not sure why but need to type...

[Nez37]

i dont really have a question as such but keep feeling drawn to this site. i am still in far more pain which has been increased now for 10 days. i have increased my morphine and oramorph but still no relief. i am not able to sleep either, well not more than about 20mins at a time. i seem to have a dull headache aswell that only actually bothers me now and again but i know is there. i got some paperwork in the post today which is information about the place i have been recommended to by my doctors as an input patient for pain management. it is 15 days over 4 weeks living in a shared hostel next to the hospital in london. it sounds really good and i need to fill in the two packs of questions about me and my pain and problems for them to offer me an appointment. when i was told about this at the beginning it was suggested that i do 5-7 days in-patient detox followed by this rehabilitation pain management course. i haven't heard anything about the detox side of things and wonder whats the best way round of doing this. obviously if i go through detox i will still need something for the pain i'm in but on the other hand will it be possible to do the pain management while i am still on the very high levels of morphine, oramorph, dihydrocodeine, tramadol, baclofen, diclofenic, paracetamol and two other meds for high blood pressure not to mention chewable calcium tablets for my osteoporosis. i dont know why my back is hurting so much at the moment but it feels similar to the two previous times i went to the hospital saying it was worse and after finally getting them to take me serious and giving me x-rays and MRI it was discovered on the two seperate occassions that i had fractured a vertabrae. both times was out of the blue and without any falls or bumps and being honest i'm not the most active as i am in so much pain i am limited to what i can do anyway. i have been told that with my severe osteoporosis it is possible to to some damage by slipping off the kerb or stepping heavily off the stairs and jolting my back. well as i said i dont really have a specific question more of a rant and rave really. i hope you are all doing good today and remember " tomorrow is another day". good luck to all and hope to hear some feedback from anyone.

[Tuckamore]

Hi Nez,

That makes three of us...and I sure others will say the same. The Pain Mangement Forum is full of wonderfully supportive ppl. We all relate well to similar challenges that we encounter as we journey through a life of chronic pain.

Like Jaybay, it eases and distracts my pain to chat with others and offer suggestions and opinions. I don't know if my if noted any "sharpening" in my thinking and reasoning skills since I've has chronic pain. Actually it's been so long that I barely remember the days without chronic pain.

A fracture that occurs without trauma is called "pathological" fracture. In elderly ppl a fracture can actually occur before the fall. It's can be the cause of the fall rather than the fall caused the fracture. This is usually due to loss of bone mass primarily due to osteoporosis. My father had three such fracture that were confirmed and two suspected ones after his 65th birthday. I know how very painful they were for him and I am extremely sorry that you are also dealing with this cruel condition. He was very active, always drank a lot of milk and dairy products but still had severe osteoporosis. Why this happens to some ppl and not others in some instances is a mystery.

Yes, if you go through detox you will still require something for the pain. True detox usually means NO opiates. Sometimes Suboxone is prescribed. It all depends on your physician...and the facility if you do in patient detox.  I'd make sure you understand the the procedure completely. Ask lots of good questions.

I think one of the hardest things for a cp patient is to be taken seriously when you have new pain. All of us know what our CP feels like and are very aware when the pain changes or we have new pain. I am blessed that my PCP always listens to me. When I say, "This is different," she investigates.

Feel free to come and chat with us any time. Someone is usually up and on the board. Sandee suggested starting the Late Night Cafe that we had a few years ago. I know your post was early but the Cafe may be a good idea again.

I'll look forward to chatting with you again. As Jaybay browsing through MedHelp can be beneficial. I do it often. :)   Happy Trails...
~ Tuck

[Jaybay]

Hey Nez!  I know the feeling of getting "addicted" to Med Help.  LOL!  I use it as a pain distraction tool myself.  Worrying about other people's problems takes my mind off my own pain, which I count as a major victory.  Do you find that your thinking and reasoning skills are sharpened since you've had to deal with chronic pain?  It crept up me, but looking back I can honestly say my research and analytical skills are far greater than they were previously.  Just curious to know if anyone else has experienced the same thing.

Forgive my ignorance, but I can't remember what your particular situation is regarding pain meds and why you want to detox.  Is that your decision or your doctor's?  I'm tapering my fentanyl dose myself for a whole host of reasons, but it's a personal decision on my part.  It mostly boils down to my resentment at being physically dependent on opiates and the feeling of not being able to control my own body.  Bizarre, huh?  Even if I eventually decide I can't function without them, I'll have reset the opiate receptors in my brain and will be able to get along with a lower dose.

I'm not surprised you have vertebrae fractures with your osteoporosis.  My poor grandmother's vertebrae literally crumbled in the lat 20 years of her life.  She had terrible troubles with her periods after giving birth to my mother (her 2nd and last child) in 1936.  After she hemorrhaged so badly that she nearly died, the doctors offered a "new" treatment to shut down her ovaries.  X-rays were just coming into widespread use then, so the doctors radiated her ovaries and killed them.  Can you imagine?!  That would be medical malpractice nowadays, but back then surgically removing ovaries was far more dangerous than radiation.  Grandma was only in her late 20's when that happened, and of course nothing was really known about the link between lack of estrogen and bone health back then.  By the time she turned 50 she was breaking bones right and left.  At the time of Grandma's death at age 92, she had lost over 8 inches of height due to vertebrae fractures.

Does the detox/ pain management hospital offer psychotherapy?  It's helped me tremendously in that I can better cope with the anxiety caused by being in pain and avoid freaking out when the meds don't help.  Meditation and self-hypnosis helps a lot too, but it's a learned skill that you have to practice routinely to see any benefit.  Definitely worth the effort.

You mention having headaches now and the inability to sleep more than 20 minutes.  That's anxiety talking and it easily increases pain levels.  If your primary focus in life is on your pain, it becomes some huge insurmountable mountain.  That's why distraction and relaxation techniques are so important.  Browsing through Med Help keeps my mind off my own issues and I'm able to forget about them for quite a while.   Whatever works, right?  :-)