Pain Management Community

The only way that I can think of is to ask the doctor if there has ever been a time when they had an injury. Do they remember what it felt like when the injury/accident/illness first happened? Now take that feeling and image that you are going to have it 365 days a year for the rest of your life. How do you think you would feel? Now imagine that the treatment prescribed to help alleviate the pain started to work less and less. You are prescribed a new treatment plan only to face the same situation of the plan working less and less. I would also ask them to image that every now and then there were some days with less pain - the relief that comes with this, but the disappointment and dread when the pain comes back. Imagine now having to work through this type of pain because if you don't your family will lose everything - including a roof over their head and food to eat. Also imagine that their are people and organizations that don't recognize your pain, sympathize with your pain, accept your pain. The pain that intensifies because you have work to do around your home, for your family that noone else can help you with. Imagine the days that you might have to call in to work - what do you tell the boss is the reason you have to miss work? You tell them that you are sick, but wonder how many times you can tell them this without them wondering what is going on. Imagine wondering if you will be viewed differently by your family, your boss, even the government - who asks you a thousand questions just to to sit back and wonder - are you really telling the truth or are you just lazy. This is the only way I know of to try to explain to anyone what it is like to live with chronic pain.

I would like them to know that just because it's reported a drug is addictive, like Tramadol, doesn't mean that every pain patient that takes it is an addict or will be one soon.

I have been taking Tramadol for 12 years at the same dose, 150 mg a day, far below the recommended dose of 400mg. After my primary doctor retired his nurse practitioner decided that I was taking way to much and tried to reduce my dose.

I take the Tramadol for RA, OA, Fibromyalgia, and Restless Leg Syndrome.

Now, I have a new doctor and he is trying to get me off of the Tramadol. Why is everyone trying to take away the only pain medicine that allows me to live an almost pain free life? I don't get it. I refuse to go back to laying in the middle of the floor crying because I'm in so much pain. I did that for 4 years I'm not going back to it. Tramadol is the only chemical I allow in my body. I had been up to 3 different pain killers and a handful of other medications for other various problems. A total of 10 and one time it was up to 12. Since I got rid of the 8 to 11 other medications I feel better all over.

Hi Kcsunshine and Alc,

Thank you for your eloquence and sharing your experiences.

Even though you have done your "job" if we still have questions ANSWER them! Don't say okay I did my part so go to pain management and deal with it. Especially if you operate on someone. My husband had back surgery and it went wrong right after the surgery, and once everything healed the neurosurgeon washed his hands of my husband and thats it. Bull****! My husband is worse thanks to this jerk. When I had surgery on my eye, the surgeon called my house a few days later to see how I was doing. ALL DOCTORS need to do that. Actually CARE about your patients!

I think the Teaching of a Doctor involves things like :

Doctor if i was an addict or pill seeker would i be in your office all of the time complaining of Pain. if was after just a quick fix would i not have given up 9 months ago or longer, would i ask for referrals to specialists in pain if i wanted a quick fix? NO

Do you think that i would sit in this wheelchair and drive around all day in it if i could walk? Do think my Neurologist would risk his medical license to put the very expensive Power functions ( my wheelchair cost as much as a brand new luxury sedan ) on this chair or is it because i need them? just like the pain relief i seek from you.

Pain Patients are all addicts! Doctor do you do anything in the morning ,yeah i make coffee shave shower get dressed have a couple of cups of coffee well i read the newspaper, At which time you ask are you addicted and they ask "to what" the coffee or the newspaper, and they say no i don't have to have the coffee i drink it because i like it and i drink it all day long so i don't have to have it at home because i can always just grab a cup at work, so i tell them they are dependent on coffee just as a pain patient is on their meds , the addicts are few and far between .

Its things like that that are what i would consider "teachable moments" that you can bring a doctor's life relevant to yours.

Although living in a Power Chair being Incontinent and a Chronic Pain is impossable to teach anyone especially a Doctor just how miserable it can be, But thanks to my Neurologist for the power functions i can tilt, elevate,recline put my feet up or any combination of those, which at times can help a lot by taking pressure off of different areas my body

Prace

I literally just had my book published on this subject. It is from a patient's point of view. I think the most important things a doctor needs to know are:

1) Everyone's pain is different. Just because something works for one person doesn't mean it will work for everyone;

2)Make sure your patient is clear on the reason for treatment, the expectations and what "pain management" really is. They need to be told that a surgery may not fix them, it may just keep them from getting worse. Medicine will not take away the pain but it may help to make it tolerable and MOST importantly when you go to a pain management clinic, you aren't going there for more treatment and to get rid of the pain. You are going to learn how to live your life IN SPITE of the pain. I think that is why many patients become so devastated or disenchanted when they leave pain clinics. Doctors aren't clear as to the reason people are being sent to them.