• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

PAIN

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
S

skybreeze1971

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
I'm just wondering if anyone has had problems with pain?
I have been in pain for the past 12 months or more. At the moment they are querying fibromyalga. I was taking Gabapentin for Diabetic Neuropathy, so I was taken off that and put on Pregabalin 150mg twice daily instead which helped a little. Then I was put on Amitriptyline 20mg once daily but it's still not working a great deal. My surgery want me off all medication really. They just don't seem to want to help in any way. I have had enough and am ready to give up and just take all my insulin in one go. The Neuropathy isn't ideal either.
Has anyone else had a similar problem? If so, any suggestions?
Thanks.
 
You poor person. Any chance of getting a referral to your local hospital pain clinic? That is pretty hard-core medication so you must be in a lot of pain.

If anyone ever suggests Oxycontin/Percocet, run a mile - that is evil stuff. It's supposed to be long lasting (12 hours) but for a significant minority of people (1/3), it only lasts about 8 hours and then you're straight into chronic withdrawal whilst still having the original pain until the next dose is due. They won't advocate shorter time spans between doses because that negates the licence so, instead, they prescribe more to be taken in one go. Horrible, horrible drug.
 
I hope you can find an answer.
 
Already been to the pain clinic but their suggestion was PREGABALIN which I'm already taking! I just don't know what else to do. I just don't think it's fair that nobody in my medical team seems to be listening to me. I'm just at my wit's end and I'm tired of all this.
 
Arrgh. How frustrating for you - no wonder you are at your wits' end. A lot of GP surgeries are under pressure to reduce reliance on drugs (and ergo costs) so some are taking a very aggressive stance which really doesn't benefit the patient. They tried this with someone I know who is on significant amounts of morphine (that was the person given the Oxycontin) and told them they absolutely should come off it. They don't want to see them except for medication reviews. Totally inappropriate and purely a result of a paper exercise.

If you are based in England, your surgery should have a surgery/patient/CCG liaison who it may be useful to contact - and it might be that you could benefit from a patient advocate - they are like hen's teeth - but could also be useful.
 
skybreeze1971 said:
Already been to the pain clinic but their suggestion was PREGABALIN which I'm already taking! I just don't know what else to do. I just don't think it's fair that nobody in my medical team seems to be listening to me. I'm just at my wit's end and I'm tired of all this.
Click to expand...

Could your dose be increased? Perhaps it needs to be carefully increased until your pain is more manageable.

Tagging @Cherrelle DUK as I think she has fibromyalgia.
 
You do not say where your pain is but have you thought of acupuncture or seeing a chiropracter.
I knew somebody who was taking high doses of pain meds following surgery so he could do exercises to strengthen his muscles and then he was able to reduce the meds.
 
skybreeze1971 said:
I'm just wondering if anyone has had problems with pain?
I have been in pain for the past 12 months or more. At the moment they are querying fibromyalga. I was taking Gabapentin for Diabetic Neuropathy, so I was taken off that and put on Pregabalin 150mg twice daily instead which helped a little. Then I was put on Amitriptyline 20mg once daily but it's still not working a great deal. My surgery want me off all medication really. They just don't seem to want to help in any way. I have had enough and am ready to give up and just take all my insulin in one go. The Neuropathy isn't ideal either.
Has anyone else had a similar problem? If so, any suggestions?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Hello and welcome to the forum,
I'm so sorry you are feeling so down and in so much pain.

The pain meds you are on are they prescribed for nerve/neuropathy pain or for other types of pain?
I'm wondering if a different type of pain med would be helpful?
If it's neuropathy pain you are suffering from could you ask for a neurologist referral as s/he would be a better option I would have thought.
 
Have you have a referral to a rheumatologist? I found having a fibro diagnosis helped somewhat in getting support and management although I am by no means pain free I am doing a lot better than I was pretty diagnosis. I take Gabapentin, naproxen, and paracetamol. I also see a chiropractor (who does needling/acupuncture) once a month. I find taking painkillers regularly through the day so I always have some pain relief on board helps a lot. If you can’t take NSAIDs that may reduce that option but if you can take them and paracetamol then alternating them and keeping your pregabalin may help keep you ticking over. There is good evidence for pain relief coming from antidepressant too for people with fibro so that may be something else to explore with a rhuematologist or your GP if you can get a diagnosis.

Chronic pain often takes years to get a diagnosis and then is under supported on the NHS. You have my sympathies. There are ways to improve daily life though so please don’t give up.
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top