Chronic pain, IBS and nausea moms out there? « Back to Group Discussions

[crazyeight]

Is anyone else a chronic pain patient? I have a bad back and am going to have a different type of pg this time around. I've been on zofran and vicoden for most of this year. Looks like I'm going to have to stay on it. Anyone else with complications?

[Sweet Huck]

I have colitis and pernicious anemia. As long as I can keep my blood levels ok, though, 'm cleared for a low risk pregnancy and birth. I have also had trouble in the past with muscle and joint pain, but have managed to keep it in check with massage and hydrotherapy... although I did throw out my back 2 weeks ago and was proscribed flexeril. I took a few doses to get through and rely on physical therapy now. Gonna try everything I can to stay away from the Big Guns.

Fingers crossed that you  find relief and we both continue growing healthily!

[crazyeight]

I was told that my "red blood cells are small" already. I had a cbc done and my hemoglobin was still at 13 (i'm amazed) but with my last baby I was SO ANEMIC. I was taking as much iron as I could (was having horrible cramps and gut problems then too) but my levels wouldn't go up so I ended up getting IV iron 2x a week for the last 2.5 weeks of pg, it was the day I went into labor i finally had healthy levels but it was the same day I turned 41 weeks so I had to be at the hospital instead of the birth center anyways :( I fully anticipate that I will have the same problem this time. I'm already fatigued so badly though. Walking through the house or to my car makes me breath heavy. My heart pounds all the time.

I STILL have not heard from my gastro I saw a week and a half ago nor from the OB about a referral to MFM to figure out if there is a different type of pain management I can use. I try to go to the chiro but it's OOP and I can't afford it, however acupuncture is (said) to be covered on the state health plan so I'm going to try that.
 

[dayiscoming2006]

I wish I could afford to go to the chiropractor. I used to go regularly back a long time ago when I had insurance that would pay for it. My lower back/butt on my right side hurts pretty bad. It can be hard to walk sometimes. One thing that helps some is pilates. I recommend it for those who can do it. It's kind of like doing physical therapy. I did physical therapy before, but was lazy about it and ended up stopping going back then. Now, I know I have to be diligent if I want to feel better. 

I would add that I don't consider my pain chronic. Chronic for me means severe and I guess I wouldn't consider it severe. Just annoying.

Edited by dayiscoming2006 - 11/1/12 at 10:26am

[crazyeight]

When I was younger my dad's insurance used to cover some of it. I used to go 2-3x a week when I was about 6 or 7 (?) for my torticollis specifically but then it was making it worse so we backed off. I used to not even try to define it, I'm so used to living this way I've pushed through a lot of pain and just didn't do things I knew I couldn't do. Now though it's certainly chronic. If I dont take the vicoden I am in the hospital in a few days (which is what already happened b/c I tried to stop them). At this point without any help I'm literally wasting away. To top it off I just got my first denial for SSD :P It's crazy making. It's the little things. I didn't know people don't have their ears ringing 24/7 and constant fatigue headaches. I'm used to blacking out when I stand up, I always just figured I was weak. I am used to whole body "charlie horses" in my sleep and dreams. I'm used to feeling like I've been stabbed in the back all the time. It's taken it's effect though and I can't keep pretending it doesn't affect everything around me from my moods to my ability to eat and function. It certainly went from "annoying" as a teen to very painful in the last 3ish years (i'm 27)
 

[dayiscoming2006]

I'm 27 too. I definitely feel blessed to not have it that bad. Poor thing. 

Do you have any specific diseases? As far as feeling stabbed all the time. My mom has felt that way since her mid-late 20's and she is now 50. She has rheumatoid, lupus and fibromialgia(spell?). I just pray I don't end up with any of that. If I did get any of those, I would do all I could on supplements, homeopathic, alternative treatments. I don't like where meds have left my mom and don't want to end up that way. I could however see needing some decent pain meds if it ever got really bad.

[Sweet Huck]

Wow. We're all just about in the same age. Kinda crazy.

After going to doctors for many years and being put on all kinds of drugs, some of which actually caused more pain and complications, I found very good relief and support from hands-on massage and homeopathic medicine-- essential oils and aromatherapy-- and from soaking baths and heating pads. Warm pressure really helps my muscle and joint pain. I sprung for a few big $$ massages... but then I lucked out and found a student massage therapist who offers an amazing rate if I book regularly. I'm fortunate now to be able to rely on her instead of my medicines... and all things considered, she's cheaper than many of the drugs I was on.

That said... I still have bad days, but after years of being on this roller-coaster, I am learning to accept the fact that I'm not always in control of my body... that some days are bad days... and that sometimes I need to be off my feet or to sleep more. Just giving myself some room and forgiveness helps. Now if I could just get the rest of the world to slow down with me when I have those slow moving days, right?! ;)

I also agree that pilates/yoga/swimming or other types of gentle movement seem to help a lot, too, both for the mind and body.

I wish you all love, health, and peace and will be sending prayers your way for comfort and healing.

[crazyeight]

I am not able to do pilates right now. I have a 4 finger width diastasis recti and an abdominal hernia. After those are fixed (ish?) I think I will feel better but I am on this loop, I can't feel better no matter what I've tried. I was pretty much on a fast (very very light eating) for almost a month early this year. I was hoping it would help but I don't have the energy to do a full fast as I've been a single mom mostly. I've really had these diagnosis (or continued degeneration) for a good 25 years. The hardest part has been understanding what you said sweethuck and know limits and what I can or can't do. When I was diagnosed with all of this I was a kid, and then a squirraly teen and then a new teen/young adult mom so I've never processed this stuff. I was diagnosed with torticollis around 5 or 6 years old (1 of my first appts was around 18 months, it took fighting for people to even start believing there was a problem) and a sporadic partially fused cervical vertebra; they said they didn't know what caused what or why I even had it (from what I remember). After a discussion on surgery to cut the tendon and deciding I would likely not benefit from an intensive neck surgery and PT at my age it was up to chiropractic to keep me even keel. I visited approx 15x a year. In middle school I was diagnosed with mild scoliosis and then around 17 I had another set of xrays done that showed my cervical fusion was complete and that I had another fusion in my upper back (about the point where people develop hunchback) that was complete. In 2010 I had a chiro that had a very fancy xray and body measurement tools (I don't know what they were called, not something like that. lol) that explained a little more. I still had the 2 fusions and the further developed scoliosis but he provided measurements of how far off my neck curvature is (or rather isn't); I've lost 80% of the normal neck curve and my low back is a "swayback" or it has gained (i think 50%ish) more curvature than is normal. It's compressed more in my curved areas...like an accordian, I'll just collapse one day like a cartoon. Obviously (to me, not to the medical establishment) pressure like that is seriously messing with my organs and the gaping hole in my abs doesn't help. The stabby back feeling is below the upper back fusion and the nerves that come out of the side of the spine are compressed (or stretched, or i'm sure altered in some way. hopefully i get an mri soon) and they wrap around and downward so it hits around my naval area and here my stomach and intestines meet. Not to mention migraines can manifest intestinally so I've got triple trouble just in that area. I really really really am pinning a lot of hope on hernia repair, diastasis support (would love to have it repaired) and then an MRI to diagnose pinched nerves and other soft tissue damage I may not even be physically manifesting yet b/c of so many other symptoms.

The worst thing of all is I can't keep up with my kids. I can't even keep up with what I want to do or need to do let alone the kids. They watch a lot of tv so i can try to stay warm (cold hurts and my body trys to run cold b/c of the pain) and I am unable to cook good meals for us. We try to subsist on what they will eat (my oldest is SO PICKY) and fresh stuff they like. I struggle with food now for so many reasons that I can't fight with them about it anymore. I love babies b/c I can keep up with them!!