Coping with pain

[Notch7]

Had a couple of MRI's...got bulging discs. Back has gotten steadily worse over the years as has the burning pain....

Tried umpteen things.

Now, even lying down is painful...

I’m very sorry to hear that, chronic pain is debilitating, it affects everything you do and if it’s the back it’s one of the worst places.

Smoking or vaping Cannabis can make a huge difference, but obv it’s illegal so I can’t recommend it, also I’ve. It taken it so have experience.

There are much stronger pain killers than paracetamol and ibuprofen but most are opioid based and addictive.

Steroids can really lower inflammation but are only suitable for short term use as they have serious side effects

 

[accelerator]

What I would say is keep moving, don't allow it to stop you moving. Even if you can only walk a little bit, do the little bit of walking you can at low intensity, and attempt to build it up slowly over time.

Check your diet and make sure you are getting enough of things that are good for joint mobility, e.g. omega 3, Vitamin E.

 

[Koolpc]

I’m very sorry to hear that, chronic pain is debilitating, it affects everything you do and if it’s the back it’s one of the worst places.

Smoking or vaping Cannabis can make a huge difference, but obv it’s illegal so I can’t recommend it, also I’ve. It taken it so have experience.

There are much stronger pain killers than paracetamol and ibuprofen but most are opioid based and addictive.

Steroids can really lower inflammation but are only suitable for short term use as they have serious side effects

Thanks. Appreciate your comments and those of others...

I dont smoke and have never tried cannabis etc. Dont think i would want to unless prescribed....

I will go back to my doc and ask about stronger painkillers. Daughters friends dad uses liquid morphine but only on really bad days as i know that can be addictive...

 

[Koolpc]

What I would say is keep moving, don't allow it to stop you moving. Even if you can only walk a little bit, do the little bit of walking you can at low intensity, and attempt to build it up slowly over time.

Check your diet and make sure you are getting enough of things that are good for joint mobility, e.g. omega 3, Vitamin E.

I been out walking every day for the last 6 months. I can only walk a short distance before it gets too much (approx between 1 to 3 miles).

Overall, its the burning pain that messes with my head as i find zero comfort in life, be it sitting, standing or lying down the burning is extremely uncomfortable.....doc thinks its because of the bulging discs damaging nerves that travel to the rear of my legs/ars..e....

 

[Scally-Ho]

How do you suffer with chronic pain?

My docs are just useless...

After almost giving up with the NHS and their so-called London spine unit specialists, I gave a new lady a final go and since then my pain has been under MY control. I've deep seated trapped spinal nerves that are far too risky for operations (my Harley knuckle head is to blame), so she offered me Dihydrocodeine Tartrate tablets at 30mg to start with and now sometime later I'm on 40mm Forte tablets to take as and when I need them. I doubt if your regular NHS GP will be able to prescribe them without special authorisation, but my GP now does so with my main hospital's authorisation as a standing order and my pharmacist insists I have to sign for each batch.

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bnf.nice.org.uk

 

[Koolpc]

After almost giving up with the NHS and their so-called London spine unit specialists, I gave a new lady a final go and since then my pain has been under MY control. I've deep seated trapped spinal nerves that are far too risky for operations (my Harley knuckle head is to blame), so she offered me Dihydrocodeine Tartrate tablets at 30mg to start with and now sometime later I'm on 40mm Forte tablets to take as and when I need them. I doubt if your regular NHS GP will be able to prescribe them without special authorisation, but my GP now does so with my main hospital's authorisation as a standing order and my pharmacist insists I have to sign for each batch.

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bnf.nice.org.uk

I have just decided to message the surgery tomorrow. See what they can do as its at a point that my life is utterly miserable......

Thing is, i have seen the doc a few times over the last month or so for other issues. I just hate the fact that they are thinking "here he comes again!"....

I am not a Hypochondriac! I have genuine issues.

 

[Scally-Ho]

I have just decided to message the surgery tomorrow. See what they can do as its at a point that my life is utterly miserable......

Feel free to PM me if there is anything you'd rather not share in open forum.

 

[Koolpc]

The burning issue is unbearable but docs said nothing they can do. I even saw a neurologist several years ago and all he gave me was cooling cream that did nowt!!!!

My docs have said i got to learn to live with it. Its been over 25 years of suffering with the burning pain alone!!!

 

[Scally-Ho]

The burning issue is unbearable but docs said nothing they can do. I even saw a neurologist several years ago and all he gave me was cooling cream that did nowt!!!!

My docs have said i got to learn to live with it. Its been over 25 years of suffering with the burning pain alone!!!

NO! You do NOT have to learn to cope with it. I was given diclofenac gel that was worse than useless as all it did was leave me with streaming eyes.
There IS help out there, its just finding the right sympathetic prescriber

 

[Odds]

Have a word with ODDS - he will sort you out with "something" to help.

Indeeed, Medical Mary Jane is a soothing palliative for a pain in the back and, in your case, a pain in the ars.

 

[ic1927]

Last year I had a rotator cuff tear that was agony, could not sleep properly for two months, pain killers didn't help. A physiotherapist sorted me out, he was brilliant. Got arthritis in my knee, naproxen was prescribed, it didn't really help and made me feel like ****e, started taking turmeric and that helped with the inflammation, apparently turmeric has the same anti-inflammatory effects as naproxen but without the nasty side effects.

 

[jj4091]

I only take ibuprofen and paracetamol when it gets really bad. I try not to take it every single day..

Have you been offered corrective surgery. It's a last resort but only you can decide. People do have succes with it.
If you don't need painkillers and ibrofen daily then I would suggest you try gabapentin or tramadol. Both excellent pain killers with Gabapentin more effective for nerve pain. unfortunately both have side efects and are Morphine based but if you don't need them so often then that and addiction shouldn't be a problem.
As far as physiotherapy goes the only thing I found helped in a similar situation to you was being put on the rack. Unfortunately the relief doesn't last long enough.
If it's any consolation with time your vertebrae will fuse together naturally and often relieve the ongoing pain

 

[Koolpc]

Last year I had a rotator cuff tear that was agony, could not sleep properly for two months, pain killers didn't help. A physiotherapist sorted me out, he was brilliant. Got arthritis in my knee, naproxen was prescribed, it didn't really help and made me feel like ****e, started taking turmeric and that helped with the inflammation, apparently turmeric has the same anti-inflammatory effects as naproxen but without the nasty side effects.

Took tumeric for a year. Nowt it did for me..it was high dose one from H&B too...

 

[Koolpc]

Have you been offered corrective surgery. It's a last resort but only you can decide. People do have succes with it.
If you don't need painkillers and ibrofen daily then I would suggest you try gabapentin or tramadol. Both excellent pain killers with Gabapentin more effective for nerve pain. unfortunately both have side efects and are Morphine based but if you don't need them so often then that and addiction shouldn't be a problem.
As far as physiotherapy goes the only thing I found helped in a similar situation to you was being put on the rack. Unfortunately the relief doesn't last long enough.
If it's any consolation with time your vertebrae will fuse together naturally and often relieve the ongoing pain

They said not bad enough for surgery....

Gabapentin has been offered as has Pregabalin but i was wary of the side effects..

 

[ic1927]

Took tumeric for a year. Nowt it did for me..it was high dose one from H&B too...

Did you take it with black pepper? you need to for it to be absorbed, also its fat soluble, so it should be taken with some fat like olive oil.