To not be able to focus on anything else but this excruciating pain

[Joistealer]

Can someone with experience at chronic pain help me please ?

I don’t want to go into much detail. But I’m in such terrible pain and nothing can be done. Nothing helps and I just have to wait it out.

I have been crying hysterically and throwing things around out of anger because the pain is so bad. How do people deal with chronic pain without going insane ?

I cannot focus on anything else. Any remedies don’t help and I have to wait it out.

What's the pain from? Or where in the body?

Some is easier to tune out that others.

I have chronic migraine, so head pain, neck pain, vomiting, dizziness, light sensitivity, the lot. For me, it's lying in a cold dark room and hoping for the best if I can't take a triptan.

What pain relief do you have? Does it work?

Sending you a big hug. I tore my meniscus and was in constant pain for 10 months before surgery. Painkillers had no effect but then the doctor prescribed Alvin patches and they were great. They are a big sticky patch impregnated with a local anaesthetic. If you pain has a cause like mine then worth asking your GP to try them.

Ralvo not Alvin 🙄

I don't have any answers OP. I know it's different, but I suffered from excruciating gallbladder attacks, very frequently, for many years, lasting 10 - 12 hours a time. I know how it feels to know even morphine doesn't help. I'm so sorry you are in this position 💐

This sounds a bit naff but it helps when I have a flare up of my pain. I put on a YouTube relaxing rain sound and breathe with it. (Obviously after I've taken whatever pain killers I can). Also a heat pad helps me but it depends what your pain is.

Have you tried screaming into and hitting a pillow if you are able?

Sorry to hear this OP, unfortunately, pain does indeed send people insane. When I'm really desperate I take myself off somewhere cool and quiet and do meditation breathing. I've probably shouted, sworn and broken things prior to remembering to do so though. Breathe into the pain and really focus on it, as you inhale imagine your breath is flowing from your mouth to the pain location, actually focus on each part of your body that the breath must pass through to reach the pain site. Reverse process for exhale. Good luck x x

I have TN which is notoriously resistant to pain killers. None of them work.

My go to are heat packs and hot drinks also help. Other's find cold is the answer.

I hope it eases for you soon. Chronic pain just eats away at you.

Can you try and distract yourself from it? Warm bath? Deep breathing exercises? I did CBT years ago and was taught some really good "zoning out" techniques that have really helped me relax more.

I would echo what a PP said too about anaesthetic patches....... I get flare ups of costochondritis, and it's beyond miserable. GP gave me all sorts of horrid painkillers until trying these patches - literally saved my sanity overnight.

I've suffered quite a lot of pain.

Depending on my mood my preferred options are (after painkillers):

Hot water bottle/ice pack/cool flannels
Watching something on TV
Headspace pain thingies

It's really shit though OP. Sometimes I have felt unable to bear it and just as though I don't know how to cope. Sometimes I would liee there saying "this too shall pass" (and occasionally I would post on Mumsnet with the same).

Another one with TN here. Double up on painkillers. Ibuprofen and paracetamol don't interact so its safe to take together.

On my worst day I take 680mg of ibuprofen, 500mg codydramol and 2 Tramadol at once. Sometimes up to 4 times daily. I would not recommend this without something to protect your stomach and god knows my kidneys won't thank me either but pain can drive you to do anything that will stop it.

I'm currently on my second frozen shoulder, so know something about extreme pain. The point where I find it unbearable is when it stops me sleeping. When it's bad I can't read or watch telly, but find listening to podcasts low effort and distracting.

Good luck op. My current last resort is to run a boiling hot bath to soak in.

Both my daughters have chronic pain with different conditions. ED has CRPS after an injury and YD has JIA and now has Fibro as well as chronic pain from the arthritis.
My ED is really struggling with a huge flare. She deals with it by staying in bed and when up trying to keep her mind off it with her work, watching videos on YouTube. Sometimes this works but when it's this high it doesn't.
My YD has bought a light show thing which does an almost under water effect on her ceiling for when her pain is so high that all she can do is lie in bed and stare at the ceiling. This way she has something to watch and it seems to be helping a bit.

Depends where the pain is. Mine was my back. Coped with it mostly by pacing around, sleep stories, rocking in bed, hot baths and as must distraction as I could
(I had maxed out all painkillers and there was nothing else they could give me)

Hi OP. I've been living with chronic pain for a long time. I recognise so much in your post.

I tried everything to relieve the physical symptoms (spending a fortune in the process!) and nothing worked.

The turning point for me was when I started addressing the mental aspects of pain. Read up on hypervigilance, catastrophising and the fear/pain cycle. Look into Pain Reprocessing Therapy. There's lots of information online, and even books if you want to try those (search for books on neuroplastic pain for example). I found some helpful content in the free version of the Curable app. Ask to be referred to a pain clinic. The more I learned about the science of pain and my individual condition, the more in control I felt.

Chronic pain is lonely and frightening and miserable OP. It's ok if you're not ok. Of course you're not ok. But the more you fight and resist the pain the worse it will be.

I remember at one of my first hospital appointments, the consultant suggested that I try meditating. I just burst into tears. I wanted drugs, surgery, something to make the pain STOP. So you might read my post and feel the same way. For me, once I started separating it out into i) things that soothed the physical pain like ice, heat, exercise and ii) things that soothed my mind - which was just constantly screaming in agony, fear, stress, frustration, hopelessness - everything started to get easier. Please don't give up. You can do this and you're not alone.

Have you tried a TENS machine? I find them really helpful.