Chronic Back, Legs & Feet Pain...the Longterm Kind

[Charliek3]

I broke and fractured 4 vertebra in Lumbar Region...I don't even know the numbers today. This was as a 16 year old and I am now 44 years old today. I don't have to tell anyone the agonies I go through as we are all on the same boat. It is just that I take Dehydracodeine 60mg X2 twice a day along with Naproxen...But Jesus this past Year there has been nothing touching the pain and when I attended my GP he suggested I was using drug seeking behavior when I was sitting in his surgery wearing my slippers as I couldn't even tie my laces.

This New, well relatively new pain is in my legs now and right down into my feet. I was borderline Diabetic and went to my Podiatrist that suggested getting Pregabalin form my Doctor and she thought my leg pain was coming from my old back injury. I also had restless leg syndrom that has me sleeping on the 2 seater settee hanging my legs over the edge to tame them...this is absolutely terrible now and pins and Needles are also a regular visitor to my Groin, Legs and Feet...suffice to say my sex life is non-existant...Drug Seeking Behavior when I am a father of two sons aged 13 & 9 and a wife that is disabled. I am Primary Carer here and I am fed up to the teeth trying to manage pain and my busy life at the same time. He prescribed me Fuoxetine, Prozac 20mg and I have found absolutely nothing changed from I took them first...over a year ago now.

I fully understand Dehydracodeine is Morphine once it has gone through my Liver and I am addicted to them. But at almost 45 years of age I do not mind getting addicted to to it nor any other drug that would help my chronic pain. I really can see how folk simply end it all when they have Primary Carers and Doctors telling you certain drugs are not for you because of addiction possibilities...I am just Venting here and I read all of your posts and realize we are all fighting the same battles. But making me feel like a Junky inside surgery really embarrasses me and angers me. Should there not be more sympathetic Doctors at our Local GP's Offices.

[deejames]

It is pretty bad being accused to behaviour like that. Change your doctor. And as will be suggested by lots of other people ask for a referred to the Pain Management clinic. They vary from region to region in the amount of help they give and the waiting lists for assessment and treatment. Mine is fairly poor as they cover a huge geographical area with too few staff.

But get your other doctor and ask for the referral.

Good luck

Dee

[Hidden]

Can't believe what I've just read shocking

[juju44]

hi i've been in pain for almost 30 yrs on and off, but seems to of got worse in the last 10 yrs been through pain clinic for the last 10 yrs after all other treatments, ie physiotherapy,osteopaths in the early years. i did my lower back in when i was 8 made my pelvis lop sided, cracked a disc which repaired itself in an oblong shape which has now started to press onto my spinal column causing sever pain in my back and pins and needles in my legs and feet, also experiencing numbness in both legs at times . im due to have more injections into my spin to try reduce the pain in next couple of weeks. will let you know how it goes, my advice to you is to ask for mri scan to find out the exact damage you have and then get referred to the pain clinic in your area, best of luck.

[Danslatete]

I'm in my 40's I injured my spine at 19. I'm recently having more issues.

I went to my doc. I got refered to urology as I now need to catheterise, I got an MRI 3 weeks ago. The results came in last weds and I have an appointment on Friday next week to discuss results.

I'm at pain clinic on Monday and urology review tues.

I get my medication adjusted as I need it and I get accupuncture.

This is how a good team of gp and other services are supposed to work.

You need a referral to the pain consultants. They know how to deal with different types of pain, there are a multitude of drugs out there that work in different ways and it's about finding the correct mix for you.

I can't see any reason whatsoever why you should have to suffer due to the belligerent attitude of a GP.

See if you can get an appointment with a different Dr and ask for a referral to a pain team. You will probably have to wait a while and they will also offer you a pain management program which how ever tedious and teaching you to suck eggs, stay the course! Be open minded and try the many options that they can offers eventually you will find the right mix at the right dose for you x

Good luck. Don't forget to tell them that you don't want more doses of the same, you would like to see someone who can offer a more effective way of treating the problem, and could they please try to look and see what is causing your increased levels of a different pain.

[Kjohnso45]

So sorry. Now that DEA has classified all opiods as class 1 we all are made to feel like that, especially from GP's. Have you gone to pain mgmt doctor? After 3 back surgeries my legs hurt and feet go numb . I got sketchers with memory foam and it makes it a little better, a little. Daily it is a struggle to look to the future. If you are a believer in Jesus, look to him, keep your eyes on Him. Get encouragement from His Word. Praying you get some relief

[lowlife]

I think it's absolutely disgusting to accuse someone like yourself with the diagnosis that you have to be addicted to meds. And to have this problem for all those years it's obvious that it will get worse as time goes on. Make it clear to your gp how she made you feel and change to a docter that will listen and help you through this. My docter put me on gabapentin and paracetamol and when i told him that they did nothing for the pain he refused to prescribe anything else and he wouldnt refer me to a pain specialist. I won't tell you what i said but i wiped the floor with him and changed to a different surgery. The first time i saw my new docter i told her that i need a docter to work together with me, to listen to me and help me to cope with my pain and if she feels that she can't do that then i will find one that will. I have to say that she has been brilliant and very understanding. Its time for you to change i think. X

[johnsmith]

You say: "my GP he suggested I was using drug seeking behaviour". I think the GP is right. It feels insulting, but the GP is doing you a favour by telling you that. Any GP you see will probably make the same assessment and class you accordingly and they will not tell you.

You have two approaches:

1) Carry on with the behaviour which is not doing you any favours.

2) Write a letter to your GP and thank him for drawing this to your attention and ask for his help to change it. Ie get him to refer you to the specialists (pain clinic) who are well aware that many people suffering chronic pain end up with your sort of behaviour.

You may feel I am being a right B...... With major behaviours Ie wearing the slippers there are micro behaviours which give people the means to make judgements. These micro-behaviours are noticed by other people, but not by ourselves. When we adapt to health conditions our behaviours change over time and we do not notice the effect these behaviour changes have on other people until they tell us.

Handling chronic pain is a juggling act which can play havoc with our social graces. The attention we have to give to handling pain removes the attention we are able to give to interacting with other people and giving other people the right sort of impression and ensuring they have understood what we are trying to say.

Hope I have been able to be helpful.

[earthwitch]

Ask to be referred to a pain management specialist or pain clinic for medication review. They can reassess your meds and then make a proper pain management medication plan that includes baseline meds to cover you through the day, plus something for breakthrough pain. Once they have a plan for you, then the GP has to go along with it. GPs really aren't the best type of doctors to help you manage pain as they have limited knowledge of how to deal with chronic pain, and they do get rather nervous about long term prescribing of strong opiate meds.

[johnsmith]

You missed the point or I did not explain myself very well.

GPs and medical consultants have to make a decision. They cannot see into the minds of their patients and so have to make decisions based on the behaviour that they see in front of them. You can have the same behaviour for a multitude of different conditions and social situations. So you may be totally innocent of the activity that you are being accused of, but the body language you display will give the impression you are engaged in that activity.

You are not going to get the help you need for condition "Y" if medical consultants are accessing your body language and deciding you have condition "X" and making up stories about having condition "Y".

Medical consultants have rules they have to follow in regard to membership of professional bodies and in regard to the law. Breaking any of these rules could mean the end of the medical consultant's career. A medical consultant will not want to put their employment and career at risk. So if a patient presents themselves with a certain set of behaviours the medical consultant will respond to those set of behaviours.

There is no right or wrong in this. This is how it is and the patient needs to deal with this issue to get the help that they need.