Chronic foot pain

[Guest guest]

Hi all. I just signed up last night and was wondering if there is anyone here

with severe foot pain. I am new to this dealing with pain thing. Mostly I have

ignored the problem thinking it was just arthritis.

But it seems to be a combination of problems, an abnormally high arch and

instep, feet that are almost a whole size difference from each other, plantar

fasciitis, and terrible pain on the metatarsal pad. I just know I hurt. Walking

for more than 10 minutes leaves me in terrible pain for up to 4 days. So I am in

a wheelchair for the last couple of months for things like grocery shopping and

anything more than the 10 minutes to get anywhere.

I used to work with people with disabilities so I know it isn't the end of the

world. I just need to restructure how I do things. For the last while I have

been self-medicated OTC and a bit of codeine but my doc just gave me a

prescription for Elavil. He said it would help with the pain and help me sleep.

But I got home and found out it is an anti-depressant. I specifically told him I

didn't want anti-depressants.

The pain wakes me up at night and sometimes I have a hard time getting back to

sleep - I usually get up for a couple of hours to chill my feet and take a pill.

Am I wrong about the Elavil?

Any info on the foot problem or on how to cope with the pain would be

appreciated.

Lady Lee (my name elsewhere and I see you already have a Lee)

[Guest guest]

Hi Lady Lee,

Welcome to our group. I hope you will find the support, compassion and

informative

dialogue that so many of us find here. I have been a member for many years

and this group has really helped me. We have members from all over the world

now so there is lots of information passed on.

As for your question about Elavil... There are many antidepressants used to

help with chronic pain. These types of medications also work on the pain

receptors. Elavil is used quite a bit for pain and sleep. The first time I was

given a medication like this I asked the pharmacist what it was used for and he

told me it was originally prescribed for schizophrenia. I was irate to think

the doctor thought I was mentally ill! Of course I made a big scene and the

pharmacist finally calmed me down enough for me to hear that it worked on pain

receptors too. This was many many years ago and I've learned a lot since

then about chronic pain and the medications used to help us.

There is also another component in chronic pain and that is depression.

There are many of us who have been dealing with chronic pain for many years. It

takes all my energy to get thru a day trying to do the things I need to do and

also deal with the pain in my body. After a while it becomes depressing!

Things aren't going to change for me as far as pain goes and that gets me down

sometimes. I've got nothing left at the end of the day. Antidepressants work

for me in helping deal with life now. I held off using antidepressants for a

long time, just because I felt some sort of stigma with those drugs. It was

very foolish of me. They have helped me enormously.

Enough of that ...I'm glad you have found our group and I look forward to

reading your posts to get to know you!

Kathleen in Calif.

[Guest guest]

LL, hello it is Wednesday form the DB!! I am so sorry for the pain. I too

have had (like all of us here) chronic pain for many years. I did not take

anything but motrin for so long b/c working as a nurse, I couldn't be under the

influence anything (I have heard so terrible stories about nurses who lost

their licenses b/c of this) so I held out. Finally it became too much and I

stopped work and took my meds as the doc ordered. I can't tell u how many nights

I

worked in such severe pain that I could barely walk. My problems are not in

my feet but in my back, and shoulder and right arm plus fibro and the fatigue

thing, hypertension, diabetes, IBS, depression (and who wouldn't be) . My

spinal canal has stenosis and I have arthritis everywhere.

Has the doc mentioned neurontin for the nerve pain? A lot of people take this

and report it helps. I had the rsd thing in my right arm and got some

physical therapy and it is better now.

welcome to the list.

BTW, for all, if u are on disability and in USA, the pres is signing the

Medicare prescription bill today. I am already worried b/c I have a good plan

through my hubby's insurance and I'm afraid it will just mess up everything.

Also

I am worried that when I get on meidcare(in July) that I will have problems

coordinating the Medicare with my hubby's insurance. Anyone else have to do

this?

weds

[Guest guest]

Lady Lee wrote:

( message snipped)

HI Lee ..

Im Stew and im new to the group too . I have been a member for a bit

but have not posted. As said in her post, Some anti Depressants

have a pain relief effect too. I take 100 mg of nortriptyline each

night. Before I started taking it I was up and down all night long with

pain, throbbing etc. ( my trouble is AVN in my Hips and left knee) then

after doing some research I asked my doctor what he thought and he

agreed that it might be worth try ! .. He said that normally he would

prescribe amitriptyline ( Elavil) . In my case he said that

Nortriptyline would be a good choice. The two drugs are very close . In

fact the dosing instructions are almost exactly alike. Anyway ,

Nortriptyline s side effects are a bit less intense than the Elavil so

im told. Since I started taking it at night, I have had a smoother

sleep cycle and the pain at night has diminished to a point where I can

sleep through the night most of the time. The dosing for pain is a bit

different than for depression as he told me, besides a great pain

reliver for sleep it will make your mouth dry for a period of time till

your system gets used to it. It took me about 1.5 months to get past the

dry mouth but its a small price to pay for the quality of sleep i now

get. If you find that you are getting too drowsy the next day or having

too many other side effects that are carried over to waking hours, ask

him about Nortriptyline, as I said , the side effects are much milder

than Elavil (amitriptyline) ... anyway good luck and if you already do

great , but if you don t start a pain journal and document how it is

helping or list the side effects you have and use it to discuss with

your doc.

Stew

[Guest guest]

CHONIC FOOT PAIN ; WED; I TAKE 200MG OF CELEBREX IN THE MORNING AND 200MG. IN

THE EVENING, AND 1000MG. OF TYLENOL I CAN NOT TAKE ANYTHING ELSE STOMACH WISE

AND WHEN I CAN NOT SLEEP I WILL TAKE A XANAX TO SLEEP, I HAVE MY GRANDCHILDREN

WE HAVE CUSTODY THEY ARE 9 AND 10 YRS. OLD AND WE NEED TO DO ALOT WITH THEM, SO

SEE I LIVE WITH THE PAIN FOR THE KIDS AND SOMETIMES I COULD SIT AND CRY BUT THEN

I REACH FOR THE XANAX AND CAN THEN GET SOME NEEDED REST, I WILL NOT TAKE

ANYTHING STRONGER , UNTIL I NEED TO DOWN THE ROAD, I AM ON DISABILITY,AND AS

LONG AS I CAN DO SOMETHING AND SIT AND STAND WHEN I NEED TO I GUESS I WILL MAKE

IT, I HAVE A WALKER AND A CANE AND W/C WHEN I NEED THEM, AND GOOD DOCTORS AND I

WISH MY HUSBAND WOULD UNDER STAND MY PAIN, HE SAID I JUST NEED TO KEEP MOVING

WELL THATS MY PROBLEM I CAN " T WALK.VERY LONG AT ONE TIME. I HAVE TO HAVE MY FEET

UP SO THEY DO NOT SWELL..

KEEP IN TOUCH AND I WILL WRITE LATER

CATHY IN PA

[Guest guest]

Hi Maxine.

My podiatrist asked me about fibro. My doctor discounts it and after looking on

the net I don't think I have it. But your explanation does make sense about

over-stimulation of the nerves. The loud noise part of what you said sure sounds

familiar though. I might have to look into this more.

Lee

From: Maxine Beckner

Lady Lee, the antidepressants also work on pain pathways to the brain, and

calms down those nerves somehow. I am on 3 of them, but I also suffer from

depression. I am on Elavil at night to help sleep and pain.

So many of us with fibromyalgia started out with only one pain. I had neck

and back trauma and that started me on the path to fibro. I often wonder if I

had been put on an antidepressant at that time if I would have avoided getting

fibro. Fibro is the result of central sensitization. Your brain hears the

" pain " signal for so long that sometimes everything starts hurting even if there

is nothing wrong. The volume is turned up to high on all sensory organs. Many

people with fibro cannot tolerate loud noise, bright light, touch, etc.

[Guest guest]

Hi

Well 3 days on the Elavil - no side effects that I can detect at this point. I

am learning a lot about these meds from all of you. Thansk so much

From: Kinner

HI Lee ..

Im Stew and im new to the group too . I have been a member for a bit

but have not posted. As said in her post, Some anti Depressants

have a pain relief effect too.

[Guest guest]

Hi singlew4

What gets me here is that I used to walk all over the place - miles of strolling

and walking. And I used to cycle up to 100 KM a day. Now I can't get to the

corner.

Are these doctors just guessing. It sounds like they make it up as they go at

our expense.

Lee

[Guest guest]

Hi Faye

Well the Elavil seems to be doing something so I will continue with it for a bit

and see what happens.

Lee

[Guest guest]

Hi wednesday Sorry you had to give up your job to get any relief. That is the

pits.

I haven't called about going on disability yet. But I think I might have to very

soon.

Lee

[Guest guest]

Lady Lee wrote:

> Hi

> Well 3 days on the Elavil - no side effects that I can detect at this

> point. I am learning a lot about these meds from all of you. Thansk so

> much

>

>

HI Lee....

Im glad that you don t see any side effects yet... it might take a few

weeks to really see any. This type of medication takes awhile to reach

therapeutic levels. However, most people see a change in a short period

of time. When I started taking Nortriptyline, it was 2 days before I

had better sleep. I do remember the first night I was very tired an

hour after taking it. After that, about a week went by and from that

point on I was getting much better sleep with little or no pain at

night. Im glad your giving it a try. If after 2 or 3 weeks its not

working you should ask your doc to adjust the dosage. I started on 20 mg

at night and slowly worked it up to 100mg a night. That is where i get

the pain reducing effects and improved sleep. It takes time, but well

worth it! .. hope your feeling better!

stew