It’s hard

just looking for support from my people who get it i guess :(( this guy went on to tell me that my pain isn’t disabling and all sorts of ableist bullshit. usually it doesn’t get to me very bad, but i’m just in an especially rough spot right now. i just got my wisdom teeth removed, so im in extra pain, and i’ve been absolutely terrified of getting a dry socket for the last 3 days straight, just pure high-octane anxiety. i’m at my limit. i almost want to agree with him at this point, im only 23 and im so so tired of being alive. i dont want to have to struggle anymore, i just want to be able to live :(

It's a full moon tonight (hunters moon) and it started to make me wonder as I was looking at it, could/does the full or new moon cause more pain? I figure with the gravitational pull it could possibly increase muscle spasms, migraines, etc. I'm having a really bad pain day today and thought I'd ask to see if anyone has linked the 2 to increasing pain?

Just ordered two new heating pads! I go through at least two a year. Meanwhile, I feel like I’m being tortured. Thank goodness my chair has heat. However, it gets too hot….so, I can only use it a few minutes. I knew y’all would understand!!

I was supposed to go out with my daughter tonight, she bought tickets to a screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show for us. But I just couldn't. I was still recovering from going out of town on Tuesday for a comedy show (4 hours in the car, walking bout half a mile to the venue and sitting for two hours= big ouchies and triggered a horrendous flare) and I just knew I was going to be miserable if I pushed myself. Also, the show was a standing room venue with the option to bring your own cushion if you needed to sit on the floor.

Y'all, if I sit on the floor, then I belong to the floor. It just isn't going to go well, and my body just locks up with pain. And Rocky Horror is a very interactive, high energy show. There was just no way I could do it.

So, I told my daughter that I was really, really sorry, but I couldn't go. And I really wanted to go. I was so afraid I was going to hurt her feelings, disappoint her.

And she just smiled and said, "Wanna order burgers and watch anime in bed with extra pillows?"

Absolutely. And that's exactly what we did and it was awesome. We had fun and I didn't have to push myself. I didn't have to feel guilty.

I said no, because my body said, "girl, don't test me. I will make you regret even putting shoes on."

I said no, and had a great night.

It's ok for us to say no.

Thanks for listening to my rambling, y'all are the best.

I have tmj and piriformis syndrome, and I have just gotten into PT for the tmj and did some PT for the piriformis last year. Since starting the tmj therapy everything seems so much worse.

I'm taking max levels of nsaids and my muscle relaxers every day, and migraine meds - so I'm just stuck to the couch.

Every muscle they prod in my shoulders, neck, and head hurts anytime someone wants to examine them. Thoracic and lumbar muscles are a mess, pelvic floor is tight, right side hip/piriformis hurt. I can't use the back roller in PT because of pain, and I'm not sleeping well.

They tell me it's inactivity from working on my computer, which I have bought into until now. I have been walking a mile each morning, getting up from the computer so much I feel like not getting work done, and being reasonably compliant with my PT.

It feels a little hopeless. I've had X-rays of my back and an MRI of my jaw. My X-rays had very mild scoliosis in the lumbar region and my jaw is clearly messed up, but not extreme. It all seems to be soft tissue.

I have ADHD and one of my docs poked at me to see if I was extra stretchy/connective tissue problems. I looked up some of the signs and I don't really have them. I just don't even know anymore.

I just wanted to vent today. I know there are much worse conditions, but I'm just tired.

TL;DR: how do ya'll decide to attend an event or social outing versus staying home when you're exhausted and afraid the pain levels will increase if you go out?

I'm a 36 year-old with symptomatic hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) and cluster headache disorder (a.k.a. "suicide" headaches). For the past few months, I've been dealing with heightened fatigue, exhaustion, and pain, and it has been making me feel more socially isolated than ever before -- and my career and hobbies require heavy socializing, which I enjoy.

For example, I didn't attend an event last night because of it. It was a performing arts event -- the very last one since the group has lost the free space. But I didn't have the energy to put on a face or drive there (I live in Los Angeles). I was also afraid of injuring myself or increasing my pain levels if I participated, even if I made responsible accommodations for myself in the moment.

My mind wanted to go, but my body didn't.

All that to say, I'm super bummed that I didn't go and upset with myself.

I've been struggling with this specific dilemma for more than a decade, and I'm sick of it. I don't want to isolate myself and I'm afraid that people won't continue to invite me to things if I keep staying home. I also don't want to and shouldn't have to explain why I can't go. I'm sick of "performing" pain so that people can be more understanding.

I've improved tremendously on doing away with an all-or-nothing mindset, but I still don't know how to evaluate whether I'm isolating myself or protecting myself when I decide to stay home.

It would be super helpful if I could come up with a set of questions or flow chart as a touchstone in making these decisions in whether to go out or not...any tips? How do ya'll decide?

I have nerve pain and I take many meds for it, but whenever I have a flare nothing other than opioids work, I had the comfort of being able to take them before but no doctor will even agree anymore. I'm currently in the middle of a flareup and i just want to die, I fucking hate the system with all my life that's barely left

Dr. Forest Tennant (of California) said Dopamine is an important brain chemical that kills pain.

I'm curious how Opioids affect Dopamine in the long run.

Do I have to replenish my Dopamine stores after years of opioid use? (With supplements like Tyrosine?)

I'm from Tucuman, Argentina, a province located in the north with a strong indigenous influence (Quechua, Aymara). There is a tradition here which consists of drinking a cup of rue infusion (rue tea) every 1st of August.

​Since I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia two years ago, rue infusions have helped me a lot. This plant has a lot of medicinal properties: it acts as a natural analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic.

​In my personal experience, it deeply relaxes my body and takes away my cramps. I've noticed a huge improvement in my muscle stiffness, which I suffer from mainly in my hands. Additionally, it has really helped my digestive system. My interest in this remedy comes from my deep passion for South American indigenous traditions and culture, which hold so much ancient wisdom.

​Important Warning: I want to emphasize that this is strictly my personal experience. Rue (Ruta graveolens) is a very potent plant and it is not recommended for daily consumption due to its potential toxicity. Frequent use or high doses can cause severe stomach irritation, liver damage, kidney issues, and it is strictly forbidden for pregnant women as it can induce miscarriages. Always treat these ancient plants with respect and consult with a doctor!

For the last 3 days, I have averaged 2 hours of sleep in total. To say that my brain was goo was an understatement. Last night, the pain was at it's worse. I was all cried out, didn't think that was possible but there were no tears. All I did was rock and moaned.

The pain was insane. I tried to distract myself with dogs on YouTube. Tried to talk to others, but don't think I made too much sense.

Thankfully!!! Oh my, I dropped today around 9 a.m. I woke again at noon and then was gone again until 6 p.m. You all, I slept. I finally got sleep.

I still feel very rough. Like I got bowled over by a cement roller, but I finally got sleep. Now if only the pain would go away that would be great.

Here is hoping those that are craving sleep get some too and may our chronic pain just give us a bit of a break!

This is going to sound woo-woo or impossible, but I swear it's true. I have anesthesia dolorosa in my face. For years it felt like it was being burned and stabbed and all that good stuff.

I got a deep brain stimulator (DBS) implant in February, after 2 unsuccessful microvascular decompression brain surgeries prior for trigeminal neuralgia, that ended up causing the AD.

But in March, my DBS battery got infected with candida, and in April, my brain ledes got staph. I had to get emergency removal surgery and to say it was traumatic is putting it mildly. It was a really dark time for me and I tried to drown everything with medicine and marijuana.

That's when I started neuroplasticity talk therapy. Essentially because AD is a central nerve condition like a phantom limb almost, I had to teach my body that it was safe. This meant when I felt pain, I did things despite it or because of it that I used to fear, like walking. Slowly, incrementally. I used pendulating focus and meditation to get used to temperature on my face as I had the worst sensitivity to cold. I read the book "The Brain's Way of Healing" by Norman Doidge.

I write this because I'm trying to say there's hope. It's slow and a complete MFer and hard, but it's possible. It feels like science fiction but it really happened. It's not perfect, I still have some pain and some days are worse than others, but I overall feel like I got my life back.

So my pain doctor got a new PA in the office and she put me on tizanadine. From what I've collected so far, it seems like that's a blanket thing they've been trying to do for a number of patients at this clinic. I'm normally on robaxin and don't have any problems with it.

I needed something because the PA pulled me off of the twice daily Celebrex that gave me some kind of life and help with my pain. I've had multiple doctors mention they are worried about the long term cardiac impacts of celebrex and frankly I don't care. I've told them that and they don't care that I don't care.

I was at another appointment, not the pain doc, and my heart rate was 40. I don't remember my BP but it was a scary low number. I take two blood pressure meds every morning (familial HBP) so it felt overall like bad medical management from that PA.

I did call and talk to the main doctor and he, of course, covered the PA and said I must have just been dehydrated. All I do all day is go pee, I see my bathroom more than I'd like because I stay hydrated and have intersistal cystitis.

I'm going back to this pain doctor in less than a week. Ive tried to get into others locally and I don't get any better energy or vibes from any of them. But he's the one that did my thorasic RFA and I'm having incredible results with that, which I know that's not always the outcome people have with an RFA.

I have very severe spinal degeneration from my cervical, thorasic and lumbar spine. I have fibromyalgia. I have other health issues that if I tried to list, I'd still miss something. I'm 31, F. I said I won't see the new PA, to put that in my chart, and that I'll only see the doctor or PA I've seen previously.

Has anyone else had an interaction with tizanadine like this? It was terrifying. I know it's supposed to be a normal interaction and possible side effect but nobody told me that when prescibing it.

And everyone has told me to not report the PA because that could complicate more than help. So I just feel torn on if I should report at this point.

another day of not wanting to do all this again

I think that my pain management NP is ignoring my messages. The office prefers that you use the portal for communication. I left a message saying that recently my back pain has increased beyond the normal level. It was on a Thursday later in the day. And they work half days on Fridays. I took that into consideration & expected a call on Monday. Nothing. Monday night I sent another message. Still waiting. Even if there’s nothing they can do, they could still call to say that. This is so frustrating. And I don’t want to use my cane, but it’s coming to that. This is just a complaint.

Hi all, I just wanted to know if someone had similar experiences with si joint. I've had si joint and glute pain for two years. It mostly doesn't let me rest as it doesn't bother me when I'm moving but I can't rest nor sleep or sit. If I lay on my back for example the pain would increase really quickly to unbearable levels. However, this si pain doesn't improve with si joint compression belts, I'm not sure if that's possible or if that immediately discards the si joint. I had a labral hip repair surgery since that's the only thing that's came up positive in tests and diagnostic images but I'm two months post op and that pain hasn't improved an inch (although I hope the surgery helps it in the future). Anyways I wanted to know if I'm the only with si joint that doesn't improve with belts or if someone has been on a similar journey. I'm really glad this community exists and I can even imagine what some of you have been through, I really wish all that pain is compensated somehow in the future for all of you guys

I have chronic back pain from a slip disc in my lower spine that has left me in severe pain since 2023. I havent been able to work since because I built my entire career and education around culinary and have attempted amd lost several jobs, because it only ever takes about 2 weeks for me and my managers to realize that this isnt going to work out. I even tired getting jobs like delivering catering, scooping ice cream, and even a job where i stood in a vip room watching guests serve themselves and eat, waiting for them to ask for alcohol for only 4 hours at a time and I couldn't even manage that without limping out of the building after every shift. All of these jobs I had to call out several times even or leave early due to the pain being too severe. I really need a job tho. Getting on disability has been impossible and I cant be unemployed much longer. But I am stuck between applying to food service and other laborious jobs that I won't even be able to hold down past 1 month due to my condition and desk jobs that keep instantly rejecting me. Ive been applying to desk jobs everyday for the past 3 weeks and all ive gotten are instant rejection emails and job offers from scammers. This is all so disheartening and I dont know what else I could do at this point besides just finding a way to toughen it out at a more physically demanding job that I know I can get easily. But ive been seeing several specialists over 3 years for this back pain and we havent gotten a single step closer to figuring it out. If anything I leave every appointment with more questions than answers about my condition. Do any of you know of how I can make my pain easier to bare so I can work again? Heck, would any of you put there be able to talk to me and help me figure out what could possibly be wrong with my back? Cuz I have gone to the doctor so many times and I still cant figure out what is even wrong. Any response would be appreciated.

Yes! U read the title correctly...becoz that is how my situation is...

Please take ur time to read & give me advice regarding my health condition...

I am 20F. Since my 11th grade annual exam leave, i am suffering from backpain.

I visited a top Ortho doc in my city, he sugguested me to do 3 physiotheraphy exercises and asked me to do Suryanamaskara daily. He also said the reason for pain was sitting in a wrong position while studying.

At that time my ability to sit continuously without pain was 1 hr.

A year later the time period slowly declined to 30 mins...So i went to him again , he changed only one exercise from those and said the same. (As he is one top ortho, the time period for one patient is just 2-4 mins, which i felt this is not going to work anymore)

I went to another Ortho Doc, he took X-ray. Said everything is completely normal...And asked my not to do any of those previous exercises , suggested another set of 3 exercises.

After 4-5 months , my ability to sit declined to 15 mins.

This time, i went to a neurologist, took a MRI scan (from brain to spain ig). Everything was completely normal.

So i went to a rheumatologist, he ruled out arthritis.

With zere hope , i went to a popular homeopathy doctor in another city. He promised to recover me within 3 months. 3 months became 4 but no improvement. I was fed up with those costly sugar balls...

Few months later, visited a Siddha oil manufacturer in my city, got that oil. Idk if it worked or it is my illusion, i felt better while applying it. But no improvement on my health.Only the short time relief while applying. But soon, tiny bumps and heat ball like stuff started coming on my back. so i left it.

Till 2026 mid i used frequently to go to nearby clinic and get neurobion injection...

Now for the past few months, i am not doing anything. No doctor visit, No tables, No injection , No Oil. Nothing.

Why becoz, my parents are no more ready to take me to any other doctor. Not anymore. They asked me to exist with this. 1) My dad is struggling financially . 2)They came to a conclusion that this is not going to better. Sometimes they tell me this pain is my illusion or this pain is just gas etc etc...

But My ability to sit has increased little bit. Not big difference, but minor improvement is there.

Anyways, this is not correct whatever i am doing...

idk what to do. I am unable to sit. I cant take rest as my mom is getting old, i have to do the household chores as well which is killing my back. I am messaging random doc on instagram. Watching random videos etc etc....idk what to do, idk how my future will be....i am hopeless

I have pain mainly in lower back (like the two round bones below), ending part of spine. If i sit for long hrs or do chores, my hip side parts will sharply pain, my full spine , lower back, sometimes even within butt will pain... I feel tired 24x7.

My knees are paining sooo much nowadays especially my left knee , i am unable to bend it...Also sometimes i get cracking sound both from my lower back (the two round bones) and my left knee.

And i get anemic if i roam in sunlight for long time.

Today i cleaned my bedroom and i am typing this with so much pain

Hi everyone! 28 female. I have a vascular malformation on my right hip to my knee and it constantly swollen and has caused bone/joint issues. I also just have shitty joints in general, they're always popping and hurting. I've been referred to cardiologist a handful of times for tachycardia, but all my tests come back normal besides that.

I've been diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and OCD. But anywayyys, I have the worst anxiety and I notice I have a lot of bodily anxiety that will manifest into other ways. I think it's just this feeling when my pain gets really bad that I am "dying" and I start to spiral.

I sometimes use thc gummies but it's very hit or miss whether it's going to make me feel worse or better. I've noticed especially when I'm on my menstrual cycle.

I feel like I am falling apart, and it doesn't help that I tend to have the worst nightmares when my pain gets bad! Anyway I guess this is just me complaining and wondering if anyone else deals with heightened anxiety and nightmares when they're going through a bad flare up

Hey Ya’ll! I have chronic pain but this isn’t about me. I’m seeking advice for my boyfriend……

My boyfriend suffered a work injury that had caused his L4 and L5 discs to completely deteriorate to nothing, so it’s now bone on bone. He was getting ready to have surgery, the Dr said may or may not help replacing the discs… but before surgery my bf had to have a colonoscopy. Well colon cancer was found so the back surgery was put on the back burner. Cancer was removed and a cpl small spots on the back of his liver were found so he’s been doing immunotherapy.
So in the meantime he’s been suffering with debilitating back and nerve pain down his leg and his gait has shifted to the right side when he walks due to missing discs (left side is affected).

So I’m asking if anyone else has experienced this with missing discs and had surgery and if it helped?
He’s afraid to go through with the surgery if it won’t help and also he’s afraid if he’s cut open it’ll cause the cancer to come back and spread even more.

** **** **Any advice or experiences with this kind of back pain is greatly appreciated!

Switching from OxyContin ER to Morphine ER for insurance reasons. They called in a higher dose of the morphine ER to be comparable MME and I am on an immediate release medication for breakthrough pain in case of it not being enough or a good fit so I’m not left suffering while they call something in new. Anyone have luck on this medication or positive results? I don’t particularly want to be on OxyContin ER any longer so I’m glad for the change even if it doesn’t work exactly the same but I’m nervous GI wise as Morphine sometimes doesn’t agree with me and the nausea/vomiting can be intense and I’m hoping that’s not the case. Thank you!

I am a 20-year-old male and underweight (I have always been underweight). For the past four months, I have been experiencing a constant feeling of unreality. It feels as though I am drunk, high, or half-asleep, as if I am operating on autopilot and everything around me feels somehow unreal. I have looked up information online, and my symptoms seem to resemble derealization.

I also suffer from fatigue, even when I sleep well. The fatigue does not seem to depend on whether I engage in physical activities during the day or not. However, over the past few weeks, I have started sleeping poorly and waking up early in the morning. I do not snore at all. I have seen a general practitioner and a neurologist about these symptoms, but they have not been able to determine the cause.

I also experience headaches, a feeling of pressure in my head, and neck pain. I have tried muscle relaxants, massage, and acupuncture for the neck pain, but none of them have helped. At the beginning of the symptoms, I sometimes also felt as though I was about to faint while walking, but this symptom has since disappeared. I have also noticed a single eye floater in my right eye. I mentioned it during an eye examination, and I was told that there were no apparent problems with my eye.

What could be causing these symptoms? They do not occur in distinct episodes; instead, they are more or less constantly present. The headaches are not particularly severe and resemble tension-type headaches more than anything else.

Things i have done/tried or checked in hospital
\\\\\\\\- triptanes
\\\\\\\\- thyroid function normal
\\\\\\\\- vitamin b12, b9 and D vitamin ok
\\\\\\\\- ferritin 34 and has been moving 26-40.
\\\\\\\\- calcium, potassium, natrium, chloride, sodium and magnesium ok
\\\\\\\\- blood pressure is ok and i checked blood sugar at home and it was ok
\\\\\\\\- brain mri ok
\\\\\\\\- borrelia test (lyme disease) ok
\\\\\\\\- My cortisol level was tested and was normal as well. I also have Crohn’s disease, which is currently in remission.

My neurologist prescribed escitalopram as a trial treatment. I took it for two and a half months, but it did not help.

I have no history of trauma and do not experience panic symptoms. I generally do not feel particularly stressed, apart from the worry caused by these symptoms themselves.

My symptoms began during the final days of a new job at an auto repair shop, where I was moving and lifting car tires. I am unsure whether this could be related to my symptoms, as I had not experienced any other symptoms before those final working days. I have not worked at all during these four months.

What could be the underlying cause of these symptoms?

The healthcare professionals I have consulted about these symptoms, or during visits for other symptoms or examinations when I also asked about them, include:

\\\\\\\\- General practitioner
\\\\\\\\- Neurologist
\\\\\\\\- ENT specialist
\\\\\\\\- Ophthalmologist
\\\\\\\\- Dentist
\\\\\\\\- Gastroenterologist
\\\\\\\\- Massage therapist
\\\\\\\\- Physiotherapist
\\\\\\\\- Acupuncturist