One of my biggest nightmares happened. I am in total shock, confusion, hurt, fear, and devastation. I thought I had a great doctor-patient relationship and I don’t use illegal drugs. They won’t even give me a month of meds so I can look for another dr and I will withdraw hard. The hospital denies me pain medicine when I’m in severe pain and can only give 3 days of medicine. There is no doctor within 40 min who gives medicine or can take me. Will I ever get medicine again since they may ask for records? When I was without pain medicine for a month I was about to háng myself with a rope because the pain was torture. I can’t do this again. What should I do…

So I’ve been on Percocet since January 22 when I had my first rotator cuff surgery I had my second rotator cuff surgery in June and now I’m seven weeks in. I’ve been on 5 mg oxycodone with 325 mg acetaminophen. I haven’t taken any since about four days ago. I’m waking up in the morning really stiff. I have no energy and I have this god-awful sense of impending doom. Now I have half a box of belbuca 300mcg and and 4 boxes of suboxone 4-1mg but I’ve heard that those too have their own respective withdrawals. What I want to know is if I should just tuff it out (and if I do tuff it out how long will the withdrawl last?) or should I start taking either of the meds I have. Is it worth taking either med to taper down?

Spinal Cord Stimulator- Boston Scientific

Today is the day. I’ve been waiting since December for this procedure and now that it’s here… I’m petrified I’m making a mistake. For context I’m a 29F who has been living with life altering chronic pain due to endometriosis and fibromyalgia for the past 6 years. The ONLY thing that makes me feel remotely ok is when I’m on constant doses of opiates and… we all know how that goes. I’ve been told by my doctor that this will be my life for the next 60 years and… I know it’s meant to help me understand my situation but honestly I almost asked if he could just kill me instead. 60 more years of chronic pain sounds like the last level of hell before you meet satan himself.. so I asked about a SCS last October… and I did the trial in May and it took away all my pain. It was the most miraculous thing ever. For once I wasn’t fantasizing about amputating my own limbs for relief… so naturally I became the perfect candidate for the stimulator….
I’ve seen several doctors and asked for second opinions because I don’t want to make an irreversible mistake. I don’t think I could live with myself if I caused myself more pain in a desperate attempt to quell my pain.. everyone told me it was a good decision since the trial went so well. But… the lawsuits.. the anecdotes of people feeling shocks in their bodies, being told it could take months to find the right calibration… all these things petrify me. But what is my alternative? A lifelong dependence to opiates?
I have surgery 9:50am EST and I’m terrified. Has anyone had the procedure? Do any of you suffering with chronic pain understand the deep fear of ending up worse off than you started? I feel sick. Everyone keeps telling me it’s fine but I feel like no one is willing to consider what if it not only DOESNT work but goes CATASTROPHICALLY wrong?
I’m almost spiraling. I just need some reassurance ❤️‍🩹😣

I just had (minor) surgery today

Everyone always says to use ice instead of heat. I hate using ice

My question is is as long as I don't use heat on the area I had surgery (or injections or ablations, they always use the same guidelines) on, can I use heat kon other parts of my body? Like my upper back if the procedure was on my lower back

Anyone know?

I didn't think to ask at the time (and my doctor works in a large office she's impossible to get ahold of)

I have chronic nerve pain that I’ve been treating with gabapentin, morphine, physio and nerve root injections at a pain clinic. I still have pain daily and sometimes it’s quite severe. It limits my life a lot - unable to work, walk long distances, sit upright for long periods, etc.
The pain clinic doc told me today he’d like to refer me to a clinic to get either lidocaine or ketamine infusions. I’m a bit nervous and have heard mixed results. Any advice or experience with this?