Controlling Pain

hhunt

Hello everyone id like to talk about pain and how you control it, I've tried all sorts of pain killers and nothing works for me, I cry a lot because of pain I sometimes don't want to be here anymore as its dragging me down im sick of living in pain 24,7, can any of you suggest anything please. Thank you

ChrisK

Hi @hhunt

Thank you for your post about pain. Below is a link to the Versus Arthritis information about pain:

Pain | Roadmap, resources | Versus Arthritis

In this link Versus Arthritis talks about the different things you can do about pain. Have you been to your doctor? I was wondering if perhaps he can probably help you with some medication as you say the pain is so bad the you are having difficulty controlling.

I hope that you can get some help as it is not nice being in so much pain 24/7. Do make an appointment as that could help you.

Take care

ChrisK

Lilymary

Hi @hhunt, sorry to hear you’re in so much pain, it really can grind you down can’t it. As Chris says, get in touch with your Doc again to see if there’s anything more they can offer you. You may need a referral to the Pain Clinic. Painkillers alone won’t completely get rid of pain, it will help, but you need more than that in your armoury,

a lot of people find distraction really helpful, ie get absorbed in something you enjoy, Netflix, crafts, a bit of gardening, chatting with friends on the phone, whatever works for you. Taking your focus away from your pain can make it fade into the background. Meditation and mindfulness can also help, and there are some easy “beginners” exercises around to help you get into this. You don’t have to be spiritual for it to work, it’s just a way of relaxing your whole body and mind - stress and tension will make pain feel much worse.

Also try to focus on the positives in life, and for everything you can no longer do, try to replace it with something new that you will enjoy.

try to enlist the support of friends, family, colleagues, tell them how your condition makes you feel, and ask for help with some tasks you find really hard. There’s no shame in asking for help, and you shouldn’t go through this pain on your own. If you don’t feel able to do that, ring the helpline on this site, they all know how awful arthritis can get.

try a bit of gentle exercise as well, Let’s Move with Leon via this site is as gentle as you need it to be, and quite good fun. You can do it sitting in your living room, guaranteed to put a smile on your face. It will also ease tension in the rest of your body, which helps ease pain generally (although I have to say it made my hip a bit worse, so there were some exercises I decided not to do, and that’s ok too).

Above all, whenever you want a moan, some tips, or a giggle, come on here. We’re a friendly lot and we all know how rubbish this can get x

Mike1

In my experience no meds get rid of the pain, merely knock the edge off. I too share your experience of despair occasionally so I think about those that would miss me, in my case my sister and my cat. Distraction is the best way to try to alleviate the pain, do something that you enjoy doing and can do, it does not matter if it is watching TV, reading a book or doing a hobby.

Lilymary

@Mike1 , @hhunt , and anyone else struggling with interminable pain right now, sending you all a hug. It really is pants. But there will be days when it doesn’t hurt so much and you can do things that make you smile. Hang out for those xxx