Andrew recently blogged about his chronic pain
It was a serendipitous post for me as I have been thinking about this for a while and have been trying to write a blogpost in my head.
It started when I couldn't remember a time when I wasn't in some sort of pain.
As a younger woman I had years of excruciating gynae pain which was finally fixed with a hysterectomy. Thank you, patriarchal medical profession who wouldn't remove my uterus even though it was the only way to alleviate the pain and I had completed my family and hubby had had a vasectomy. What if I divorced and remarried - my new husband might want a child.
I finally found a gynae who did the op and I was fixed. Oh, how wonderful that was. Even though I had major abdominal surgery the post op pain was nothing compared to what I had been putting up with before. My pain med requirements were minimal.
Years passed and I joined the ranks of the arthritics. Thanks, in some ways, to genetics.
I had a knee replacement in Jan '20 and that relieved the awful pain of an arthritic knee although the post op period was very challenging and I still get some pain and stiffness in the new knee. Maybe I expected a similar result to the hysterectomy.
The general pain of degenerative arthritis remains with me. Back, neck, other knee, hips, hands, feet ... name a joint and it causes pain at some point.
Yes, I could lose some weight (OK a lot of weight)
I could research an anti-inflammatory diet.
I could swim - would the pain of having to wear a bathing costume in public be worse than the pain it is trying to relieve?
I could do some gentle exercise.
I could try fish slapping
I could do a lot of things but I don't.
So I live with chronic pain.
One thing I learned when I was working as an oncology nurse was how reluctant people are to take pain medication and also how the general way of thinking is to wait until the pain is unbearable before taking anything.
First of all - do not be afraid of pain medications. Paracetamol (acetaminophen in america) is a safe drug if taken as directed. Anti-inflammatories can upset the stomach but taken with food they are another good drug and there are enough varieties to try until you find one that keeps your tum happy. The good thing about these two types is that they can be taken together as they work in different ways. I will often stagger when I take them so I get the best cover. Paracetamol at 8.00, neurofen at 10.00 and so on.
Secondly - if you know you are going to be in pain take something before it gets bad. If you know that walking around the shops exacerbates your back then take something before you go rather than afterwards when the pain is already bad. It is much harder to bring pain back under control than to avoid it getting out of control in the first place.
Thirdly - if you have chronic arthritic pain taking a long acting drug like panadol osteo on a daily or twice daily basis is a great way to get through life. It won't stop the pain or cure the cause but it can make daily activities a little less challenging.
Obviously, these are just my observations and you need to talk to your doctor or pharmacist but don't be scared of taking meds, take them before you think you need them and take them regularly if you need them - you won't become addicted.
Now I just need to take my own advice.
Or get some fish slapping
I am going to take your advice and take some paracetamol before I go shopping today and see if my back hurts less. I am one of those who doesn't easily take painkillers until desperate! My lower back pain has recently set off a different pain in the buttocks...possibly sciatica, and that can be really awful especially when I first get out of bed!.......right, pills taken, though it feels odd taking them when not actually hurting! We shall see how it goes.
ReplyDeleteWell.......I went to town and walked more there than I usually would and hooray, my back feels so much better. I shall take another dose before dog walk this afternoon too. Thank you so much for your post and persuading me to take the pills.
DeleteI am pleased it helped, Frances.
DeleteVery interesting and helpful. I am one of those who describe as being reluctant to take pain medication. I might be more keen if I felt they worked, specifically Panadol and Panadol Osteo. I have taken it as a preventative a couple of times, but with little relief. I was prescribed Voltaren when I had a tooth removed and I didn't use it until I tried it for arthritis and it seemed to work. The downside is you have to think ahead and take it with food. But that was at the same time as my arthritis symptoms became much reduced, so one tablet does not a summer make.
ReplyDeleteI think being hit on the upper back by one of those fish might help.
Voltaren is a particularly harsh drug on stomachs. Neurofen is gentler. Try taking the panadol osteo for a period of a couple of weeks and see if that makes a difference. Hopefully, though, whatever worked continues to do so.
DeleteIf all else fails, I shall deliver a couple of snapper.
I had to have a hysterectomy at thirty five. I found a doctor who listened and asked me what did I want to do. I cried. All other doctors told me to just live with it. I was too young to have that op.
ReplyDeleteI remember the fish massages advert.
I wouldn’t worry about swimming. In the morning when I go we are all older and we are all pretty much there because of pain. They even have an arthritis club that doe gentle exercise in the hot water pool
I shall have to suck up my inhibitions, suck in my tummy and give the gentle group a go. I was 49 and still had to fight for the hysterectomy.
DeleteI learnt over time the bathing costume debate is a non starter - we’re all there for relief not a beauty pageant.
ReplyDeleteIf I remember I’ll ‘pop a Pano’ before I go out and about because it real does help. It’s the remembering that’s the problem. Panadol Osteo isn’t available on script anymore so I use pharmacy own brands which have the same ingredients and work just as well
The optometrist mentioned similar way of eye drops for dry eyes, regularly as prevention rather than waiting until your eyes are painful and you need them for relief.
The dry eyes is a good thing to remember, too. We use generic paracetamol as well. Works just fine.
DeleteWise advise here. Living with pain is so debilitating. And we get to the point where it is just always, always with us. Never not with us. And it tires us and causes frustration and can lead to depression. I keep saying that we are not meant to live this long and I truly believe that. Not that I wish I had died in my forties but still- it is something to consider when we wonder why everything seems to break down and hurt.
ReplyDeleteChromic pain is insidious. It creeps up and all of a sudden you can't remember it not being there. I hate it when people ask when it started cos I honestly can't remember! I have no intention of shuffling off my coils just yet - I shall learn to live better.
DeleteI don't understand people who don't want to take pain meds. It's impossible to become addicted to panadol or ibuprofen. Panadol works ok but not for anything with inflammation, like arthritis. However Panadol and ibuprofen taken together work very well and can have the same effect as a mild opiod. Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory and works well on arthritis, however, as you said, needs to be taken with food. Voltaren is also a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory, again, take with food.
ReplyDeleteI hate wearing a bathing suit but nobody is ever looking at you, we're all too damned self conscious, even the young, skinny girls.
We used to have an over the counter pain killer here that contained codeine (much to the amazement of those from overseas). This was stopped a few years ago and pharmaceutical companies started combining ibuprofen and paracetamol in one capsule to fill the hole that panadeine left. I prefer to take them separately so I can spread the benefit.
DeleteI think the comment about planning ahead and taking meds in anticipation is gold! Often meds are presented as something for after the fact. This is much better.
ReplyDeleteWe are taught to put up with pain but once it's gone too far it is so hard to bring it back to tolerable. Before the fact (as long as you know there is a fact!) is much better.
DeleteI believe I am very very lucky, I do not have pain on a regular basis that requires any medication, either over the counter or Rx. Having said that, if I have been doing something, ie: gardening and feel stiff and sore I might take something, but usually moving around and working those muscles again solves the problem. Again, I feel very fortunate. The advise regarding taking meds prior to an activity is good advise, I will follow that if the need arises.
ReplyDeleteI have had pain in the past hysterectomy, car accident and other injuries I do not want to discuss, taken meds to help with pain.
You are indeed fortunate, Pat. It sounds as if you have had your fair share of pain in the past, though.
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