More meds!

[inpain31]

So i went to the doctor on Tuesday. It wasn't my original doctor i had to explain everything all over again i cried and got irratated. I told him the meds are not helping that my pain is worse then ever he looks at me and says i understand and starts naming off more meds he would like to add to me already taking lyrica. I told him i have tried amytriptiline, duloxitin, flexeral, gabapentin,ibuprofen, tylenol, ice packs and heating pads. So he added Cymbalta physical therapy and reffered me to a rheumatologist. He then proceeded to assume I'm depressed and will hurt myself. Which made me even more upset. I told him im in pain not depressed.. im thinking maybe it's time to find a new doc. Well Thank you for listening!

[pete1961]

Sounds familiar its hard for them to understand. We all have had BC as experiences with the medical profession they can't cure it or operate on it they assume we are depressed and stick us on more meds .keep trying its a long haul and hopefully you will find help. Best wishes Pete

[Ginsing]

You do not have to be depressed to take anti depressants. They are used in to other ways as mood lifters and pain blockers there are many sorts and can be most effective.

Best wishes

Ginsing

[trappedinlife]

Hi,

Sorry to hear you are in so much pain right now 😞 I to feel it! There are many other meds you can be on, and at a right balance of each one things could be ok, but only a neurologist can really do it. Ask for a referral.

Also, cymbalta is the same as duloxatine, it's just another name!

Good luck xx

[BeccaBurton]

Sorry you had a bad visit. Have you investigated anti inflammatory foods!?

I know I sound like a broken record but it's helped me such a lot.

No gluten no grains minimal sugar ant yhen only unrefined eg pure maple syrup or honey or coconut sugar. V little alcohol and lots of veg. Organic where it is affordable. We are sensitive to chemicals which is why some of these meds make us worse!!! Xxx

[Poppy_Ann in reply to BeccaBurton]

Hi Becca,

What is "Ant Yhen" I have never come across it before.

Regards Poppy Ann.

[Rosepetal60 in reply to Poppy_Ann]

Could have meant to type And then

[Poppy_Ann in reply to Rosepetal60]

i was thinking it was Hebrew or something like that or some new drug i had not heard about but it give me a laugh anyway thanks

Regards Poppy Ann.

[Dorris59 in reply to BeccaBurton]

So agree. There's lots of anti-inflammatory foods, herbs etc and avoid all those that do cause inflammation such as vegetable oils. Turmeric is very anti-inflammatory and a pain killer, but only has a short life in the body. It is also oil soluble, so should be taken with cold pressed Virgin/extra virgin olive oil or flaxseed, though not all Turmeric is equal and I buy the East End Turmeric powder as I know this one's good. A very helpful group is the 'Turmeric User Group' on Facebook, which has a wealth of knowledge on the science and benefits of Turmeric. Sulforaphane from Brocolli is also anti-inflammatory but cooking kills it. Very helpful for arthritic pain and can be bought as a supplement, or use fresh in a juicer blended with other fruits etc.

[Calceolaria]

Sounded pretty thorough to me, sorry !

[Poppy_Ann]

you sound like was many years ago every time i went to the doctor I saw a different one with every visit due to our practice being a teaching practice we have a change of 6 doctors every 4 months so none of them get to know any patients in the end I found that Dihydrocodeine is the best one for long term I take many others as well including Nefopam, Pregabalin, Amitriptyline and Morphine sulfate all the Amitripline does is help me get some sleep if I forget to take it if I get 2 hours in total a night it would be a good night but if I take it I can get between 4 and 6 hours a night spread between several short sessions.

the best thing you can do is to try each one that the doctor suggests and keep notes on how you react to each one in the end you will know how each work for you and with luck one will work good enough to dampen most of your pain (none of them will remove all of it)

I wish you luck in finding the one that works best for you,

Regards Poppy Ann.

[ZedT]

Oh Inpain31, I SO completely understand what you are going through. It's such a long exhausting struggle trying to manage pain. Your GP only has a limited range of medicines to call upon, and tailoring them to suit each person is a case of trial and error and can take a long time. Have you been to a pain clinic? if not ask for an urgent referral. At the clinic they are better experienced in all things painful! They can help obtain therapies and equipment such as acupuncture and TENS machines too.

What you possibly need is a combination of several things to help you manage your pain. The first thing to do is accept that you may have to live with a managed level of pain for a long time, even life. This can be quite depressing, and you will probably already have given up a lot of your usual activities and pleasures, also depressing. But it doesn't mean you are depressed. Everyone living with chronic pain has moments when they become properly pi**ed off with their lives, and sad for what they miss out on or lost. But that feeling passes, or gets suppressed, because in order to carry on and face the future we have no choice but to fight and struggle and cope.

Many GPs tend not to treat people holistically. They treat "symptoms" not people, and they have a route they like to follow because it works for most people. But we are not all the same. Ideally you need help in all these areas: Medication, Exercise, Mindfulness, Nutrition, and Adaptation.

Medication for you is going to be complex. You say you are on Lyrica. Has this helped previously? if so, could you up the dose a bit? Pregabalin is a drug which acts on nerve pain and people can become tolerant to it so you have to be able to experiment a little to get the right dose for you. Remember that unpleasant side effects fade away, and the drug takes about three weeks to have optimum effect. Drugs which help specific conditions you have may be better prescribed by your consultants. They have a wider range and a larger budget, so they can try medicines which a GP cannot. Ask to see the consultants who have been dealing with each separate condition you have, and make sure they know what you are already on so that things don't interact badly. Pain clinics are very good at this, and coordinating each department.

Exercise is very important to increase your strength and stamina, prevent stiffness and atrophy and releases those all important endorphins which make you feel better. It improves sleep and is a natural pain killer. Do you see a physio regularly? Ask for exercises specific to your condition. Ask for hydrotherapy, it isn't available on the NHS everywhere, but it wont hurt to ask. What about a water exercise class at the leisure centre, or some swimming? Yoga and Pilates are also very therapeutic forms of exercise. Do you have a friend who may go with you?

Mindfulness is a modern reworking of ancient meditation traditions, principally Buddhist. It is designed to help you deal with day to day difficulties by putting you in control of your own mind. The aim of mindfulness therapy is to help you learn to be aware of your thoughts and bodily sensations and in so doing be able to better cope with day to day emotions and problems. Do some research on it or take a book out of the library to look into this very useful tool. It can help you breathe through pain and concentrate on healing. It helps you focus on things other than pain, and can prevent falling into depression. You can do classes in it or do it with a friend or by yourself at home.

Nutrition is often the first area where people look to help themselves, searching for cures to diseases and ailments. It is true that some foods certainly don't help certain diseases, but there may be little point paying lots of money for supplements which you will get from an ordinary balanced diet. Research properly, look at scientific facts and studies which support a product. You can ask for a referral to a dietitian if you feel they can advise you. They can be very helpful providing information about foods to avoid and foods you need, even giving you recipes and meal planners. it is really important to eat properly to counteract side effects from medication, flare ups of conditions and promote healing and strength.

Adaptation is something you no doubt already do. but did you know you can ring the Occupational Therapist yourself? They can come to your home and assess your needs, offer free equipment, give ideas and advice on grants available and benefit checks, and suggest stockists for specialist equipment. They can also refer you for a social care assessment if you think you might need one, and give you access to people who can help you get through each day. Even if you already have a carer you can access this support, and your case needs regular reviewing to check you are getting all the support you need.

Most of all, never be put off or afraid to ask for help. if one person turns you down ask another. To achieve a good quality of life we have to put a lot of effort into getting help in all areas. The GP is only one small weapon in your arsenal. Keep on searching for more help, I'm sure you will find it. It's time consuming, there are obstacles, it will get you down sometimes, but the alternative is to go on in pain and lose the quality of your life to your illnesses, so really you have no choice. We are right here with you. xxx PS...research suggests that ice/heat when done consistently and in the right way is the MOST effective pain relief in chronic stage pain. Google the right way to do it. I do it every day whenever i can and it really does help. i bought two large packs so i can always have one on the go and I hold them in the right place with a soft elasticated bandage for at least twenty minutes. They're always in the back of my blummin pants!!! X

[McCord in reply to ZedT]

What a great post, thank you ZedT. I'm disabled from nerve damage and suspected twisted sciatica, chronic pain too. For some weird reason the pain clinic signed me off after the first visit, and you've given me hope to insist on another referral there.

[ZedT in reply to McCord]

That is so frustrating for you, please do try again. As you have already seen them you may get away with ringing them directly, otherwise ask the GP again. I would also ask why you were discharged, as it is very odd unless they have made an admin mistake or have assumed you no longer need them. My partner would tell you that the single most useful thing about me in matters such as this is my stubborn refusal to be ignored....I like to call it gentle persistence!!! Good luck xx

[Bethadamczyk]

Have you ever had your B12 checked?? I know it sounds silly -- but I nearly died from a severe B12 deficiency! It does cause extreme pain, depression and many other things!!

[Hidden]

Sorry to hear of your frustration but I do understand I am going through the same thing. Different doctors different meds. It would seem because of my high blood pressure I am limited with what is offered but cannot take what has been offered to me the pain eases but feel so dizzy and sick cannot go anywhere or do anything. At the moment I am only taking one of my meds as just cannot stomach the other so putting up with the pain, I don't know what to do next. One doctor suggested acupuncture on my foot but didn't offer it on the NHS he told me I would need about 4-5 sessions as I'm a pensioner (not a rich one) I could not afford this. I have disc problems in my back, also osteoarthritis, in back knees and feet and some sort of nerve problem in left foot on the days they all play up together I could pull my hair out. If you find a solution I would be interested as I really don't know what to do next

[ZedT in reply to Hidden]

Acupuncture IS free on the NHS, so ASK again. You don't get if you don't ask! You get at least 6 sessions. I had 18, some people have had YEARS worth. If you cant get the Dr to refer you try the NHS physio, (may have to ask the dr for a physio referral though ehehe). iIs generally better in combination with meds and i was dubious when i started (read my post on it) and it worked marvelously.

[inpain31 in reply to ZedT]

I am sorry but i don't know what NHS.

[Calceolaria in reply to inpain31]

That is our wonderful National Health Service here in the UK.

[inpain31 in reply to Calceolaria]

I bet they really help you and listen. I'm in the usa where they think everyone is a pill popper and just want meds just cause. I have a real condition and can't get anything when the pain is totally unbearable. But people that don't need it get the meds they need. Sad to say but true.

[Hidden in reply to ZedT]

I thought it odd that I would have to go private as my husband had 4 sessions on his back with the NHS. It worked so well for him so would like to try this with nerve trouble on the top of my foot just in front of my ankle as some days I cannot move my foot to walk so painful and the co-codamol of which I can only take one at a time not 2 as prescribed as get to dizzy and sick when I go back I will try again and thank you for responding