Hi, I'm living with chronic pain from breaking my jaw.

Hello, my name is Annah. May 18, 2013, I was in a terrible longboarding accident. I broke my jaw in 3 places, and all breaks were displaced. I also knocked 5 of my teeth out, and suffered a traumatic brain injury. My mouth was wired shut for 6 weeks, and I thought that would be the end of it. I was terribly wrong.

It has now been a little over a year and I'm miserable every single day of my life. I am only 18 years old, and the chronic pain is driving me bananas. I will be needing jaw surgery eventually, but no surgeons want to perform it yet because I am so young. My joints are both fused together from the way my bones healed after the displacement. This leaves me in a limbo dealing with pain.

I hate pain killers. They make me a zombie, and I don't feel like myself anymore. I have no energy, and I am just drained even if all I do is sit in bed all day. I started off on Oxycodone as needed. This changed to being 1x daily. We added 300 mg Gabapentin to experiment with and see if I get any results. I get a few results but a bunch of WEIRD side effects. We switched to Norco to try if that would help better, but it turned me to a psycho and I got off of it ASAP. Today after a lot of discussion with my doctor, he switched me to 25mcg/hr Fentaryl patches. So far (it's been 6 hours on), I am feeling pretty messed up every now and again, but not constantly. My jaw feels pretty good, but is still hurting. I have been reading some threads about NASTY withdrawl symptoms from being on these patches, even when used as prescribed. If it is going to help, wonderful; but I am too young and have way too much going for me to accidentally end up addicted to pain patches.

If you have been on the Fentaryl, can you give me any guidance here? My next thing to try is going to be medical marijuana. (It is legal in Michigan where I live). My doctor cannot sign my reference card for me, because they, as a practice, don't do it. That is why I have not tried yet, because I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars for a medical card without even knowing if it will help me.

My pain has been at a 9 for days now. This is the first relief I have had yet. I just really want to be out of pain, but don't want to mess around and get addicted.

Thank you all so much!

This is my first post, I am new here!

Hello Annah,
What a mess. So sorry to hear what you are going through. Its never good to have pain. I can understand your concern over meds. Although I don't take them (long story) I can tell you what I have been told. Addiction is not the same as dependence. People who really need pain meds rarely become addicted. If you have an addictive personality you can get hooked on anything...anything. I have read that less than 5% of the population has this addictive tendency.

If pharmacology helps you don't fight it. Yes it will probably change how you function but the accident and pain already changed your life and functioning. If you can live better with a chemical in your body and the Drs monitor for safety then maybe you should consider the benefits.

I don't know much about the medical marijuana. My husband's oncologist has suggested it for

I wish you luck and welcome to the forum. There are very wonderful people here. Their willingness to share their experience and compassion is awesome.

rocckyd said...
Welcome to the board, although I hate that you need to be here.

I know how awful jaw pain is. I had both sides of my TMJs replaced by titanium joints a few years ago. Last March I had 4in of bone removed on each side as well. I was told to expect greater pain after the surgeries and that surgery was for function, not pain relief. Unfortunately, that statement has been proven true.

I know you are young, but I've been chronically ill since grade school. I'm currently on Fentenyal patches as well as other meds. You are young, but you also need to have your pain managed to where you can live your life.

Thank you for your reply. I'm the most miserable I have ever been and it is just unbearable. Does the fentenyl help you?

read the info on chronic pain 101. It helped me. there is a section on addiction vs. dependence that links to some good articles.
I have tried putting up with the pain, but then i become a "pain" to my friends and family..lol. I too hate the zombie effect the drugs have. then all the taboo behind addiction and drugs make me feel uncomfortable in my shoes. I have heard several survivors of pain tell stories of opening pill bottles and feeling that yucky "am i a druggie?" feeling. Or that "is this what my life has become" and wow, i am not alone. Those drugs are my tools to survive. and its up to me to learn how to use them properly. keep a journal. I have go back and read mine and it helps me see what the pain and drugs are doing to me. It helps me talk to my doctors and not being steered into taking something that does more harm than help. Or to try stuff that we already tried and failed. Gabapentin, lyrica, opiates, muscle relaxers of all kinds are a no go if i want to function at work. and most recently cymbalta (works!) and fetzima all are a no go because of my unstable blood pressure risking a stroke. marinol and dronabinol, tramadol and alprazolam (i hate the word xanax- too many people associate that with drugs of abuse) are what i am trying to learn how to use, but tramadol keeps me awake if i dont time it correctly before bed. Not everyone has the same body chemistry. I wish you all luck, and encourage you to pray and meditate- especially when pain has you stuck in bed.

An amputee once told me- "embrace the pain" and it confused me for years. Now I know.

I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this. I am 29 and have had medical/pain issues since highschool. I too have had 2 bilateral jaw surgeries. I was wired shut more times than I can to remember...it was horrible. I can't imagine how you feel.
One, if you do need the pain meds its ok. And as you build a tolerance you may lose that zombie like feeling. I'm a bit surprised they started with the Fentanyl so soon without trying other meds, but each doctor is different. Morphine doesn't help me, but it does most people and PM drs seem to start out with the morphine as its tolerated well (usually). anyway.
I do hope you find relief, a good surgeon who can help you, and an understanding support system and doctors.

Always feel free to post on here too.

Would a condylotomy help un-fuse the joints or whatever? that surgery is what saved me from pain and dislocations, but I know your story is totally different