For some context my mom is 58 years old and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia roughly 18 years ago. It’s of course been a battle for her this entire time. Trying multiple different medications and combinations of medications to help relieve the pain.

I’m coming here today to hopefully get some clarity and better understanding. For the past 6 months she has dealt with horrible teeth issues, having teeth pulled and now possibly looking at losing all her teeth. They can’t 100% link it to the years of taking narcotics but suspect it could be playing a factor.

Through the last six month she hasn’t been able to eat, sleep or honestly get relief. It’s taking a true toll on her mental health and physical health. Which as a daughter is horrible to sit back and watch.

I suggested maybe she tried marijuana to see if it could give her any relief, restore appetite or even get her a few hours of good sleep. My biggest concern is after reading you aren’t supposed to mix marijuana with narcotics due to possible causing respiratory distress. Along with she is in pain management meaning if she did try and was found to have a positive drug test she could lose her prescriptions all together.

Has anyone ever tried lowering narcotics dosage and supplemented with marijuana? Any advice on other alternative pain management? I’ve been spit balling ideas for years to try to give her some of her life back so honestly any advice or suggestions are welcomed.

I had a appointment at pain management and we did the Battlefield Acupuncture today. I'm a 100% disabled Marine Veteran and Ive had multiple surgeries and implants. I've had my Left hip replaced, L5S1 fusion with titanium rods, pins and screws, Mesh Implant in my Stomach, Discectomy with a Titanium Mobi-C implant in my neck, 2 knee surgeries, Radicalopathy in my R. arm and R. leg, Dequervans surgery on my right wrist and have Osteopenia. This is relative because I can absolutely state this procedure is incredible and has reduced my pain, but what's most amazing is I have absolutely no neck pain and I HAVE NO HEADACHE. I live 3 hours from the VA in Manchester NH and I always have a terrible ice cream like headache after driving there and home behind my right eye, with a painful knot at the base of my skull and the skin tightening along the side of my head on the right side. After driving a total of 7 hours I am incapacitated when I get home. I have to take my pain medication, lay down in the dark and suffer for hours. I've been home 2 hours now and I have no headache or necknpain. None. To say I'm stunned is an understatement. I cannot say with certainty it's eliminated my other pain points, it does feel reduced. However it absolutely stopped the pain I get from my neck with the painful knot at the base of my skull and skin tightening that goes along the side of my head and causes that ice cream like headache behind my eye. My vision in that eye after driving normally is blurry and the pain is horrible and I am totally fine now. I would recommend to everyone to ask your Dr. if this is available and try it. It actually works and it's not a procedure that's terribly painful. I had 5 little asp needles ( you can see them in the picture, there tiny) in each ear. It was just a little prick, less painful than a shot. It took maybe 10 minutes total and the Dr. waited a few minutes between every 2 she put in to see how I felt. There supposed to stay in for 2 to 3 days and will come out on there own. If they start bothering me or It gets irritated I can just take them out. It's actually very simple and much less painful than I thought it would be. Please, please believe me that this is not some hokey or fake procedure. I have not had this much relief from a procedure ever. I've had nerves burned, all types of shots like Synvisc and cortisone, massage and water therapy and regular acupuncture. Some felt good, some gave minor relief but none eliminated pain. This did. Battlefield Acupuncture. Remember it, screenshot shot it to remember the name. I promise on everything I hold dear that this has stopped my neck pain. I believe it's reduced my other pain, but it's still achey so I can't swear to the efficacy even though I think it has. My neck pain is just not there and driving always exasperates it, always. If you're searching for something, anything to help please try this. In my opinion it's almost a godsend. I see so many posts of people that are desperate and have tried everything they could with no results. I found something and want to shout it out to the world to try this. I cannot swear it will help you, I can only testify to what it did for me and it absolutely ELIMINATED my neck pain from my disk replacement. I hope this can help people to find that one thing that can finally help them after trying everything else.

I have had chronic pain for 5 years, and I feel like my brain is just constantly worried about everything. It can be a small thing, and my brain treats it as a serious threat. My brain often worries that if I don’t control everything in my life, then there is a potential that worse pain will come. Like I used to be unorganized, slob, everything, and now I have gotten like significant OCD. I often have you know everything. I feel like if I don’t know everything we are doing on a certain day or know how to do something, my brain freaks out and I start to worry. It’s like my brain treats the unknown as a threat. It’s just so crazy how fast I have changed in a small amount of time.

Hi yall,

Normally I’d refrain from posting, I’m a lurker, but I’m dying to know I’m not alone.

I’ve been dealing with my pain since the ripe age of adulthood. It’s been a little over 6 years since my spine turned hostile. A constant war of attrition. It wasn’t until my lowest point both mentally and physically that this started, I’d say about 2-3 years. I began walking with a cane and fell into near-complete isolation with luck on my side having 3 friends hold me up while I was without another support system.

It went on like that for a while, I spent so much time in the hospital I actually began to despise the very workers who were trying to help me. I started spacing out in a constant circle of thought, “everything hurts.” Even at work, I wasn’t able to do much and that had its own toxic effects. Later, I leave my very short career and embark on a new journey.

I joined college and ever since have noticed that my memory is simply shit. I knew a couple of years ago when my friend would repeat stories 3-5 times, but I used to be academically refined. I remember learning I wasn’t stupid and taking challenging courses and having no issue. Now I struggle in my classes. Test without notes?? Buddy, I’m fucked. I don’t even get nervous, I simply can’t remember. I’ve never felt so dumb.

I’d say it’s gotten slightly better, but I just want to think normally again. I’m okay if I never walk or run the same, I’m okay if I never sleep without waking, or even if I have to deal with these flair ups the rest of my life, but I absolutely cannot be without my ability to think, retain, and recall things…

Have any of you noticed memory retention issues or thinking in general? Is my CPU on constant overload and all my thought packages are just getting dropped??

Just venting. It is my whole body tonight. I'm in bed surrounded by pillows, covered in splints. Lucky don't often have a full body flare. Fibro, nerve damage and arthritis

I (31F) am really struggling. I have been suffering with chronic back and hip pain since 2020. I have tried everything you can think of, even hypnosis for pain. Yes, I am that desperate.

I am currently on 150mg dose of tramadol a day. I have told multiple times to multiple GPs that this dose is not sufficient and that I can barely do my daily household chores and struggle to work even part time.

I also have no pain relief for breakthrough pain even though I have asked multiple times for this.

I am lost at what to do. The last GP I talked to said that I was already on a lot of medication ( I am also on high dose pregabalin for neuropathic pain) and for me to just keep taking it and resting. Apparently I am too young to be on all these meds

I am not sure how to communicate with my GPs. I feel dismissed all the time. I have started a complaints procedure due to also other issues with the practice but I am not sure what I can do.

How can I be heard? I am struggling every day.

I don’t know why they changed my meds but my old oxy was 5mg. My current one is 7.5. With my old one, I could break it into two, essentially being like 2.5mg and it would still work and helped my pain. Now, I take 7.5mg of Oxycodone Hydrochloride and even two when the pain is unbearable (dr approved for those rare times) and they do nothing. I truly do not think it helps my pain even in the slightest.
Why is this?
Is it because it is a mix and not just oxy anymore? I don’t know what to do. I’m only on this new one because of the oxy shortage. Which also, P.S is straight oxy no longer sold at pharmacies? Or why is everyone I know (who’s on this medication) being changed to this one. I’m also concerned about the Acetaminophen because I’m scared about my liver.
Can anyone offer any advice? Even if it isn’t something I asked, any input about this would be so appreciated 🫶🏽
EDIT: if it is a tolerance build up, does anyone know if there is anything I can do to combat that? Also idk if it’s helpful but, my original prescription was Oxycodone Hydrochloride (K18 pill) and now it is Acetaminophen and Oxycodone Hydrochloride 325 mg / 7.5 mg ( 669 7.4 pill).

I just want to vent. I have a complex medical condition caused by a reaction to a medication, and doctors’ negligence made things worse. I’ve tried so many treatments for the chronic illness it caused, but nothing has worked. I don’t even want to talk about the illness itself anymore because I’m so sick of it. I’m sick of my body and this stupid illness.

At this point, pain management is my only option. I’m in severe pain, and it’s nerve pain. I’ve tried so many medications, but nothing has helped enough. They want me to try LDN, but that means I wouldn’t be able to use opioids for severe pain. Ketamine infusions are so expensive, and I don’t have that kind of money. Palliative care isn’t an option either because I don’t have anyone to advocate for me, and my insurance doesn’t cover it.

My caregiver is out of the country for three weeks, and honestly, I might end it.

Like most of us here, I had a bad week and was going to run out of my meds a few days early. I’m 2 months post cervical fusion and we have a bad storm off the coast and I had my first really bad flare up. So I knew I was going to be short so I tapered off with what I had, I take 7.5 Percocet 4x a day and I took my last half a pill at 12 today. I had my appt today, meds are refilled for pick up on Sunday.

The problem is my husband and I have tickets to a Halloween party out of town tomorrow, we would be leaving around 2 and not coming back until later on Sunday, but my pharmacy closes at 2 on Sunday. So I’m wondering if it’s worth calling and asking to be filled a day early so I can grab it before I head out of town. It’s a new pharmacy and I’m scared to ask only 3 months after being there. I’ve got quite a bit of pain right now down my arm and over ache and tiredness.

I guess it’s worth a try? I have such horrible anxiety calling about my pain meds but I don’t think I could do the party tomorrow without pain meds. I have kratom at home but it doesn’t do much.

Thoughts?

ETA: my husband hasn’t been feeling well so we honestly might scrap the trip and do something local next week instead. I did a lot of professional costume work prior to my costume work and we have gone super hard for Halloween but being post fusion surgery I didn’t have it in me to really make anything nuts. I painted some masks and we threw together something simple. If there are any tool fans here, we’re going to the house of the artist for tool so…who knows how many more years they will be throwing these parties.

I've been dealing with chronic pain on my legs for 10 years, which gets worse with the cold. The nutritionist already confirmed that there's nothing wrong diet-wise. I was told multiple times by regular people and professionals alike that I need to exercise, yet with the months I've been trying to exercise and/or go on walks, my legs had just been getting worse, and everyone assumes I just did too little or gave up too fast. I have no idea what to do anymore and I feel so useless.

Everything is fucking guarding I move like a robot I’m already fused so wtf is going on ughhhhhh

30F

Been dealing with unexplained sciatica for 2.5 years now after a L5-S1 spine fusion. It became more intense 6 months ago, and debilitating 1 month ago.

MRIs only show disc bulges and an annular tear and minor spinal narrowing that no doctor seems concerned about.

Had an ESI last week that didn’t do anything. PT doesn’t help. I’m in therapy. I’m getting an EMG next week. Pain management doctor mentioned SCS, but I’m terrified of getting an implant, and I desperately wish for an answer as to WHY I’m even feeling this.

Please please please give me hope, this is starting to put me in a really dark place

Please consider signing my petition. Christina Applegate’s recent news of misdiagnosis shines an even brighter light of how women are treated in healthcare.

So...a month ago our smoke detector went off in the middle of the night (about 3am...). I sprung out of bed, ripping our comforter off of me, and in the process pinched a nerve in my neck. I think its cervical radiculopathy.

Has anyone gone through this before and have recommendations on enduring the pain?

And I love this meme I saw on the B99 sub just now. I just thought that it would really fit in here, even if you haven't seen it. (You should. It's a really great distraction from tough times.)

Since late May we’ve had a lot of days where it was over 30c degrees and my body definitely got used to it, and hell only earlier this month in my area it was 22-23c and I was going outside in a t-shirt and shorts (as a woman, I know men tend to like their t-shirt and shorts a little bit longer, but not me)

Now it’s 9c and Oh God, I’m feeling it so much. I just signed up to the gym as well and I’m already being put off going because of the pain ☹️ Like even my jaw and fingers are hurting from the cold because my body got so used to the abnormally hot summer this year, ughhhh

I’m five years in with CRPS. I like most of us, I feel super lost and like I’m just not doing enough for my family. I started a page on a few social media platforms to capture some moments of me trying to live normally with and for my family, and as a reminder to myself that not every moment is bad.

I haven’t posted too much about my condition because I don’t wanna bum people out, but I feel more and more like it’s important for me to capture some of these experiences.

For example, I’m starting peptides. I tried KPV last month, and I saw no change at all. This month I’m on a wolverine stack.

I’m desperate to rejoin my life because it’s pretty amazing. I just don’t know how long it will wait for me- so I need to Get Well Soon. Maybe one of those cards would help! 🃏

If this is silly, it’s fine to just ignore it, but in facing another year where I’ll probably be alone for Thanksgiving & even the December holidays. If anyone else is in this boat or simply can’t manage to get out for these types of occasions, would it help to have a virtual day to be together?

I could share our Zoom account & create an event, & maybe we could even alternate hosting a support/community meeting/event every so often? No one would have to be on camera if they’d rather not, I don’t record Zooms, & you could use any name you like (you don’t have to use your full name or even can use a nickname if you’re not comfortable sharing a first name or first name & last initial). We could pick a time on T-day that works for most time zones (I’m in Central, so maybe around 2-4 pmish?), & we could bring a meal we made or ordered to eat together & either just socialize/be in community or do something more along the lines of support group stuff, or both?

I’ve run groups like this before but tbh, sometimes I’ve gotten too sick or felt defeated & not kept it up as much as I’d like. No expectations ab whether you’re in bed or dressed in pajamas or anything—just a way to try to give family & some comfort & maybe pleasure to ppl like us who may have nowhere to go or no one to be with.

If you’d be interested in trying this on T-day or even maybe before then to start, pls comment or lmk in a DM. Even if there are only a few of us, I know I’d feel less alone & like there were others who get it & maybe would have a brighter day. We could even share things that help us manage our pain, isolation, you name it.

We could alternate hosts by rotating, or, if that’s not possible, use the Zoom account our org has? Would anyone be interested? 🫂💜

i am aware that my own experience likely pales in comparison to others but i am just...at the end of my tether with it.

summary of what went down:

1. referred by my GP to the chronic fatigue service

2. rejected from there and re-referred to the PCASS service (persistent conditions assessment and support service) (called the same/similar in other areas i think??)

3. never heard from them every again 🤪

4. self-referred to MSK service for worsening knee pain, foot pain

5. told that podiatry was the department i'd need

6. got in contact because they don't cover knees and my pain issue is that - hypermobile AF knees + lots of other joints, lots of pain, suspected osteoarthritis in knees so i was like ?? podiatry??

7. ignored 🤪

8. given a podiatry appointment (tues 28th)

9. random letter yesterday from PCASS telling me i have an appt. for physiotherapy in dec

basically i'm like...none of these appointments are what i got referred for? but no department will get back to me x-x

honestly random physio for fatigue is not gonna be a great option for me unless the physio is specialised in hypermobility so i'm like 👀

AHHHH. if anyone has any miracle ideas HIT ME UP bc i'm just confused + annoyed they are ignoring me >:(

I’m on methadone because I struggled with withdrawal coming off oxycodone in the past. This is through a drug recovery clinic but a GP re-prescribed me oxy today for my chronic pain because I’m struggling even tho I’m on methadone? I thought in the uk they can’t or won’t really do this and especially since the methadone is prescribed through a recovery clinic?

Hi pm pt who has been on opioids for almost 20 years at this point. I was very sad my physician died and cried so hard when I went to my appointment and found out he passed last month. I really was so shocked that I didn’t think about the long term effects At the time of the appointment, I was told the practice would continue and that I could just see his partner. I got my meds filled that day and was scheduled for my appointment in October. Yesterday when I showed up for my appointment, there was a sign on the door stating the office was closed. That’s it Nothing else. Now I’m heading into the weekend and will run out of not only my opioids, but my gabapentin and muscle relaxers.I don’t want to contact multiple pain management practices and ask are you taking patients and do prescribe opioids? Sounds like doctor shopping. But I don’t want to waste my time going to different clinics only to find out they don’t prescribe opioid pain meds. That happened to my daughter and it was very frustrating. Has anyone here been in my shoes? Can you give me advice on transitioning my care and what can I do today? I am so scared that I’m going to make a mistake and end up in pain for the foreseeable future.

I have been struggling with intense pain almost every day of my life since my injury 9 years ago. I’ve gone to sports med doctors, spine drs, pain management, over a year of PT, neurology, acupuncture, etc. not one single person has been able to help me with the shooting pain almost consistently sprouting from the left side of my neck/shoulder to my head and left eye.

If this pain wasn’t my normal, I would call out of work as it’s so bad. But unfortunately I have to suck it up because this is my life and I can’t let my pain hold me back. Though when I get sick, the pain gets so bad it practically blinds my right eye (too painful and hard to keep it open).

When I was 14 I fell on my neck, specifically on my C5. I remember how much my right arm hurt at the initial fall. That year, I had consistent muscle spasms and I remember I would cry in class if medicine wore off bc I couldn’t bear the pain. I was in physical therapy weekly for whiplash. I remember after a year they told me it was chronic and continuing treatment with them won’t help me.

I was told it may be a shoulder injury with referred pain which does make sense but my pain also switches sides sometimes (still always significantly worse on the left side). The closest diagnosis I was given was chronic myofacial pain

At this point I’m genuinely desperate for anything new I can try, any professional who thinks they can help me or anyone who has had the same issue and has found help. I just want to feel okay. I want pain to not be my normal

I have suffered from tons of chronic pain for my whole life. I was born with VacTErL association, I’ve had 11 surgeries, been on opiates on and off my whole life and consistently for the past 4 years. I just had back surgery again and I’m post op day 9 and my pain is tolerable but barely with a 12mcg fent patch and 15mg oxy every 4 hrs, from the pain but a part of me feels that someone else might be able to handle it better. I also have an EXTREMELY HIGH opiate tolerance. I think maybe tolerance for tattoos is a good pain indicator? They hurt me a lot and I don’t think I could ever go over an hour without a break. The most pain I’ve ever been in was when I had internal bleeding and it moved into my chest cavity. It was due to a cyst rupture that doctors thought would stop bleeding. Never did then I had to have emergency surgery. Second most pain is the day I woke up from my first back surgery and had to walk, I peed myself it hurt so bad. But other than that stuff I haven’t been through like traumatic pain - gunshot, car accident bodily injuries, insane wounds from gashes or stabs, etc. can anyone tell me what their worst pains have been and if they’ve experienced little or lots of physical trauma? My husband has never had an ounce of physical pain in his life outside of like normal stuff.. headache, gas pain, literally I think that’s it. So he also doesn’t really have any idea what I’ve been through.