How do you manage your chronic pain? What works for you?

I'm on 3 Norco a day for my ankle that I've had 14 surgeries on and they want to do another surgery to put in an internal bone stimulator 

Kratom is very good for depression 

My husband also suffered from back pain, and we changed the mattress for a Lucid mattress and it started to get better. Of course, the main thing was the therapy, but we tried to take into account all the things.

Morphine with vicodin gets me threw a day by day.

HELLO DEAR FRIENDS, HOW DO I FUNCTION WITH THE MORPHINE PUMP? I CAN TELL YOU WITHOUT IT----I CAN NOT FUNCTION AT ALL!!!!! I DO MORE THAN THE AVERAGE PERSON WHO HAS LUPUS BECAUSE THE PAIN IS NOW CONTROLLED. MOST PEOPLE WITH LUPUS TAKE PILLS AND BELIEVE ME-----IT TAKES 20 MINUTES OR MORE FOR IT TO BREAK DOWN INTO THE BODY. THE MORPHINE PUMP IS A CONSTANT MIX OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES, MUSCLE RELAXERS, FENTANYL, AND DILAUDID. I COULD NEVER TAKE THE PILLS FAST ENOUGH WHEN THE PAIN HITS A VERY HIGH PLATEAU!!!! IF I GET THE PAIN, IT USUALLY IS UNDER CONTROL--- UNLESS I DO SOMETHING PHYSICAL THAT I SHOULD DO OR I OVERKILL WITH A CERTAIN ACTIVITY. I CAN ONLY SAY, IF YOU ARE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, I RECOMMEND YOU CALL A DOCTOR THAT IS A SPECIALIST WITH THE MORPHINE STOMACH PUMP!! REMEMBER THE PUMP IS CALLED A MORPHINE PUMP BUT HAS A MIX OF MEDS THAT YOU NEED FOR YOUR PARTICULAR BODY AND TYPE OF PAIN!! THE ORIGINAL DOCTOR THAT PLACES THE PUMP IS FANTASTIC--AND HE IS SEMI=RETIRED. I THINK HE WORKS PART-TIME--TO MANAGE PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF PAIN!! DR.PETER WHITE IN UPLAND CA. IN MY OPINION, HE AND HIS WIFE ARE A TEAM!! SHE IS AN RN AND HE IS PAIN MGR. THEY ARE VERY COMPASSIONATE AND I WAS BLESSED WHEN I MET THEM BECAUSE THEY EASED MY PAIN AND GAVE ME A NEAR-NORMAL LIFE.

THE OTHER DOCTOR THAT HAS (PAS) THAT HANDLES THE PUMP REFILL IS A DOCTOR IN COLTON CA. HIS NAME IS: DR. ANDREW HELLISTEIN AND HIS STAFF IS WONDERFUL. I THINK IF I DID NOT HAVE THE PAIN MANAGED I WOULD HAVE DIED.. THIS PUMP IS KEEPING ME ALIVE AND I FEEL I AM ON BORROWED TIME!!! I WAS TOLD I WOULD DIE 5 YEARS AFTER I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH SLE!! THE PAIN IS 70% MANAGED AND ALL I NEED TO DO IN MY LIFE IS SEE MY GRANDCHILDREN, (THAT I NEVER MET). AFTER THAT I AM READY TO MEET MY FAMILY IN HEAVEN. I AM TIRED AND HAVE LIVED WITH MANY CHALLENGES. I FEEL THESE CHALLENGES HAD MADE MY LIFE HARDER AND THAT IS HOW I GOT LUPUS. I HAVE LISTENED TO MANY OF MY LUPUS CLUB MEMBERS AND MOST OF THEM ARE OVER-ACHIEVERS. LUPUS PATIENTS HAVE MANY CHARACTERISTICS--PERFECTIONIST, OVER-ACHIEVERS AND THAT IS WHY WE ARE SICK WE EXCELL IN WHAT INTERESTS US-(CAREER, BEING A HOUSEWIFE AND A MOTHER) WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH NOT KNOWING WHEN TO STOP. THE MEMBERS IN MY CLUB, ALL DO MORE THAN WHAT THE BODY CAN HANDLE. THEY DO NOT LISTEN TO THE BODY'S WARNING(STOP OR SLOW DOWN)

IF YOU ARE READING THIS POST, ASK YOURSELF IF YOU FIT IN WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LUPUS PEOPLE IN MY GROUP!!!!!!! HALF THE BATTLE WITH PAIN IS KNOWING WHEN TO STOP OR SLOW DOWN. SOMETIMES WE IGNORE OR ARE NOT EDUCATED ENOUGH TO KNOW WHEN (WHERE) TO STOP!! TAKE A NAP OR A BREAK AND JUST LAY DOWN SO YOUR BODY CAN REJUVENATE ITSELF.

THAT IS THE BEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE ANYONE WITH OR WITHOUT THE PAIN PUMP. IF YOUR PAIN IS ROBBING YOU OF A NEAR-NORMAL LIFE. CONSIDER GETTING THE PAIN PUMP BUT REMEMBER YOU ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS THE PAIN MANAGEMENT DOCTOR!! IF YOU GET A PUMP, THE MIX OF MEDICINES IS FOR YOUR PARTICULAR PROBLEM. WE DO NOT HAVE THE SAME MEDS FOR THE SAME REASONS. YOUR PAIN PUMP WILL HAVE A MIX FOR YOUR SPECIAL SET OF PROBLEMS.

I BELIEVE THAT NO ONE SHOULD LIVE WITH PAIN!!! THEY PUT ANIMALS TO SLEEP FOR PAIN--DR. KORVOKIN BELIEVE IN NO PAIN--AND HAD ENOUGH OF COMPASSION TO HELP THOSE WHO COULD NOT LIVE WITH PAIN AND SUFFERING. I REALLY BELIEVE HE ATTEMPTED TO HELP PEOPLE WITHOUT PUTTING THEM IN THE SITUATION OF WANTING TO DIE. IT IS A SHAME THAT HE WENT FROM STATE TO STATE TO ATTEMPT TO HELP THOSE WHO COULD NOT LIVE WITH THE PAIN!! SOCIETY IS NOT READY FOR DOCTORS LIKE DR. KORVOKIN!!!

I PRAY THAT MY POST WILL HELP ALL OF YOU TO SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. I HOPE I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTIONS. IF NOT I AM SORRY I MISSED THE POINT OF THE QUESTION. I WISH ALL OF YOU PAIN-FREE DAYS AND A JOURNEY IN A LIFE OF JOY AND HAPPINESS.

ALWAYS WISHING ALL OF YOU MANY BLESSINGS---MICKEY aka Michele

IF ANYTHING, EMAIL ME: mickeyitaly3@aol.com

@Courtney_J

I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOMETHING IMPORTANT. I FAILED TO MENTION; THAT WHEN BREAK THRU PAIN OCCURS THEY HAVE PRESCRIBED 8MG. OF DILAUDID, BY MOUTH!! MY LUPUS IS VERY SERIOUS AND WORSE THAN MOST!! I WAS DX WITH LUPUS AFFECTING MY KIDNEY, WELL IT WENT FROM THE KIDNEY TO THE HEART. NOW, GIVING ME CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE. I AM 69 YRS OLD ON JUNE 8TH AND I AM NOT IN REMISSION NOR HAVE I BEEN IN REMISSION FOR THE LAST 3 TO 5 YEARS. I HAVE BEEN SO SICK, I CAN NOT CONCENTRATE ON FACTS, SO FORGIVE ME. I AM ON PLAQUENIL AND I NEED TO WATCH OUT FOR THE SIDE EFFECTS BECAUSE I USE TO TAKE 600 MG. THAT CAUSED ME TO HAVE GLAUCOMA. NOW, IT CAN CAUSE ME TO GO BLIND. I AM BEING VERY CAREFUL BUT, I CAN NOT CONTROL THE OUTCOME. THE DOCTORS CAN NOT CONTROL THE OUTCOME, SO HOW CAN I??? THE PLAQUENIL HAD GIVEN ME 5 YEARS OF REMISSION. YES, I AM TAKING ANOTHER RISK. I WANT TO MUCH OUT OF LIFE NOT TO TAKE THE RISK!!! I WANT TO ENJOY GRANDCHILDREN THAT I HAVE NEVER MET. PLUS, IF I FEEL SO GOOD, I WANT TO FINISH MY LAST YEAR OF LAW SCHOOL. I KNOW, ONE THING THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE SLE, SYSTEMIC LUPUS, HAVE 2 VERY STRONG CHARACTERISTICS--WE ARE OVERACHIEVERS AND PERFECTIONISTS. THAT SAYS IT ALL. I WISH ALL OF YOU, THE BEST THAT LIFE HAS TO OFFER. mickeyitaly3@aol.com

Hello,

New to the community. I have only found that Tylenol 3 helps with my pain. I can't have morphine or demerol because they give me migraines. Unfortunately, I have not yet found anything else that works for the pain. Guess I'll have to have the "discussion" with my doctor and get in to see a pain specialist. This pain keeps me from being active and in bed all day.

Wonderful to have relief

Good to know that the morphine pump works for you. I suffer from intractable pain, renal disease, cervical stenoses, spondylosis, neuropathy in my right leg, hands, and feet, a failed laminectomy, and a spinal stimulator. To mention a few things.

Honestly, I've tried a bunch of things. Different drugs, self-hypnosis, meditation. But I realized it just doesn't work for me. But it helps keep my mind off things. I play computer games, I play guitar. But painting, for example, doesn't suit me. Recently, for example, I started playing roblox. But so far I'm using kiwi x . It's really easier.