Comment from: chacha12, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: October 13
My doctor and the physiatrist I have seen believe I have neuropathic pain. Nothing yet has helped the pain. I have severe, excruciating pain in my buttock on the right and going down my right leg and into my foot. The pain is unbearable when I have it. I also have a feeling of horrible tingling down my entire leg and into my foot. I am on morphine and oxycodone for the other painful conditions I have, i.e. polymyalgia rheumatica and fibromyalgia. They do help with this new neuropathic pain to some degree. I have also just been put on Gabapentin and am slowly titrating it up, right now at 900 mg per day. I am quite miserable and am worried that this will never go away. I have to use a cane to ambulate and I don't like that. I do not know what the next step will be with this.
Comment from: vic1364, 35-44 Female (Patient)Published: October 13
I am a 44 yr old female. I've suffered with pain for 25 yrs. Severe TMJ, neck and shoulder pain. Herniated disks, back pain, sciatica, and fibromyalgia. I'm sure if I think about it there are probably more. I have taken various narcotic's, (not OxyContin), methadone, NSAIDS, muscle relaxers, anti-depressants, anti-seizures, hypnotics, and all OTC products. I have been a human pin cushion with Botox, lidocaine, and steroids. I live in Texas and I can remember when the doctor's would make you feel bad for even asking for pain medicine. A lot of them still do. And insurance...I use to spend my whole paycheck on doctors and meds. I am still suffering. I wonder if there is any real help for someone who is (low income) in agonizing pain every day. I hope that help will come soon.
Comment from: martis22, 45-54 Female (Patient)Published: September 24
I had a car accident 20 years ago, and I am still living with the back pain. I've been taking medication for many, many years. I started to work again, but the pain just got worst. I was seeing a pain management doctor for a couple of years. What was helping was a combination of tramadol and oxycodone. I would take the tramadol six to seven times a day, and the oxycodone two to three times, depending on the pain. At night together with this medication I would take a muscle relaxer Flexeril to be able to sleep at night. In the mornings I would always have to wake up about 5 a.m. to take two tramadol and an oxycodone to be able to get up at 7 a.m. without pain. The mornings are always the worst.
Comment from: ouchless, 65-74 Male (Patient)Published: October 28
I have osteoarthritis including spinal stenosis. My pain is constant and chronic. When the weather becomes humid, or a day or two before it rains, my pain increases greatly. I combat the pain by taking maximum doses of arthritis-strength Tylenol (fortunately, my liver is OK). With the Tylenol, I take one Ultram ER in the morning and one 50 mg Tramadol every three to four hours. Together they make the pain quite a bit more bearable. I must also add that I have a low tolerance for medication (a little goes a long way), and I do not have an addictive personality, therefore these drugs are not habit-forming for me. I take all these meds 24/7.
Comment from: Ron, 25-34 Male (Patient)Published: October 23
My name is Ron. I am 31 years old and live with excruciating pain every day of my life for over three years now. I suffer from what my doctor has stated is the worst case of diabetic onset peripheral neuropathy pain he has ever experienced in a patient under 60-years-old. I was a very successful realtor here in San Diego and have not been able to work for three years! I am currently on Cymbalta, Gabapentin (1800 mg daily), Methadone (120 mg daily), Amytryptaline/Elavil (100 mg daily) and I still have unbearable stabbing, stinging, electrical and jolting pain in my feet and legs and burning throughout both feet! My medications do help somewhat. I'm afraid of what the pain would be without them.
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Suggested Reading on Pain Management by Our Doctors
Sciatica pain, caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve, typically radiates from the low back to behind the thigh to below the knee. Disc herniation is usually the cause of sciatica. Medication to alleviate pain, physical therapy, and bed rest are treatments for sciatica.
There are many causes of back pain. Pain in the low back can relate to the bony lumbar spine, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, muscles of the low back, internal organs of the pelvis and abdomen, and the skin covering the lumbar area.
A pinched nerve can be caused of a variety of conditions, for example, carpal tunnel syndrome, herniated disc, sciatica, arthritis, spinal stenosis, trauma, and more. Common symptoms of a pinched nerve include pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness. Treatment of a pinched nerve depends on the cause of the pinched nerve.
Headaches can be divided into two categories: primary headaches and secondary headaches. Migraine headaches, tension headaches, and cluster headaches are considered primary headaches. Secondary headaches are caused by disease. Headache symptoms vary with the headache type. Over-the-counter pain relievers provide short-term relief for most headaches.
Migraine is usually periodic attacks of headaches on one or both sides of the head. These may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity of the eyes to light (photophobia), increased sensitivity to sound (phonophobia), dizziness, blurred vision, cognitive disturbances, and other symptoms. Treatments for migraine headache include therapies that may or may not involve medications.
Fibromyalgia, formerly
known as fibrositis, causes chronic pain, stiffness, and
tenderness of muscles, tendons, and joints without detectable inflammation. Fibromyalgia patients have an unusually low pain threshold. Symptoms of fibromyalgia include fatigue, abnormal sleep, mental/emotional disturbances, abdominal pain, migraine and tension headaches, and irritable bladder. Treatment of fibromyalgia involves patient education, medication, exercise, and stress reduction.
Neck pain (cervical pain) may be caused by any number of disorders and diseases. Tenderness is another symptom of neck pain. Though treatment for neck pain really depends upon the cause, treatment typically may involve heat/ice application, traction, physical therapy, cortisone injection, topical anesthetic creams, and muscle relaxants.
Sacroiliac joint (SI) dysfunction is a general term to reflect pain in the SI joints. Causes of SI joint pain include osteoarthritis, abnormal walking pattern, and disorders that can cause SI joint inflammation including gout, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and ankylosing spondylitis. Treatment includes oral medications, cortisone injections, and surgery.
Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, warmth, swelling, redness and pain. There are over 100 types of
arthritis including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, gout,
and pseudogout.
Peripheral neuropathy is a problem with the functioning of the nerves outside of the spinal cord. Symptoms may include numbness, weakness, burning pain (especially at night), and loss of reflexes. Possible causes may include carpel tunnel syndrome, meralgia paresthetica, vitamin or nutritional deficiencies, and illnesses like diabetes, syphilis, AIDS, and kidney failure. Most causes of peripheral neuropathy can be successfully treated or prevented.
A herniated disc may be caused by injury or degeneration from age. Symptoms depend on the location of the herniation and whether nerve tissue is being irritated. An MRI or CT scan is performed to diagnose a herniated disc. Treatment may involve physical therapy, cortisone injection, pain medications, antiinflammatory medications, muscle relaxants, and surgery.
Chondromalacia patella (housemaid's knee or secretary's knee) results from misalignment of the kneecap as it slides over the lower end of the thigh bone. Symptoms include tightness or fullness in the knee area, swelling, and mild discomfort. Treatment includes the use of anti-inflammatory medications, in addition to stretching, strengthening and icing the knee.
Degenerative disc disease makes the disc more susceptible to herniation (rupture) which can lead to localized or radiating pain. The pain from degenerative disc or joint disease of the spine is usually treated conservatively with intermittent heat, rest, rehabilitative exercises and medications to relieve pain, muscle spasm and inflammation.
Diabetic Neuropathy is a complication of diabetes that causes damage to the nerves; this is related to the blood glucose of the body being too high for a long period of time. The four types of neuropathy include peripheral, autonomic, proximal and focal.
Whiplash is a common injury to a person's neck following a car accident (in most cases). Symptoms include: headache, neck pain, neck and shoulder stiffness, shoulder pain, fatigue, dizziness, jaw pain, arm pain, weakness of the arm(s), visual disturbances, and tinnitus. Diagnosis is generally with a physical exam, x-rays, or possibly an MRI. Treatment generally includes physical therapy and time.
Neuropathic pain is chronic pain resulting from injury to the nervous system. The injury can be to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) or the peripheral nervous system (nerves outside the brain and spinal cord).
The five types of spondylolisthesis include 1) dysplastic, 2) isthmic, 3) degenerative, 4) traumatic, and 5) pathologic. The most common symptom of spondylolisthesis is lower back pain. Treatment depends on the type and severity of spondylolisthesis. Surgery is required in some cases of spondylolisthesis.
Chronic pain is pain (an unpleasant sense of discomfort) that persists or progresses over a long period of time. In contrast to acute pain that arises suddenly in response to a specific injury and is usually treatable, chronic pain persists over time and is often resistant to medical treatments.
Facial nerve disorders affect the muscles of the face. There are many causes of facial nerve disorders including: trauma, nervous system disease, infection, metabolic disorders, tumors, toxins, or Bell's palsy. Symptoms of facial nerve problems include: facial muscle paralysis, weakness, or twitching of the face; dryness of the eye or mouth, or taste alteration.
Pain that originates in the face is referred to as trigeminal neuralgia. This pain may be caused by an injury, and infection in the face, a nerve disorder, or it can occur for no known reason. Trigeminal neuralgia can be treated with antiseizure medications. Some antidepressant drugs also have significant pain relieving effects.
Natural menopause is the permanent ending of menstruation that is not brought on by any type of medical treatment. For women undergoing natural menopause, the process is described in three stages: perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause.
However, not all women undergo natural menopause. Some women experience induced menopause as a result of surgery or medical treatments, such as chemotherapy and pelvic radiation therapy.
Complex regional pain syndrome is a chronic pain condition in which high levels of nerve impulses are sent to an affected site is called complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). CRPS is most common in people aged 20-35. The syndrome also can occur in children; it affect women more often than men.
Hospice is a service that offers support, resources, and assistance to terminally ill patients and their families. In such late stages of diseases, especially when there is "nothing left to do," hospice can offer help for patients and families. There are many aspects of a patient's well-being that can be addressed. Hospice can play a key role in managing physical symptoms of a disease (palliative care) and supporting patients and families emotionally and spiritually.
Fibromyalgia causes pain, stiffness, and tenderness
of muscles, tendons, and joints without detectable inflammation.
Fibromyalgia does not cause body damage or deformity.
Fatigue occurs in 90% of patients with fibromyalgia.
Irritable bowel syndrome can occur with fibromyalgia.
Sleep disorder is common in patients with
fibromyalgia.
There is no test for the diagnosis of fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia can be associated with other rheumatic
conditions.
Fibromyalgia treatment is most effective with
combinations of education, stress reduction,
exercise, and medications.
What is fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes pain, stiffness, and tenderness of the muscles, tendons, and
joints. Fibromyalgia is also characterized by restless sleep, awakening feeling tired, chronic fatigue, anxiety...
If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
Chronic Pain RSS
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My doctor and the physiatrist I have seen believe I have neuropathic pain. Nothing yet has helped the pain. I have severe, excruciating pain in my buttock on the right and going down my right leg and into my foot. The pain is unbearable when I have it. I also have a feeling of horrible tingling down my entire leg and into my foot. I am on morphine and oxycodone for the other painful conditions I have, i.e. polymyalgia rheumatica and fibromyalgia. They do help with this new neuropathic pain to some degree. I have also just been put on Gabapentin and am slowly titrating it up, right now at 900 mg per day. I am quite miserable and am worried that this will never go away. I have to use a cane to ambulate and I don't like that. I do not know what the next step will be with this.
Related Reading: neuropathic pain | oxycodone | polymyalgia rheumatica