Post Mast Pain Syndrome & Post Thoracotomy Pain Syndrome

I have been on a 2 1/2 year quest to figure out why I have this chronic "intractable pain" after lung cancer surgery. Thoracotomy and 1/2 of upper left lobe of lung removed. in my search I have come across many, many women who have the type and area of pain after mastectomy. maybe same nerves cut, not sure. have not worn a bra in 2 1/2 years, pain can be burning or crushing and feels like someone is squeezing or constricting your ribcage until you cannot breathe. Have tried EVERY drug and accupuncture etc and the only thing that works is oxycodone every 6 hrs. hate taking it but the pain never waxes or wanes and it is excruciating...it's pain meds or zero quality of life. It's just a lead that may help or not, don't know. my pain doc also prescibed a compound cream from a pharmacy in northen nj that is small % of keto, lido, baclo, cyclo and gabapentin. (sorry you;ll have to look-up others) and it does seem to help a bit. my 8 inch incision goes from my shoulderblade under armpit and breast to solar-plexus area. sort of like a half-circle. also had bad brachial plexus pain after but that went away.

There is an extensive article on "Post Thoracotomy Pain Syndrome" on the NIH site if I recall.

Thinking of trying marijuana now after watching the cnn shows "weed" with dr sanjay gupta. only if just a little relief and therefore maybe less meds.

Somehow I know there's a connection with these 2 syndromes.

good luck to you all

Hopefully a lead to speak to your doctors about.

I have been to 3 neurologists and have tried gabapentin, lyrica, topamax et al. Just made breathing problems much worse and zero help with pain. i do appreciate feedback though. This is a very "new frontier" of discovery and to make statements  like "Narcotic Meds have little effect of nerve pain" is just false. They can help tremendously and I think making blanket statements like that as a "Moderator" is irresponsible as my thoracic surgeons have told me that many patients of theirs had no benefit from those drugs you mentioned. They also added that they always "thought" that muscle relaxants were the first choice and they are finding that is not the case either. Pain medications work really well on different individual cases and they are finding that more and more.

So please don't make proclamations when you are not a scientist or doctor and should not hamstring people from exploring all options. It has been a God-send to me and don't foget that chronic pain sufferers that have had very invasive surgeries are also suffering from visceral pain to boot.