talkhealth forums

I'm 72 and have osteoarthritis in my feet, knees, shoulders and hands, as well as bursitis in both hips and secondary fibromyalgia. I'm waiting to have a trapeziectomy operation which should help with my thumb pain at least. For pain, I take one paracetamol and one 8/500 co-codamol in the morning and again at night. If necessary, I may take another two paracetamol in the middle of the day. For the fibromyalgia, I also take 50mg Nortriptylene at night, which really helps with my sleep.

It was suggested to me by a rheumatologist that going to a pain clinic might be useful and my GP is happy to refer me. However, I really don't want to take strong drugs that alter the way I feel, e.g. Tramadol and I even limit the number of co-codamol I take as they make me very constipated. Can you give me an idea what a pain management clinic could offer me, please?

Hi there,

I went to a hospital run pain management course a few years back. I'm very drug sensitive and have multiple chronic conditions (including osteo arthritis) and drug sensitivities which means the only pain relief I can now tolerate is paracetamol (which I only use when I really cannot cope or after an operation and it's no good for nerve/sciatic pain). I became drug sensitive after taking prescribed medication (I seem to have been overdosed). I am now therefore very much against taking multiple meds if you can help it.

The Pain Clinic explained clearly what causes pain, how medications work and interact with each other, showed how other therapies may help (relaxation, breathing, physiotherapy, mindfulness, etc). It also provided me with a back-up team of people to contact when I was in a really bad way.

A lot of people who attended kept themselves to themselves but if you are willing to go along regularly with an open mind, you may learn more effective management techniques, make friends in similar positions, learn something new about your condition and be able to cope better.

If offered a course like this, I would take it (and bear in mind these courses cost the NHS a lot of money and places are often limited). That's my view from my personal experience but I hope it helps.

I wish you well.