I am in chronic pain. Introduce yourself

Hi. My name is Sharon. I suffered multiple auto accidents since I was 16. Six severe whiplashes, two t-bones and 2 TBI'S. After the last major accident in 2000 I had 17 surgeries in 18 years. I just had my 34th surgery since the age of 19. That doesn't include 18 oral surgeries. I have several autoimmune disorders also: fibromyalgia, severe osteoporosis, Lichen planus, gastroparesis, colitis, hEDS, vEDS, a bleeding disorder, cervical myopathy, cervical spondylitis, cervicalgia, severe migraines and have suffered multiple fractures; many just from walking. I have taken several narcotics over the year, have had 20 years of cervical facet blocks, cervical facet rhizotomies and upper and lower occipital blocks. Aimovig was a game changer for my migraines for almost two years at which at that point my body had adjusted to it and it stopped working. I've taken several other migraine meds, many of which work for a while but they are limited to the amount per month allowed.

Hi Carenity

I have been severe ongoing pain due to having ankylosing spondylitis.

Hi everyone. I’ve been in some form of chronic pain since I was 19. It started from a bad car accident and let to migraines, to having gallbladder surgery in 2005 and complications afterward. 5 years later I had chronic pancreatitis attack. Not knowing what it was. Have had 12 surgeries since, 5 feeding tube, zillion hospital stays and er visits. My weight shifts up and down a lot. My nutrition goes insane at times too. My blood counts never stay the same either. It’s chronic pain battle with chronic nausea, ongoing diarrhea and vomiting during bad flares. Fibro flare awful. I stay as positive as I can. Hugs💜

Hello! I'm Jess. I am a pain patient advocate and State Ambassador with the American Pain and Disability Foundation. I have had pain for most of my life. I have a number of painful conditions: Ehlers-Danlos, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and both von Willebrand's and Hemophilia A, which cause frequent, painful joint bleeds. My vertebrae are rapidly degenerating, due to repeated micro bleeds - on X-ray, they appear as if they are "rusting and flaking away" and the ligaments are very lax that hold the spine in place. I have had seven surgeries and numerous procedures on my spine, including a spinal fusion that extends from T10 to S1. This was done basically to help hold me upright, as the ligaments are so lax that my vertebrae just slide around in each other when I move. I also have a tri-curve scoliosis from this. Needless to say, my nerves are continuously getting pinched. I had both meniscus' removed from my knees as they had shredded, just from usual wear and tear. Both thumbs have "fallen out" of the joint capsule and have been rebuilt three times, they need to be done again, but I'm not willing to take that down time right now. I have a pain level of at least 6/10 at all times, sometimes much more. I maintain a great, positive attitude all of the time, because if I don't I'll be sorry. I DO, however, go to bed each night wishing NOT to wake up. I'm not even close to being "suicidal" and have NO plan whatsoever. I am currently prescribed Xtampza, oxycodone extended release, and regular oxycodone, immediate release. The doses are not high enough to help much, but I have to be satisfied with what I've been able to hold onto. I am not even physically dependent on the meds, as I have no withdrawal symptoms when I don't take it. I also use a high-hear electric blanket and heating pad to help. I CANNOT take aspirin (I have gastric ulcers from aspirin burning holes in my stomach wall), Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs (for the same reason and also because they thin your blood and with Hemophilia sorry, I sure don't need that), or acetaminophen (I have an autoimmune liver condition), so OTC meds are out of the question. I have deep, thick scar tissue, from the Ehlers-Danlos and multiple surgeries, so my paraspinal muscles are spastic - in constant spasm, hard as a rock. I was having deep needling in PT, but then I moved, so I don't have it anymore. I get regular steroids and lidocaine injections in my knees and trigger points. They help the knees a little, but not so much the spasticity. I keep the idea of Physician-Assisted Suicide in the back of my mind, though, because when I have reached my point of no longer wanting to continue this charade of life, I will have a backup plan. I do not want to live a long life, if it is full of unnecessary pain. And I say "unnecessary pain" because we HAVE a solution for pain, but the government is withholding the source of relief in a misguided effort to quell the Opioid Hysteria. If ANYONE would like to be friends and/or discuss pain, I'm ALWAYS open to chat!

Hello. I’m Paula and my chronic pain started in July this year. When it began, I thought I had pulled a muscle and took some Motrin using ice/heat off an on. The pain started in my lower left abdomen and shot back into my lower back. The pain kept getting worse, especially when I would vacuum, walk, stand too long or sit to long. These activities brought on sharper pain so I made an appointment with my doctor. She ordered an X-ray and bloodwork. Everything came back normal. One day I was in tears and went to the ER where they did a CT scan. Again everything was normal. I saw a gastroenterologist and he performed a colonoscopy and EDG scope biopsy. The colonoscopy was normal but the EDG scope and biopsy showed that my stomach lining was inflamed. He prescribed some medication for the inflammation. A few days later. I was in the ER again with severe pain. They gave me toroidal and repeated the CT Scan with imaging. I had a follow up appointment with my regular doctor and was put on prednisone, flexeral and a few pills of tramadol to help when sleeping. They had me see my OBGYN for a cervical biopsy which also came back normal. My doctor then got approval from my insurance to have an MRI of my ovaries. Everything comes back normal. However, laying on the MRI table for 45 minutes about did me in trying to sit up and walk. I was in tears again. I just wanted to make it home and go to bed. My doctor called me back four days later saying the MRI showed nothing out of the ordinary. The put me on a second round of prednisone and gave me a few more pills of tramadol. They are also referring me to the pain clinic. I probably won’t hear anything from them until after the new year. I’m very frustrated and continuing to be in pain.

Hi I’ve had chronic pain for years. Lupus , fibromyalgia, Ankylosing spondylosis.

Ive been going to a pain management doctor for years, and just really need to find something else or than opioids they keep giving me. I’m hoping to make some friends here that understand me

I'm 57 yo mother of 3 adult kids with Klippel-Feil Syndrome and Chiari Malformation and I have had chronic pain for as long as I can remember. I've been to PT too many times to count. I tried dry needling and it helped for a week. I'm currently trying Botox. My first dose gave me 100% relief from my pain in my head and shoulders for 2 1/2 weeks. 2nd treatment is not helping as well. I'm also taking Lyrica and Flexeril. I'm not sure why, they don't work. I was trying to get a neural stimulator implant but my pain doctor saw something on the MRI and now he wants a neurosurgeon to do it. I want to get off the pills! I want my life back! I'm losing hope!

Hello, I’ve had psoriatic arthritis for the past 13 years anc chronic back pain with a fusion and multiple ablations. I was sent to pain mgmt 13 years ago with a great doctor. But someone tried to get him in trouble two years ago and was sent to another doctor, who just doesn’t understand. I just found out my old doctor is back to prescribing pain medicine again and I’m trying to get back to him. This new one has continually been decreasing my doses for the last two years and I’m starting to have more pain again and yet they won’t even increase the dose. Also, she told me that they have to now have to write on the electronic prescription 30 days. So there is no two day window. I didn’t even know about prior authorizations until now, and it takes a couple of days to get that. Then the pharmacy doesn’t have the medicine in stock so I have to wait another couple of days. I am having to go without now because of this. I don’t know what to do now. Located in Glen Burnie Maryland and suffering, this sucks!

Anybody ever heard of stem cell therapy for pain?

Hello. I've had low back pain since 2020 I believe. I had a compression fracture in L2 in 2022. Didn't even know that it happened. I had a kyphoplasty to repair it and it's all been downhill since. Lots of unbearable pain. Not even injections have helped. I also have a tarlov cyst on S2 that the doctors don't want to treat because the cysts are "supposed" to be asymptomatic.