Breakthrough pain!
 

This is pain outside the realm of your current pain medication "routine".

I am on:

-Neurontin
-Buprenorphin patches

And I have oral, sublingual buprenorphine for especially this type of pain, pain that breaks through the "normalcy" of your pain relief.

I am thankful that I have these medications, because the pain breaks through at least twice to sometimes 4 times a day for me. Some days are better than others, but fall & winter literally *kills* me!

How do you deal with this? And has your doctor allowed for such a thing?

My PM gave me an "emergency" prescription for Tramadol. He gave me a high dose, which gives me the ability to take the pills as wholes, halves, quarters, as I deem necessary.

Edited to add: Your patches might be your problem. Can you go slightly higher? Ask your doctor.

An in-Depth Overview of the Butrans (Buprenorphine) Patch for Pain Management

Nope, I am at the max. already. But the sublingual meds are meant for breakthrough pain, and they work. I wasn't complaining. Just wondering what other people do for this type of pain. :)

Those days are the worst. I have never had much luck at all with meds helping the pain. On days when I have breakthrough pain...I rest. I try to take a warm bath with epsom salts, followed by ultrasound heat therapy, heat patch if it's a particular spot of lay under a heated blanket or on top of my infared heating pad if it's more generalized. I do small range of motion exercises while laying down if I can tolerate...and try to just de-stress. I also have a flare up playlist on my iPod that helps...I put in the earbuds, close my eyes, and it usually helps. This playlist is instrumental music that just helps me relax and chill out.

I push through the pain every day and every day the pain levels lately have been 7-9...but the breakthrough is when I force myself to just STOP and take care of me. Probably doesn't help you much...but that's what I do for myself because no meds have ever been successful is touching this pain.

No matter what you do, it's all fine to share, because it's what *you* do to get through the breakthrough pain. Whether it be with medications or with home treatments, it's all fine to share!

I avoid using oral pain meds because they usually end up in the porcelain throne. I have yet to find creams or patches that do much good, but I am open to suggestions. When my pain ramps up, I usually use moist heat, gentle desensitization, gentle stretches, and TENS if I can tolerate it. I will also try mindfulness and relaxation exercises as well as a long soak in my bubble air tub. If things don't improve I will take 1/2 of a .25 mg alprazolam tablet......yes, that is all it takes.......and then my muscles will relax and I will fall asleep. When I wake up, there is usually significant improvement, although I still may feel a bit loopy.

I usually do all that I can to prevent breakthrough pain. For example, when I travel in a car, I use several pillows and my TENS (If I am not driving). I wear gloves and clothing appropriate for me depending on the wind, temperature, and precipitation. (I often look out of sync with everyone else, but when even a soft breeze can ramp up the pain, I don't really care.) I also try to pace myself although that does not always work. Then there are those times when the pain just comes and there is no obvious reason.

I consider myself lucky that the ketamine infusions have helped and there are times when traveling in a car, air conditioning, a light breeze, or falling rain/snow, etc. don't bother me. I try to get as much out of those weeks as I can. If only someone would find a cure!!! If only........

Shay

Ugh, that sounds horrible, Shay. :(

I have Dilaudid pills for breakthrough pain, until I run out of them (from the hospitalization). I don't know if anyone will refill them. I lie down and elevate my foot, play quiet music if I feel like it, and try to sleep if I can.

OR I may watch TV until I feel like I can sleep. I have to distract from the pain in my foot and leg as much as I possibly can. And no heat has ever helped, I've tried, but it jsut doesn't help.