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 do not appear 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 do not appear right away.
I think most of us posting our stories are basically in the same boat. I have spinal issue. I’ve already had three cervical fusions 2 anterior and one posterior and I also have lower back issues from l2-s1 and last but not least si joint dysfunction as the cherry on the top. I had over a 14 yr history of pain management of complying. All the sudden I was told do to the new guidelines I would have to be tapered down. So as alway I did what I was told to do. It was lowered to 1/4 of what I had been receiving and with that so went my quality of life. Then 6 months ago my pain doctor shut his doors. I was left to scramble to find a new one. Most slammed the door on me because they didnt use the pain medication I was on. Only one would take me. As soon as he did he too lowered my medication even farther. The dose which I’ve now been on almost 6 month is totally infective. I have no life anymore I’m in pain almost 24/7 now. Where before yes I had some pain but on a lower level so I could function.
I’ve been trying every conservative alternative treatment my doctor has to offer me with no luck including MM which I despise and am wasting money I cant afford to do as I am on disability.
My neck issues are job related and I was told point blank by the insurance company they will NEVER EVER allow any increases of my pain medications.
What got me with that statement is I’ve NEVER EVER ask for one myself EVER ! so when they said that I felt like they were calling me a drug seeker or addict.
It seems even if your following everything they want you too . Your still being lable a drug addict and less of a person because of the need for pain medication.
Our government are now just hoping to exterminate all of us by torturing us. No matter what they do there will still be illegal drugs on the street always has been and always will be.
The news media is no better nothing but bombarding us with the lastest greatest doom and gloom on the opiod crisis. Then you have drug rehabs filling in between their reports on the evils of opioids and without them theres no hope.Im sure their making billions off all this no doubt. And then you have us just barely struggling threw each day with no hope in sight.
Kudos to this movement the only hope we have now is to fight.
My name is Dwain. In short I hit a car head on when I was 16. I was in bed for 2 month’s. It messed my back up.real bad. I finally got to where I could walk. All my life I had to work with back pain. I would just go out and I would be in bed for several days. I had 2 back surgeries one in 99 and 05. Neither helped. In 2014 my back went out and I was in bed for nearly a year with godly pain iny back and leg. After I could get out of.bed I couldn’t sit for.6 more months. Had to stand to eat. I been going to a.pain management for 2_3 years. It’s a life.saver. my pain never stops in my leg and back. My leg goes out and I fall sometimes. Now I have a torn rotator cuff too. Had it checked nothing they can do but replace it with a new one. Everything is on my left side. I have bad days and dome.better dsys. The pain clinic is a.life daverbecause I have to get epiduralbs and nerve block shots. Leave the doctors alone.that are doing things right and helping people that need tjrm. Thanks for listening and have a bless day.
I was hit on my motorcycle by a drunk driver in 1994 . Which broke my leg and smacked my ankle I have had 8 operation on that leg and ankle before I made the decision to cut off the leg . I still had to work to pay for the insurance to do all these surgery the pain was unbelievable .so the last yrs I’ve been working hard with a prosthetic . Then had a knee replacement on the other leg and a shoulder operation yes My job had a lot of heavy lifting so my body is sore and arthritis and nerve pain And now the government tells the doctors not to give out the pain pills anymore and wants to put me on other drugs that alters the mind and has tons more side affects these pills are for depression and epileptic seizure medicine Witch I’m trying to fight I’m seeming my self on the couch more and more every day my Quality of life is going down
I have rods, plates and screws fussing my lower lumbar. No Dr will do anything for my pain. I have degenerative disc disease and it is hereditary.
11 years ago in July of 2007, a perfectly healthy me began to cross the street in a cross walk, on a green light, and a Ford F150 without a signal hit me head on while taking a left turn. Accident recreation guesstimates truck was going about 35-40 mph when he hit me.
I couldn’t work for 2 full years due to reconstructive surgeries and injuries. Even now I cannot take jobs where I stand, walk or sit too much. I basically need a combo of all 3 or I won’t make it through the day.. Yet, I am beyond blessed as I suffered no head or internal injuries.
That said, after the last of my surgeries I was taken off pain meds. For 3-4years I white-knuckled the pain. My husband would meet me in drive when I arrived home from work as my body would freeze up on drive home and I would need help getting out of vehicle even.
Finally, after much internal debate, I went to my PCP who began me on meds and scheduled me with a pain doctor.
The vicodin was beneficial. My work performance improved as well as home and family life. I was able to do more while feeling better.
But this doctor had a surgical room at his office and performed surgeries. For the next 18-24 months I had several different types of procedures: shots in lower back to ease pain and when that was not helping, he actually “burnt my nerves” in lower back. The recovery was awful! Took much longer and far more painful than was told would happen. To this day, I have problems with sciatica that I never had before this surgery. (I know there are more technical terms but mind drawing blank). After trying all procedures that doc recommended, my husband and I chose for me to not participate in those procedures anymore. Once I let them know? I was sent a termination from the practice letter, as well as a referral to drug rehab for my “addiction”. All
for my refusal to inflict more useless procedures that left me in worse shape on my already damaged body, I was being punished.
Returned to my PCP, who at this time was terrified to prescribe me any meds bc the govt had all doctors running scared. He would order me 30 or so a month just to keep me going as we waited for an opening with another doctor.
Once I got in, I was questioned by the new doctor as if I was an addict instead of someone in pain! She had my records from first pain doc, of course. Wholly infuriating and embarrassing. Yet, when I stayed calm and explained to her what occurred from my viewpoint AND she saw my x-rays and scans? She admitted that unfortunately, those who have those surgical suites in their offices don’t make room in their practice for patients who refuse those surgeries they can bill insurance a fortune for. It felt so good to hear her tell me what I knew to be true.
My right foot was in fragments inside my skin. It took 3 surgeries to piece it back together so that I could walk on it. I’ve adapted my walk so no-one can tell how crooked the foot is inside my shoes, but the rest of my body sure knows- especially my back.. Which was already damaged from truck impact.
I don’t allow that to stop me from living.
I work. Am active at home and with my friends. But I require help to keep normal functions going.
I’ve worked diligently to insure I keep the meds at minimal dosage.
Shortly after switching pain docs, govt regulations changed. If one was on instant release (IR) meds, now they also had to be prescribed extended release (ER) meds as well. Which was so stupid as there is so much more relief in IR meds.
So, all of a sudden, I had to get another med to go along with the vicodin.
And ER meds are pricey.
At least if they’re even a little effective.
So, I went from a controlled amount of vicodin per day to those PLUS another med!
I did try just the ER med for a month or 2, but didn’t get anywhere near the relief as what IR meds give.
I exercise, work, and have a good family and social life. I take care of our large yard. Without the relief of my doctor prescribed opiates? Idk if I’d even be able to work, much less anything else.
Weather plays a factor in my pain, for certain. But some days I just have extra intense pain without knowing the cause.
The stress of the govt constantly meddling and changing the guidelines for prescribing to those of us taking drug tests and following all their rules is immense. I cannot tell you how often I’ve, once again, found an effective combo just to be told the “new guidelines no longer allow those 2 to be prescribed together”. I’ve been on buprenorphine (ER) & oxycodone (IR, smaller dose) for close to a year and its been incredibly effective. No brain fog. Able to do more. Then last week was told nope, cannot prescribe those 2 together anymore. No bupe with an opiate.
Doc worried about my liver with long term vicodin use and I don’t have to take as many oxy as I did vicodin/day. The oxy is more effective than anything else I’ve used. But the combo was by far the best relief I’ve ever had. And that’s now gone.
I don’t see my doctor for a few more weeks so I’m not sure what options I will be given now. The govt has no right to tell doctors and patients what does and doesn’t work for them.
I am positive I could take a few IR pills as needed and not require those ER pills.. Did that for almost 2 full years and was fine. The govt is actually creating more addiction issues than not with their ridiculous guidelines.
Patients and doctor are being punished for having/treating chronic pain.
I didn’t ask to get hit head on by a Ford F150 Whose driver didn’t see me.
Yet, I know have to pay for a monthly doc appt (used to be every 3 months), and not just for one effective medication, but for 2: the one effective IR and then the so-so effective ER med.
Time off work monthly..
Cost of 4 drug screens a year. (I mean, at what point do we get a break when nothing has ever been wrong with drug screens after years of them??)
Tired of being punished for doing what is necessary to live my life to the best of my ability.
But when I get fed up and tell my husband I’m done? He reminds me of how he used to have to help me get out of my vehicle after a normal days work. How I used to just lay on the couch crying, not knowing how I was going to get through our granddaughters visit as I was in so much deep pain.
But it won’t be long that the govt takes away our relief.
And that heroin and powerful overseas fentanyl are causing deaths and OD? Somehow that’s fallen on pain clinics and patients? It all gets lumped into the same pot. Makes no sense!
I have suffered with a genetic condition that impacts stability, healing and inflammation of every joint in my body. This has required surgeries due to injuries prior to I even knew what the problems were or the lack of my body to truly heal from them. This fear mongering campaigns that blanket all of those people who have pain control medicine has pushed many people to be ashamed they need medicine to help them. The tone of this new tactic is actually causing more damage to those who are fighting addiction and those who are using the medicine as they should. My doctor began telling me that she was being told by her company that she had to get me to this standard dosage. The argument being I could overdose but then agreed that my actual daily prescription dose was likely less than what I should be taking to help me do normal things (recover from cleaning the house, physical therapy, exercising and other physically impacting work due to my joints getting unstable and inflammation). They also pointed out that as with any medicine the body increases tolerance of the dose so minor adjustments over time is required. Even though they have this information they are being mandated to get every patient to the same dosage or lower except for cancer patients. Just talking with the doctor about it is a delicate thing because it’s always assumed I am trying to get something more. This has not ever been the case but the reaction is as if I did. Once just mentioning if I could try CBD oil I was told if it showed in my system they would violate my pain contract.
If it’s about someone truly overdosing this plan makes no sense. First they give all the pills at the same time so if they were to take them that overdose could happen on day one. Second we are not all the same weight, height or biological builds so just like they wouldn’t give every patient the exact same dose of insulin it can’t fit here either. Finally I believe the reason Madison is seeing atrocious overdose percentage increases is leaving people with no options and having to chase a broken system for help. They are taking the pain control medicine away from large numbers of patients but many the pain doesn’t stop. They go from gabapentin to Lyrica to Cymbalta that all have many high risk OTC drug interactions to not have them work for them. Then what is left for them? My bet is people go to the streets to get help and who knows what they are buying or what that desperation can do.
I have always been very careful because I do respect the risks and side effects of these medicines. In fact I have been prescribed this medicine over 10 years while I have been adamant that I wanted a partner in my doctor to make sure I wouldn’t have a problem with addiction. Like many people who take this medicine the risk of addiction scared me horribly because no one ever said one morning “I want to throw everything I have away to be an addict!”.
Many of us who have to use this because of limited other options struggle with this fear.
I have been working with my doctor to find solutions to meet her requirements but also make sure I am not trapped in bed without a life. We are at the required October date to get to this final low dose and I have had to limit a lot of what I used to be able to do to acclimate once again to a change in my prescriptions but I wish I had a voice that said “ Please stop hurting me, judging me and making me feel that I am bad because my body was made this way.”
My pain started at a young age of 12 yrs old, I missed alot of school when I was in school I complained alot just wanted to sleep, the nurse call my mom or stepmom they said I had scoliosis in my back, when I tryed to get good jobs they didnt want to hire me cause of my back problems, now my lower lumber is messed up from birth so I cant sit, stand or kneel or lift or bend for long periods of time cause Im in chronic pain, I was told in my late 20s that I also had Fibromyalgia, so I have suffered a long time, now I have psoriatic arthritis and my right side is the side that is so weak I have fallen more than 10 times in the past 25 yrs, I walk with a cane now, I got 4 specialist to look me over so I could truly know what I had, drove all the way to Dallas Tx to a great back and fibro Dr and he said please dont do any surgerys on your lumbar because you will always be in chronic pain cause of the Fibromyalgia, he said that I out smarted all 4 Drs so he said go home fined u a good pain management Dr and just take the meds, so I did I was seeing this one Dr for 20 plus yrs at the same office but things change threw the yrs so I got a new Dr after 4 others that where great with me, I never abused my meds never a dirty UA, never missed an appointment, but a new young Dr comes in and says Mrs Cantu you dont have cancer, I said no Thank God and then he said I will start taken u off your meds, and I was pissed, Pain Patch Fentayl and Norco after 20 yrs, I let that office and I cryed untill I got home, I fired him and went to other pain Dr and he said no meds just injections and they would cost me 350.00 every shout, I fired him, I cant afford those shouts that dont last but 2 weeks or less on me, now I have 6 months with out meds and Im am suffering, but no one cares no one will help me and Im not a drug user or abuser, Thank God that I have my faith thats what keeps me going, Im very depressed and have alot of anixtey over all of this, Ty for hearing my story
Wa state got rid of opioids and now uses social media to brain wash us to use cannabis for pain which does not work on bones . They are now the big drug store making money off pain ! If you can afford it ! They have nothing to treat pain …. I have never suffered so much in my life and surprised that suffering is the new lifestyle in our country they should be sued!!
Hi my name is Mike I had a major surgery 3 years ago 350 Staples with severe complications after operation I tried to go to a pain clinic they wanted to give me pain cream for my leg I said okay cuz no doctor will ever help me with my pain so they had this pain cream made I put it on my leg it gave me 3rd degree burns from my groin to my toes I was in the hospital for 2 weeks they wanted to amputate my leg and to this day the doctors never said that they’re sorry they will not treat me for pain with all the damage that’s happened to me in 3 years I can not get any pain help it is pathetic
I began my road to pain in high school when I jumped off a hay wagon into a snow bank, hit a big rock, and destroyed the cartilage in both knees. I started my nursing career at 20 and spent 22 wonderful years caring for behavorially challenged DD adults. This was a physically demanding job as you can imagine. I developed severe spinal stenosis after 30 and was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Still kept plugging away, gobbling NSAIDS. Then…boom…I have to go on blood thinners for the rest of my life. No more NSAIDS of any kind. Take Tylenol they say…yeah right. As osteoarthritis set into all those old injuries from over the years, and the stenosis, and the fibro…as you might imagine there are many mornings I can’t even move. I tried heat, stretching, etc but sometimes you need something stronger. That is when my PMD ordered Vicoden as needed. this worked well for several years. I took it when I needed it, if the other measures didn’t help. ( As I also have a seizure disorder, it was lucky I am a nurse, because now many doctors want to prescribe other meds such as Tramadol for pain not knowing they can lead to a seizure.) At my last appointment with my PMD he did not renew my Rx for Vicoden because my previous Rx “had lasted me so long”. So because I had taken my pain med with care and only when I really needed it…it was taken away?!?!? Maybe I should have been gobbling it up like jelly beans to prove I needed it…lol. I think I was just a good mark on the “off pain meds” column of some report. What I find truly interesting in all this in that during my nursing career, the medical community came out with a 5th vital sign…that being pain. We all went to classes to learn how important it was to assess a patient’s pain because of the impact it has on the body…thus the 1 to 10 scale and happy to crying faces for kids to point to. So…I still try and read and keep up…did I miss a memo? Is pain no longer this detrimental force it was portrayed as? If that were true the nurses in the hospital wouldn’t still be asking you that same question, using that same scale. Luckily, those brave hospital doctors are still treating pain…but only IN the hospital. Don’t be surprised when you are discharged and at home Motrin or Tylenol should handle things. I know that’s a little off topic, but a lot of us see more time in the hospital than we’d like. I feel we have been lumped in with opioid abusers and are guilty by association. We are now on house arrest without the benefit a trial, judge, or jury. Just locked away by pain, things will only get worse…decreased mobility, decreased socialization, increased falls, increased healthcare costs, just decreased quality of life a;; around.