Clean but how to handle pain?

[Randomly4500]

I am clean 19 days off Fentanyl (high dose) but I am a chronic pain person. I have nerve damage, bone disease and muscle disease. I couldn't handle the narcotics any longer. I have been on them for 10 years and they came to be worse than the pain. For those who suffer chronic pain and do not take meds........what helps you? I am disabled and $$ are tight. I am looking into a gentle restorative yoga but so far have not found what will meet my abilities. So, I'd like to hear from pain people and what you do to quell your pain and still live as normal a life as possible. Thanks!

[Randomly4500]

Debbie, yes, the pain has increased but I am mostly burning alive with detox pain. I can't even tell my normal neuropathic pain right now the detox burning is so severe. I haven't slept but a few hours in months. I am taking B12, B6, Potassium and a multi vit and making whey protein shakes with spurilina and bananas. Should I add a stand alone Mag? I am taking hot Epsom salt baths and that helps the burning while I am in the tub but when I cool down the burning comes right back. I haven't been able to swim in years due to my neck, rotator cuff and back injuries, so that modality is out for me. I have no where really in my small house to stretch so I do what I can in bed. I was going to PT but had to stop during the detox. I have been way too ill from the detox and I am an already ill person. I have been doing acupuncture and massage but had to miss some over the last months of detox. I did make it in this past week and the massage flared up the burning pain. I am just soooooo very sensitive.  My insurance is workers comp as I my original disc/SI .joint/back injury was on the job years ago. I have to fight tooth and nail for everything. They don't even approved what my doc writes for. It's a tough world to be in. I was awarded Life Time Medical Benefits by the courts but that doesn't mean squat in VA. They have the right to deny anything they want and then I have the right to hire an atty and fight them. Thanks for your help and your prayers. I guess I am just gonna have to tough it out longer and see what happens. I know I don't want to go back on narcotics!

[Randomly4500]

I have been in and out of PT for years! It helped with my original disc/back/SI joint injuries for a good many years, but then I became ill and was bed ridden for mostly 5 years+. A doc made me ill in 2004 and I have had a plethora of diseases and surgeries. The adrenal diseases wasted my muscles and damaged my nerves and gave me bone disease (they are dying). I have been going to PT for over 2 years now but can't seem to make progress. My muscles won't rebuild and the pain has just been really bad. My PT keeps putting emphasis on building the muscles and that is why I feel that I need to be doing yoga or some stretching. My house is small and I really don't have a comfortable space to stretch. May sound like an excuse but it's just the truth. It's hard for me to get to the floor. I do what I can in my bed. I appreciate your feed back. Once I am feeling better from this detox I will evaluate my pain and talk to my PT again. I haven't been able to do much these last 4 months but lay around and that and the detox have left me very weak. I live in workers comp world and it's a tough world to navigate treatment in.........you have to fight for everything!! For now I have to stick with my doc and my PT.

[atthebeach]

If wll take a month or so to re-evaluate your pain post opiates.
The pain does increase during detox.
Yes do as much stretching and exercise as bearable.
Hot Epsom salt baths.
Increasing magnesium in your diet.
Swimming could be very beneficial.
Do you have insurance?
They could pay for alternate pain management methods.
Acupuncture, massage.
Praying for your healing,
Debbie

[OpenMind24hours]

No two pain situations are the same. In my personal case; with degenerative disc disease in my lower back, I put faith in my physical therapist. I had 3 long 6 to 8 week sessions with her and I learned what to do each morning; how to stretch and loosen my tendons. I discovered that at first I was in pain after stopping opiates, but now the pain has become really tolerable. Don't forget the chronic pain forum on this site!