To not be able to cope with the thought of being in this much pain for the rest of my life?

[QueenOfTheEighthKingdom]

I was diagnosed with lumbar spondylosis last year after many years of pain on and off. I only went to my GP when it became constant for a year.

It has got progressively worse since then and I can't bear to stand for more than a few minutes as the pain from buttock to calf down my leg is excruciating. I'm only 46 and from what I've read it's only going to get worse!

I'm pain-free when sitting which I spend a lot of time doing these days, standards around the house have slipped massively. Even walking is now very painful when it wasn't before so I'm driving more and getting fatter and fatter. I've had physio and do the exercises.

I wake during the night due to pain when turning over in my sleep and from when I get up in the morning, the fact I'm going to be in pain all day hits me. I'm irritable and angry a lot of the time due to being in pain. I can't stand it literally!

Anyone suffer similarly?

What pain killers are you taking? Have you been referred to a pain clinic?

I have two chronic pain conditions and am chronically fatigued. It's hell to get used to. And when you think you're OK with it, you go through another awful flare up. In my experience at least.

A pain clinic would help. There are medicines like gabapentin, pregabalin, amitriptylene and some beta blockers (I think?) which can help.

I hear you with the weight gain. I'm currently trying to lose several stone which have only made the situation worse for me.

Healthy options, healthy portions, healthy changes. Look into whether yoga or pilates are recommended for your condition because they're pretty much the only thing I can do apart from swimming.

I take Gabapentin, MST, Zapain, Oramorph and Amitriptline and combined they really help with the pain!

Ask your GP to refer you to first of all Pain Management and secondly Psychological Medicine.

I have a different type of pain. It won’t get worse but it won’t get better either. I do struggle mentally with not being physically able to do things that were easy before. I complained to the GP and she basically said that’s life: your health and your body changes over the years and you have to come to terms with your new normal.

sorry to hear about your suffering have u heard about carly barton and how she uses cannabis to help with her pain have u tried that maybe?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3574030-Cannabis-for-pain?watched=1

I hear you. I am 44 and have been in chronic pain for a variety of reasons. It sucks, it’s draining, debilitating, exhausting. So many many things that people don’t realize.

I am on a variety of medications and due to cannabis being made legal locally I am getting my medical card and going to try that. I am willing to try anything in all honesty.

It sucks the life from you being in daily pain.

have you had a referral to a pain clinic, before starting the drug route, as drugs will require dosages being upped over time before options eventually become limited, try tens? lookup 'gate control theory', I am scientifically qualified but not medically as a disclaimer. It has helped one of my parents to take this approach to chronic pain.

Yes, I've been where you are, in my late 20s, a back problem so severe that I couldn't wear clothes, pick up a cup or sit at a table to eat. At 5' 11" I weighed 8 stone. I didn't leave the house for six months. 20 years later and I've never had a pain free day. I take/have taken all the medication mentioned above at some point. Things that helped,
Accupuncture: NOT the NHS kind, the Chinese medical centre kind.
Exercise: this developed on from a residential pain management course. If you can get yourself on to one really push for the residential option.
Getting a dog thereby forcing the exercise requirement.
Amitriptyline.
Definitely I've needed psychological support at various times, being in pain can really twist your personality and behaviour.

Mindfulness, it's a readily available way to access a few moments of respite.
Melatonin. Not sleeping, on top of the pain is brutal. Melatonin has really helped with this.
My thoughts are with you, back pain is a relentless fucking bitch. PM me if you ever need to talk x x

Yes. Chronic pain sufferer here. Mid 20s.
I go through bouts of oh s* I have so many years left of this agony so I really try not to think of the future.
For me the anxiety of the future comes along every so often and I have some down time then go back to my normal.
I’ve also recently used a wheelchair for the day and it sucked a bit but I was able to do a lot more without as much pain and once I accepted that I might need it the future looked a bit better cause it meant I can get a bit of my life back.
I don’t know how bothered you are about the weight stuff but it really bothers me as I used to be very active and into running and sports! I just have to keep reminding myself that I am trying but the odds are against me and also cake is quite tasty
If you can sort little alterations around the house then get that sorted ASAP, made a world of difference to me. Accept your limitations and you’re definitely not going to be a ray of sunshine a lot of the time! But try and find things that make you forget about the pain even if it’s only for a minute.

Chronic pain sufferer also. It's one hell of an adjustment period to become accustomed to life with pain, and to accept yourself as disabled. For me, accepting that I need a wheelchair and that I have a physical disability took a lot longer than adjusting to the pain, and of course painkillers don't help with that.

Another recommendation to push to be seen at a pain clinic. They don't just push standard painkillers. They can recommend other forms of treatment, such as a pain management course, or spinal epidural injections. There are also drugs than work specifically for nerve pain but that aren't painkillers in the typical sense. They can best help you manage this.

Another couple of thoughts...

Ask your GP for an occupational therapist home visit. They can help discuss day to day practicalities of how you conduct tasks to minimise the impact and may be able to recomend a different type of bed.

Have you looked into disability benefits. Some like PIP aren't means tested and extra money would enable you to unburden some of the tiring/ pain inducing boring stuff like cleaning, washing, ironing.

Have you had an mri to find out what is causing the spondylitis? If not, you need to insist on having one because some problems don’t show up on an x ray. Your spondylitis could also be caused by arthritis or other inflammation, disc prolapse, nerve damage, osteoporosis or something else as well as the degenerative spine problem. Obviously if you’ve seen a spine specialist and had the diagnostic scans then a pain clinic, physiotherapist and occupational therapist should be your next step. There is a lot of medical help out there but you may have to fight to get it.

Make sure you are always wearing comfortable supportive shoes - it makes a difference as does driving an automatic car, sleeping on an orthopaedic mattress and sitting on comfortable support cushions (the Argos lumbar cushion is good and so are those wedge shaped seat cushions).

I feel you, I was diagnosed with neuropathy while pregnant with my DD, and am now suspected to have fibromyalgia to boot. My nerves feel like I'm being electrocuted constantly, and it sucks. I know it's only going to get worse, and tbh, I wonder what's the point in living with this pain. Can barely move these days, can't lose my baby weight, and have gained more. No advice, just compassion and sympathy. Maybe one day we'll all get a cure, eh?