[namkha]

Over 80% of world population has little to no access to effective pain management.
http://www.who.int/m...r7WithAnnex.pdf
WHO report, April 2011...

[cuan9]

Thank you for this post farmer c not a truer word said been in chronic pain for a long time now and you're so right even the simplest gesture goes a long way .I'm 40 yrs old and my wife done a nice thing for me today ,I actualy cried and for me to do that is unheard of .
such a good post
peace my friend.

[I_L_M_G]

I can assure you the hereditary disease I have that is causing me pain off the scale, has left me bed ridden with chronic fatigue and feels like death jumping up and down on my skeleton is not self inflicted - no way at all.

I've had to stop taking meds in the last 6 months because they were making things worse, it was getting worse anyway and now without any meds at all I find even making a cup of tea or having a shit is a total fucking nightmare. There is no way it's self inflicted, I got the trigger gene from my mothers side of the family.

Try having a disease from head to foot and having day in day out pain for 10 - 15 years, trying to work until you physically can't anymore. Then try and comprehend pain so big and nasty that it changes your personality so badly it's hard to meet strangers as they all think you're fruit loop.

Chronic pain is severe pain that lasts a very long time. Saying it is self inflicted may cause offence to some people.

[Arnold Layne]

I_L_M_G, on 29 August 2011 - 06:34 AM, said:

Chronic pain is severe pain that lasts a very long time. Saying it is self inflicted may cause offence to some people.

ILMG
I agree with mostly everything in your post except this.
Chronic pain is pain that fails to respond to normal analgesia and which is experienced daily. It may or may not be severe pain. Severe and chronic pain are two different things. Most chronic pain is less than severe, although it may have severe "peaks". But mainly, chronic pain is simply any pain that fails to respond to normal treatments. and which is intractable. The strength of the pain varies from case to case, however, and is no marker of the "chronic" nature of the pain itself.

Like most folks, my experience is that I have continual background pain(s) which is managed by drugs, with severe peaks that may or may not respond to further analgesia.

You have my heartfelt sympathy, it sounds like you are mostly in severe pain. That must be a complete bitch to handle, I admire your fortitude, and wish you every possible relief.

[namkha]

The Pain Project
http://www.internati...rting.org/pain/

More than half the countries in the world have little to no access to pain medications, the result of bureaucratic hurdles and the chilling effect of the global war on drugs. We traveled to India, Ukraine and Uganda to put a human face on just some of the millions of patients around the globe forced to suffer long-term illnesses in excruciating pain.

[grandad]

the strongest pain killer is endorphin, hundred times stronger that morphine, if only they could reproduce it, nobody would ever feel pain again. i will only take 2 panadol when i have bad pain, never go the docs, i always assume the pain will go away eventually, and it always does.

[medden]

marijuana leaf capsules help if you take them everyday.

This post has been edited by medden: 20 September 2011 - 06:59 PM

[namkha]

grandad, on 20 September 2011 - 08:20 AM, said:

i always assume the pain will go away eventually, and it always does.

errr

[Arnold Layne]

grandad, on 20 September 2011 - 08:20 AM, said:

the strongest pain killer is endorphin, hundred times stronger that morphine, if only they could reproduce it, nobody would ever feel pain again. i will only take 2 panadol when i have bad pain, never go the docs, i always assume the pain will go away eventually, and it always does.

20 years I've had daily sciatic pain. It doesn't go away, not long term. You are lucky as well as mad.

2 Panadol?? Make me larff.... Not! It would seem that you really haven't a clue about chronic pain fella, not a single solitary clue!

2 Panadol? Ye gods and fallen angels, what's that for, a tickle in your pinky?? When you have your Sciatic nerve snagged neatly on some crazy bony growth, or you have a bit of a Trigeminal thing going down, then believe me - 2 Panadol is just not going to cut the mustard, I'm afraid

And the strongest pain killer is ... well, try Carfentanil, or if that's not enough, Etorphine. Now they really will turn down that headache for ya!! They both make Diamorphine (Heroin) seem like an Aspirin.

[mrs.salby]

Thank you to the OP, I have not read anything on chronic pain where I have felt I am speaking every word, he is not looking for sympathy, just that little bit of tolerance and understanding which every human deserves and a lot of us with chronic pain rarely get.

I have recently started on morphine and it helps more than the tramadol did but the pain is still intolerable a lot of the time causing me an inability to sleep which in turn makes my related problems worse. I get off my mother that I need to get out of the house more, get a job, stop feeling sorry for myself and I beat myself up about it constantly. Mr S is an angel, he truly is and I am blessed, I just wish that those who think we need to 'pull ourselves together' could read this and understand.

The simplest of tasks to a healthy individual are mammoth things to me. Getting a shower and getting dressed wipes me out, I then feel the need to go and lie down and take top up pain relief, which isnt always possible. Yet some view me as lazy and unmotivated, being trapped in a body that doesn't work and causes chronic and often severe pain, whilst the mind wants to be out there living their life to the max is really quite distressing.

All I can say is I am the luckiest woman alive having Tremont by my side on this journey.

[alan1]

good article, people think just because you look ok that you are ok realy just swinging the lead,i have three inoperable anurysms and chronic pain is my shadow,unless you have phisical sighns of you illness people just dont believe you.you cant win.so you carry on the best you can.(creating an aura of happyness and i can cope, or oh its nothig realy, its not easy.LIFE GOES ON.

[odishyd]

That hits the spot, I'm going to print it off and put it up at work. I suffered a neck back and shoulder injury 10 years ago and suffer everyday with pain. I do stretches daily to help but when it's bad it often gives me serious headaches.
People don't get it and I often do things with friends and family and know I'm going to suffer for days after but I am now learning to except it and say no, but it doesn't guarantee no pain.

However smoking is helping relax my muscles which helps with my pain.

Thanks for putting this up here, great piece of writing :-)

[Sir Sausage]

The OP was one of the most accurate things I've ever read. So much so I can't be bothered to add anything!

[Lillibett]

I read this letter a while ago and I cried, I cried again when I read it today, I read it to my mother, she cried too. It is written from the soul of a sufferer.

I was born with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome that's a genetic disorder that effects 90% of your body. Chronic pain is my life. I have recently had injections in my spine so I don't feel half my back now, but it still leaves everywhere else. My doctors good, but I am on top doses of anti spasmodic drugs and OxyContin. He can't put that up any more or there would be no where fo me to go as my body deteriates.

I smoked canabis when I was younger, but now I am thinking it is my answer..... Not sure what the hell to go forward with this - hence i am here...but I think it would help.... Christ this life couldn't get any worse Chronic pain can question your sanity, loop that with stomach problems causing constant nausea and insomnia, you really need help.

[Aurorameadows]

Arnold Layne, on 06 February 2010 - 12:48 PM, said:

in tears with agreement after reading that!

So much of this post I can relate to. Invisible injury or wounds get treated like they don't exist. 'oh, you look alright to me'. I've done it myself, but living with pain every waking moment is exhausting & makes you irritable & a stranger to yourself. So to the discerning friend I say thank you for your human empathy, because thats all it takes.