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Pain Tolerance

Nyx

Moderator
So I've been thinking lately (having read most of the threads that I missed while being partially blind...lol) about pain tolerances; mainly mine. When I had my op for Oscar, I was on Demerol for 7 days, then I didn't have any pain meds at all beyond regular Tylenol for the back spasms that I got from the awful bed I was forced to sleep in in the hospital. It wasn't that they weren't offered, I just didn't think I needed them. And now, with the perforated cornea my specialist is amazed that I haven't asked for any pain meds either. I took Tylenol for about a week after they did the repair on my eye, but then after that I was fine. He said that most people that go through what I have don't even leave their house because of the pain and light sensitivity (which was pretty bad btw) and he was amazed that I was asking if it was ok if I went camping and if I could fly out to Calgary for 3 weeks...lol

Do we just have amazing pain tolerances, or am I a weirdo? lol
 
I would guess that my tolerance has been greatly inreased because I seem to analyize it more and if I can understand the reason behind it, I seem to be able to take it. I had an episode last week of almost passing out 5 times from the severe pain, within an hour's time....was not enjoyable, but learned the belly rubs elminated the pain as I breathed into it and relaxed. Quite frightening and glad it was over, but needed hubby there to do the rubs or I would have been out cold. Time of the month cramps seem like a piece of cake nowadays! lol!
 

Nyx

Moderator
@mickey...when I was admitted to the hospital and was scheduled for surgery they didn't know the extent of the damage because I didn't really let on that I was in pain at all....I had ruptured my sigmoid colon and distended my bowel and didn't even cry...lol I just found a comfortable position and it didn't even bother me. It was when they asked me to walk to the bed they put me in that I started to feel it...but then I laid down and was fine again. From the time I went to the ER to the time I was wheeled into surgery was 9 hours....apparently I could have died from going septic...who knew?? lol
 
Location
Wisconsin
I kind of think we do have higher pain tolerances. I always thought mine was just really low and that's why my family always said I was a "wimp" (this was long before any heath diagnoses). Now I'm beginning to realize that perhaps it's higher than I thought. I also have to be in excruciating pain before I will even consider going to the ER. I cannot take Tylenol though. I could swallow a couple of Tic Tacs and receive the same amount of pain relief. It's really hard not being able to take Advil or Aleve (I do take Aleve on occasion for a headache). I hate to believe that I would need a prescription pain medication and wouldn't know how to go about asking for one anyway. I am terrified of getting a label put on my chart that says I am a possible drug seeker!!!
 
Oh I admire you all greatly!
I have no pain tolerance. IN FACT I'm so worried about all the pain meds I'm on, I think I'm addicted to Dilaudid. I'm going off the Fentynol patch, weaning down. But I know in my heart I don,t need them right now. I go for my iliostomy reversal in November. I spent a year and a half in the hospital constantly on morph and dilaudid. I had to go thru withdrawals once. Its horrible...
Any words of encouragement!!??
 
The doctors used to tell me that I must have a high tolerance for pain.

I explained that I was not "tolerating" any great amount of pain. I simply did not have bad pain from Crohns for whatever reason.

I recently did have a lot of pain which I did tolerate, what else can you do but tolerate it?

Some people have a lot of pain with any given problem and some do not. I think of pain tolerance in this way. I no longer pay any attention to relatively small amounts of pain such as hitting my finger with a hammer. I have had so much worse.

But pain is pain and it always is undesirable.

I always tolerate some pain as I remove myself from pain killers. The last thing I want is another addiction problem, and quite honestly I hate the foggy feeling I get from pain killers.

The only way to cure a pain killer addiction is to wean yourself from them. Be carefully not to do this too quickly. It can be dangerous.

Good luck

Dan
 

Terriernut

Moderator
I think we are tough lot all around. Yes, I do think we tend to have a high tolerance for pain. I also dont want to be addicted to pain meds. Like you I had a perforated sigmoid and was septic...refused the morphine. It wasnt the perforated sigmoid that bothered me, it was the fistula through the fallopian tube. But I was working throughout until my body just stopped. THEN I went to ER. But the pain was perfectly tolerable.

Sometimes though...it gets us in trouble, we may wait too long to get help. (you and me girl)

I am sooooo happy you are seeing and back among us sweet lady!!!
 
I agree that we do! I'm having a load of gum surgery at the moment (6 lots to be exact) and everyone at the dental hospital says about how well I do during it. But seriously, all I do is have a few injections and then lay there for 3 hours with my mouth open! It's really nothing compared to what I've been through!
 
Location
Australia
My pain threshold is silly.
I only bothered going to the hospital with gallstones after the vomiting started. By that stage I'd also suffered through kidney stones and on top of CD - meh - what's a bit more pain.
This has taught me that pain + vomiting = hospital. That excruciating pain is not normal. That toughing it out does not help you get better - it usually makes things worse.

I still have a major sook about paper cuts though. Give me hard pain over a nasty sting any day!
 
I have a high pain tolerance.

When my bowel was preforated I was on the Morphine pump for a day and a half, and then after that I kinda refused the morphine. They switched me to an IV NSAID for 2 days and then after that I took Tylenol for pain. They were going to send me home with a script for Oxycodone but I didn't even want it cause I knew I wouldn't take it. I hate how those meds make my brain.

When I was all juiced on the morphine I told the nurse I was a champion. lol.
 

annawato

Moderator
Staff member
I think pain tolerance is all about what you are used to and since crohnies generally have to and have had to put up with lots of pain and medical procedures we seem to tolerate the pain better than someone to whom it is all new. I'm not as strong as all of you and do take strong painkillers but they dont sedate me, or make me high, they just enable me to live a more normal life than I could otherwise. Simple things like doing the shopping and cooking a meal! Even with all the painkillers i'm on, doctors and nurses always comment on how much I put up with without complaint. I can't really see the point in complaining since the procedures have to be done, might as well do them as cheerily as possible and make everyones lives more pleasant. Yay for all for us!
 
Anna,I have had three bowel ops,possible 4th looming,gallbladder open surgery,fundiplasty,due to chronic acid reflux,incisional hernia op and two Caesarian sections,I also now have this Herpex Simplex in my left eye,I have Seron negative Polyarthralgia (Arthritus)Vitaligo (another auto immune skin prob).very much like yourself having to contend with a whole host of probs along side the Crohns (small bowel) Oh yes and stricture at Terminal Ileium.But cani ask what is Lyme Disease and how does it affe t you
 

annawato

Moderator
Staff member
Trish it sounds like you have had an awful time too! Lyme disease is contracted from being bitten by a tick. It is mainly found in the US but I was unlucky enough to get it in Australia when i was pregnant with our first baby. It caused heart and lung problems in the baby who died soon after birth. In me it caused joint and muscle pain, exhaustion, depression etc and I've often wondered if it has exacerbated the crohn's. It can be treated early on with a course of antibiotics but many doctors don't think it exists here so don't treat it and then it becomes a chronic illness that can attack different parts of the body. I'm not sure now what problems are caused by crohn's and what by the lymes disease, probably mostly crohn's since it is so active. What is polyarthralgia and how does that affect you?
 
Hi Polyarthralgia Isabel condition that mimics Rheumatoid Arthritus,it is bought on when a Crohns flare up starts,my knees ,feet,ankles,fingers,shoulders,all the joints swell up,the pain is like nothing else,you cannot walk,cannot turn over in bed,cannot even bend down to sit on the toilet,because fluid accumalates round the joints,I have had to have really high doses of steroids 40 mg daly plus steroid injections into my joints to bring it all under control,I also get Bakers cysts at the back of my knees,which sometimes burst back into my bloodstream,
That's why I hate this disease so much,if I haven't got a flare up,I a usually suffering with one of the other problems this illness brings,
sometimes I have had to struggle to work,and have felt so ill,I have,nt known which way to turn,but I do not care anymore,if I lose my job,then so be it,my health comes first,I am not getting any younger,like us all,and life is to precious to worry whether I will have a job at the end of the week,will have to worry how I will pay the bills when the time comes.
It isAutumn here now and the weather is starting to turn cold,I have started to put our central heating on.The warmth definaley helps with joint problems.
 

annawato

Moderator
Staff member
oh Trish I wish I could do more to help you, it is so hard putting up with it and then struggling to work on top of it. I am lucky that I don't have to work full time just when I can in our business. To have work on top of it all would be impossible!
 
When I finally was admitted to the hospital with a perf bowel, terminal ileitis and an absess; the drs were shocked when I came out of the bathroom after changing into my hospital gown. They just stared at me; and said, "well look at you!". I was a little annoyed until my husband explained later that they were surprised that I was walking, talking and laughing; as how "sick" I was. Later when they asked me how long I had been living with the pain and I said a few months; their mouths dropped. Someone made a comment that we have to tolerate it; what else can we do...I have a career, kids, sports etc. Life goes on. I am trying to be more of a positive person after this whole surgery experience; as I tended not to be in the past. :)
 
Hi TJMom,yes that is absolutely the right attitude,I try and carry on working as best as I can,although I am suppose to be part time,most weeks I do about 35 hrs.
I have that little cry sometimes,when I am alone,that makes me feel better,and I pull myself together,I thinks it all the manifestations that come with crohns that makes it worse sometimes,the scar tissue,strictures,abscesses,fistulas,eye problems,bleeding,anaemia,that's what I think pulls us all down,but yes you are right,we all have to remain positive.
Best wishes
 
Thank you Trish22. what eye problems have you had? what age were you diagnosed and how old are you now? I am always interested to find out what age people were at diagnosis. It is so variable. I am new here so please bear with me.
Thanks
Tammy
 
No that's fine TJ Mom,I was diagnosed when I was nearly 19 years old after 18 months of being desperately ill,I think all my family convinced I had the dreaded C,I could not walk,I dropped down to around 85 pounds in weight,and for someone is 5'8" tall,you can imagine,I did not look good,my hair started falling out,every joint in my body hurt and swelled up,When I was eventually diagnosed with Crohns it was such a relief,that they could help me,although then it was steroids Prednisolone and Sulfazaline in which today I can not take the latter as it caused serious Liver problems for me along with Pentasa,which are are closely related drug wise.
Ihave had 3bowel ops number 4op possible just around the corner,as I have a stricture again at Terminal Ileium,I have also endured years of Seron Negative Polyarthralgia which presents itself with crohns most often than not,it is joint related,mainly affecting Feet,ankles,Knees (big style)Buttocks,fingers ,wrists,shoulders,and scapula muscles in your back,also your sacrioilium joint at the bottom of our back
I also have the pleasure of having to put up with Uvietus/Irituswhich is a condition that affects the eyes (again regarding steroid drops etc)
Because I am on azathioprine 100 mg an immuno suppressant drug,Ihave unfortunatley picked up Herpes Simplex virus in my left eye,am having to have ridiculous amounts of drugs to take and administer every few hours to try to prevent scarring,so that I do to lose my sight!!!!!!All fun and games this!!!
I am 58 now and to be honest it has not been easy,I have had my gallbladder removed,because of Crohns,had a Fundiplasty op (serious gullet problems due to Acid Reflux)again caused through the Crohns.
It makes me wonder sometimes when is it all going to end,The problem I have at present along with the eye probs is that my Diet is very restricted due to stricture at Terminal Ileium,althoughsayingthat I have just starting juicing,and finding I am able to tolerate Fruit and veg that way,also making lots of Veg Soups andfreezing them,so I can eat one each day,am purée ing fruit and having it with Rice Krispies in the morning,As long as I purée stuff it can get through Mind you I question myself,is thisa way to live,or should I just say dm it and go and have another op,it has been offered to me,It's just that awful pain when they bring you back from the theatre,I can't seem to get it out of my mind.
So that's me and all my prob,ems I carry around with me,just grateful,Ihave a fabulous caring husband and two great adult children.
 
Oh I admire you all greatly!
I have no pain tolerance. IN FACT I'm so worried about all the pain meds I'm on, I think I'm addicted to Dilaudid. I'm going off the Fentynol patch, weaning down. But I know in my heart I don,t need them right now. I go for my ileostomy reversal in November. I spent a year and a half in the hospital constantly on morph and dilaudid. I had to go thru withdrawals once. Its horrible...
Any words of encouragement!!??
I know how you feel!!! Im on Dilanudid right now but I was so addicted to perocet before it was insane. The very name of percocet just seem like a sin to me. I am no longer allowed to have in where in the house. I have no tolerance to pain of my crohns Im in pain everyday and I have to take meds. Everything else aside from crohns doesnt really hurt(Aside from my barotholin cyst, that hurt so bad I was screaming at the top of my lungs.) I caught a cyst in my throat a few weeks ago and it hurt pretty bad, I couldnt speak or swallow. But compared to my crohns pain it was nothing.
But as for my general pill takage, my parents want me completely off my pain meds. Which I think is a bad Idea considering I still have pain from crohns. Im just wait till my surgoen does a rehersal of Toast(My stoma)
 

annawato

Moderator
Staff member
the problem I find is going thru the agony of weaning off pain meds then wham, crohn's flares up, you're in hospital for months and right back where you started on the pain meds. I just can't atand withdrawing from them. Done it three times and thats enough until they fix my crohn's. Pain meds don't sedate me, or make me high thye just enable me to live a semi normal life and do more than I would be able to do without them. If thats wrong, so be it, its just too hard any other way.
 
Annawato thats me too. They don't make me feel out of sorts or anything, they just help me manage my day. I know its not good though...
Going for my illeostomy reversal in 7 days. Very nervous about it all, pain, hospital stay, complications, etc. I hope all goes well.
 

annawato

Moderator
Staff member
Good luck with the reversal susan, yes there will be pain but it will be fantastic to get it all reversed and back to normal. Nerves are totally normal - I'm getting my second temp ileo on nov 23 and swing between being excited that something positive is being done and tears about everything that could go wrong even though i know thats silly and unlikely. Still can't help how we think sometimes can we?
 
Thanks Anna!
Its like your reading my mind :) Emotions definately go up and down. I was just saying to my son that a week today (after reversal) it will be the first time in 18 months i will not have anything coming out of my stomach! No stomas, no tubes, no drains and no fistulas!!
Good luck on the 23rd. I'll be thinking about you :)
 
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