I have had chronic myofascial pain and neuropathic pain for six years. I took anti-seizure drugs to help with the pain in the nerves and had weekly trigger point injections for years. In addition, I was taking Tylenol 3s, and Celebrex to try to control the pain. Nothing has worked as well as Lyrica. Now, instead of 2,800 mg of Neurontin, I take 225 mg of Lyrica. I have dropped the Celebrex and take Tylenol 3s rarely! Lyrica has changed my life, and after six years, I am finally ready to get back to work and living!

My husband has suffered from chronic pain for 20+ years. The location is referred to as the lower right quadrant. The pain comes and goes about every 3 hours and the morning pain is the worst. There has been no actual diagnosis and he now takes 30 mg of morphine twice a day but still cannot function normally when the pain occurs. I feel that it is not helping and must be increased. He must be away from people, remove outer clothing as if it is restrictive and either lies on the carpet or sits on the couch, leaning away from his right side. He cannot have conversation at this time and tries to read magazines to control his thoughts. Only time changes this pain and when it is gone, he is back to normal. The only time the pain went away in 20 years was when he was hospitalized for histoplasmosis. We have list available of doctors and pain clinics he has been to, medications that have been tried and procedures that were tried. He did have some improvement when he was taking oxycontin and clonozopam, but the doctors didn't want to continue with these drugs.

I have sacroiliitis and have had it for 2.5 years. I have had around 12 shots over the last two years for it. Part of them were just a regular Cortizone type injection, some were into my hip joint for bursitis and the rest were put into my ball and socket with ultrasound guidance. Not one single procedure has helped. I have begged for surgery but my condition does not warrant surgery nor would it benefit from it according to several doctors. I have two small children to take care of on a daily basis as I am a stay at home mom and it is so hard to get through the day sometimes. What I am using right now is a combination of somewhat scary narcotics and it controls it enough for me to function to care for my children. I don't know what the future holds for me as I am sure I will become intolerant to the Avinza (which is a time release morphine) and the Norco, but for now it is all I can do. I have also considered a spinal block but my doctor doesn't agree so I seem to have run out of options.

I found this article very helpful. I have suffered chronic severe pain for a number of years. I was totally incapacitated by this until I was referred to the Pain Management Clinic at a fine medical center. The combination of medications tailored to my situation, radio frequency lesioning, staff support, physical therapy with a therapist that understands my situation and pool therapy in a warm pool have allowed me to return to a almost normal life. Of course I still have limitations, but I have been given an arsenal of strategies to treat my pain as it changes throughout the days and months of my life. I have been able to return to my life, and my career as a professional artist, and can now go shopping and walking and do most of the things, within limits, that were impossible before. It is vital for me to "work" the program set up for me. Best of all the joy has returned to my life.

I have a number of health problems. I have severe arthritis in my right leg and hip. I use a cane or walker most of the time. I'm on oxygen 24x7 for C.O.P.D., and I have been fighting with depression for 20 years. And I'm in so much pain at night that I'm up and down all night. My doctor put me on morphine 12 hour caps.

My chronic pain is severe. I have been going to pain clinics since approximately 2000 and have been taking Gabapentin for that time. Also, I have been given spinal injections about every six months. So far these procedures have worked. I am told that spinal injections tend to "not" work at some point. I hope not because Gabapentin has limitations, causing dizziness that does not go away at higher doses.