Has your doctor suggested any "non-pharmacological" methods of pain control?

GregP_WN

Like acupuncture, meditation, or exercise? Since the opioid crisis hit, some cancer patients are having trouble getting the pain relief they need. Here is an article about one method of pain relief without pain meds.

Jun J. Mao, MD, MSCE, on the Need for Non-Pharmacological Pain Management in Cancer Survivors
June 19, 2020
Jun J. Mao, MD, MSCE

https://www.cancernetwork.com/view/jun-j-mao-md-msce-on-the-need-for-non-pharmacological-pain-management-in-cancer-survivors

cllinda

The way pain is managed is so different than when I went through cancer. I had pain meds given when I needed them. And I didn't over do them. But if I needed something after surgery, it was given. That was in 2012-13.
Now in November and March of this year I had knee replacement surgery. I was given oxycodone 5mgs to be used sparingly along with Tylenol. It took the edge off but I still was in pain. I used I've bags constantly, elevated, and did my exercises. With the first surgery, it was such a hassle to get a refill that I didn't bother. This recent one, I did get a refill. And I still have a few left. Things have really changed in the field of medicine. And it's not always the best when you are in pain.
I understand the opioid crisis, and how awful it is. How people die when they overdose. And part of it was that the doctors were a little too generous with their prescription pads. But sometimes, pain relief is needed and alternative ideas don't work for everyone.

GregP_WN

I asked my doctor before we went into surgery for my laryngectomy about the pain afterward. I was expecting it to be worse than the radical neck dissection in 08, they told me it would be much worse. She said don't worry about it because with some conditions, cancer being one of them, that she has the ability to prescribe whatever I needed. The only catch is I signed a waiver before surgery saying that if I got addicted and blew up the white house then it was all on me, not the doctor's fault. And I'm good with that. So far, this new oncologist I have has given me one prescription for 5mg oxy. They are not much better than Tylenol, I have a very high resistance to drugs, they don't seem to do much for me. But, I have terrible mornings, it takes me 3 hours to get moving around enough to finally start feeling like I even want to be up. I will take one oxy and 2 Tylenol and in a few hours I start to feel better and the pain goes away. It's the same at night. I have a hard time getting to sleep because my neck pain keeps me up. I do the same thing, one oxy and 2 Tylenol and I can get to sleep and stay asleep. I only take two of them a day and my prescription says one every 4 hours, so when I'm out I will be far past my date for a refill, so I don't expect to have any trouble.

It is terrible to feel like you're doing something wrong by asking for pain medicine.

cllinda

Exactly. People do have pain and are not abusing the meds that are given. But because of the epidemic of opioid abuse, we have to jump through hoops just to get some relief.

meyati

I was in such pain, and they never gave me anything. Part of my lip was gone, etc. and nothing. Then they said they wanted to remove half of my face-bone, eye, nose. I told them that I'd commit suicide first. If they wouldn't help me with my face, why should I believe they would ever give me anything for pain.

I have a bad stomach, and I can't tolerate aspirin, NSAIDs. Then those cause stomach bleeding, which has always been a concern to gastroenterologists. .

I was placed into cancer pain management developed by UC Stanford. There was a time that was a great medical school. I won't go to a young doctor that went to Stanford. The federal government hit Georgia and New Mexico hard about narcotics, and a mental health plan. The 2 states actually signed up, and people from Stanford went to these states and trained the states' health departments and health companies that had clinics and hospitals. These people gadded about Georgia and New Mexico, as honored people paid by grants from our tax money.. In Georgia, the mental health people filed complaints against their health department and Stanford. Georgia too Stanford to court to get out of the program for mental health and pain management.

I tried several programs here. OK, if a person says-- 100, and then subtracts 3 = 97, subtracts 3 = 94, and on down til you get 0 as the result, it will divert pain receptors in your brain. The Pres councilors were all excited. I raised my hand and asked how could that be-reach ZERO, because 3 is not a factor of 100. 1 is a factor, 2 is a factor, 5 is a factor, 10 is a factor, and so on. They asked me if I had a calculator. I to;ld them -NO--I have a brain and I was a math teacher-high school level. They saw that cancer was on my head and told me that my brain was messed up. The hospital councilors ran that and found out that you can't end up with zero.

The next plan was to say the alphabet with flower names. A-Aster, B- Bluebells, C Carnation, and down to Z--Zinnia. I guess they had a death wish, because they asked me if I ever heard of that-and what did I think of it. My children did that in first grade with animal names- A-Anteater, B-Badger, and on down to Z Zebra. I printed out about Georgia's complaints--and New Mexico fired Stanford too.

NM already had yoga, meditation, mindfulness, acupuncture, arts and crafts, support groups, and mental councilors for sure--posters for these programs were posted all over the oncology clinics.

For some reason they seem scared of self-hypnosis, probably because the patient can take control of their life, and not pay out any money. A person can go to a hypnotist for sessions, but here they won't do anything where the patient can be proactive.

They all are hypocrites, a patient is seldom more than a $$$$$ machine. .

The only way I got through this is because I do practice self-hypnotism. It has really helped me with balance problems.

beachbum5817

I had acupuncture during and after treatments. My biggest pain issue is the neuropathy that I have in my feet. Unfortunately, it didn't help with it. The only thing that it did help was with my vertigo. I used to have it just about all the time. The acupuncture made it so I only have it intermintently now, and I haven't had a treatment in 5 years. If it didn't cost so much money, I probably would keep trying for help with the neuropathy since nothing else really helps that.

meyati

beachbum, have you tried ice packs? It takes over a year, using ice 3 times a day. If you read, nap, watch TV- you can ice your feet for 20 minutes each. I bought big family packs of cut corn and green peas. My son told the VA about the vegetables, and the VA hear now tells everyone- elbows, knees, feet to use frozen peas or corn. He came home one day, and said the VA said the best ice pack is frozen peas or corn. They said some woman in Albuquerque got that going. Even if there were a pill for nephropathy, it probably would take months, and it would affect the nerves in your hands or whatever. I had peripheral neuropathy above my knees in both feet.

beachbum5817

@meyati, thanks for the suggestion. I have used it for other things, but never tried it for the neuropathy. I wonder why? I will try just about anything at this point. It seems to get worse as I get older. Thanks, again.

meyati

They sent me to a podiatrist that suffered from peripheral neuropathy. He had been suggesting ice, as one of many treatments. After his bout, he quit recommending other treatments, and he was quite emotional in the wonders of ICE. I didn't feel like it helped so I put it on bare skin, and then I had a few minutes of relief. Then more relief. It is horrible to not feel what you are walking on-concrete, fluffy carpet or grass, and it burns so much and the tingling. Any relief is wonderful I was able to start this treatment about 4 months after it hit me. Let me know how it works for you. .