Re: Sudden Side effects/Distractions

[Guest guest]

wrote: I wonder then, for those of you with constant pain. Do you just

keep increasing the dosage, if the pain meds seem to work less over time?

As a pain sufferer, I think my body is amazing how it finds new an interesting

ways to cope with the pain. Without medication, my pain is easily over 10,

daily. Without my medication the pain causes me severe limitations that I cannot

overcome.functionally.

When I do take my medication, I am still not completely pain-free. In a way,

after dealing with the doctors I have, I would say that a pain score of zero is

just not possible. The doctors are OK with me being at a 1-2 level of pain.

However, the problem is this.

When I take the meds, I am also using my coping strategies to deal with the pain

and keep it at resonable levels (i.e. 1-2), but the moment that something

confuses me, distracts me, makes me lose focus, agitates or aggravates me,

upsets me, etc. at that point my personal pain strategy is lost to me. At that

point it is clear to me that my pain is always around an 8 and the medication

probably takes the pain from above 10, to an 8. My own mindset, and personal

coping takes it down the rest of the way, from the 8 to a 2. Also, I have a very

high pain tolerance, so that is to my advantage.

I don't have the luxury of increasing my pain medication when I am stressed and

cannot focus like normal. I am only given so many pills, and the are numbered

to the day. I can;t even pick them up a day early.

So, I do my best to find new ways to keep myself from going bonkers, and try to

stay away from stressful situations. I eat only my special diet, and I exercise

(take 2 walks./day, 40 min each), and I take the stairs wherever I go.

If I truly thought about what I do to stay or try to stay well, focused and pain

free, I would say, " It is impossible and I can;t do it! " So, another one of my

coping skills is to 'just do it' and not think about it.

Yesterday it was so horribly hot here in South Calif. It was about 100

degrees. The sun was too bright and the heat too great for me. It caused me to

have the worst headache. I thought my head would explode. The only thing that

stopped me from going to the ER is that I would have had to drive myself in the

hot sun and heat.

I feel better today, thank goodness. Today's distraction is sewing blackout

curtains for my living room, by hand. Keeping my mind too busy to acknowledge,

think, or feel pain is today's coping mechanism. 1st I had to measure the

windows exactly, cut the fabric, pin it, and so far I've finished 3 or 5. I put

two up, just before writing this email, of the finished 3 (the third Im using as

a pattern to match size for the last).

This 'just do it' project will result in the darkness I need, to avoid

headaches, and will also keep it cool, which will avoid pain. So, for now Im

distracted by the sewing, but once complete these new curtains will play into my

attempt to stay pain-free.

I kind of rambled, but to answer your question, I don't take more or less of my

meds. I just take what is prescribed and try to fill the rest of the time in

with mind over matter, and distractions. If it gets too bad I go to the ER,

which is lame, because they don;t usually do anything. They claim they can;t

help becuase I;m already on pain medication. They used to give me a shot of

dilauded, but now they no longer do anything to help me. I just like to go to

document my pain in the event that I one day need the documentation.

Take care,

Jade