Hey Guys,

I am currently being prescribed Oxynorm concentrate & Oxycontene SR pills, along with Pregabalin, my pain management consultant also knows I use cannabis to help my arthritis & oesteoarthritis.

It would seem I am beyond help with the current 'pain management' scheme and my PM consultant keeps going on about a 'real pain management course'. Now I thought that was what I was already supposed to be attending (even though an appointment once every 6-8 months is not going to manage fuck all!) but it would seem there is a residential 3 week rehabilitation course.

The problem is that I run my own business & taking 3 whole weeks off would make cash flow a major issue & I may end up geting in debt over it! He also mentioned last time a private evening course that runs once per week for people who cannot take time off for the residential one. I am already attending this course & to be honest it is very much like an AA meeting & I doubt very much that it will help me at all, in fact it isn't even counter acting the shitty journey I have to make to get there & back!

Anyway, I saw my PM consultant again yesterday & he mentioned the course again & asked me if I wanted to go on it. The problem is that he does not seem to know anything about what happens on it & is very vague indeed about it?

Has anyone here been on such a course or knows someone that has been on it? I mean how can they help me anymore than the avenues I've already exhausted? Is it worth risking losing business clients & putting my business in jepardy for it? Don't get me wrong, money is nothing compared to my health & if I'd give my whole business away if I could be pain free again, but I am not throwing it all away for something that will not help at all as I will have nothing AND be in chronic pain!

Any info would be appreciated.

Many Thanks

Sorry mate, never heard of it, but if it's just more happy clappy 'think yourself better' crap I certainly wouldn't lose business for it.

They are a waste of time. Been on one, and my pain is no better. They just ended up giving me more drugs.

I would not recommend the pain management courses. Happy Clappy trying to make you perceive the pain differently, doesn't work.

Cooking with old people and going swimming - how is that going to help pain.

Keep on the Herb and stuff the course. That's what I would do!

There is evidence in the medical literature which points to residential PM programmes being more effective than day courses, other than that I can't offer you anything. If you can take the time off without your business suffering it may help, it may not but at least it doesn't have any side-effects.

I reckon you should go back to your Doc and ask him to explain the course in detail, dont let him be vague, if he's unsure make him find out exactly whats involved. The area of pain management is huge, it could be drugs, physio, implants, meditation or all of the above. Dont let him fob you off with some vague description your livlihood is at stake.

Check out the following links on wiki if you havent done so already.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain_management

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteoarthritis


Hope this is of some help...

P.S Check out this link also it sounds like the kind of course you'd be attending..

http://www.couragecenter.org/ContentPages/chronicpain.aspx

Indeed Hvy my friend, this 'happy clappy think yourself better' is a load of wank! I've spent the last 10 years 'ignoring' my pain & plodding on happy as you like trying to pretend my pain was not grinding me down & now finally that it has kicked me repeatably & will not let me rest! I'm fucked if I'm going to continue to pretend it's not there!! What sort of fool do they think they are dealing with here?




I thought as much, thanks for that Mintball The evening one I am on now is just like that, sitting around with other people (mainly old) who have completely different problems to everyone else chatting about crap just to make the time pass, then the last 20mins is the 'path to relaxation', which starts off by going "now get yourself into a comfrotable position"- BANG! I'M FUCKED ALREADY! Then I sit there thinking about nothing other than my pain for 20mins! I've got to get the first bit right!

Can you tell me more about it please buddy? Is there a website?




Thanks for the info buddy







Thanks for the links nordle, for a minuite I thought that course was the one, however I am in the UK & that is in the US.
But if that course is anything like the UK course then I can that the course runs all day from 8am (OMG!!!!!) until 5pm. There is a huge problem straight away! I mainly suffer at night time & severely suffer from sleep deprevation, during the day I am forced to go the 'Happy Crappy Think myself no in pain' route anyway! What a load of shit! If I could rest & sleep I could repair & get through the day easier & with less meds I'm sure.

I don't need to be taught how to get through the day, I need to know how to get through the night when positive thinking isn't possible, negative thinking is not what awakes me at 3am when I feel like I am being sawn in half!

Is there anyone else who has had experience of such a course in the UK?

For those it works for, it does enrich your coping mechanisms, helps and aids relaxation, all helpful when in pain.

the other is the expert patient programme, a wider and beneficial happy clappy programme

Hi MJ, thanks for your input. Can you elaborate a little though please, you are verging on the vagueness of my consultant!

AKPOG

Its about learning, as if you neede3d to learn about your pain, I've been through this, and as I advocate know your limits, its hard to put into practise what you need to do

If you hurt stop

learn the pain before it gets to the hurt

learn how to use your mind over the pain

learn to breathe correctly, so many of us do not use breathing to its full potential.

learn to take your self off in your head to a place you want to be, the mind, is then preoccupied with thoughts other than pain

I found it easy to take on board as I have used meditation for all manner of problems in others and myself.

I believe the success rate is dependant on the person teaching you.

Then you can take what does work and use the methods to alter the pain perception.

Another think is using your medication to its full potential, that was an eye opener.

Good Luck, and I would say what's three weeks to the rest of your life.

Sorry for being vague

I don't know much about the Oxynorm concentrate or Oxycontene SR pills but I've used Pregabalin recreationally a few times.
Pregabalin are nice but I can't see them doing much for your pain at the recommended dose, to be honest.

Are the Oxycontene another brand name for Oxycontin?
If they are they should provide you with some relief, it's almost like a stronger version of Codeine.
The only down-side is that they have quite high potential for you to become dependant on them.

Best of luck with your pain anyway, man.
I hope you find this at least a little bit helpful.

Thanks for your reply Budzilla

Yes Oxycontene, Oxynorm & Oxycontin are all the same. The Oxycontene are the tabs, the Oxynorm is the 10:1 concentrate solution I take for breakthrough.The Pregabalin was working for the pain when I was taking 1200mg per day (300mg 4 times a day) but not enough, however the maximum allowed prescribed dose in the UK  is 600mg per day. Therefore the pregabalin is only assisting the Oxy for my pain.

I cannot see why Pregabalin is used for recreational use though? However I can see why Oxynorm could be, especially the concentrate liquid, 2ml blows my head off & goofs me out when I have 60mg slow release in my system & goes straight to the pain!! Personally I am not into goofing out though, I prefer the buzz from my weed

I think I have my daytime medicinal pain relief sorted with the oxy & preg, however I still cannot get a good nights sleep. This is why I think the course will not help me at all as I can Happy Clappy all day long & I don't think they can teach me how to be happy clappy in my sleep so I do not wake up in writhering pain

I assume no one has been on such a course? I spoke with the lady that runs the evening Happy Clappy course I am on at the moment & she has not heard of this course, she cannot see how it can offer me anymore that what she can on the evening course but she promised to look into it for me.

No problem man.

Ah, the Oxy should help you then and if the Pregs helps it along then even better.

Sadly, I don't think there's much you can do about being in pain in the morning short of waking up in the middle of the night to pre-load yourself with some Oxy for when you wake up.

I think you are correct about the pain in the morning buddy

That is why I am seeking ways of being the most comfortable in bed, so I am looking at buying another new bed, I am prepared to pay £2k or more for one & sacrafice a few holidays for it! But I'll be most upset & very poor if it is no good for me!

I personally think that beds that cost over £1500 should come with a money back guarantee if it does not help the medical conditions it says it will on the sell sheet! At least a 30 day one anyway. It is sad how many desperate people like me fall for the fake 'orthapedic' stamp on beds & furniture & how companies seem to feed on us! It is so expensive to be in pain!!!!!

I think beds are another thread I posted a while back, but the conclusion was that air beds are the best? But I have slept on one before & it reminded me of uncomfortable camping! Considering how cheap they are though it might be worth trying one again & if it's no good I'll keep it for when family & friends sleep over.

I have been looking at those electric adjustable beds that help you sit up etc, I think I might get a good nights sleep sitting up a little providing I had good support from the bed. More research is required before I spend my hard earned cash though. It is a nice thought to be helped up in the morning.

I might start a new thread on adjustable beds, I am sure there should be plenty of people who have tried one?

Cheers

I'm sure I saw an advert for an adjustable bed that said they had a money back guarentee if it didn't help your condition.
I can't for the life of me remember which brand it was though. Sorry!

I'm sure if you make a thread someone will have some helpful info.

An old friend of mine's mother had bad arthritis, she had one of those beds and said it really helped her.
So it might be worth looking in to if you can afford it.

I'd have to sacrifice a lot more than a few holidays to get that amount of cash together though!

Hello There!

As someone who has various ailments AND spent half my youth in hospital for solid stints up to two years at a time, I would suggest this is another one of things wher the doctor is talking on behalf of the course.

you must remember, NHS and Private health is run as a business - even the NHS has managers that set targets for doctors to make people do this and that...with sending people on courses being one of them

This said, the NHS is a decent organisation (well it just about managed to keep me alive )


Pain management course can work, but only if the actual requirement is there - if you have the qbility to look after yourself, go for a walk a few times a week you can self manage the pain with a bit of our friend Mary and some mild analgesics - although on some occasions you may need stronger pain killes but the aim is to avoid the "hard drugs" as often as possible.

I currently have OesteoArthiritis - knees, fingers, wrists - which is painfull but can be managed at home.

Oh - did I forget to mention go swimming - it rules, one of the best l;ong term painkillers around.

PM me if you wanna discuss in more detail