Tell your story of living with chronic pain, by leaving a reply at the bottom of the page. Do not mention specific medications or dosages. Stories are not published right away.
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Tell your story of living with chronic pain, by leaving a reply at the bottom of the page. Do not mention specific medications or dosages. Stories are not published right away.
I’ve been in pain since March 21, 1999 due to a failed surgery to repair a hiatal hernia until the last 10 years. I was able to maintain working with pain meds after they cut me off. I am now unable to work and cannot deal with Life.
The state of pain treatment in America is a dismal public health and human rights crisis. The pendulum has swung so far it has made doctors paranoid and paralyzed with fear.
Federal and state extreme rigid policies about pain medicine might not cause as many opioid deaths but more wishing they were dead.
Because people failed to understand one should take responsibility for their actions, (including those parents whose kids overdosed), because politicians used these tragic overdose episodes to garner favor with their constituents and because government got involved, we have now entered the abysmal era of legitimate chronic pain being woefully under treated for pain, or worse, being forced to do procedures which often leaves them worse in pain.
It has been three years today (August 23rd, 2022) since my wife, Laurie, passed away from CRPS. She was abandoned by her family and a medical system I once believed was sworn to protect her. Shortly after the CDC guidelines of 2016, I realized that doctors didn’t believe Laurie’s quality of life was worth a possible investigation by the DEA. Doctors, pharmacists, and nurses would deny Laurie pain medication out of fear. Even hospice was in the process of dismissing her because her pain management needs exceeded their comfort zone. They saw her as a liability. She passed away two days before they were going to kick her off.
WE NEED HELP IN ARIZONA!! No pharmacy will fill our prescriptions!!! We have to go to providers and pay CASH because they don’t accept insurance! Now the pharmacies won’t dispense narcotics after October 5th 2025.
I am desperate for help in Knox County Kentucky. In the Good ol beautiful Appalachian mountains I can NOT get adequate health care! I have interstitial cystitis. I was diagnosed in 2003. I was started on pain medication then and have been going on and off to pain management doctors. I have been on the same medication and strength for probably ten years. It is a time-release medication and is “supposed” to last twelve hours … it does NOT! I get maybe five hours tops of pain relief. I have to drive to Louisville for my doctor (three hours) and to Richmond to get my prescription filled because NOBODY local will fill it! I NEED HELP! Please?
I have been on pain management for 20 years, I have always had a pain management doctor – for 5 bulging back discs, to which there is no surgery for when the discs are bulging.
As of October 2025, Endo Pharmaceutical stopped making the prescription I have been taking for years. Just abruptly stopped, no notice, no notice on mainstream media. As of now January 2026, my pharmacist can’t get any pain medication in his pharmacy, WTF do you call that?
My doctor and I have a good relationship doctor to patient, we always talk about things related to this. He even told me hospitals don’t even give their patients pain meds when having surgeries, this is a complete and utter disgraceful, disgusting way to treat patients, they try to send these patients to him, he’s maxed to seeing people. He and I feel bad regarding this problem they have caused. Every pharmacy in the area does not have any pain medication, what is this the Twilight Zone?
I’m in pain, I crawl out of bed many times just to function, if I could have surgery I would, but medically there is no surgery for my problem, so I deal with meds. I also have to state, that I find it very troublesome when people just don’t understand why you’re taking pain meds to help, and then tell you get surgery, well I would if it were pertinent to my problem. They look at me like I’m an addict, I’ve never tried anything in my life, I don’t even drink, people???
So in closing, is there anyone out here that is going through what I am? I live in Montgomery County, PA, thank you for your time.
I have 7 skull fractures and multiple traumatic brain injuries from a motorcycle skateboard accident. Then was run over by a car twice – breaking damn near every bone in my body and paralyzed. But was able to walk again after years of PT until the acidity of my blood ate thru the polymer, causing severe infections. I’ve had multiple toe amputations and over 60 surgeries. I’m laying here damn near suicidal, in extremely severe chronic pain with no meds.