Dealing With Pain

[Rockhound]

Since weaning myself off my pain meds, so I can more safely drive my vehicle, which I had chosen not to drive since being on the pain meds, is getting harder and harder to deal with.

My pain meds have or rather, usually reduced my pain threshold to about 50% for the most part and in some areas it appeared to have reduced it to nearly 0%, since now I am experiencing pain in those areas, like I can't remember, having not had to deal with it in those areas for such a long time.

Life or rather my quality of life, even though I can drive my vehicle without the fear of causing an accident, due to the effects of a narcotic, has actually been reduced, since their are times when the pain is so bad, I am reduced laying in bed with out the strength to anything else. Even lying in bed becomes intolerble at times, I had forgotten how much of my anxiety was connected to my pain level and how often my panic attacks seemed to co-inside with my pain level.

I just don't know how much longer I will be able to contend with the pain, just because of my fear of being in an accident brought on by the affects of the pain meds. Now I fear I may be in an accident, becuase my attention was hampered while dealing with the pain and not on my driving.

I got to go now, because the pain in my hands, while typing is interfereing with my spelling the words I right, I have to keep making corrections as I go along, because my fingers don't seem to want to do or rather type the characters my fingers should reach to, twitching in pain as a move about the different key strokes.

Besides, it's time I should be thinking about something to eat for luch, which brings on a whole new set of pain issues from sitting to standing.

Rockhound Rider :P B) B)

[LarryJ]

I also feel your pain rockhound.

I have been on Hydroc since 2000 but almost daily for a while now. I take natural herbs bromelaine and tumeric daily to help lower liver enzyme counts as my counts were triple the high end- very bad! I also take other nautral herbs(legal yall) but thats another story.

I am 37, out of work, need a knee brace and 2 walking sticks to walk around for exercise, can't walk 10 minutes without them for pain. This makes me really depressed, angry, sad, worthless all the negative emotions.

There are up days and down days- lately more down but try try to move your mind to something else when ur down. Doing lite yoga, computer thinking games, reading positive books, building model planes, woodworking, painting, drawing- I am sure many people can give advice on what to do when ur in pain and can't do much. TV is ok but the reruns during the day can make you ralph after a few weeks.

I did take a road trip with my wife and daughter this year to see our beautiful country - Denver, Arches Natinl Park, Yellowstone, MT Rushmore- and man did I need that. We really were hmmmm frugal to the max in order to make this trip as only my wife was working- I have no income other than $123 a month- 10% SC. I drive carefully on hydro and with redbull/coffee/donuts to at least make me think faster, drive more cautiously and a little slower than speedy gonzales more like his cousin slowpoke rodriguez! ! But this trip was well needed. We shared the driving and when I was down my family was supportive even when we couldn't see some stuff cause I was hurtin. We stayed inside the natnl parks for $10 per nite and free entrance forever! cause I am a disabled vet in Voc rehab- cheap but yes my back killed me- the other nites in hotels were free from hotel points and a few slept in our 4Runner.

I say this cause if or when you are able to get out either you drive or someone at least 1,2, 3x a week go out walk around a park, breathe some fresh air, even if all you do is sit on a bench and read or just look at the canada geese. It does help me- just to see something other than the TV and cnn.

I hope this helps- and reach out to the people here as you have, there are lots of peolpe here who seem to wholeheartedly want to help and listen and we all humanly need that - just someone to listen and hear us. I hear you and all the others who replied do too, take comfort in that. Take care and be well.

G-d Bless You and Your Family!

Thank you, for you have made my day.

[sharon]

i used to not think much about pain except when i hit my finger with a hammer . i did not know what constant pain was. NOW I KNOW!

i am in constant pain legs, feet and feel sick all over i do not know what is wrong with me ,i have hep.c,but they say most people do not even know they have it and i dont know if that is the cause.

i tried to jog and was going to get a routine but , but that set off a week of severe pain.i thought maybe if i could jog a little it would make the pain in my legs go away. i feel sick all the time and have no energy sometimes i want to end it all.

the next time i go to see doc at va i am going to have to lay it on the linne how serious my pain is and how sick i feel.

i cannot eat food,it makes me sick to look at it ,i live off ensure and it is expensive.

Walmart has a brand that taste better and does the same thing as ensure.

[Commander Bob]

Walmart has a brand that taste better and does the same thing as ensure.

Yes they do. You are so kind, Sharon. It's brand name is "Equate, Nutritional Shake. Once you acquire a taste for it, Is delicious. Great cold, with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream in it.

[LarryJ]

Arthritis can certainly make you feel just as you describe (as can several other maladies). Sometims when my rarthritis is "flaring up", it is all I can do just to lay still with my eyes closed.

The psych doc, at my last "evaulaution" asked me again if I had suicidal "ideantions". I told him that not, I had no suicial "idea's", that I was already well past that! I just hang on for the dyays that I don't have as mch pain.

Hell, I'm sitting herre now, slobbering on my freaking shirt.

horizaontiontal.....I need to be horizaontion

[john999]

I wish I could get oxycontin from the VA. I get oxycodone but I have to take 6-8 pills a day. No matter how good the day starts out by the end of the day I will be hurting. The oxycontin is time release oxycodone that is good for 8 hours. What the heck is the difference. The VA prescribes that damn morphine and methadone. I can't stand that stuff. I am aware that I will probably need this stuff for the rest of my life. Why worry about addiction.

[BoonDoc]