Do. You actually find any of the pain control drugs help one little bit?
I had a variety over the years. And not a one has helped with reducing pain.
Some have floored me. Some have given me hope that they will help as I up chuck them for a month.
Some have validated my pain to others as I popped them in front of them.
But turn the volume down.
What about you?
I too have eaten a reasonably wide menu of pain relief meds over the last 32 yrs. My experience has been very positive on the whole. Currently I am able to manage on my prescription. There are times where it becomes more difficult to distract the mind than others but that is life. It is difficult to keep the mind focused on anything all the time and chronic pain is just that, all the time. Rib
I love the phrase a wide menu.
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
May the prescriptions continue to help.
I suppose I am in a dilemma as to wether to go and beat my chest at the GP s or not.
yet again. They really don't like persistent pain and neither do I.
even trying to avoid flares becomes more difficult as the slightest thing seems to trigger an extra scream from the beast.
And the bugger is spreading across my shoulder up my neck and jaw and gives me the gift of headcahes.
Oh gawd then we have to cope with all that cold weather that's to come.
I want to hibernate.
Like a hedgehog.
This makes me smile I had a similar thought about hibernation! I'd keep persisting, doctors don't like it sure but at the end of the day its not fun for you either!
Sometimes other things can be used. Heat with heat pack I use a hydro spar shower head although a strong directional shower is just the same. Some us a heated bean bag that has been heated in microwave etc.
Some people us Voltarol or other heating creams with nsid that will reduce swelling. Some people will feel better using a ice pack that sometimes helps.
You say you have tried all pain medications. Have you tried NSID medications to reduce the swelling or what has your GP recommended as there is many different types and groups.
One way you could try is a TENS machine, a physio would possibly show you how to use it.
A further pathway is discuss with your GP and ask for a referral to a Pain Clinic
Good Luck
BOB
Thanks for the reply Bob.
It's nice to see you popping up again.
I have all of the above in the tool kit.
I'm being unrealistic I expect.
But it's as Rib says Chronic pain is just that all the time.
And all the time is had to bare sometimes.
I live in hope of a small elegant pill that will break the tension for a bit before I break.
Keep warm keep smiling and keep spreading your special sunshine.
Ned
we all agree there is no magic pill, just a balancing act to get a reasonable level between the pain , controlling side effects and trying to live something that imitates a 'normal' life.
I tend to treat my problems as an enemy - very simplistic but works most of the time. The downside is trying to raise the energy after losing one of the skirmishes!
Extending the analogy, the drugs are just inexperienced conscripts of somewhat dubious worth but without them the battle wouldn't get started i.e me getting out of bed in the morning.
You can't win any battle if you are too tired or tearful, but anger is a powerful ally.
Good luck with your fighting!
I like the idea of treating pain as the enemy.
And bouts of the black dog are just the result of loosing one of the many skirmishes.
We fights on. Thanks for the call to rally.
That chuck was very helpful.
Thanks.
Ned
I love your picture it is so true! Some pain killers have completely sedated me to the point where I feel like a vegetable so I'd say yeah at times that helps with the pain but I don't want to be sleeping every day! The only painkiller I experienced to be of some relief to me was gabapentin which worked well until the side effects take over; memory loss, weight gain etc so I came off them and I'm now trialling amtripteleine and due to start combining pregablin. If I have learnt anything from pain relief its not to have too much hope in the results, just to accept what happens and if one doesn't work try another, if that doesn't keep going! I was having this discussion with my friend who recently had an operation on her hip so she's experiencing a lot of post-operative pain and has many pain killers that she has to take to combat the other drugs. I often feel with medication its like you take this for pain, but then the side effects combined might actually be worse than the pain itself so you take another pill to combat the other and so on. Thinking about it I'm 21 and this amount of medication cannot be good for my body but without pain relief I cannot function at all. So in some ways I'm grateful in others I hate it
I to have had pain from 1973 only thing helps a little bit is oral morphine..
I do count my blessing only been gruelling away for ten years.
It's the unrelenting persistance second by second that lowers me. The only break in the pattern is sleep.
Also I am lucky enough to be mobile.
Thanks for replying. I wish you the energy to do all that you would like.
Throwing you a virtual fluffie. For hugging or bashing depending on your day.
Hope it's a good one.
Getting it right for every one at the Doctor's Surgery.
Just wanted to say thank you to you all 
