Chronic Pain - another ? Please..

Hi,
I posted question on chronic pain relief before and got some really good reponses.

So why am I posting again? I went to my family physician today and am once more confused.

I asked for pain relief and she said that the only thing that I could take was narcotics. I have alot of drug interactions and allergies. She doesn't support people taking narcotics.
If I understood her correctly, it sounded like my fibro is the result of the PTSD and my mental health - the pain real but since resulting from mental health issues that the way to treat it is talk therapy with a therapist - not for medical intervention. We have gone around and around.

So I guess I am confused, is that the reaction of the other dr's out there? If I went to a pain clinic would they be of the same opinion?

I looked at the post on assessing pain and I would rate mine at an 8.

I think that I subconsiously don't get up and do certain things do to the pain. If I could get it more under control, it would make everthing easier - shopping for food - just basic things.

freewill I have a lot to tell you, but I'm so stressed right now I can't find the words... will give more later..

Yes, pain centers will say the same thing, but they might also help you improve your management of stress to reduce your pain. With the fibro, it is a medical syndrome also... so the pain center might help you reduce your need for pain med and also verify your need for a certain level of meds. TC

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Thanks Sky... lots of (((((((hugs))))))) I hope the stress eases soon for you so that you are more comfortable.
Sincerely, Lu

I am confuseded. Yes, the pain is worse with stress but...... It is pain.

Yes indeed, and when it's pain, that in itself means you don't really care what's causing it, you want it gone!!!

BUT learning to manage pain can begin with learning to better manage stress. I know when I come under increased stress (like you and I are going through with the puppy flying) I have a tendency to tighten up muscle wise... and that causes my pain to worsen. I have to realize that I can't push, that I need more time to ice up, or to take hot baths, or/and to use the tennis balls into the trigger points etc... and do SELF CARE regardless of what all else needs to be done. THAT lowers my stress reaction and thus lowers my pain somewhat.

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i have to chime in..........i have had a lot of surgery due to a botched mastectomy with reconstruction. i have pain in my left breast 24/7. when i get stressed, i subconsciously pull my left shoulder up and i get a muscle spasm under my left shoulder blade which burns and hurts like the devil......the more stressed i am, the more pain i have. i only take darvocet because i refuse to go higher up on the painpill scale. have worked in ER and psych hospital and am just dead set against the thought (in MY head) of ending up begging for pills some day..as i've seen a lot of people have to do.

i walk, i read, i take hot baths and when i can i get a massage. my daughter has been arranging sport massages for me recently and the massage therapist really has helped me.

but pain can do many, many things to us mentally. how i've kept from becoming either an alcoholic or drug addict is beyond my daughter's minds. they can't believe that i'm still managing it as i am.

the pain makes my depression 100 times worse. in fact, i feel that the majority of my depression is a result of the pain that i've had for 32 years.

i finally found a wonderful physician's assistant who listened to me and talked to me about my pain. she wants me to take something stronger but goes along with my resistance to it. and she always takes the time to find out where the pain level is.

i work mostly now on managing my stress. cause i know the pain will always be with me, but the stress i can work on.

i rambled on and on but want to encourage you that you can find some help. it just takes time and a lot of research on your part and maybe "doctor interviews"....it's very important to be a partner with the physician.....VERY.....none of this "do as i say" regardless stuff from your doc. it's "let's try this and see how it goes and if it doesn't work, we'll try something else".......end of pain rant......love, pat

Thank you (((((HUGS))))
Somehow I got it in my mind that from the doctor that there just wasn't anything to help out there. And if she didn't feel it to be a problem that it shouldn't be a problem to me.

OH yes, the majority of chronic pain patients are depressed. Go figure.

Yall take care and have a safe holiday...

and don't believe everything even a few doctors agree on

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Pat, Sky and Freewill, better late to the party then a no show huh? On pain, I understand that we tighten muscles as a result of mental or physical stress. Our bodies are trying to protect us. What is hard for me is that the muscle tension is real and palpable and in it'self a cause for enormous pain. What I am not getting is that it is physiological and while I can tell my body to breath deep and blow out the stress and pain, the pain is real and sometimes unbearable. Yes we can learn lots of ways of coping. My P.T. did some major deep tissue stuff the other day and it has been really sore but not painful? Does that make sense? Sore to touch but not pain like I know.

This is a very interesting topic to me as I have NO idea what the RIGHT treatment is for pain. I can understand a doc not wanting to give too many narcotics because as I look around me I can see gross abuse and sales of narcotics. But that makes people like me pay. I don't get the level of pain management I need because others abuse the system.

And, quite on another track, I sensed something up with my doc and it was this issue. Pain and being believed and use of narcotics. Big stuff but can I blame her when I see the abuse? But I still am angry to hear her say that when I have a PTSD flareup my pain is worse. Does it take her to figure out why that is? It's not in my head, it's just connected.

And then there is the issue of people who are addicted to narcotics for recreation and experience severe pain coming off. Physical pain? What is that about? It's all confusing.