addiction and chronic pain

There is no need for shame, you are not sick on purpose.  Do you have anyone you can lean on when you need help?  If not, and even if so, I think you need a support group where you can voice your concerns and meet people who are like you.  Chronic pain is really difficult to deal with, even folks without any mental diagnoses will find themselves depressed.  I am in the same place.

 

I don't understand what you mean about pain meds, are you saying you will abuse them?  Even if that is a problem, you should visit a chronic pain center and learn about other alternatives.

Are you taking any other meds for the bipolar disorder and depression?  

My suggestion to you is to be honest with your docs, make sure you are being taken care of - psychiatrist, therapist, pain management, rheumatologist.  Do not give up, and don't give in to the guilt and shame.  I know it's hard, but you must acknowledge how you feel and acknowledge that you are only able to do your best with what you have to work with.

Also, Lyrica worked great for my fibro. I don't know it's potential for abuse however, and of course not all meds work the same on different people.

1st, thank you for your response.  2nd, in answer to your question, yes I will abuse them.  I have such a long standing history of not wanting to be in my own skin, (for obvious reasons) that I have reverted to almost any means to lift my self above that experience.  The experience of being tied to this body and in this pain 24/7.  I want nothing more than to have a panel of dr's who all know my diagnoses and who are all on the same page as to what to do about them, but  have found that in my case honesty is the best policy only if I want to continue to suffer.  And this, of course, only adds to the problem in the long run.

I have gotten quite good at mind over matter control, but it takes all my concentration and energy, two commodities I only have at my disposal on an intermitten basis.  The Lyrica did help some, however, I gained 40 pounds in about 2 1/2 months without changing one thing about my diet.  I am so discouraged.  I can not find all my answers in a 12-step program, or in a doctor's office, or even in both together.  I guess I was just asking a question I knew in my heart would be impossible to answer.  Because there is no answer.  Dr's will be wary of prescribing effective medication which has left me with the choice of no relief to virtually illegal relief through a script doctor.  Anyway, I hate to whine, and I can hear myself.  thank you again. Becky

 

I have had 4 major surgeries, 2 to remove ependymoma's from inside my spinal cord, 1 for MRSA in my back from surgery #2 and 1 to dether my cord from all the scar tissue.    Besides 2 operations to install my pain pump and about 60+ procedures.  I will never work again and can do any of the sports I love.   So, I can relate in a way.   First, you need to be on a Anti-depressant.  That was the hardest for me.  I fought the "I dont need one"  and the "side effects suck" attitude.  Well when it finally worked after about 2-3 weeks of use ( it takes that long + or - a week ) I felt much better about things.   Then I got the pain pump and it really changed my life.  I could do things with my family again and it wasn't perfect but, I had a life.  Talk to your Dr. about it.

To Sarahbella1

 Have you considered the Medtronics implant that is a neurostimulator that might me the

answer to the specific kind of pain you have. See the Larry King interview with Jerry Lewis

to hear him talk about it. Your merry-go-round or "Catch-22" is actually what many of us

have and think we are the only ones. Try different anti-depressants, the SSRI and nor-epinephrine paired kind. I didn't realize so many of my aches went away til weeks on the

moderate dose. Damn the depression. Do it for the muscle pain relief. 

Thank you all for your thoughtful answers.  It helps to know I am not alone.  I am on 2 different antidepressants which seems to be working better than any other single or combo i've tried.  I am really beginning to feel that the solution for me is not  a pysical one, but a spiritual one.  I just can't figure out how a soccor Mom becomes a yogi!

I have had severe chronic pain for twelve years. Although it was extremely undertreated for a number of years, I finally found a doctor who would prescribe the amount of medication that I needed to be able to function. I am a professional and have never had any cognitive impairment from the medications. I don't know what you mean when you say that you can't stick to a script.Do you take more than prescribed?There is a lot of misinformation about pain and addiction, and I encourage you to educate yourself and others about the fact that the overwhelming majority of pain patients do not abuse their medications.if you want to respond to this, I will give you my contact information so that I can help you. Good luck!