Re: Pain Management for RA - Impossible for Some??

[Guest guest]

I could'nt agree with you more.It is so strange because

everything you said is true in my case too and everyone I talk to who

has RA.I HATE taking pain meds because I cannot think on them but

during this flare I don't dare NOT take them.I don't like feeling

sleepy all the time and being fatuige from the RA is bad enough.I too

have never had to ask for pain meds.Even after surgery Tylenol was

always enough and now sometimes Perocet dosen't even touch the

pain.Now I don't know about you but to me that is pain.Maybe if we

all pool together we can come up with a combo that helps.Hang in

there!!!WE can do this!!!!!!-Thanks-Tammy-

> Hello.

>

> I am still fairly new here, but from what I've been reading and

from the

> people I have met through the group, there is one thing that is

very

> obvious. Pain management seems unobtainable for some of us. I

don't

> know why this is, but there is a large number of members here who

suffer

> every single day with little or no relief from their meds. Or,

their pain meds

> work at first, then they start to wear off quickly or they start

needing more

> and more to even make any sort of dent in the pain.

>

> I am a true believer in pain management for whatever

disease/illness you

> are dealing with. This improves a persons quality of life, their

emotional

> well-being and the ability to get more rest and relaxation. Good

pain

> management to me is just as important as getting the

disease/illness

> under control. It's half the battle.

>

> Before getting ill with RA and Sjogren's, I never even took so much

as a

> Tylenol unless I had a migraine or something. Post-op from a major

> surgery, I stopped taking IV pain meds less than 12 hours post-op,

when

> many take it for 3-5 days after. I am not a baby or a

hypochondriac who

> cries about every single little ache and pain. I have a good

tolerance for

> pain overall, and am shocked at how badly an RA flare hurts. For

the first

> time in my life I NEED my pain meds. I can't go without them

during a

> flare as they are my lifeline. I can't get out of bed without

them, as I

> require assistance with walking when in full flare. My problem is

that I do

> have a good doc who's tried several different pain meds with me.

They

> seem to work at first dose, then after that it's just not strong

enough. Or,

> they make me sleepy/dizzy and don't touch my pain. I am so out of

it

> psychologically that I can't seem to really want to do anything

about the

> pain that still exists. My doc has been good enough to even go so

far as

> to try a combo of meds at night (the most painful time of the day

for me

> with RA flare), giving me pain med, sleeping pill and a muscle

relaxant as

> well. You'd think with all this in my system that I'd get a good

6 hours

> rest uninterupted, wouldn't you? No such luck. Every single time

I move,

> I am awake from the pain. My body hurts in every single joint and

any

> place it is touching the bed.

>

> I know I'm not alone in this. I know there are many more people

out there

> who still haven't been able to get their RA under control and are

suffering

> every single day when they flare. Even more sad is the fact there

are

> docs out there who won't prescribe narcotics for their patients who

actually

> need them. I know there are people who abuse medications that are

> prescribed to them, but they are few in numbers in comparison to

those

> who use it responsibly.

>

> I wish there were a way to hook us up to a machine so they could

measure

> how much pain we are all truly in. I am certain this would startle

them to

> see what we deal with on a daily basis. I hope and pray that there

is a

> breakthrough with RA treatment/pain management and that those of us

> that are suffering in pain can for once get a good night's sleep

without the

> constant waking up from the pain our bodies are in.

>

> Right now, I am on the duragesic patch 25 mg, T4's, and

supplemented by

> muscle relaxer and sleeping pill at bed time. Even with all this,

I am still

> not sleeping and I am still in pain. It's taken all I have to type

this post

> today. For the average person, there is enough meds in me to knock

> someone out cold. Obviously there's much more going on with our

bodies

> during an RA flare that somehow interferes with our pain meds

ability to

> work to it's full potential.

>

> Surely, there are many more of you out there that suffer with pain

control.

> Most of which do so in silence. It's time to speak up and be

heard.

> There's got to be a better med or a better treatment for those of

us who are

> living like this. Anyone with successful pain management care to

fill us in

> on what you're using and how things improved for you?

>

> Thanks for reading,

>

>

[Guest guest]

I could'nt agree with you more.It is so strange because

everything you said is true in my case too and everyone I talk to who

has RA.I HATE taking pain meds because I cannot think on them but

during this flare I don't dare NOT take them.I don't like feeling

sleepy all the time and being fatuige from the RA is bad enough.I too

have never had to ask for pain meds.Even after surgery Tylenol was

always enough and now sometimes Perocet dosen't even touch the

pain.Now I don't know about you but to me that is pain.Maybe if we

all pool together we can come up with a combo that helps.Hang in

there!!!WE can do this!!!!!!-Thanks-Tammy-

> Hello.

>

> I am still fairly new here, but from what I've been reading and

from the

> people I have met through the group, there is one thing that is

very

> obvious. Pain management seems unobtainable for some of us. I

don't

> know why this is, but there is a large number of members here who

suffer

> every single day with little or no relief from their meds. Or,

their pain meds

> work at first, then they start to wear off quickly or they start

needing more

> and more to even make any sort of dent in the pain.

>

> I am a true believer in pain management for whatever

disease/illness you

> are dealing with. This improves a persons quality of life, their

emotional

> well-being and the ability to get more rest and relaxation. Good

pain

> management to me is just as important as getting the

disease/illness

> under control. It's half the battle.

>

> Before getting ill with RA and Sjogren's, I never even took so much

as a

> Tylenol unless I had a migraine or something. Post-op from a major

> surgery, I stopped taking IV pain meds less than 12 hours post-op,

when

> many take it for 3-5 days after. I am not a baby or a

hypochondriac who

> cries about every single little ache and pain. I have a good

tolerance for

> pain overall, and am shocked at how badly an RA flare hurts. For

the first

> time in my life I NEED my pain meds. I can't go without them

during a

> flare as they are my lifeline. I can't get out of bed without

them, as I

> require assistance with walking when in full flare. My problem is

that I do

> have a good doc who's tried several different pain meds with me.

They

> seem to work at first dose, then after that it's just not strong

enough. Or,

> they make me sleepy/dizzy and don't touch my pain. I am so out of

it

> psychologically that I can't seem to really want to do anything

about the

> pain that still exists. My doc has been good enough to even go so

far as

> to try a combo of meds at night (the most painful time of the day

for me

> with RA flare), giving me pain med, sleeping pill and a muscle

relaxant as

> well. You'd think with all this in my system that I'd get a good

6 hours

> rest uninterupted, wouldn't you? No such luck. Every single time

I move,

> I am awake from the pain. My body hurts in every single joint and

any

> place it is touching the bed.

>

> I know I'm not alone in this. I know there are many more people

out there

> who still haven't been able to get their RA under control and are

suffering

> every single day when they flare. Even more sad is the fact there

are

> docs out there who won't prescribe narcotics for their patients who

actually

> need them. I know there are people who abuse medications that are

> prescribed to them, but they are few in numbers in comparison to

those

> who use it responsibly.

>

> I wish there were a way to hook us up to a machine so they could

measure

> how much pain we are all truly in. I am certain this would startle

them to

> see what we deal with on a daily basis. I hope and pray that there

is a

> breakthrough with RA treatment/pain management and that those of us

> that are suffering in pain can for once get a good night's sleep

without the

> constant waking up from the pain our bodies are in.

>

> Right now, I am on the duragesic patch 25 mg, T4's, and

supplemented by

> muscle relaxer and sleeping pill at bed time. Even with all this,

I am still

> not sleeping and I am still in pain. It's taken all I have to type

this post

> today. For the average person, there is enough meds in me to knock

> someone out cold. Obviously there's much more going on with our

bodies

> during an RA flare that somehow interferes with our pain meds

ability to

> work to it's full potential.

>

> Surely, there are many more of you out there that suffer with pain

control.

> Most of which do so in silence. It's time to speak up and be

heard.

> There's got to be a better med or a better treatment for those of

us who are

> living like this. Anyone with successful pain management care to

fill us in

> on what you're using and how things improved for you?

>

> Thanks for reading,

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

Thanks for your astute summary of the pain management

problem. For a while I was taking Norco and by taking

it twice a day I had a productive, normal life with at

least four hours a day (the first two hours after each

dose) with no pain at all. I made myself get off

Norco because no doctor would take me seriously as

long as I was on it. I was accused of being drug

seeker by one doctor and lectured sternly by three

others. After describing my pain, stiffness,

numbness, etc. at an initial consultation with my last

rheum. she looked down at my chart and said, " Who is

giving you the Norco? " She hadn't paid attention to a

word I said.

So now I take Tramadal and Tylenol instead for the

pain and it does take the edge off for a couple of

hours at a time, but I spend a lot of time on the

floor on ice packs or sitting in a chair with a

vibrating pad, knowing that relief is possible but not

available. My quality of life has deteriorated so far

from when I was taking Norco. I was a productive

citizen on it and now I'm more of a burden to my

family than a help most of the time. That is

psychologically devastating for me, because I used to

feel so good about being competent and helpful to

others. Like you, I wasn't a wimp about pain.

I can tell you that the pain from my back surgery,

even when the pain meds wore off, was not nearly as

bad as the pain I have sometimes from a flare-up.

I've heard others who had back surgery say how

horrible it was, but I'm thinking, " Oh really? "

It's very depressing, especially since one doctor

admitted that Norco is safer than most of the other

drugs I'd tried for help. He said the main problem is

that narcotics are habit forming.

Look, being out of pain can be habit forming too, so

what?? We're on drugs every day anyway. If there are

drug addicts out there who want to ruin their own

lives by getting drugs they don't need, then let them.

Letting a few of those slip by is worth bringing

relief to a world of suffering people.

Why are these doctors afraid? Who is holding them

accountable? Maybe we should start there. How can we

make them understand that they are responsible for

torturing people with pain they certainly wouldn't be

willing to live with themselves?

I'm so grateful to God for letting me find this

support group. I've needed to be heard!!!!!

--- ltlmisscrankypants

<ltlmisscrankypants@...> wrote:

> Hello.

>

> I am still fairly new here, but from what I've been

> reading and from the

> people I have met through the group, there is one

> thing that is very

> obvious. Pain management seems unobtainable for

> some of us. I don't

> know why this is, but there is a large number of

> members here who suffer

> every single day with little or no relief from their

> meds. Or, their pain meds

> work at first, then they start to wear off quickly

> or they start needing more

> and more to even make any sort of dent in the pain.

>

> I am a true believer in pain management for whatever

> disease/illness you

> are dealing with. This improves a persons quality

> of life, their emotional

> well-being and the ability to get more rest and

> relaxation. Good pain

> management to me is just as important as getting the

> disease/illness

> under control. It's half the battle.

>

> Before getting ill with RA and Sjogren's, I never

> even took so much as a

> Tylenol unless I had a migraine or something.

> Post-op from a major

> surgery, I stopped taking IV pain meds less than 12

> hours post-op, when

> many take it for 3-5 days after. I am not a baby or

> a hypochondriac who

> cries about every single little ache and pain. I

> have a good tolerance for

> pain overall, and am shocked at how badly an RA

> flare hurts. For the first

> time in my life I NEED my pain meds. I can't go

> without them during a

> flare as they are my lifeline. I can't get out of

> bed without them, as I

> require assistance with walking when in full flare.

> My problem is that I do

> have a good doc who's tried several different pain

> meds with me. They

> seem to work at first dose, then after that it's

> just not strong enough. Or,

> they make me sleepy/dizzy and don't touch my pain.

> I am so out of it

> psychologically that I can't seem to really want to

> do anything about the

> pain that still exists. My doc has been good enough

> to even go so far as

> to try a combo of meds at night (the most painful

> time of the day for me

> with RA flare), giving me pain med, sleeping pill

> and a muscle relaxant as

> well. You'd think with all this in my system that

> I'd get a good 6 hours

> rest uninterupted, wouldn't you? No such luck.

> Every single time I move,

> I am awake from the pain. My body hurts in every

> single joint and any

> place it is touching the bed.

>

> I know I'm not alone in this. I know there are many

> more people out there

> who still haven't been able to get their RA under

> control and are suffering

> every single day when they flare. Even more sad is

> the fact there are

> docs out there who won't prescribe narcotics for

> their patients who actually

> need them. I know there are people who abuse

> medications that are

> prescribed to them, but they are few in numbers in

> comparison to those

> who use it responsibly.

>

> I wish there were a way to hook us up to a machine

> so they could measure

> how much pain we are all truly in. I am certain

> this would startle them to

> see what we deal with on a daily basis. I hope and

> pray that there is a

> breakthrough with RA treatment/pain management and

> that those of us

> that are suffering in pain can for once get a good

> night's sleep without the

> constant waking up from the pain our bodies are in.

>

> Right now, I am on the duragesic patch 25 mg, T4's,

> and supplemented by

> muscle relaxer and sleeping pill at bed time. Even

> with all this, I am still

> not sleeping and I am still in pain. It's taken all

> I have to type this post

> today. For the average person, there is enough meds

> in me to knock

> someone out cold. Obviously there's much more going

> on with our bodies

> during an RA flare that somehow interferes with our

> pain meds ability to

> work to it's full potential.

>

> Surely, there are many more of you out there that

> suffer with pain control.

> Most of which do so in silence. It's time to speak

> up and be heard.

> There's got to be a better med or a better treatment

> for those of us who are

> living like this. Anyone with successful pain

> management care to fill us in

> on what you're using and how things improved for

> you?

>

> Thanks for reading,

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

__________________________________

- PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005

http://mail.

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

Thanks for your astute summary of the pain management

problem. For a while I was taking Norco and by taking

it twice a day I had a productive, normal life with at

least four hours a day (the first two hours after each

dose) with no pain at all. I made myself get off

Norco because no doctor would take me seriously as

long as I was on it. I was accused of being drug

seeker by one doctor and lectured sternly by three

others. After describing my pain, stiffness,

numbness, etc. at an initial consultation with my last

rheum. she looked down at my chart and said, " Who is

giving you the Norco? " She hadn't paid attention to a

word I said.

So now I take Tramadal and Tylenol instead for the

pain and it does take the edge off for a couple of

hours at a time, but I spend a lot of time on the

floor on ice packs or sitting in a chair with a

vibrating pad, knowing that relief is possible but not

available. My quality of life has deteriorated so far

from when I was taking Norco. I was a productive

citizen on it and now I'm more of a burden to my

family than a help most of the time. That is

psychologically devastating for me, because I used to

feel so good about being competent and helpful to

others. Like you, I wasn't a wimp about pain.

I can tell you that the pain from my back surgery,

even when the pain meds wore off, was not nearly as

bad as the pain I have sometimes from a flare-up.

I've heard others who had back surgery say how

horrible it was, but I'm thinking, " Oh really? "

It's very depressing, especially since one doctor

admitted that Norco is safer than most of the other

drugs I'd tried for help. He said the main problem is

that narcotics are habit forming.

Look, being out of pain can be habit forming too, so

what?? We're on drugs every day anyway. If there are

drug addicts out there who want to ruin their own

lives by getting drugs they don't need, then let them.

Letting a few of those slip by is worth bringing

relief to a world of suffering people.

Why are these doctors afraid? Who is holding them

accountable? Maybe we should start there. How can we

make them understand that they are responsible for

torturing people with pain they certainly wouldn't be

willing to live with themselves?

I'm so grateful to God for letting me find this

support group. I've needed to be heard!!!!!

--- ltlmisscrankypants

<ltlmisscrankypants@...> wrote:

> Hello.

>

> I am still fairly new here, but from what I've been

> reading and from the

> people I have met through the group, there is one

> thing that is very

> obvious. Pain management seems unobtainable for

> some of us. I don't

> know why this is, but there is a large number of

> members here who suffer

> every single day with little or no relief from their

> meds. Or, their pain meds

> work at first, then they start to wear off quickly

> or they start needing more

> and more to even make any sort of dent in the pain.

>

> I am a true believer in pain management for whatever

> disease/illness you

> are dealing with. This improves a persons quality

> of life, their emotional

> well-being and the ability to get more rest and

> relaxation. Good pain

> management to me is just as important as getting the

> disease/illness

> under control. It's half the battle.

>

> Before getting ill with RA and Sjogren's, I never

> even took so much as a

> Tylenol unless I had a migraine or something.

> Post-op from a major

> surgery, I stopped taking IV pain meds less than 12

> hours post-op, when

> many take it for 3-5 days after. I am not a baby or

> a hypochondriac who

> cries about every single little ache and pain. I

> have a good tolerance for

> pain overall, and am shocked at how badly an RA

> flare hurts. For the first

> time in my life I NEED my pain meds. I can't go

> without them during a

> flare as they are my lifeline. I can't get out of

> bed without them, as I

> require assistance with walking when in full flare.

> My problem is that I do

> have a good doc who's tried several different pain

> meds with me. They

> seem to work at first dose, then after that it's

> just not strong enough. Or,

> they make me sleepy/dizzy and don't touch my pain.

> I am so out of it

> psychologically that I can't seem to really want to

> do anything about the

> pain that still exists. My doc has been good enough

> to even go so far as

> to try a combo of meds at night (the most painful

> time of the day for me

> with RA flare), giving me pain med, sleeping pill

> and a muscle relaxant as

> well. You'd think with all this in my system that

> I'd get a good 6 hours

> rest uninterupted, wouldn't you? No such luck.

> Every single time I move,

> I am awake from the pain. My body hurts in every

> single joint and any

> place it is touching the bed.

>

> I know I'm not alone in this. I know there are many

> more people out there

> who still haven't been able to get their RA under

> control and are suffering

> every single day when they flare. Even more sad is

> the fact there are

> docs out there who won't prescribe narcotics for

> their patients who actually

> need them. I know there are people who abuse

> medications that are

> prescribed to them, but they are few in numbers in

> comparison to those

> who use it responsibly.

>

> I wish there were a way to hook us up to a machine

> so they could measure

> how much pain we are all truly in. I am certain

> this would startle them to

> see what we deal with on a daily basis. I hope and

> pray that there is a

> breakthrough with RA treatment/pain management and

> that those of us

> that are suffering in pain can for once get a good

> night's sleep without the

> constant waking up from the pain our bodies are in.

>

> Right now, I am on the duragesic patch 25 mg, T4's,

> and supplemented by

> muscle relaxer and sleeping pill at bed time. Even

> with all this, I am still

> not sleeping and I am still in pain. It's taken all

> I have to type this post

> today. For the average person, there is enough meds

> in me to knock

> someone out cold. Obviously there's much more going

> on with our bodies

> during an RA flare that somehow interferes with our

> pain meds ability to

> work to it's full potential.

>

> Surely, there are many more of you out there that

> suffer with pain control.

> Most of which do so in silence. It's time to speak

> up and be heard.

> There's got to be a better med or a better treatment

> for those of us who are

> living like this. Anyone with successful pain

> management care to fill us in

> on what you're using and how things improved for

> you?

>

> Thanks for reading,

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

__________________________________

- PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005

http://mail.

[Guest guest]

,

You really hit the nail on the head! I don't have RA, but still have a

couple of very painful diseases, Fibro and Dercum's. I started taking

Lyrica a couple of weeks ago, and it has already stopped working. With

Dercum's the lipomas all over are very painful when touched, and

sometimes they pulsate pain kind of like a bad bee sting. My joints

ache and are stiff, and I have to tiptoe on my right foot now due to a

tumor in the arch (which I hope to have removed soon!) Ultram takes

the edge off, but like you, sleep is a thing of the past. And it's

hard to convince a doctor, who doesn't understand your pain and only

sees someone he/she thinks is a whiner, especially when they don't

understand your disase!

When you find someone who can give us all pain relief and sleep without

feeling like we are drug addicts and lowlifes, let me know!

Judi

[Guest guest]

,

You really hit the nail on the head! I don't have RA, but still have a

couple of very painful diseases, Fibro and Dercum's. I started taking

Lyrica a couple of weeks ago, and it has already stopped working. With

Dercum's the lipomas all over are very painful when touched, and

sometimes they pulsate pain kind of like a bad bee sting. My joints

ache and are stiff, and I have to tiptoe on my right foot now due to a

tumor in the arch (which I hope to have removed soon!) Ultram takes

the edge off, but like you, sleep is a thing of the past. And it's

hard to convince a doctor, who doesn't understand your pain and only

sees someone he/she thinks is a whiner, especially when they don't

understand your disase!

When you find someone who can give us all pain relief and sleep without

feeling like we are drug addicts and lowlifes, let me know!

Judi

[Guest guest]

I am new here too. I was in constant pain until I began taking

Norco. It has helped the most of any meds that I have taken. I do

not seem to have a problem with credibility with my rheumy because I

take it. I see a pain management specialist for that, my

rheumatologist prescribes all the other meds. I take it three times

per day, less if I can. I find if I vary too much from that though

the pain becomes unmanageable again and it takes awhile to get it

under control again. I am not pain free but am as productive as I

have been for a long time when taking it. Cassy

> Hello.

>

> I am still fairly new here, but from what I've been reading and

from the

> people I have met through the group, there is one thing that is

very

> obvious. Pain management seems unobtainable for some of us. I

don't

> know why this is, but there is a large number of members here who

suffer

> every single day with little or no relief from their meds. Or,

their pain meds

> work at first, then they start to wear off quickly or they start

needing more

> and more to even make any sort of dent in the pain.

>

> I am a true believer in pain management for whatever

disease/illness you

> are dealing with. This improves a persons quality of life, their

emotional

> well-being and the ability to get more rest and relaxation. Good

pain

> management to me is just as important as getting the

disease/illness

> under control. It's half the battle.

>

> Before getting ill with RA and Sjogren's, I never even took so

much as a

> Tylenol unless I had a migraine or something. Post-op from a

major

> surgery, I stopped taking IV pain meds less than 12 hours post-op,

when

> many take it for 3-5 days after. I am not a baby or a

hypochondriac who

> cries about every single little ache and pain. I have a good

tolerance for

> pain overall, and am shocked at how badly an RA flare hurts. For

the first

> time in my life I NEED my pain meds. I can't go without them

during a

> flare as they are my lifeline. I can't get out of bed without

them, as I

> require assistance with walking when in full flare. My problem is

that I do

> have a good doc who's tried several different pain meds with me.

They

> seem to work at first dose, then after that it's just not strong

enough. Or,

> they make me sleepy/dizzy and don't touch my pain. I am so out of

it

> psychologically that I can't seem to really want to do anything

about the

> pain that still exists. My doc has been good enough to even go so

far as

> to try a combo of meds at night (the most painful time of the day

for me

> with RA flare), giving me pain med, sleeping pill and a muscle

relaxant as

> well. You'd think with all this in my system that I'd get a good

6 hours

> rest uninterupted, wouldn't you? No such luck. Every single time

I move,

> I am awake from the pain. My body hurts in every single joint and

any

> place it is touching the bed.

>

> I know I'm not alone in this. I know there are many more people

out there

> who still haven't been able to get their RA under control and are

suffering

> every single day when they flare. Even more sad is the fact there

are

> docs out there who won't prescribe narcotics for their patients

who actually

> need them. I know there are people who abuse medications that are

> prescribed to them, but they are few in numbers in comparison to

those

> who use it responsibly.

>

> I wish there were a way to hook us up to a machine so they could

measure

> how much pain we are all truly in. I am certain this would

startle them to

> see what we deal with on a daily basis. I hope and pray that

there is a

> breakthrough with RA treatment/pain management and that those of

us

> that are suffering in pain can for once get a good night's sleep

without the

> constant waking up from the pain our bodies are in.

>

> Right now, I am on the duragesic patch 25 mg, T4's, and

supplemented by

> muscle relaxer and sleeping pill at bed time. Even with all this,

I am still

> not sleeping and I am still in pain. It's taken all I have to

type this post

> today. For the average person, there is enough meds in me to

knock

> someone out cold. Obviously there's much more going on with our

bodies

> during an RA flare that somehow interferes with our pain meds

ability to

> work to it's full potential.

>

> Surely, there are many more of you out there that suffer with pain

control.

> Most of which do so in silence. It's time to speak up and be

heard.

> There's got to be a better med or a better treatment for those of

us who are

> living like this. Anyone with successful pain management care to

fill us in

> on what you're using and how things improved for you?

>

> Thanks for reading,

>

>

[Guest guest]

I am new here too. I was in constant pain until I began taking

Norco. It has helped the most of any meds that I have taken. I do

not seem to have a problem with credibility with my rheumy because I

take it. I see a pain management specialist for that, my

rheumatologist prescribes all the other meds. I take it three times

per day, less if I can. I find if I vary too much from that though

the pain becomes unmanageable again and it takes awhile to get it

under control again. I am not pain free but am as productive as I

have been for a long time when taking it. Cassy

> Hello.

>

> I am still fairly new here, but from what I've been reading and

from the

> people I have met through the group, there is one thing that is

very

> obvious. Pain management seems unobtainable for some of us. I

don't

> know why this is, but there is a large number of members here who

suffer

> every single day with little or no relief from their meds. Or,

their pain meds

> work at first, then they start to wear off quickly or they start

needing more

> and more to even make any sort of dent in the pain.

>

> I am a true believer in pain management for whatever

disease/illness you

> are dealing with. This improves a persons quality of life, their

emotional

> well-being and the ability to get more rest and relaxation. Good

pain

> management to me is just as important as getting the

disease/illness

> under control. It's half the battle.

>

> Before getting ill with RA and Sjogren's, I never even took so

much as a

> Tylenol unless I had a migraine or something. Post-op from a

major

> surgery, I stopped taking IV pain meds less than 12 hours post-op,

when

> many take it for 3-5 days after. I am not a baby or a

hypochondriac who

> cries about every single little ache and pain. I have a good

tolerance for

> pain overall, and am shocked at how badly an RA flare hurts. For

the first

> time in my life I NEED my pain meds. I can't go without them

during a

> flare as they are my lifeline. I can't get out of bed without

them, as I

> require assistance with walking when in full flare. My problem is

that I do

> have a good doc who's tried several different pain meds with me.

They

> seem to work at first dose, then after that it's just not strong

enough. Or,

> they make me sleepy/dizzy and don't touch my pain. I am so out of

it

> psychologically that I can't seem to really want to do anything

about the

> pain that still exists. My doc has been good enough to even go so

far as

> to try a combo of meds at night (the most painful time of the day

for me

> with RA flare), giving me pain med, sleeping pill and a muscle

relaxant as

> well. You'd think with all this in my system that I'd get a good

6 hours

> rest uninterupted, wouldn't you? No such luck. Every single time

I move,

> I am awake from the pain. My body hurts in every single joint and

any

> place it is touching the bed.

>

> I know I'm not alone in this. I know there are many more people

out there

> who still haven't been able to get their RA under control and are

suffering

> every single day when they flare. Even more sad is the fact there

are

> docs out there who won't prescribe narcotics for their patients

who actually

> need them. I know there are people who abuse medications that are

> prescribed to them, but they are few in numbers in comparison to

those

> who use it responsibly.

>

> I wish there were a way to hook us up to a machine so they could

measure

> how much pain we are all truly in. I am certain this would

startle them to

> see what we deal with on a daily basis. I hope and pray that

there is a

> breakthrough with RA treatment/pain management and that those of

us

> that are suffering in pain can for once get a good night's sleep

without the

> constant waking up from the pain our bodies are in.

>

> Right now, I am on the duragesic patch 25 mg, T4's, and

supplemented by

> muscle relaxer and sleeping pill at bed time. Even with all this,

I am still

> not sleeping and I am still in pain. It's taken all I have to

type this post

> today. For the average person, there is enough meds in me to

knock

> someone out cold. Obviously there's much more going on with our

bodies

> during an RA flare that somehow interferes with our pain meds

ability to

> work to it's full potential.

>

> Surely, there are many more of you out there that suffer with pain

control.

> Most of which do so in silence. It's time to speak up and be

heard.

> There's got to be a better med or a better treatment for those of

us who are

> living like this. Anyone with successful pain management care to

fill us in

> on what you're using and how things improved for you?

>

> Thanks for reading,

>

>