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Chronic Pain
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Posted 11/26/2011 12:27 AM (GMT 0)
Reason:Chronic (10 years +) pain, lower back.

Drs. don't know why. Disc? Facets? Used to be obese? Drug addict?

Recently changed pain drs. due to "medical leave" on my regular pain dr.

New doc....hates opiods. I must be an addict. I don't know if he can rise above his God complex to treat me objectively or just lable me as a drug seeker because past drs. couldn't find a proceedure to cure me.

Low back pain. I think multiple conditions. No or little response to epidurals. My body tricks diagnostic equipment because I'm 35 and dr. won't humor me to pretend I have a 70 year old skeleton when they look at results. Drs. gave up and gave me vicodin. Enough edge off the pain to pretend to have a normal life, but the fun of the drug wore off YEARS ago.

In my mind, and stated to hubby....drs. get 6 months (till end of my current teaching contract) to find and resolve pain, or medicate sufficiently. After that...most likely end it all. Can't take it. Not sure if I can make it till then, but I will force myself too.

Any advice?

Post Edited By Moderator (Lynnwood) : 11/25/2011 7:23:44 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 11/26/2011 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
Your lower back pain could be also due to Arthritis, maybe seek out help from a Rheumatoid Arthritis doctor,
and you might also have fibromyalgia and that will not show up on any mri's and it is real and you just need better
more compassionate doctors, so continue to seek them out there they do exist...but it can
take a few tries and I'm sorry your being treated badly, things don't always show up on mri's or x-rays...
and for me my arthritis did not show up on any bloodwork, yet it has finally shown up on my mri...
and I'm finally getting good quality care for it, so don't give up there are reasons to keep going,
also RA doctor do treatments for fibro...and then seek out help with counseling cause living with
long term illness can be hard to deal with and counseling helps...
Many well wishes to you and keep us posted, we do care...
Posted 11/26/2011 1:33 AM (GMT 0)
THANK YOU for your reply. I have been feeling SOOOOO alone on this. about 10 years ago I had arthoscopic knee surger...the dr. gave up. When he went into the joint, he was amazed at the degeneration, cleaned up a lot of cart. and did a lateral release to give relief. After reviewing his xrays and mris several times after that, he was sure that he was not looking at the same patient! He could have written me off as a drug seeker, but tried exploratory surgery and plenty of pain meds leading up to the proceedure. Not a text book case. So I mention this to the other doctor (med records are convienietly lost after bankrupcy), and asked him to keep that in consideration. Nope...he's an ASTRICK! But, I'm hoping I'm new to him, and even if he's not up to date on bedside manner that he will be GOOD to cure the pain. I don't want opiates. I'm sick to death of them. I want my brain back. I want to feel natural highs and lows in response to my environment and situation without medicine. BUTTTTTT....I want relief to have a half way normal life until they figure it out. My administration has already agreed to give me a few weeks off work, with pay, if I need to get of the vicodin and get control of my brain again so I don't tramatize students. All the support is in place. Everything is ready, except a confirmed diagonisis (which I thought I had until a recent voicemail) and follow up proceedure. The pain Dr. is an ass, but my family dr. is very happy to either wean me off gradually if I can have the self control, or reduce to the amount that will let me work and then do an at home or in hospital cold turkey over Christmas break. I'm ready. I want this. Time is just running out to get it resolved in my preconcieved time frame. The six month thing is real...I just PRAY to my God that I get a reasonable amount of healing or relief before that. Your reply really lifted me. Just to know others hang on every day and still have the gusto to care of someone feeling despair is priceless. Thank you!!!!
Posted 11/26/2011 6:16 AM (GMT 0)
Hbpersians....Welcome to the HW forum, so sorry for your reason for being here. I agree with Chart, keep trying to find a good pain doctor. It took me 5 doctors until I found one who actually cared, and did not treat me like a drug seeker. I remember one time when I had to go to the ER the nurse took my husband aside and told him your wife is an addict, oh I was so mad I bet you could see steam coming out of my head. I know you feel like you are at the end of your rope but, I promise you if you find the right doctor you will feel differently.

Keep in touch....I have found this forum extremely helpful even if I need to get things off my chest. Hang in there

Take care, Amy

chronic pain(nerve), fibro, and mid depression
Posted 11/26/2011 8:47 AM (GMT 0)
I don't know what kind of doctors you have seen but some specialists you should consider seeing are:

Orthopedics
Neurologist
Rhumetologist
Physical Medicine.
Spine Specialist

You might also want to consider seeing more than one doctor in each of those specialties, especially if you do not seem to get any answers.

In addition to the ones I have listed you could also seek out chiropractic evaluations and possibly treatment. Also someone skilled in acupuncture and/or acupressure might be able to bring some relief. I have never had acupuncture myself but I am familiar with the science behind it. I have had acupressure several times for various reasons, mostly due to minor injuries suffered studying the martial arts in my younger days, and when done correctly it can provide amazing pain relief. It is not right for everything so if you seek out this treatment be sure to find someone who is knowledgeable and skilled.

When I was in my teens I suffered from low back pain and none of the standard imaging tests revealed anything. I ended up going to a chiropractor who took some X-rays at some non standard angles and found that several of my vertebrae were slightly misaligned. It took about 6 months worth of treatments to get any truly lasting results but I went almost 20 years with out any chronic back pain. This is why I suggested a chiropractor.
Posted 11/26/2011 4:32 PM (GMT 0)
Hi HbPersians and welcome to Healing Well's chronic pain forum. I am glad that you found us but sorry that you have to be here. Everyone on this board can relate to your pain problems as we all have that in common. We may not be hurting in the same places as you but is really does not matter. Pain is paun no matter what part of the body is involved.

I am sorry to hear that your PM drs are so rotten. There are a lot of those kinds out there, but there are also some very good ones too. Its just tough having to sift through them until you find the right one. Its certainly not a one size fits all thing thats for sure. Many of us of have gone through several until we could find the right one. Now a days we tend to have to advocate for good care and thats ok to do just that. I know how frustrating it is and all but don't give up. Please know there are two types of pain mgt drs out there. One will do nothing but procedures & injections only, no medication of any kind. The other will do the same but will write a script if he/she feels its necessary.

Some of the others have given you some very good ideas on trying to see different specialist so they can get to the bottom of what is causing your pain. When you don't have a diagnosis its so hard to get a dr to treat because they don't know what to treat.

There is a stigma that goes along with people that suffer with CP. Its not fair by a long shot, but its still there all the same. So many drs do view us as drug seekers and when I run into one like that I get up and walk out. He/she works for me, I pay him, so I don't have to take any guff from him.

I know you feel like you are at the end of the rope, but tie a knot in it and keep hanging on. There is someone out there that can help you. Take care & keep us posted on how you are coming along.
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