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Posted 7/20/2015 12:42 PM (GMT 0)
Hi I usually post on the Rheumatoid page but felt this is better answered by you guys
I have had RA for aprox 30 years and as time went on accumulated other issues
Osteoporosis (from steroids), Degenerative Disc Disease , Heart Disease, Fibromyalgia, Sleep Apnoea & Nocturnal respiratory failure, Diabetes , Cataracts, Asthma

and I find the RA is currently sort of under control where I get pain Most of the time but Not as constant like before But I have a Huge issue with my Back over past few years I have had 3 fractures and 6-8 times Disc ruptures and 4 times the nerve has been caught and I was paralysed once for 6 months (3 in bed not knowing if I would ever walk again and 3 in wheel chair ) I saw an Orthopaedic Surgeon he said he Would Not touch my back Due to the Poor state it is in due to the Osteoporosis it would crumble, so I just live with it.

my issue lately with my back is I know I have a disc rupture again & it is effecting my sciatic nerve as I have pain in lower back like broken glass and pain in my butt and Hip this is Constant and I am So Tired of being in Pain
I have a good GP who has put me on Lyrica and then increased the dose this has helped
but im just So Tired of being in pain 24/7 if its not the RA its my back or teeth or general Fatigue .
and add to that general family issues and any little problem I just want to cry it feels like im always either in pain or worrying about things , and not being able to care for myself physically means I rely on others so this causes me to worry even more , How do you cope with Constant Pain and fear
Posted 7/20/2015 2:18 PM (GMT 0)
Hello BadDay & welcome aboard. Wow, sounds like you have a lot on your plate. You know its tough enough to have one thing going on, but multiple issues just seem to compound things even more for us.

I am not a dr by any means but it sounds like you are depressed. Chronic pain & depression go hand in hand for some reason. Many times we find if we can get the depression under control it helps our pain levels some what. The feeling like you want to cry at times is a pretty good indicator. If you are already on something for depression it may not be doing its job very well & it may need to be adjusted or even changed. Talk to your dr & let him/her know what is going on with you. Do not think for a moment being depressed is a sign of weakness either. It takes a tough person to live the life we live.

Are you under the care of a pain mgt dr? Most of us here in this forum see pain mgt drs as they know best how to help manage pain. They have a different approach than what a GP would. Also, it sounds like your pain control may not be quite up to speed. There again when having multiple pain issues it can be a tough balancing things out.

Keep in mind when taking any medication long term we can build up tolerance issues & the meds stop working as well as they once did.

Trying to find things we can do with our limitations to help take the focus off of our pain is something we are big on. Whether its listening to calming music, or having a hobby, or taking some time every day to just chill out. We each have to find something we can do to get our mind off of our pain & not let it rule our lives.

Having to depend on others as you do, really makes it hard for a person no doubt. I have been in that position before & can empathize with your situation.

I hope that you will continue to come here & reach out. Having folks that understand goes a very long ways. Everyone here deals with pain of some sort.

Take care.
Posted 7/21/2015 12:01 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Susie Thank You for your reply, No i'm not on anything for depression I keep telling myself I am not depressed and don't want to be labelled as depressed that Doctors might see me differently.
I know this is old school thinking on my part.
and at the moment we have family issues we have to move from the house we rent and finding another in our area is very hard also expensive and I am stressing that we wont find something in time which makes everything else over powering
just this morning I went to walk from kitchen to sit down when stab in my back & and hip and can't move my leg.so hobble to chair wait till it eases and then im ok again
Posted 7/22/2015 4:23 PM (GMT 0)
I handle it one day at a time and on really bad days one hour or minute at a time. Having to depend on other can be humbling. Especially when you are the one that always took care of everyone. But, limitations can be turned into Blessings. You begin to notice and appreciate things you didn't before. For example flowers, you can take the time to notice and appreciate flowers now because you aren't in such a hurry when you pass them that you don't really see them. You may not be able to get down in the floor and play with grandchildren, but you now have the time to just look at them and take in all that grandchildren mean.

When a door closes, the Lord opens another door or window. It isn't always right away and often we have to seek it to find it.
Posted 7/22/2015 4:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Bad Day,

Just came across this forum. Thought I might add some insight to help you move forward to getting back in control of your life. Lyrica is a wonderful thing once you get to a therapeutic level, it makes the nerve pain disappear without making you high. It is not the only thing you gotta work on to get back control of your life. Pain is registered in two parts of the brain, one part registers that there is pain, the other part registers how much it hurts you. The part that registers how much it hurts you is the same part of the brain that is Anxiety and Depression. When the doctors want you to do the anti-depressant there is a two fold reason.. first medications like Cymbalta and reduce muscle pain as well as Lyrica help Nerve pain. It also calms the Anxiety/Depression center of the brain so the pain does not hurt you as much. It has nothing to do with they think you are crazy. Still this is not enough, you need get up and get out of the house. You need to do things that are fun, you need to stop wanting people to treat you like you are sick. Why? because you need to do activities that reduce anxiety of sitting there saying the pain is killing you. From Yoga, swimming, deep water aerobics (highly recommended), walking, talking, shopping, getting out having fun.. A warm shower works wonders for those panic attack. The bigger ones for this are Mindfulness Meditation and/or Bio-Feedback. You can train yourself to be in a relaxed state so you can sleep, and even like myself teach yourself to observe the pain as a third party. Example would be that I felt my leg was wet not someone stabbing me with a ice pick, and tearing burning scabbed flesh from my leg.

People in chronic pain are consistent in procrastination, getting one into the pool to do deep water aerobics is like dragging a elephant who does not want to move, but once you get them in the water they don't want to get out.

Take control! A Cognitive Behavioral Specialist (A Specialized Psychiatrist) can teach you Biofeedback, and anti-anxiety techniques. They can also help you with typical panic disorders associated with being in chronic pain like Agoraphobia (for people who don't leave the house).
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