Hi,
My name is Bree, and I stumbled upon your forum when I was looking information about my pain medications, and I thought it would be great to have somewhere to go for support and to be able to ask questions.
I have had over 35 surgeries on my legs and feet, a few reproductive surgeries, then a couple years ago I had an incident with an ATV which resulted in doing a lot of damage to my back. I look forward to meeting wonderful people who can understand where I'm coming from.
Bree
i am a new member and in need of assistance in finding information regarding false neg drug testing even though i take methadone 30 mg every day for chronic pain
Greetings,
I am a new member here. I have so much going on in my life right now, that I'm looking for a support system. I have had post thoracotomy pain for nine years now. Last November, I fell out of a non-moving train -about four feet, and hurt my back and had lost consciousness and a seizure. I am still recovering from my back pain. I am finding that dealing with the back pain and the lung pain is challenging. I have a good pm dr, although he is pushing me to have a rhizotomy done in his office, because he just learned how to do them. My research has led me to believe that this is not the best option for me, and I am concerned about his lack of experience.
I have just left my husband of 13 years who has a progressively worsening alcohol addiciton. He would get verbally abusive, when he drank and would get very self absorbed. Moving out was the hardest thing I've done in a long time, since I still love him dearly. We are trying to work things out, but I don't see him trying to work with his addiction. My heart breaks over this. But leaving that stressful household was the best thing I could do for my health, as my stress levels were extremely high most of the time.
I am looking for a support system that can help me take care of myself and to remind me that changes happen slowly, one step at a time. Thank you all for reading this.
Lilyrose77.
I am new, and not sure if I am doing this correctly. If I got it wrong, please let me know how to post an intro.
I have been fighting abdominal pain for about 16 months now. It seems to have been an unexpected result of successful shoulder surgery I had in Dec. 2009. Nothing against the doctors - I think my body just reacted poorly to the anesthesia.
Anyway, the fancy doctors in San Francisco finally gave me a diagnosis of visceral hypersensitivity (in other words I feel pain from normal digestive activity).
I don't want to have to take pain medicine - am terrified of becoming dependent on it - but the pain has taken over my life. I can't work anymore, and am trying to get disability until I find a solution that will let me eat without being doubled over in pain for the next few hours, but that will still let me function. The meds tried up to now have either not worked, made things worse, or left me with a brain made out of oatmeal (watery oatmeal at that).
I am really sensitive to medication, which is one reason there is such a problem finding a solution. Percocet works, but since my pain is in my stomach, anything I have to swallow is a challenge. Also, it knocks me out. I keep telling my doc, just figure out a way I can avoid eating or drinking and I will happily go away and stop bothering you.
I asked for a referral to a PM doctor hoping for a non-medical treatment (biofeedback, cognitive behavioral therapy or something along those lines), but he really wants me to give the fentanyl patch a try. I was just started on a 12 mcg Fentanyl patch, after having a big over-sedation issue with the 25mcg strength.
Anyway, that is me in a nutshell. I am glad it is spring. Maybe more sunshine will help us all feel better - at least those of us in the northern hemisphere.
TAM
This is a wonderful website. I got on IGuard a couple years ago when I went through withdrawal for methadone addiction. The friends on made here on the Internet made a lot of difference to me.
Well, now, my second back fusion never healed, I've been fused from T-11 to L-4 and, eight months after my 4th back surgery, I am back on narcotics and Physical Therapy. Where do we go when we are in pain and lonely? We look for friends. I'm back and I appreciate all of you.
Hi all,
28 year old male from the Netherlands. I studied language and history (see profile), and am currently looking for a job that does not involve computers or other repetitive movement, because I have chronic pain in the right side of my body (the arm in particular).
My story in short: In May 2007 (in an emotionally turbulent time for me) a chronic pain developed quite suddenly in my right arm, all the way from my shoulder to my fingertips). In the years before I had had some periods of mild RSI and back pains, but this was of a completely different order. After almost 3 years of struggling with this and doing fitness and various exercises to no effect, a chronic pain developed in my right leg (again quite suddenly and in a very stressful period). It was triggered during a race at long distance running (I'd been running for about 45 minutes). Since then the pain in my leg has slowly been getting worse, just like the pain in my arm. I have some pain in my back and right side of my torso as well, and in the last couple of weeks I seem to be developing a chronic pain in the right side of head (mostly in the jaw). I think I grind my teeth in my sleep too. Lately I've also noticed that my right pupil is constantly quite a bit larger than my left pupil (I think this might be connected to my other problems because of this post: http://*****************/question/index?qid=20110116192706AANmnhU).
I've been to various doctors and have had some scans and strength tests (on which nothing abnormal has been found). I'm going to the gym twice a week to do various exercises, and I'm going to a psychomotor therapist once every few weeks. So far, all this medical help has not relieved the pain at all. The only thing that really seems to help is to keep moving; however I'd like to sit down sometimes and I have to sleep, and then the pain comes back quickly. I take amitryptiline as a painkiller to very little effect.
I've recently asked for an appointment with a neurologist, which is now scheduled at the end of June (apparently the earliest they could do).
I personally think stress and chronic overstraining of muscles could very well be causes of my problems, so I try to avoid those two factors as much as possible. I try to spend as little time at the computer as possible, I make sure I get enough sleep, eat well, and stay fit and healthy in general. So far all this has not led to any significant improvement. Lately I've been starting to pay more attention to possible neurological causes, and the development of pain in the right side of my head, and the large right pupil seem to me to confirm that maybe some muscles are pressing into some nerves.
Anyway, I hope my story and the symptoms ring a bell with some people, and any advice on what I could do (in regards to therapeutical methods, medicine, food, exercises, etc.) to alleviate this pain is greatly appreciated! It's only been getting worse for 4 years now, it's time to change that around.
Regards,
David