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Fibromyalgia
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Posted 10/29/2011 6:37 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all~~

I found some great reading on the internet about the impact of chronic pain. It comes from a medical institute and I thought we'd take time to chat about the 10 topics they list...one at a time. Please share your thoughts or experiences on the topics as we go through them. First off is a small introduction on the subject followed by the first topic...

The Impact of Chronic Pain[/]
Misconceptions about chronic pain can do harm to people with legitimate medical problems. Patients with chronic pain can and should be treated. Dispelling these damaging myths should raise awareness and encourage more people to seek help with a professional trained in treating chronic pain.
Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists for at least six months. It may result from an initial injury or problem, such as a herniated disk, serious infection, or surgery. There may be an ongoing cause of pain, such as arthritis, scar, or cancer. Some people suffer chronic pain in the absence of any past injury or evidence of damage to the body. Unfortunately, many people with chronic pain do not get the help they need, and the effects may be devastating, not only for the sufferer, but also for an entire family.
Chronic pain is a huge problem in terms of its human and economic toll -- it disables more people than cancer or heart disease, and the annual cost to society in terms of medical treatment, lost working days, decreased productivity and workers compensation is a staggering $100 billion a year.

Myth #1: If the doctor can’t find anything wrong medically with a patient with chronic pain, it must be "in their head.” Maybe they’re crazy.
Fact: Chronic pain is not “in your head.” It is a legitimate medical condition that can and should be treated. Unfortunately, the exact cause of chronic pain cannot always be found. Pain is a complex personal experience, and not all doctors have received adequate training to treat it. Pain management specialists are specifically trained to recognize and treat common and unusual conditions that cause ongoing pain. Although not all pain has an identifiable cause, there is an effective treatment for most painful conditions.

Chutz
Posted 10/29/2011 10:19 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks, good article.
Posted 10/29/2011 3:05 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Chutz,

That is an interesting article.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 10/29/2011 3:17 PM (GMT 0)
Great thread Chutz!

Years ago, when I first sought help for my chronic pain, my doctor wrote it off as....you are menopausal, just moved to a new state...give it some time...you will be just fine! Yep, he dismissed me as a whiny female.

It took time, and another move to a new state before I found the help I needed.

I am so grateful for my PCP...she referred me to a wonderful rheumy who now manages my case and has referred me to other specialists. My rheumy was the one who diagnosed me and sent me to a teaching hosptal to see another rheumy for a confirmation of my complicated diagnosis of MCTD and fibromyalgia.

We are our own best advocates...we know when something is not right :)

Hugs, Robin
Posted 10/29/2011 3:24 PM (GMT 0)
Nope, it definitely is not all in your head.  We are not mental cases...we are people with chronic pain. 

 

Some conventional doctors think that modern medicine is the panacea for all illnesses.  If they can't see it, some will not treat it.  I've just gone througn this with my doctor.  He knows I have fibro but he has always seen me while I was taking ibuprofen.  For some reason, ibuprofen worked wonderfully well for me and kept the pain under control.  I now cannot take it because of bleeding ulcers.  I have been in total misery for five weeks.  Tylenol just doesn't cut it!  He was not going to help me because he did not want me on narcotics and I am not willing to mess with my brain chemicals or deal with the side effects by using Cymbalta, Lyrica, or Savella.  I'm a genuinely happy person and I'm not messing with that at all. 

 

I didn't know if I was going to have to head to a pain clinic.  I didn't want to do that because my doctor has handled all my illnesses and he really is an excellent doctor.  So, I decided to try to see him one more time before heading to a pain clinic.  Once I started explaining to him how I was feeling and how I practically couldn't walk anymore, he did an exam and was "pushing" everywhere.  He finally said, "You have pain everywhere!"  No, duh!  I have fibromyalgia!  But, you see, he never knew I was dealing with that much pain because the ibuprofen was covering it up.  Now he is willing to help me and I'm taking very low doses of Vicodin to help with the pain and I'm searching for other alternative things to help lessen the pain even more. 

 

The fact that doctors can't see a physical problem nor do tests show a physical problem makes fibro our little invisible misery illness.  We have to become proactive, learn everything we can about this illness, and sometimes "train" our doctors!

 

Great topic, Chutzie!

 

Sherrine 

Posted 10/29/2011 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
My primary who dx'd with fibro referred me to a pain clinic after 3 months of hydro, called them and told them I was a drug seeker.!!!! My pain doc said at 1st he thought I was too. I said "well, if wanting to not be in pain is drug-seeking, then I guess I am!!" We are not taking these meds to get "High" but to function a little better.

And I learned that on a pain scale of 1 to 10, I can't medicate myself to a 1. I live with 3-5 everyday, but it beats 8 or9.

Thanks for the affirmation.

Maggie
Posted 10/30/2011 3:14 AM (GMT 0)
Sherrine,

I hope you are not beating yourself up for needing to take Vicodin. I know how you've tried over the years to manage your pain without the use of narcotics and have been able to do so. As I've mentioned before, I have been taking Vicodin for over 20 years. I have NEVER, EVER taken more than what my doctor has prescribed for me. Thankfully, it does help me to manage the pain. It has NEVER taken the pain away, it just makes it tolerable so that I can live my life. I also suffer from depression and anxiety and as many of you know, chronic pain can cause depression. I don't know what I would have done for the past 22 years if I was not able to manage the pain. I have been very fortunate to have doctors that understand and have worked with me to help me manage the pain.

I am now at a point where I am considering surgery. In addition to the fibro, I have a really messed up lower back... scoliosis, severe spinal stenosis, spondylolethesis, degenerative disk disease, arthritis and facet joint pain. I had a flare two weeks ago that sent me to see an orthopedic spinal surgeon. He said I am definitely a candidate for surgery. I had an MRI done and went back to see him and again he is recommending surgery. I'm not convinced I'm going through with the surgery. I know I want to get a second opinion, probably from a neurosurgeon. I've just heard too many bad outcomes from lower back surgery. It scares me.

Well I think I got off topic here. sorry...

Miriam

Posted 10/30/2011 11:16 AM (GMT 0)
Dear MT Lady, my back isssues are not as severe as yours but I can relate...and I don't feel ashamed about taking the meds I take, just like my high blood pressure pills that control the condition.

I can understand you desire to try surgery. I know 6 people who have had spinal surgerry and all 6 say they are in worse pain now than before and scheduled for more, and now it is so hard to get the meds you need! Not trying to scare you...2nd opinion is great please let us know

Wishing you the best
Maggie
Posted 10/30/2011 4:54 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Miriam!  No, I'm not beating myself up.  I've stayed off this stuff for 24 1/2 years with fibro and I think that's great.  I've always said that if there came a time I HAD to use a narcotic, I would.  I live by myself and have to be able to take care of myself and my home.  But, I'm on such a low dose...1 1/2 tablets a day.  I just take enough to take the edge off the pain and I do use Tylenol but am mindful of how much Tylenol is in the Vicodin so I don't take too much.

 

It was so sweet of you to post that.  Yeah, at first I felt "defeated" but now I don't.  BUT, you know me.  I'm searching for other things to help with the pain so I hopefully can get off the Vicodin!  yeah

 

Sherrine

Posted 10/30/2011 8:14 PM (GMT 0)
My doctor also convinced me to take Hydrocodone, 5 mg, 1/2 a pill every 6 hours because he is worried about what all the advil will do to me.

His main concern is that our brains make pain pathways if we experience pain in one place for too long. Those are much harder to deal with than the pain is when you first experience it. That is why he wants me to do everything I can to stay "on top" of the pain rather than endure it whenever possible.
Posted 10/30/2011 8:17 PM (GMT 0)
Sherrine, you sound like you have a good head on your shoulders. Living alone, you certainly do have to be mindful, well everyone should be. I've come to realize we simply cannot make the pain go away, at best, we can make it manageable. If it's not, I think that's when depression rears its ugly head. You are very knowledgeable and you keep informed, well read, and that's all a very good thing. I have said for a very long time that we really need to be our best advocate. Doctors are great, but I sometimes feel as if we need to know more than they do...at least about ourselves, we do!
Be well and take good care
Miriam
Posted 11/1/2011 7:04 AM (GMT 0)
Sherrine, I'm sorry you're going through this right now. I used to hate using Vicodin and refused it whenever the doctor brought it up, but when I burned my arm in multiple places in 2009 (2nd degree), I had to take pain meds and found that the Vicodin also helped with my buttocks pain (I have a fatty tumor on my hip that they say they can't do anything for because of the placement deep within the hip). Since then I have gone on to using norco because it has less Tylenol in it.

I have sciatica off and on and down both legs. My doctor has put me on Valium for that pain; I guess it's a new use for it. It does help, though. I alternate it with the norco but it never gets rid of all the pain. I can get down to a 3 or 4 with it, though. I think taking long drives is out of my future, though, because every time we go to Texas I wind up with sciatica. Sometimes the sciatica is so bad I can only lie on my stomach and can't put any pressure at all on my lower back or buttocks.

MT Lady, I have heard of several good surgeons if you are around the Dallas area or Amarillo (if you are in Texas). My niece said if you are going to have your back operated on, go with a neurosurgeon rather than an ortho doc, I guess because of nerve-related issues. They had a neurosurgeon operate on their son with great success. However, my friend who just had his fourth back surgery has an ortho doc and really likes him. I guess it just depends on the doctor. Best wishes for your surgery.
Posted 11/1/2011 10:38 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you BWFM. I will not have surgery until I feel comfortable and that won't happen until I do more research. I had back surgery in 1988, C5/C6 and had a neurosurgeon do it and it was very successful. I was told at that time don't let anyone touch your spine except a neurosurgeon. Now that orthos are so specialized, I question that. This doctor I saw only does spinal surgery. He said he does what I'm to have 6 times a week and gave me a 90% success rate. I've been told that both doctors are trained the exact same way, one just specializes in nerves (neuro) and one in bones (ortho)...is that true? I don't know...have to research that further. I'm scared to death to have the surgery, but I'm also afraid not to have it, what will happen to my lower back because of the severe stenosis and the vertebra that has shifted off the one beneath it. I was having a pretty good week, since midweek last week until today, I had that awful "snapping" pain behind my right knee again and I think it is the sciatic nerve being pinched. The pain is awful but goes away quickly, but then it leaves me with this awful radiating pain that goes all the way down my leg and takes a week to go away. I think this is all coming from my lower back. It seems to be happening more frequently now...oh well...oh, and I live outside of Chicago so I'm hoping to find a good surgeon here, but I do appreciate your kind thoughts and offer...
be well
Mijriam
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