[Monty_girl]

Think we need a forum for chonic pain. This is my screaming in PAIn for today. All I can say is i hurt. my fingures hurt. My feet and legs hurt. PT is making me feel worse. My muscles ache so much. I don't want to end up taking another pain pill tonight. But I think I'm going to have to. The other night I was so tired but hurt so much. I couldn't physically lay down it hurt so much. pain is so bad.

[Rhapsody]

I hear YOU...... I live in PAIN lately, my RA is getting so bad these days / months.

I live on pain pills just to move and to sleep at night.

((((((( HUGS ))))))) ~ ~ ~ ~ ((((((( HUGS )))))))


LoVe,
Rhapsody -

[wisewoman]

Please do whatever you need to to get ahead of it and feel better. I agree, it would be great to have a doc or pharmacist or a nurse who deals with pin management to be here for us. Please take your meds and feel better. Sleeping is better then pain. Remember no more then 4,000 mg of acteminophen in 34 hours. Peace to your pained body.

[Monty_girl]

((((((((((((((((((Soft hugs )))))))))))))))))))))

Ty Rhapsody and Wisewoman

I feel like I've failed or something when I break down to take a pain pill. Taking Lortabs right now. So feel so really guilty when I have to take one. But sleep is so needed. I've woken up screaming in pain just trying to raise up out of bed. I've never been in so much pain as I've been in this last month. In PT they are strengthen my muscles to compensate for my joints laxity. I'm 33 and I can hardly move. I went to Wal-Mart last night to get my meds and my cousin was there with her little girl. I couldn't even bend down to see her. Just hurt. I can't even hold onto the steering wheel to drive and fingers hurt so much to bend them.

[January]

(((((((((( Monty ))))))))))))))

Be gentle with yourself. You haven't failed if you take a pain pill. It's not your fault if you're in pain. I'm so sorry you're going through this, but take your medicine and get your rest. Chronic pain is so wearing on the body and the psyche.

Soft hugs,

Jan

[wisewoman]

I don't know what a loratab is but there have been several conversations here lately about staying ahead of the pain. Once it is so intense it is much more difficult to get under control. Take the pills and think about it the way we know about pain management.

[OneAndMany]

(((((((((Lisa)))))))))

Oh, I feel bad for you with your pain! Lortabs when needed are truly not bad to take, definitely not a failure. I have extremely loose joints too (have had injuries due to it, no idea if it is that syndrome you described) and I have to make sure that I don't dissociate when I either stretch the joint too far and cause pain or when I am exercising and just do too much. It is so easy and quick for me to distance myself and not feel the pain that I end up getting hurt and not knowing until later. Please take good care of yourself and let the PT ppl know how much you hurt afterwards. They should help you moderate and help you stay in the moment and feel your muscles as you work them.



Elizabeth

[zoidy]

I think chronic pain has to be one of the most debilitating conditions around. Acute pain sucks, but when there's no end in sight it's a terrible thing. I can't start to imagine what it must be like.

As a very wisewoman has said, staying ahead of the pain is the currently recommended strategy for chronic pain. It's probably a good idea to talk to your doctor about longer acting pain relief. We don't have Lortabs in Australia but we do have longer acting versions of the same ingredient which I am sure are available elsewhere (US?).

As far as drugs are concerned, another thing which seems stupid but oddly enough does work for some (depending on the type of pain) is taking regular acetaminophen/paracetamol (Tylenol) - 1000mg four times day, every day (or a long acting version less often). This may often need to be supplemented with something stronger, but it can help and works together with the stronger medicines to give an added effect. Other advantages to this are that it won't destroy your stomach or cause constipation and it's cheap.

Non drug stuff is sort of specific to the cause of the pain - if you want to talk about it more I can tell you what I know,

Take care,

Zoidy (Pharmacist and medical student)