain is here to stay. Personally, I feel that I have masked my physical pain for so long now, that I had no idea it had gotten as serious as it had. I would like to go to a specialist and find out exactly what is going on, but right now with me not working, I have no insurance. So until then I would be happy to try any tips that will help when it comes to relieving pain. I have found that gentle stretching definitely helps warm my joints in the morning!

Thanks for creating this forum! I definitely found it when I needed it most. The thought has been bouncing around in my head, that maybe I should give up on recovery and stick with the pain pills. For the first time in a long time, I have found myself wanting pain medicine NOT to get high, but simply b/c I DO NOT want to hurt anymore! But I know I cannot be trusted with a prescription bottle! So I'm thankful to find this, maybe it will help me deal with my physical issues. I know just reading other's stories always inspires me. It makes me feel bad for complaining knowing there are others out there who hurt just as bad and sometimes much worse than I do--It can be a good reminder though that we are capable of conquering much more than we initially believe!

Keep the stories rolling in! I look forward to participating more. Hope everyone stays pain free today! Stay strong!

butterfly19

[Dee74]

hey all

Great new forum - I very rarely talk about this stuff, but I have a lot of chronic pain...most associated with the body stresses on having cerebral palsy - I'm not in a wheelchair (yet LOL) so walking around, pretty much all my joints cop a beating, as does my back, neck and shoulders - everywhere really.

Oh, and, just to top it off, I get migraines too LMAO (and some parksonian type stuff but that's just annoying not painful )

I'm a pretty typical alkie male in that I need to be dying to see a doctor - but I've been dealing with this my whole life so it's normal to me. I sometimes take a paracetamol or ibuprofen if someone nags me enough to LOL but thats about it.

I look forward to seeing what things come up here !!
D

[Aysha]

Boy this forum is right on time for me.
Now I can quit complaining and driving everyone nuts in chat.

I was recently diagnosed with Lyme disease. It is curable. But after 3 months of antibiotics I am starting to wonder. The joint pain is horrendous. I feel like my bones are being ripped apart at the joints. More often than not.
Being how I am an addict. My Dr doesnt want to prescribe me anything except 800 Ibu. Which isnt doing anything except probably eating a whole in my stomach.
I was also told I have arthritis in my knees. A pain that has been ongoing for a couple years now but has recently in the past 5 mos become an all day daily agony. More Ibuprofen.

As far as my take on prescribed narcotics. I dont think anyone should be made to suffer severe chronic pain regardless of their history. As long as they are taken as prescribed. But those who choose not to take narcotics for pain. I have nothing but respect for that.

My Dr seems to think because I am a cocaine addict that giving me anything at all for any reason is going to be a bad idea. Personally I think he is full of it. I understand. But I am not an addict that will do with any drug to feed my addiction. If that were the case. I would have alot more than cocaine to be recovering from.
Really I am not a pill person. Never was. And dont really like the effects of them. But I do however like that they make it possible for me to move without feeling like I am breaking in every part of my body. Sometimes being able to move period is a challenge.
I also do alot of lifting and moving about at my job. Alot of walking too. Lately I cant do as much as I could and I am afraid it will impact my job. There are no positions at my job that is light duty. I love my job and need it.
I tell my Dr all the time that Ibuprofen isnt really helping and he tells me I have to face reality and stop turning to drugs to solve my problems. I think that is a little one sided. Alot actually. So because I have a history of cocaine abuse I should be made to suffer with daily pain.
I dont know..MAybe I am being a baby. But it hurts like hell all the time and I dont know how else to cope with it.

[ksos]

chiynita...

Hello. I read your post and, at the end of it, felt like calling your doctor and reminding him that his 3 semester hours which he probably took in med school really doesn't make him an expert in dealing with an addict's or recovering addict's pain. Morning Glory posted a link to an extremely informative and, in my opinion, excellent article concerning an MD's recommendations as well as experience in treating ALL types of people in varying degrees of pain, especially the opiate addicted or the opiate tolerant patient. I didn't mean to derail what I really wanted to say to chiynita in response to her post, but please take some time and read this terrific article. It applies to many of us who are treated with opiates for pain.

So, chiynita, I wonder why you stay with such an insensitive medical provider? From your post, it sounds like you have been very accurate in describing your very real pain symptoms. I certainly know physicians who are clones of your MD, but we do have choices, and we should use them, in my opinion. It really hit me when you said that "it hurts like hell all the time and I don't know how else to cope with it."

I am not an MD but I am a person who is a pain management patient. I have chronic pancreatitis and I am treated by an MD who is the Chief of Anesthesiology in a major hospital. More importantly, he is one of the few doctors who does treat substance abusers who are not actively using illicit drugs with opiates. I am asked for random urines for toxicology purposes and must sign a contract which states basically that all treatment services at his office will stop immediately if two toxicology tests during the entire time of treatment come up positive for illicit substances, substances that are prescribed by other medical prescribers, extraordinarily high levels of the patient's prescribed medication, or if the urine sample has been tampered with in any way.

I bring my MD up as an example of someone who does not pre-judge me or any of his patients regarding the use of medications that have a legitimate purpose in the care of a human being. If one elects to make the choice to break the contract, he even gives that person a second chance. I am one of those folks who is on his last chance, by the way. However, my pain doctor is knowledgeable enough in dealing with all types of people, that he knows the signs of medication abuse.

chiynita, I hope that you may look for another MD, perhaps a pain management specialist who will have a far more "healthier" approach to patient care. These doctors do not just prescribe narcotics, as many of them have been trained in a holistic approach to controlling pain. I know of pain specialists who are certified addiction specialists as well. The article I referred to earlier, alsol speaks to medical doctors who work in conjunction with Addiction Specialists.

You need not be held to one type of doctor who does not address your pain, as it is a treatment issue. In New York, pain assessment in patients is required in ALL hospitals. Furthermore, these hospitals MUST have a a pain management team which must respond to a patient's report of pain and must provide treatment for pain.

I hope that this helps you to know that support is probably around the corner!

Good Luck!

[Freedom1990]

I too am very excited about this new opportunity to discuss chronic pain in recovery.

I have had migraines since I was 20 years old. Right now the two antidepressants I am on seem to be helping with the frequency/severity, and I've also noticed a difference since starting meds for high blood pressure.

I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease in 2004, and an MRI last year revealed dics that are now bulging in the lumbar area. I also battled excruciating sciatica. My primary care physician is wonderful, and he referred me on to a pain management specialist early last year. I have been receiving steroid injections into the tailbone area, and it completely knocks out the sciatica and has made the lower back pain more manageable.

Now that the weather has warmed back up, I'm disciplining myself to walk every day, even if it's just a couple of blocks. I'm also on Cymbalta, which helps with some of the physical pain.

When I do have an acute flareup of muscle spasms in the lower back, my doctor prescribes a short term course of flexeril.

A good long soak in a hot bath will also usually help me with the spasms/pain.

[serenityqueen]

((((Chiy))))

As I read your post, I have to be honest, I am Praying at this point in time, you will change your mind in regards to thinking that you won't have any problems with taking narcotic pain meds.

I am only sharing this because I truly care about you and it scares me to think with how hard of a time you have been having in your Recovery already that it would be too big of a risk to take by being prescribed opiates. You said that you have never been into pills, but that can change so fast that you won't know what happened. I never could stand the taste of alcohol, I hated it. I tried for many years to drink, to be one of the crowd, having a beer at an outdoor concert, a drink in a bar, but I never could. Then the day came when I was hurting enough, mentally and emotionally, that I choked a drink down. Then I realized that it wasn't so bad after all. My name's Judy, I'm an alcoholic and an addict. And I know that you are aware of my sister, Linda, who died from cirrhosis of the liver. She originally was a cocaine addict. It is too easy to switch addictions and I worry with you still struggling with your Recovery at this time.

If I have made you angry, I want you to know that I only share my feelings with you because I do care. I feel as though your Dr. is doing for you what you cannot do for yourself at this time.

Hugs and Prayers for your pain to be under control and bearable to you,
Judy

[nandm]

I realize there are several people here who do not believe in taking any narcotic pain meds. I believe you are fortunate if you have found alternative, effective ways to deal with your pain. Personally, I do have to take the occassional oxycodone to deal with my back pain. I do try all my other alternatives first. I personally do not find it to be a threat to my sobriety. I am quite concientious about the way I handle these meds. I realize that for some narcotic meds are a threat to their sobriety and for anyone who is struggling with their sobriety I do not believe it is wise to use these drugs unless they have a way to ensure they use them only as prescribed and for the problem that they are prescribed for. Some people use their spouse to keep the meds and hand them out only as prescribed.

My MD is fully aware of my alcoholism. I believe the fact that I am open about my recovery is one of the reasons she is willing to work with me on narcotic meds. I get less than 30 tablets each time she fills the prescription with no refills. This way for me to refill I have to go through her which gives her a way to track my intake and use of the meds.

One thing some doctors forget is that pain is relative. What is excruiting for one person may be a minor pain to another.

Personally, I think Chiy should speak to her doctor regarding other alternative therapies for the pain. There are alternatives to the narcotics that are quite effective. I have had spinal injections for my pain (unfortunately they did not provide any lasting relief), I have used bio-feedback, yoga, TENS, accupuncture, etc... Chiy please speak to your doctor about alternatives to narcotics. Your doctor may be more open to allowing you to use narcotic pain meds if he knows that you have first tried other alternative therapies for your pain.

It truly does come down to an individual thing with narcotics and recovery. Some people are more at risk for problems while others do just fine with them. Anyone considering them needs to take care to weigh out the risk vs the benefit.

[serenityqueen]

Nandm, thanks so much for saying so beautifully what I struggled to find the words to say. I just don't want Chiy to think I am attacking her or minimizing her pain. Nothing could be further from the truth.

For me, since opiates were my DOC, I have a true fear that taking one pill will risk waking that beast up with a roar and a vengence to destroy me. I have had absolutely no urges or desires to use. I honestly haven't had one since I have been in Recovery. Sure, I imagine the Methadone that I take at the Clinic each day has a great deal to do with it, but I also feel that when I went into detox in July of '05, I was DONE! I had truly surrendered to the idea of taking opiates ever again for pain control. I had tried to rationalize taking pain pills for years as only for therapeutic reasons. The disease screaming in my mind," . . . But Judy, you are in pain, you have legitimate pain conditions and it's prescribed . . . "

When I was using, I had myself totally convinced that if it didn't have the little red sticker down the side that says "May cause drowsiness, do not operate . . " on it, it would absolutely not "work" or "do anything at all" When I was still in the hospital in detox, I spoke openly for the first time to the addictionologist who had treated me so many times that I had to literally beg him to admit me just one more time. I shared my fears of one day needing narcotics and what would happen then. I will never forget what he said, "You can't worry about tomorrow until it's here." He asked me if I had ever honestly given non narcotic meds as well as the others for my conditions a chance. I had to admit that I hadn't. He made me realize that what I had tried to due was just mask the symptoms, not treat he cause. And treating the cause is what actually helps me much, much more than a handful of pills. Seriously, what is pain? It's usually caused by inflammation that puts pressure on the nerves. So work on getting the inflammation under control means getting the pain under control as well. I also take many additional meds that as I said, actually treat the conditions.

Who knows, in the years to come, the pain may get to a point that it is so overwhelming and my diseases have progressed that I may have to take some narcotic pain meds. But for now, this addict isn't willing to risk waking up the demon inside.

Thanks for letting me share. It's not too often that others can truly understand how painful medical conditions can cause such a simple thing as swallowing a pill to possibly become a big problem for some.

God Bless and a Prayer for the next 24 hours for all to be pain free.

Judy