notme, I would agree that 6-7 is high and most people would not be able to live with this constantly. But I have struggled so many years and have tried so many different treatments including steroid shots in the back, neck and I still get them in my right foot when it gets really painful from the contractures (about 1 time a year). However, during all my searching and discovering as years have gone by, and the many pain docs and specialists that have come and gone, I have realized that a 6 is what I can deal with and be pleasant to others still.
I am severely allergic to morphine and the last time they gave me demerol after a surgery (10 years ago) they told me it was now added to my allergic list because of the intense itching and hives it gave me. Morphine will cause my tongue to swell. Norco and Ultram (tramadol) I take as second line of defence when the pain starts to go up and a shot of toradol at the doc office I can only do occasionally because it can cause bleeding in my intestines. I even went through a few years trying different anti depressants that were used to treat chronic pain also. We discovered that SSRI's cause seizures in me and others just didn't work for the pain. neurontin knocked the pain level down to a 4-5 but I kept having to up the dose because it would stop working at the lower doses. Eventually it stopped working at all and I do not take it anymore.
So that is when I decided that handling my pain was going to have to be a change of thought process for me. And it seems to be working. I do not function as well as I would like. I have to have someone with me when ever I leave the house. I cannot do my job (photographer) without bringing someone from my family to help me with moving and such. So for me this is what will have to work.
It was funny that the surgeon who recently worked on me for the muscle biopsy, looked at my chart at the meds I was allergic to. His eyes widened and he said "what pain med am I supposed to give you after the surgery?". I told him toradol works great for pain but it wont work here because it causes the blood to thin. So I told him not to worry about it, I have norco and ultram at home and would take that if need be. Well, he was so worried about me not being able to have anything stronger, that he shot my leg full of novacaine after he did the biopsy, just so he wouldn't have to see me in pain. I had to laugh!
The pain has not been all that much painful than usual! Outside of a few times the cramping in my thigh spread to my back and calf from being up too long, I was able to squelch it back down to a 6-7 with a norco or ultram. If I was to take a pain med regularly (every few hours), I would not be able to function as much as I do now. My family understands that my pain level is high and when I said I need to stop doing something because of pain, they listen (for the most part). My doc is not happy that I am in such a high level of pain, but its something he doesn't know how to make it better either without going into pumps and such. And then he is concerned (like me) that I will loose all functionality I presently have.