need help! Chronic pain all over

[arvine]

at my wits end hurt everyday, now morning till night, on prdnisine originally diagnosed 8 yrs ago with pmr, now osteoarthrits, throughout body, being on pred now 4 mgs can only take tylenol, doesnt touch pain

[Sugaree]

I came on forum to see if anyone else is in constant pain,and there was your post. I’m sorry for all that pain and your meds aren’t helping much. Tylenol is no match for osteoarthritis. I have been awake since 2 am, too uncomfortable to sleep. I spent many days this week with pinched in my neck,caused by arthritis and very bad sciatica. It never goes away😧

What do you think comes first depression or worsening pain? Been thinking about that today. You’re not alone, my meds make it bearable only if I lie in bed. I am sending you a hug because I understand.

[arvine in reply to Sugaree]

Oh thank you, well think the chrinic pain leads to depression, Im still on prednisone after so many years so cant take other inflammatorys that may. Be helpful, trying to tsper pred, getting to 3 1/2 mgs but takes so very long, often tearful days, take care

[Nothing_but_books in reply to Sugaree]

Your response encouraged me to add my two cents. The times my pain is low are unpredictable, and often followed by it being much much worse.

No, Tylenol doesn't do anything. No reason to even take it. There's nothing I can count on to reduce my pain, but many things I know will make it worse.

Doctors want patients that improve. I've had too many imply there's nothing wrong with me because they have no idea what's wrong. It took a long time to know that's not all that unusual.

[arvine in reply to Nothing_but_books]

So have you been diagnosed with a condition , and had all the common tests done, MRI s, catscan exrays etc,

[Nothing_but_books in reply to arvine]

Years -- no, decades of tests. No diagnosis.

In that time, I've been given drugs that destroyed my vision, hearing, and balance; I've dealt with SA from a neurologist, and condesending bull from lots of other "professionals" I'm done with doctors, for chronic pain anyway.

[Sugaree in reply to Nothing_but_books]

Hi books, I have pretty much given up on dr.s here too. My healthcare won’t cover mri for osteoarthritis patients. My dr. gives me mild pain meds,anxiety and depression meds and a bunch of blood pressure meds. If I go into pain management I can get MRI only if I agree to nerve shots or epidural. Everyone I know has had limited if any relief from nerve blockers and they prescribe opioids which I don’t think I am ready for. I had a definite diagnosis from an arthritis specialist from just one exam and consultation. Osteoarthritis and pinched nerves probably caused by arthritic bone growth and disc degeneration. She disappeared after covid.

I didn’t know you had chronic pain too. Always hoping for less pain tomorrow. Thanks for the support.

[arvine in reply to Sugaree]

So can I ask what mild pain meds wrre you given, and do you take prednisone as well, and are your current meds managing your pain, I have had 3 sessions of ultrasound guided nerve blocks, but those are given in spine for spinal stenosis, degenerative disks where some compressed nerves from buldging disks have caused nerve pain in frint thigh and shin bone, but does not address the all over pain , especially in hands right now from arthritis

[Nothing_but_books in reply to Sugaree]

Chronic pain is how I ended up at HU. Most of the first three years of whatever this is, I couldn't walk because of pain. Losing my independence did a number on my emotional stability. On my environment too. They all bounce off each other, as I'm sure you know.

[Ingy50]

I fully understand how you are feeling with regards to your pain , I like many people on this site go through the same problems with pain and I also like others have said have many tearful days and lack of sleep. In UK the NHS is in a bad way for instance, I have been put down for an urgent MRI on my neck as my AS has spread all the way up my spine into my neck and although I’m on urgent I still have to wait nearly 3 months before I can be seen. It’s crazy and then you have to wait to hear from the neurologist. This doesn’t seem to be enough help or care for people that are in chronic pain. I sometimes wonder if doctors don’t realise how chronic pain totally destroys your life when you’re in too much pain to go for a walk too much pain to be sitting down too much pain to lie down in bed. What the heck do you do in this country? They even try and cut down on the morphine and diazepam as they say they are addictive drugs I’ve had some for 20 years and I’ve never been addicted to them because I was with a nurse for many many years and she always used to say to me if your body needs it you don’t get addicted to it, unlike if you’re just taking it for recreation purposes.I wish I could give you some advice but all I can tell you is that this is a wonderful forum and there are people on here that can help you and they don’t mind how much time you talk to them even if it’s only for shoulder to cry on, all the best my friend and please come back whenever you need to .

[cyberbarn]

I am sorry to hear that you are all struggling with so much pain. I had a rheumatologist who thought I 'just had fibro' but I knew what the criteria was and I knew he hadn't bothered to check it, and I knew I didn't have it. I ended up having to make a formal complaint against him to get a second opinion which found spondylolisthesis and psoriatic arthritis.

But I just want to comment on the question of which came first, the depression or the pain. For many years it was thought (mainly because doctors don't listen to patients very well) that people were depressed because they were in pain. After all they said, who wouldn't be depressed if they were in pain! So treatment of pain started to involve psychosocial activities.

However, in the last few years the research has shown that pain is caused by inflammation, and that inflammation can travel to the brain and in the brain it can cause depression. So it is the inflammation that comes first, which causes the pain and depression.

And that is why people with rheumatological conditions who are treated and the pain levels drop right down, also lose their depression and anxiety. It wasn't the pain causing it, it was that what was causing the pain and the depression was something else, it was the inflammation.

There is a book called The Inflamed Mind that is worth getting hold of.

[Astridnova]

Hi, I have bad arthritis in my neck which affects both arms. You have probably tried all these things, but I have found two things help. One is a neck stretching inflatable collar which surgeon and chiropractor both approved, which I purchased on ebay for $12.00, and the other is heat-packs. With ice packs as a back-up. I find those methods more effective than painkillers. The surgeon said that if I use the inflatable collar regularly, my cartilage will have an opportunity to grow back a bit, since the bloodflow will improve.

[Cappo]

hi arvine I won’t bore you with my story been going on since 2016 thought of ending it a few times now on pregababaline and morphine as my main meds seems to help me get about the pain never stops you just have to put up with it good look in finding pain free days/nights regards cappo