Just wondering if anyones pain has been so bad they had to visit the emergency room. I had to last week and I’m new to all of this and feel like everyone thinks Im a hypocondriac. Feeling very alone
Hi Tiffany,
I know many of us have visited the ER because the pain was too much. Speaking for myself, I've had negative experiences at the ER as well with the providers labeling me as a drug seeker when all we want is pain relief. The ER visits have decreased since I've found helpful coping strategies at home to help manage the pain and through working with my medical team of Primary Care, Rheumatologist, Chiropractor, massage and counseling. It took a while to put together this comprehensive team of treatments and providers that help me stay out of the ER. I'm sorry you had a bad experience and are feeling alone. Please know that you are not alone and we are here if you need us : ) Do you have anything you have found that works for you with pain management? (hot baths, icy/hot patches, icing muscles to reduce inflammation)?
Many hugs,
Sara
I have been trying hot baths, stretching, and alot of ibprophine. I’m going through alot of stress right now too. Nothing is working right now. I’m in the middle of switching to a new primary care and I’ll be seeing a romotologist for the first time. Can’t wait for some answers
I'm sorry Tiffany. I hope you get the answers you are looking for. I know the waiting game can be stressful and frustrating in trying to get some relief from the pain. Please keep us updated on how you are doing. I hope you feel better soon. I don't know if this is helpful, but I try to set aside 30 minutes to 1 hour each day where I do something enjoyable that reduces my stress. I try to do simple things when I'm in pain like watch an episode of my favorite TV show, allowing myself to take a nap if I need it, or play a board game. I find that distracting myself can help with the pain, although I know sometimes there is no distraction from it. I've found that if I actively focus on reducing my stress by doing something simple that I enjoy that doesn't require a lot of activity, it benefits how we feel in the long run.
Sending hugs,
Sara
Tiffany Comeau said:
I have been trying hot baths, stretching, and alot of ibprophine. I'm going through alot of stress right now too. Nothing is working right now. I'm in the middle of switching to a new primary care and I'll be seeing a romotologist for the first time. Can't wait for some answers
Yes , I have. It has been at it's worst at times when I was just plain sick. The illness made my pain worse. I have also had the pain so bad that it caused my body to have temporary paralysis on my right side. I permanently have right sided weakness. Tests were done. the fibromyalgia pain was the only thing they could link it too.
Wow that sounds scary to have temporary paralysis. I have had unexplained pain for a long time amongst other things, hoping seeing a specialist will help
Unexplained pain is one of the main things us fibro patients deal with. Getting it under control by your doctor or specialist is the next step. It may never be gone completely, but lessened to a tolerable state is goal. The right medications and gentle exercise, in moderation can help.
I am so sorry that this happened to you. I have not been to the ER for fibro. I do have a lot of experience w ER staff. I know that some of them have become very hardened because of what they have seen. If you’re not bleeding massively, or gasping for air, your wasting their time. But some of them are amazing people. True Angels. Unfortunately, I think you got the first group.
Anyway, I just wanted to give you some support. Hope you are feeling better today.
I went into the ER a couple months ago because of a new kind of pain. The doctor just gave me pain pills and told me to go home and rest. After I explained to him that I didn't need the pain killers I had some at home, I wanted to know what was causing the pain since it was in my lower back and I was worried that it could be kidney stones. He was reluctant to do any tests. He seemed to think that I was a drug seeker and he would just give me the drugs and get rid of me. After I explained to him that the last time I let them gave me pain killers and sent me on the way I was back in 3 days later in septic shock and spent 8 months there and lost my leg. They did the tests and guess what. I did have kidney stones. So if the pain gets real bad don't be ashamed to go in and have them check you out to make sure it isn't just the fibro. If it is the fibro you still need the pain meds don't be ashamed.
I’ve gone to the er with migraines that I’m pretty sure are related to my fibro. Trying to explain to the er docs that normal migraine medication won’t work without sounding like I’m just after pain meds is always a challenge. Usually I just suffer through them instead, but I’ve had them last for days and the only way to break them at that point is pain meds.
No honey, you aren't a hypochondriac and you are not alone. We are here to listen and hear you. Please know you aren't alone in your struggles.
Yes, I had to go to the ER once due to awful pain. Let me tell you, from what I've seen personally and read here, ERs aren't the best place to go for fibro pain relief or understanding of fibro. I couldn't even walk, I had to hop my way into the ER. They knew that yet discharged me with a prescription for pain meds (their pharmacy was closed) and sent me on my way, STILL unable to walk! Getting back to the car was fun.
So please don't feel badly if you didn't have a great experience with the ER. They really are pretty poorly versed in fibro.
I am sorry that you're suffering from fibro. I hope your GP has found you a good balance of pain relief and that your bad experience is the minority of your time. If not, it might be a good idea to go back to your doctor for better pain management and visit a rheumatologist as well, so he can test for other illnesses that can co-occur with fibro and cause a lot of pain. Also, a pain management clinic might be helpful to you.
Good luck!
Hugs,
Petunia
Doggie, what a shocking tale!!! I am so very, very sorry about the septic shock and lost leg! I hope you sued and won because that was abysmal treatment of you and your illness. You are lucky you didn't die from the septic shock. And sorry too about the kidney stones - they are as painfu as heck!
doggie said:
I went into the ER a couple months ago because of a new kind of pain. The doctor just gave me pain pills and told me to go home and rest. After I explained to him that I didn't need the pain killers I had some at home, I wanted to know what was causing the pain since it was in my lower back and I was worried that it could be kidney stones. He was reluctant to do any tests. He seemed to think that I was a drug seeker and he would just give me the drugs and get rid of me. After I explained to him that the last time I let them gave me pain killers and sent me on the way I was back in 3 days later in septic shock and spent 8 months there and lost my leg. They did the tests and guess what. I did have kidney stones. So if the pain gets real bad don't be ashamed to go in and have them check you out to make sure it isn't just the fibro. If it is the fibro you still need the pain meds don't be ashamed.
Petunia Girl,
Thank you. I didn't sue because there was no way for them to know really that it wasn't the real bad sprain they thought it was. Since there was no wound and I had sprained it a week before they thought I had started walking on it to soon, What is was, was a streptococcus B bacteria that was air born and attacked any place that there was inflammation. It was emerging from Mexico and I caught it from a child from Mexico that had just come into our class. If I was going to sue I would have to sue the school system for allowing the girl to stay in the classroom when we kept trying to send her home. I'm just grateful that I am alive and functional. They didn't think I would be when I got there.
Petunia Girl said:
Doggie, what a shocking tale!!! I am so very, very sorry about the septic shock and lost leg! I hope you sued and won because that was abysmal treatment of you and your illness. You are lucky you didn't die from the septic shock. And sorry too about the kidney stones - they are as painfu as heck!
doggie said:I went into the ER a couple months ago because of a new kind of pain. The doctor just gave me pain pills and told me to go home and rest. After I explained to him that I didn't need the pain killers I had some at home, I wanted to know what was causing the pain since it was in my lower back and I was worried that it could be kidney stones. He was reluctant to do any tests. He seemed to think that I was a drug seeker and he would just give me the drugs and get rid of me. After I explained to him that the last time I let them gave me pain killers and sent me on the way I was back in 3 days later in septic shock and spent 8 months there and lost my leg. They did the tests and guess what. I did have kidney stones. So if the pain gets real bad don't be ashamed to go in and have them check you out to make sure it isn't just the fibro. If it is the fibro you still need the pain meds don't be ashamed.