Pain - how do you cope ???? page 4

[JBailey]

I've gotten monthly (or more) migraines since i was 12 that are often what I would call an 8 or 9 on the usual hospital pain scale. Dealing with them over the years has really taught me some pain management skills. There are times where I can't go home and dope up (yay for vicodin) or don't have any dope to dope with, so I just tough it out. The moment I walk through my door and can stop 'performing' the headache slams down even harder. I know for every hour I tough it out, I'm going to pay with worse pain and longer duration (a 'normal' migraine lasts 3 days).

Needless to say, I have a pretty good pain tolerance in other areas too. Everything but the dentist. I can still feel the drill after multiple shots, even shots right to that main nerve in your lower jaw where you can feel the pop when the needle hits it. I go numb for a brief time, and my dentist has to work fast before it wears off. Even a cleaning requires nitrous, because I get so tense (pain anticipation) that the metal tools on my metalwork feels like touching a live wire.

I'm terrible about needles, and I know the brief pain of a drill is nothing compared to my headaches, but being 'trapped' in the chair, waiting for the 'attack', seems to trigger a huge adrenaline rush that amps up the pain and speeds drug processing.

I've also had a tattoo (on my stomach), had my tubes tied, had a hysterectomy. Not a big deal. I kept forgetting my morhpine clicker in recovery & have funny memories of my visitors chatting amongst themselves and reaching over to hit my button and I'd doze off, waking up to see my stash of potato chips had taken a major hit.

I had a fatty lipoma removed from my upper arm in 2006 though, and that hurt like a mutha. Of course the surgeon said I'd be numbed up and have minimal discomfort, which is the only way I could get talked into voluntary needles. Oh yeah right. SOme pansy ass surface needles, followed by 8 deep tissue shots (OMG I almost crushed the hand of the poor assistant), then cut cut cut scrape & cut. Dude only prescribed me a teeny valium beforehand too. Even my dentist knows to doel them out before a root canal, but I figured he was the doc. I think the anxiety, then the starter pain, then the massive needle pain made the whole thing a cluster, when I was expecting something like stitches. If migraines are a sustained 8 or 9, that experience was a 15.

[Crabbcakes]

haha that needle pain is an example of psychological pain and it being in your head...do mosquitoes cause you grievous pain? I would wager no.

That skeeter stinger isn't inside your mouth, up in your gums, making its way towards your facial nerves through very dense tissue, and depositing liquids there, though, you great big turkey. Make real analogies next time.

[BestBetter]

I have a zero threshold for pain. When exposed to something that is even mildly injurious, my body goes into shock and I shut down, I have no control over it.

For example, a few years ago, I hit my shin on a sharp metal corner of a hotel bed frame that was sticking out. No blood, but a nasty bruise. I went into shock from the pain, and reacted as if I instantly had a seriously high fever; freezing cold, shaking so hard I could have bit my tongue in half. I was still just as bad 2 hours later, so my husband convinced me to take 2 Vicodin, which eventually allowed me to fall asleep and I was better the next day.

I've had similar reactions other times when I cut myself (one time I required 2 stitches on my hand, but literally had to be carried to a clinic because I was unable to walk, my body turned my legs into jello in reaction.)

I slammed a door on my finger (no serious damage done besides later losing the finger nail), but within 30 seconds of it happening, I blacked out and fell on my boyfriend's kitchen floor and it took me several hours to recover from shakiness.

For the people who think it's in my head: I've worked with a hypnotherapist to improve my reaction to pain, and was unsuccessful (even though I did successfully use hypnotherapy to eliminate my phobia of needles, and i know that I'm highly suggestible, so there's no psychological reason why it shouldn't have worked).

I think that pain is not ALWAYS just in a person's head. I think it's just as likely that a high tolerance is due to genes or some other uncontrollable factor.

[seaweed]

i reckon it depends on the type of pain and where it is. i had all my kids without their drugs. tattoos are sweet. body piercing no probs. it all still hurts but it is doable. i really dislike having my hair pulled when i can feel the little individual hairs ripping so i would rather avoid say waxing but i can get thru it. and i hate sports injuries that give me low to medium level pain constantly. so maybe it is fleeting vs constant pain and the mental dealing with it? my kids were all born quickly too.

[Shelli]

I have a zero threshold for pain. When exposed to something that is even mildly injurious, my body goes into shock and I shut down, I have no control over it.

For example, a few years ago, I hit my shin on a sharp metal corner of a hotel bed frame that was sticking out. No blood, but a nasty bruise. I went into shock from the pain, and reacted as if I instantly had a seriously high fever; freezing cold, shaking so hard I could have bit my tongue in half. I was still just as bad 2 hours later, so my husband convinced me to take 2 Vicodin, which eventually allowed me to fall asleep and I was better the next day.

I've had similar reactions other times when I cut myself (one time I required 2 stitches on my hand, but literally had to be carried to a clinic because I was unable to walk, my body turned my legs into jello in reaction.)

I slammed a door on my finger (no serious damage done besides later losing the finger nail), but within 30 seconds of it happening, I blacked out and fell on my boyfriend's kitchen floor and it took me several hours to recover from shakiness.

For the people who think it's in my head: I've worked with a hypnotherapist to improve my reaction to pain, and was unsuccessful (even though I did successfully use hypnotherapy to eliminate my phobia of needles, and i know that I'm highly suggestible, so there's no psychological reason why it shouldn't have worked).

I think that pain is not ALWAYS just in a person's head. I think it's just as likely that a high tolerance is due to genes or some other uncontrollable factor.

You might be having Vaso-Varges reaction. I know that's not the correct spelling, but it involves that nerve that runs down the front of the thoracic cavity. My brother can't do needles, or injuries because he passes out.

[magicmerl]

now isn't that interesting - I have been called a badass before on this Forum !!!!!!!!

and that was by a lovely very young Kiwi fella !!!!!!

If the shoe fits....

[Crabbcakes]

You might be having Vaso-Varges reaction. I know that's not the correct spelling, but it involves that nerve that runs down the front of the thoracic cavity. My brother can't do needles, or injuries because he passes out.

One of my kids does that - passes out. The best one yet - she had been playing and tumbling on her aunt's grassy hillside with her cousins, wearing blue jeans. She had to go potty, so off she troops to the toilet. Once there, she pulls her pants down and sits. While she is sitting, she happens to notice that she had dinged her knee even under the denim, and broken the skin, and some blood was trickling down her leg. Sooooo - off she falls from the toilet with her pants down around her ankles still. My kid has a really trippy vagus nerve. At this point, it isn't the injuries that scare her - it is fainting. Luckily the whole thing has been getting better as she grows.

[BestBetter]

You might be having Vaso-Varges reaction. I know that's not the correct spelling, but it involves that nerve that runs down the front of the thoracic cavity. My brother can't do needles, or injuries because he passes out.

My husband has a vaso-vagal reaction to needles; he passes out or gets dizzy if he has blood taken while sitting, but if he lies down, no reaction. It could be something like that going on with me in addition to the no pain tolerance. Even if I don't pass out or go into shock, the most minor pain is really unbearable. I am in total awe of women who go through childbirth; I could never do it! I wish there was some way to increase my tolerance.

[NZ primal Gwamma]

One of my kids does that - passes out. The best one yet - she had been playing and tumbling on her aunt's grassy hillside with her cousins, wearing blue jeans. She had to go potty, so off she troops to the toilet. Once there, she pulls her pants down and sits. While she is sitting, she happens to notice that she had dinged her knee even under the denim, and broken the skin, and some blood was trickling down her leg. Sooooo - off she falls from the toilet with her pants down around her ankles still. My kid has a really trippy vagus nerve. At this point, it isn't the injuries that scare her - it is fainting. Luckily the whole thing has been getting better as she grows.

Oh the shock of it all for a kid !!!!! our eldest daughter fainted when we went to see a friend in hospital. he had cut his thumb off with a circular saw - which she seemed fine with, but when the nurse came and popped a wee leech on the end - boomfah - over she went !!!!

[Shelli]

Oh the shock of it all for a kid !!!!! our eldest daughter fainted when we went to see a friend in hospital. he had cut his thumb off with a circular saw - which she seemed fine with, but when the nurse came and popped a wee leech on the end - boomfah - over she went !!!!

I pass out like a bitch when I see someone using one of those heavy-duty lung vapor thingies in the hospital. Something about the vapor coming out of the end gives me the vapors. Blood n' gore doesn't bother me at all, just that damned white steam.