The management of chronic inflammatory pain becomes very difficult.
Anti-inflammatory agent aren't benign.

I took Vioxx for a brief period and found it very helpful. Glad it was taken off the market, all things considered. Celebrex remains available. (I am allergic to it.)

I have since backed off the NSAIDs, but pay a very high price in excruciating pain. Seriously. I take very short-term naproxen sodium... OTC doses at 3 days at a time at the most. Yet, still in agony. I can have stronger NSAIDS, but I get into problems with them. (GI and otherwise.)

I try to control most pain via morphine and hydromorphone. I have not increased my dose in 13 years. I have lowered my dose.

SSRIs have been helpful with pain. Yet, they also have some side-effects I do not need. (mrsD has mentioned the depletion of dopamine in people with PN. I have PN.)

Overall, my pain management is inadequate.
Yet, I'm in a quandary about exactly what to do about it.
I am researching more about TENS, D-Wave, and IF types of approaches.

Dave, I understand at least some of the pain. It becomes overwhelming and life gets very, very difficult... too difficult... torture at times.

I am many years into pain now and need to find viable options beyond my current treatment plan.

I will be seeing my medical specialists soon and I hope they have ideas beyond meds. Sensorimotor axonal polyneuropathy, Psoriatic Arthritis, Migraine, Myotonia, Fibromyalgia -- just to name a few.

To Our Healing,
DejaVu