What causes your chronic pain?

[brians2000]

I have read where some of you have spine problems that causes their chronic pain and I have seen where some people have other problems. I am one that has spine problems but I wondered what others are getting medication for.

[BrokenBladder]

I have a wide variety if problems. I have a bladder disorder called interstitial cystitis, Mellody Sponge Kidney Disease, Pelvic Floor Dysfucntion, IBS, FMS, hypermobile joint syndrome, and I know I forgot a few. I hope this helps you some.

[Stetson]

C4-5-6 fusion with hardware. Possible failed fusion at 5-6,herniated disc at6-7.

[cindybear]

inoperable brain aneurysm, LMCA ( Left Middle Cerebral Artery ) Fusiform shape or the whole artery is affected..It's 1 centimeter by 6.7 mm. It's been pulsating on the trigemenal nerve for the past 6 years..Did I mention how awful bad that hurts..And at times I can't think cause the pain is so intense..My pain was down once to a 2 in the last 6 years..the rest of the time it is over 5..But I'm not complaining..I have a great pain Doc..And if it gets me down, I'm only a shot away..Alls I have to do is asked..I just got my disability,,that I had to fight for over 5 years for...cause #1, to young And #2, I have a education and have supervisor skills....( was a charge nurse ) for many years..I finnally won my battle in the federal courts..Which they stated, the ALJ, was very wrong in his decision, And made me fully fav. back to the day I Got my first thunderbolt headheadache.Jan. 3 2001 and which I was hospitalized..in 3 different hospitals...I don't know if anyone will ever come up with a safe surgery for me,,But I am hoping.....The last surgery allmost killed me and I still got this monster...Hugs, Cindy

[curiousforever]

PN, muscle spasms.

Have some neuro symptoms also.

[juniee]

Well, let me see, I have arachnoiditis, cauda equina syndrome, disc herniations at T10-11, T11-12 and L2-3, neuropathy of legs, left hand/arm, and some paralysis of bladder/bowel. My pain stays at 6-9 24/7 and I take kadian and percocet/Lyrica and valium for the constant muscle spasms.

[Kira]

Mitochondrial disorder. I have a myopathy that causes a lot of pain.

Mito is a problem with how your cells turn fuel (food) into energy. When your cells aren't getting enough energy, they begin to function abnormally and die. My muscle tissue (as well as CNS, kidneys, heart) is pretty much always starving for energy. Dead muscle tissue swells up, gets inflamed (body trying to get rid of it), etc. Also get crampy, spasmy pain (like a Charley Horse that won't let go for days). I have some neuro stuff that I think contributes to my spasticity, too.

People hear "muscle pain" and think of the pain you get when you overdo it, or when you sprain something, or whatever. But this is a very different kind of pain. This is "dead tissue" pain. A sprain would be about a 2 on my pain scale. Post-op shoulder surgery pain is about a 5. I have been living at a 7 or 8 most of the time (until recently, when I went to the pain clinic... now more of a 5 or 6). My worst attack of rhabdomyolysis (muscle tissue dies on a large scale, releases a bunch of stuff that is toxic to the kidneys, etc) was a 10. My usual attacks of rhabdomyolysis are about a 9.

[aggscott]

I have Fibromyalgia, Myofaical Pain, SI joint problems, Bulging disc's in neck and lumbar area. Currently I'm going through testing for Lupus like symptoms.

That is all but, for me it's more than enough!

Aggie

[LKAHMS]

2 blown discs L4 L5 and L5s1.
that lead to a variety of other fun things like myofacial pain syndrome, and pelvic weakness/unstable and hip pain as well.
After my 2 level fusion I am doing better though but the back/spine is the cause of all the trouble.

[sunshiney_dayz]

C5-6 fusion w/ hardware and hip bone graft , from a ruptured disc thanx to a drunk driver. Also complimented with DDD and bulges at the C4 and 7 discs..bone spurs and nerve /muscle pain as well.

Interesting to read someone else had the C5-6 levels done and it didnt work either. I never dreamed Id actually be taking 180mg morphine and 30 mg hydrocodone 3 x a day each , nearly 4 years after the surgery. Mines just getting worse and the weather changing right now hasnt been helping to terribly much !

[mbrfz]

I have RSD full body, level of constant pain,6 hits and 8 everyday at some point. I have cold rsd mixed with hot rsd. spasms, jerks , bolts of pain that could knock you down. spasms that last for hours or charlie horses, loss of use of left arm , neck pain, spine pain, leg pain, chest pain, severe constipation, deep bone aching that is shocking it just doesnt stop, now the bloody thing has moved in my teeth. Good luck to all and God help us all.

[buriedinbooks]

C5-6 fusion w/ hardware ...
Interesting to read someone else had the C5-6 levels done and it didnt work either. ... Mines just getting worse and the weather changing right now hasnt been helping to terribly much !

Sounds just like me...the surgery made everything worse...sigh. Never had pain in shoulders or arms until the surgery. (My symptoms pre surgery were chronic daily headaches and neck pain. MRI showed moderate to severe stenosis at C 5-6.)

The neurosurgeon who did the cutting sent me to a PM doc and a neurologist just four weeks post surgery...said I had developed cervical radiculapathy post surgery and my MRIs indicated possible MS.

I am four years post ACDF 5-6. Latest neruologist consult said I don't have MS just myofascial pain syndrome (not the fibromyalgia my rheumy suggested) and my latest PM consult said I have SAPS ... ( Suck @&& Pain Syndrome --- yes, he really said that to me ... what a comic) ... SAPS, according to him, means I hurt everywhere bc of the DDD in my cerivcal spine combined with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Must just learn to live with it.

My pain levels hit 8 every night with a daytime average of six. Did I mentionthat I have a low tolerance for medications....they aways seem ten times more powerful on me than anyone else. And I have learned that doctors seem to get angry when their choice of meds doesn't work.

My worst pain time is in the evening...lying down to sleep sets my shoulders and arms and neck and head into instant throb, burn, ache with intermittent electric shocks in armpit area and ribs. I never sleep longer than two hours at a time.

Because the big gun meds send me into muddled mind places while providing pitiful pain relief ... I stick to mild NSAIDs, self-hypnosis, hot showers, cold packs, foam pillows, B12, GF/CF diet to get me through each day.

BUT I somehow have managed this spine pain for ten years ( first occipital headache in 1996; post surgery pain in 2002). The RA has been waxing and waning in my system since 1987.

Just keep hoping for an effective pain solution to appear...and putting a smile on my face in view of it all.

Gentle ehugs to all...Carly

Anyone else care to share medication sensitivity problems? What do you do???

[NJPain]

I was involved in a single car accident in 1991 that almost took my life. ONLY reason I'm here is my friend who survived went and flagged down a cop.

Broke my C-3, I guess fractured because they decided NOT to operate, let it heal on it's on which it did. Instead of a halo bolted to my head for 8 months, I had a snap on faccimilly I wore for 8 weeks.

Every year after the accident I slowly developed a worsening spinal condition. I was in such great physical shape and young (21), I survived the accident like a champ. It wasn't until later on in life that my situation worsened.

Accident was my fault so I have no one to sue but, listen to your lawyers that tell you even if you survive an accident today, you could easily suffer later on in life due to the accident. I'm proof of this.

Today I survive with herniations at L5 and C6-7. Not bulges, not spurs, herniations and the diagnosis from my MRIs was DDD, degenerative disc disease which means my spine is getting worse and worse.

There has been a lot of stories I've read and seen on tv about back pain and dealing with it and it's amazing. I think HBO had a documentary type thing about surviving with spinal cord injuries and the options patients have. I'll never forget the guy they were interviewing and he said, "If the #1 surgeon in Europe told me I needed surgery and the #1 surgeon in the United States was available to do it....I STILL wouldn't get it done!". Know why? Because like me, all he has read is BAD stories about back operations. Like, MAYBE 20% of patients get better after their operations. The others either stay the same or get worse so, why get involved with a risky operation with those kind of numbers.

Sorry so long but...........you asked..............

[Pamster]

Well officially it's because I have a pinched nerve around C4-5 not sure which one, I can't remember but its the one which branches out into the arms. It was from a car accident in 98" and other then that I have a lot of phycial damage from a motorcycle accident in 87" which left me an amputee and I broke many bones in many places, so I have a lot of chronic pain from that. :p

[MsJB]

I have chronic soft tissue damage in the foot. Traumatic injury crushing all ligaments and tendon on the top outside 18 years ago. Just had surgery in 3 places. Tarsal tunnel release, inside; Morton's neuroma, top; sural neurectomy and removal of a cherry-sized tumor deep in the ankle on the outside. Possibly all related to the original injury. Viacodin and Lyrica. Nothing else has worked, and I haven't been willing to start anything stronger yet. Hopefully the surgeries will put that off indefinitely. The dr. said the tumor was hanging onto the sural nerve and was most definitely a major cause of my pain. Can't wait to get these darned staples out and see how it feels without the surgery pain. I'm already aware that most of my daily pain is reduced.

[tenacious]

it sounds like everyone has been through A LOT and i am sorry to read about it. i cannot imagine what it would be like to actually live with what all of you have stated.:eek:

before i list any of my 'normal abnormalities', i would like to say that (probably like all of you) i suffer emotionally. i have lost so much, and what i can say i have lost is my career in social work, and i suffer (and those around me do also) from the terrible mood swings i go through. if i am having a good day physically, then of course, i am happy. if i am having a real bad day physically, i am depressed, i don't want to do anything because everything causes too much pain...............and i can be negative when overall, i am a positive person.

okay, now to reply to the question: i have ankylosing spondylitis, causing lots of problems, including si joint problems, and my heart, along with my spine. i have rheumwatiod arthritis and osteoarthritis, bone spurs on my spine, hypothyroidism, endometriosis, periphial neuropathy, restrictive lung disewase (not yet confirmed), fms, edema, and muscle atrophy. i don't have any knee jerk response when tested, and i don't understand why. the last doctor that tested it asked me if i still have my wheelchair.:confused:

[tenacious]

i am having problerms posting, and i don't know why.........

what i wanted to add to my above post is that three years ago, i was in a wheelchair and could interrmittently use a walker, for three years. now i only need my walker occassionally.:D

at times, my pain levels frighten me.:eek:

[ErinENj]

I am a spiney. Basically, I have I think what they call failed back syndrome, failed surgery syndrome and 2 herniated disks at L4/L5 and L5/S1. The biggest problem is that because of the herniations, there's nothing really left at those two levels thanks to my first two surgeries which I shouldn't have had. I hadn't thought it was possible to push out the last little bit, but I managed to do it last March. Now my vertebrea are basically just sitting on each other and the nerves in between. So that's what causes my pain.

[illusion129]

Well, to start off with, I usually suffer from a lot of neurological symptoms. Twitches, tremors, double/blurred vision, sensitivity to heat, but I also suffer from chronic pain symptoms.

My neuro symptoms are being blamed on Multiple Sclerosis (thus far). I was misdiagnosed for many years, having the diagnoses of Juvenile/Adult Rheumatoid Arthritis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Fibromyalgia. My Rheumie says that I may in fact have Fibro, but that it's not the main cause of all my symptoms. She knows that I definitely suffer from (regular) Arthritis due to all the formations in my C-Spine and L-Spine. I also have some disk problems from L4 on down.

Other than that, that's basically all I "know" about my health in a nutshell. Multiple Sclerosis is not a "definite" diagnosis for me but I'm going through H3LL having tons of tests run. I just recently had a LP and C-Spine MRI, of which I get the results on the 29th. I'm excited yet scared all at the same time to hear what the Neurologist has to say about either test but I guess if the LP turns up abnormal and the C-Spine indicate lesions that MS will probably become my "definite" diagnosis. Scary to think about it, but I guess it has to happen to someone.

With that last sentence, I highly believe that a Higher Power knows that we people are the strong ones; S/He'd never deal us a load he didn't think we could carry. I know it gets rough sometimes but as long as we're living we have to get some enjoyment out of life, even if it's only a small bit. I hope everyone has a "network" of friends/family/loved ones they can all count on because I know how vital that is in your healthcare.

May all of you enjoy these Happy Holidays! :D

[Boopers]

I have 7 herniated discs in my neck and back. I have DDD, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, PN, heart disease, congestive heart failure, glaucoma, COPD, short term memory loss and am on alot of meds.
I take neurontin, oxycontin, hydrocodone, methadone, lipitor, metalazone, lasix, spiralactone, prozac, wellbutrin, lanoxin, fosamax, advair and atrovent.


Life sucks most of the time.

Linda

[tenacious]

linda,

it saddened me to read that you wrote that life sucks most of the time.:( if there is ever anything i can do for you, please let me know. even if you just need someone to vent to, i am here.

hang in there; we are hanging with you.:D

[Sandel]

I have Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) also known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) with organ involvement.

soft hugs,
sandra

[erfan]

I have 4 levles of disc herniations or bulging, 2 levels of spinal stenosis, spondylosis, scoliosis, facet joint arthritis, thecal sac impingement.

Currently on useless 100 mcg Fentanyl patch and somewhat useful 30 mg Roxicodone

No idea what caused the spinal conditions

[Quahog]

Let's see. Herniated C3, C4, C5, L5, S1, Cervical Stenosis, Thecal Sac Impingment, Inflammatory Arthritis, FMS, PN, DM 2, Lyme Disease


Medications are Oxycontin 60mg BID, Oxycodone 15mg, TID Lidoderm 5%, TENS, Flexeril 10mg

[illusion129]

Just thought I'd post quick update:

I went to the Neuro on the 29th and he said, according to my VEP, LP, and MRI that he's 95% sure that I do not have Multiple Sclerosis.

Well yippy, now I'm back to square 2 of this mystery. At least I know what I don't have but I sure would love to know exactly what is wrong with this body of mine.

Maybe when I go back to the Rheumie on Feb. 6th she'll have some news for me. I know I've been tested for just about every single thing on the planet but I'm sure there is something my doctors just aren't piecing together...it's crazy to go for 7 years of symptoms and to numerous physicians only to find not one of them has an answer. It definitely gets depressing!

But, it's the life I was given and I have to deal with it. I know daily pain and other symptoms keep me at home most of the time but at least I get medication to treat my over-all severe symptoms. I just hope that all of you receive adequate pain relief because I know for a fact just how far pain can push a person mentally.

Take care and many gentle ((hugs))!

[curiousforever]

I also have muscle spasms, ddd in my cervical and lumbar spine. and now getting migraines again.