I am interested in people who don't mind sharing there stories with Good or bad. I have been through so many doctors some more rude than other some less caring as others! I am sick of they way i am viewed as a patient that on a on-going pain reagament. I have a legit. diagnosis yet am not always treated like i am human! I know i am not alone in this and woudl love to hear from those who don't mind! Thanks! 
I am sorry that you live with chronic pain; it is an experience that cannot be understood unless you experience it. I have lived in pain for about 40 years now, and can assure you I have heard everything from, "women cannot handle stress so they get back pain," and that when I was 13 years old, to "you have to have immediate surgery." I have had kind, knowledgeable doctors and rude doctors who immediately assumed I just wanted drugs. And I have been on every possible drug you can imagine, with mixed results.
Very briefly, I started having back pain when I was 12 years old. I've had four major back surgeries, including 3 laminectomies, and an anterior/posterior spinal fusion, and now have a rod and screws holding my spine together. I spent 3 weeks in a inpatient pain management program and now see a wonderful pain specialist.
In 1997 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, although it my doctors agree that I have probably had it longer but the symptoms were masked by my back problems. MS is a complex disease that involved deterioration of the myelin, or coating, around the nerves leading from the brain and/or spine, causing lesions. A person's symptoms depend on where on the brain or spine the lesions form, and they can include pain, muscle spasticity, limitations on mobility, vision problems, incontinence, and many more.
In 2000 I had a Medtronic Pump implanted in my abdomen that delivers Morphine and Bupivicaine for my chronic pain and Baclafen for the spasticity from MS. I can assure you since 2000, my pain is manageable for the first time in many years, in fact there are days I am hardly aware of it. There are times, however, when I have flare-ups and they are handled quite well with relatively minor oral medication. I urge you to find a pain management center or specialist in private practice and do research on the Medtronic pump to see if it is appropriate for you. It is NOT appropriate for everyone, but it is worth investigating to see if it can work for you. Go to Medtronics.com for more information.
Today I am on disability, the most difficult thing I have done in my life and I miss my old life very much. You can find out more about my experience with pain and my life today by reading my other Share Posts on this site, listed under Denise C.
I wish you the best of luck. I think you will find the people who post on this site have much to offer. Good luck.
Hi Tystick,
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia May of this year and also bells palsey in July of this year. I have been on all kinds of pain medication, nortriptyline, lyrica, cymbalta none have worked. I am still on cymbalta because even though it was prescribed for pain I believe it is helping mentally. I was also taking muscle relaxers to help me sleep and have been on vicodin and percoset since july. I just went to a new doctor, a General Practioner. He put me on a low carb diet, 30 grams a day. I was in so much pain, depressed and miserable that I figured I had nothing to lose by trying it. I could not believe how much better I feel on this diet. I have little or no pain, no more vicodin or percoset. I felt so good last weekend that I over did it by helping my husband and kids rake and bag leaves that I was in pain for two days. I know now that even though I feel good I still have to make sure that I don't over do it.
FYI: Anyone who decides to try this diet ,the first week is really hard. The fifth day I felt so bad that I called my doctor because I thought there was something wrong by the seventh day I was feeling great. So give it time
Well, I go back to the doctor Monday afternoon for my follow up visit. The doctor will do more on diagnosing any other problems other than chronic pain disorder. I have done a lot of research and it all says that it is related to fibromyalgia. I too agree, that even though the cymbalta does help some for the pain, I believe it helps my mind more. I feel more balanced and able to handle the pain when it hits worse than it is. It also feels good to know that for once, I was able to stay up and ring in the new year with my family and to be able to do a lot more with them. I am still trying to explain to my husband how I feel, but have not been able to get it thru his head at this time. I am hoping that once I get my next appointment completed and more information, then I can get hubby to understand better. Plus, I have to explain this to my 3 kids (14, 12, & 9). Does anyone have any suggestions?
thanks for your comment. I am so glad that you are feeling better. I am very interested in your diet.If you are willing to share what kind of things you are eating?I am sure it would be a big help to me. I havent been feeling very well and I know it help me to eat better and eat less. When I first got sick I gained 30 pounds and havent lost it yet.Ialso am trying the cymbalta ,30mgs.For pain and minor blues. Im sure a good diet would help also? thanks Ty
I eat alot of protein and vegetables, no sugar not even fruit. My doctor told me that it is sugar that makes us feel bad. He said there is no such thing as "good" sugar, it all breaks down the same. Sugar is what makes you fat. You need to eat fish, beef, chicken, pork any meat. All cheeses, no low fat. When they take out the fat they add sugar. no low fat items for the same reason. That means you can have regular dressing on you salad, but no croutons. No pasta, potatoes, bread, beans, fruit. You can have 30 grams of carbs a day, so you can have low carb bread or breyers makes a low carb ice cream which is really good. Basically to figure out how many carbs are in something you take the total carbs minus the total fiber. I usually snack on almonds or pistachios at night or low carb ice cream.
Hope this helps.
P.S. If you have any questions you can email me at leepy427@optonline.net if you would like.
I HOPE YOU GET THE NEWS YOU NEED ON MONDAY AND I AM SO GLAD TO HEAR YOU ARE FEELING BETTER.bUT I HAVE A QUESTION,IS YOUR HUSBAND NOT SUPPORTED OF YOU OR IS IT HE DOESNT UNDERSTAND?CAN YOU GO INTO YOUR STORY A LITTLE MORE I FEEL I MUST OF MISSED SOMTHING.I am looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you ,TY
Well, the dr. told me today that it is fibromyalgia with depression. Although, I do feel much better, so she told me that for now the depression is undercontrol. My husband and I have been thru other bad times before this. He basically had to assist me with breastfeeding our son, dressing, bathing me, ect when I had shoulder surgery almost 9 years ago. He does not understand why I hurt. He does pick on me sometimes and tells me that I walk around like a 90 year old woman. I have sent him e-mail links about everything, I don't believe he reads them. So, I work with another woman who also has fibromyalgia and she told me to just print pages out and to tell him to read them. So, I am going to try that this time. My problem is trying to explain it to my 3 children to a point they will understand. I know by working with other clients that this can be a debilitating thing on down the road, so I want them to understand what is going on, but at the same time let them know that mom will be here for them for quite a while. I am going to continue to work until I absolutly can not work anymore. I feel that as long as I can continue to do my job as a counselor, I'll give other people hope that suffer the same way as I do. I do already have a partial disability, so these people that say they can't do anything, I understand them, but at the same time as long as a person sets thier mind to do something, will eventually get it done. My husband learned that the hard way. He quit telling me that I can not do something, because I figured out a way to do it. I hope everyone who reads this will live life to their fullest and not give up on anything unless they get to the point where it is no longer physically or mentally possible to continue doing the things they want to do.
Hi all, As I have already posted I am a 40 yr chronic pain female who has been put thru the wringe by the best of the best doctors {or thats what I was told} I have MS, Fibro, Singles, fused lower back, fused rt akle, wwhich makes me limp and has caused numerous skeletol problems, degenerative bone and joint desease, neuropathy {numbness in places all over body espicially my shouldders and arms} carpal tunnel and the list goes on. Was finall y put on chronic pain program of OPIATES and numerous other crappy drugs. Was so messed up didn't even knowwhat day was for 6 LONGYEARS. Am now done to 1/4th of what I was on and going down more as we speak. The side effects are horrendous and have almost killed me on several occasions. Because I'm not a "quote" perverbial dug addict. My body is physically addicted, but mentally I hate the crap, don't look for the feelings, in fact I hate that feeling and that s wy I want off. Have found others ways to handle the pain. My Lord is the firs an Natural & Holistic medicine is helping ME get thru this and hopefullhy by mans Christmas this year I will be off compleely. Am weaning very slowly because been on way too long and my body is rejecting me going off all the time. All fo you outthere ging tru this stuff, PLEASE KEEP YOUR HEADS UP, PRAY ALL HE TIME FIND A GOODSUPPORT SYSTEM AND CHECK OUTALLOTHE RESOURCES. There are many places here on the net to help you. God Bless You All and thank you for letting me vent.
I have been having migraines for years but they have been getting worse and more frequent the past 2 years. I have also developed neuropathy in my arm. It feels like someone is taking a hammer and hitting my funny bone all day everyday. My left toes are numb now for 2 weeks. I have had 2 nerve conduction studies that have come up negative for the most part and an MRI, I take Lyrica for the nerve pain and some vicodin for the migraines and arm pain. I am in constant pain still. I was seeing 2 dr's one for a workers comp claim for the arm/hand and one for the migraines. They were both prescribing me pain meds. My primary wasn't helping me with the migraines and some other issues I was having so I went to get a second opinion, that dr prescribed pain meds. I thought, is that the only answer??? So I left and later that week I got a call and was informed by the workers comp dr that they knew about the pain meds and that I was flagged. They treated me horribly. All my dr's dropped me and I had to find a new one. Now my new dr has me on a contract for 2 pills a day that don't do enough to control the pain. I tried to talk to him about fibro I think that is what I have. He won't listen to me. I don't know what to do. I need help!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I have been in constant pain for over 8 years. My regular doctor would tell me that he can not do anything for me and couldn't find out why I always hurt. About 9 years ago I had arthrosopic surgery for a dislocated shoulder and ended up with osteoarthritis and 3 years ago whiplash from being rear ended, now with osteoarthritis in my neck. I have not had a good night sleep in years from constant pain. And, with 3 kids who are active in sports, I was not able to get out and play with them. I have a twin sister that was recently diagnosed with fibromyalga and she suggested I go see the doctor she went to. So, a week later I did. The doctor diagnosed me with chronic pain disorder and onset of depression and put me on cymbalta. One full week later, I have slept like a baby, not had bad pain, stiffness yes, but that is managable! And I feel normal. I do get tired by the end of the day with kids, work full time, home, and the things in between. I am glad I found a doctor who tells me that the pain is real and not just "in my head".