New members can introduce themselves here....

[sandee1818]

We welcome new members here everyday and alot of times new members will sit back and observe and read awhile before posting. By introducing yourself it helps us members get to know you and also welcome you to our wonderful community we have.

We not only support each other with pain issues but with everyday life and how the pain effects it. We have all had days when just need to vent and express out feelings toward dealing with pain and how it effects every single aspect of out lives. So feel free to do this.

I know all of our wonderful members will make you the new members feel welcome and at home here. I myself consider my friends here my MedHelp family.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask. We have many different features here including a pain tracker   http://www.medhelp.org/user_trackers/gallery/pain  that will help you keep track of your pain levels on a daily basis and you can even print it out to take to your Doctor's appointments to help them treat your pain.

We have health pages that will give you more information on pain and your medical treatments and so much more.
Med Help also has many more communities also - http://www.medhelp.org/forums/list

We all here look forward to getting to know you:)

Sandee1818 & Tuckamore
Your Community Leaders

[simeon78]

Venting is like pain killers, no matter how much or how often it doesn't make the pain go away. (SigH) We are talking about Chronic Pain right?...My body is physiologically twice as old as it should be and I have the ailments that go along with being old beyond my years. Too bad I can not say it comes with the same wisdom.  Best most of us can do is just find ways to cope with it. Even with the answer of a diagnosis the fact is chronic pain never really goes away, that's why it is chronic. As well as with chronic illnesses we can not pass that pain onto someone else as much as we'd like to sometimes. Although I like the fact that I am not alone, it angers me that so many people have to suffer. Not just from the pain, I'm talking about the social stigma, the skepticism we receive from medical personnel or the doubt (that comes with B.S. attempt of guilt) we get from our own friends and families pertaining to the seriousness of our pain. Yes, I'm venting and no it has not helped for at this moment I already snapped at my mate. We all suffer in our own way, but the fact is we are not alone. Hang in there everyone!

[mrskitty007]

Hello to everyone.
Tens yrs ago I hurt my back so very badly.I have gone Threw many doctors that some were good some were off their rockers, They prejudge and think just because someone takes meds their drug attic's. After seeing a doctor that had me on 17pain meds I finally took myself off  all of them. For the past 6yrs I've been on only 1 and never have a taken anything else.I just wish sometimes that I could be more active.I truly know what everyone is going through when a doctor just says I can't see u no more. Its extremely scary. I've been there so many times.I've been so blessed for the doctor I see now. I want so badly to move back to Chicago but I have never have been able to find a pain doc. I wish everyone has a doc and their meds so everyone can live a stress free,pain free and all content life. MrsKitty

[Stan997]

I am 63, disabled veteran, with depression and isolation issues. Been in severe low back pain since 1991 and finally my ''dream'' became reality (VA docs assume ALL Vietnam vets are drunks/drug addicts and I never did any illegal or legal drugs nor drank an booze)-I receive  6 --5 mg. Oxycodone daily. I only take an average of 3 or 3.5 pills daily but this has been daily since April 2005- almost 6 years. I am now on my 4th day and 23 hours with NO pill of Oxy. and I really feel like crap, still. I do have the advantage of also having legal Lorazepam and take 1/2 pill= 1 mg-  2 times per day for the jitters. I am also living now in the Netherlands, where weed/hash is legal to buy and use. If I smoke a small hit of weed/hash, I lose all interest in the pain from lack of Oxycodone withdrawal. It bothers me that I am still needing Lorazepam for jitters and weed to cut down withdrawal  misery from Oxycodone consumption. I just wonder when will the severe misery from lack of Oxycodone use subside?!  I do have a flu and runny nose, can this be part of Oxycodone withdrawal, since I rarely have a flu/cold?

[seadiver]

I am a new member and am not even sure how to use this website.  I was diagnosed with closed brain, moderate to severe last week.  I was in an auto accident July 2010.  I had my very first seizure on my way to work and hit a telepole going 45 head on.  I wont go into the details, but  it was a horrible day, I was arrested because they didnt recognize the symptoms of what happens after a seizure.  They thought I was drunk or on drugs.  When I was cleared of those incorect charges, I went to the hospital.  I have severe trama to the head.  Buldging discs in my neck and back from top to bottom.  Anyway, I am now disabeled due to head trama.  

My question is this.....I went a pain mgmt doctor and he wants to burn nerves in my neck on disc 3,4 and 5.  Will this hurt?  Will this work?  And if so for how long?  I dont have money to play around on different ideas, this may work, that may not etc.  What do I do??  Whan I wake in the mid night or morning I have neck pain so bad I cant move it, and my right hand is numb, it goes away, but them comes back.  Please help if you have any suggestions or ideas.  I have siatic nerve pain also.  

Thanks for reading this and Im sorry for rambling.  I need a friend so bad.  SInce not working, have no one to talk to.

Seadiver

[NoraTorious]

Hi! I have been on Medhelp since January, I have Chronic Pain in my left shoulder/arm/hand. I have been in the EmilyPost forum because I am recovering from a dependency to Tramadol. I actually feel better without it, but I just want to learn more about dealing with pain and alternative ways of doing it. Right now I am a starving artist but I do have health insurance, just no disability payment. I am looking forward to learning more about how people deal with their pain, and maybe finding people who have similar pain to mine. Have a great day, y'all!

[pmuse]

I'm Patty new to this forum basically within last month I believe..Anyhow hello to everyone here, and know reading your shares really helps me so thank you.  I have ddd, and djd pretty extensively thus suffer (not poor me suffer...just suffer) alot.  Meds help, and certain physical therapy techniques.  However that being said it''s awfully no actually sadly impossible to find a good pain management doctor due to all the negative press out there regarding certain narcotic or other pain relievers.  I'm in awe of the ignorance by the medical community, and feel ashamed for them.  Every single time I meet a new pain management doctor whom takes my insurance thank God first~ I'm judged:(...Anybody else?...See I look as if I just stepped out of Vogue ( re: wardrobe only ) , and have real YES real allergies so doctors either say well come back in a month after we've run your tox screen, and we only administer methadone or morphine not oxycontin or percocet like meds.  Ok I say am willing< to try methadone..The problem here is that so many people abuse this medication whether they have a physical situation going on or not, and it just crushes the hope of good treatment for us who need help.  I'm not a drug addict nor abuse meds, and take as directed willing to sign any agreement to that effect..In fact legally in pain management we must sign an opiate agreement- if that is the treatment that, we will follow the rules, and especially not see other doctors for same medication.  I need a pain management doctor now am in Westchester and well what's worse destroying my body with megadoses of steroids by a pmd who does not prescribe meds which will cause even further damage, and mind you this pmd knows I had avn right...nice guy....It's a long story but as it is now I'm on very low doses of meds due to the adversity in our pmd, and medical society, ignorance, and most importantly the judgment.  Oh gosh for that judgment word...I was in trauma two days ago because I had no meds, and have little now, and no pmd, or anyone treating me letting my psychologist etc...know I need support.  I have no choice but to end up somewhere I'd rather not spend 24 hours being rescanned them seeing the acute/chronic problem, and concurring I have a serious abscess just scripting me out, and letting me go.  9 out of ten times how many of us receive referrals our insurance does not accept.  Well I have seen let's see four pmd's and none of them cared about me, but they did really admire my wardrobe.  So for any doctor reading this shame on you, and stop judging everyone you see.  Do the proper screening, and background checking before you let that good person leave struggling with no support.  I guess that's all I have right now, and thank you.  Blessings to All~