Pain Medication Tolerance

I have had a bad spinal injury since 2009. I constantly suffer in pain everyday. I have good days and bad days basically some where the pain is more tolerable then others. I have several ruptured discs in my lower back as well as nerve damage and found out last summer I also have damage to a few vertebrae in my TSpine now as well. An also have arthritis in my spine. I also have severe degenerative disc disease. I have gotten many epidural cortizone shots over the years. My problem is I have a very low threshold for pain. I need spinal fusion surgery, a discetomy and a laminecotmy. However I have gone to see several spine surgeons for opinions and the one that came the most highly recommended refuses to do surgery as he told me it is very risky and there is a high risk of my being in worse condition then I am now, and some type of paralysis is definitely possible. Recently I was told I also have Bursitis in both of my shoulders as well. Among that I also have a severe ulcer condition, acid reflux disease, and had my gallbladder removed a couple yrs ago and havent been the same since, and a couple of other medical problems as well. I am prescribed 30mg Roxicodone, 10mg percocet, Valium 10mg and .5 Xanax for my anxiety problems. Also ulcer medication as well but that is not a narcotic med. I have a very high tolerance to medication in general for as long as I can remember before I even had these med problems or were prescribed these meds. My last visit to the dentist they gave me 17 shots of novacaine and I still wasnt 100 pct numb. I got pretty sick from that and been since afraid to go to the dentist. I do not abuse my meds and never have. In fact up until the last couple of months I didnt even take my medication regularly. I would take it a few times a week. An sometimes I would just deal with the pain an go days an have even gone over a week without taking anything at all. I dont know if I have some type of chemical imbalance but when I take my medication it only dulls my pain and makes it a little more bearable to deal with. I went from taking 1 30mg roxicodone a few times a week to taking 2 now much more regularly then ever before. My script says I can take 5 a day but I would never ever take that many in a day anyway. I think taking 2 is alot. An I rarely take the percocet as it really doesnt have much of an effect on me. I have always been somewhat of a night owl. However now I am having more problems sleeping then ever before. My meds dont make me drowsy or sleepy whatsoever. If anything they make me more awake. I dont take any illegal drugs only what is prescribed to me. When I was much younger, I partied a little but that was so many years ago and would not go down that road ever again. I am constantly exhausted from lack of sleep and suffer with this pain regularly. I am at a point where I dont know what to do anymore. I cant remember the last time I slept a full night or more then 4 hours really. I also have alot of stress in my life as both of my parents are not well and I take care of them an help them out anyway I can my life has pretty much been making them my priority and I have neglected my own health. My mom was just recently diagnosed with cancer for the 2nd time on top of her having severe vertigo. An my father has a laundry list of medical problems himself including being a heart patient. The other night I was so desperate to try an get some sleep that I took a couple of ambien and it did nothing at all. I guess I am just looking for some advice or anyone that can suggest anything or maybe someone out there has a similar problem where they have this problem of having a really high tolerance to medication. Everytime I have gone to the hospital for stomach problems and they give me morphine thru IV it works for maybe the first 5 min and then nothing. I just dont understand. I dont abuse my medications an take less then what I am actually prescribed. Has anyone out there experienced problems like this? I know I cant be the only person out there that has this problem. I just dont want to live on medication for the rest of my life but I dont want to suffer in pain either. It would be great to just have 1 day where I feel good and have no pain anywhere. All of this just makes me depressed and have a complete lack of energy and loss of appetite as well which doesnt help matters either. Im hoping someone out there can possibly give me some advice on whether they had a similar experience or know something else I could try?? Thank you for anyone that can help me! I greatly appreciate it!

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@NYGirl,

Sorry to hear about your situation. If I can recommend anything that may be of help, it would start with a more natural approach; at least as an adjunct therapy to your current treatment. Prescription medications aren't here to cure anyone of anything. Their only use is to cover up the symptoms of such conditions. That's how the pharmaceutical companies turn patients into customers.

Regarding the degenerative disc disease, many testimonies state that Hemp Oil, Hemp Seeds, Marijuana, and even juicing the entirety of the hemp plant itself can actually help to promote nerve & bone regeneration at the cellular level. If I were in your shoes, this is the area of medicine where I would focus a lot of my attention and research.

Helichrysum (essential oil) has also been known to regenerate nerves in the ears. Several people who were born deaf, due to nerves not connecting, have been totally cured with helichrysum. This means it is also a strong candidate to cure spinal cord injuries and other conditions involving nerve damage.

There are at least a handful of natural alternatives for the sleep issues you've mentioned as well. I'd start with valerian root, lavender essential oil, or indica varieties of cannabis as a natural sleep aid. You also don't want to sleep within 5ft of any electronics, as this has been proven to have an ill effect on sleep quality too. Lastly, make sure you sleep in complete darkness. The presence of any light in your immediate vicinity takes away from melatonin production - another key factor in getting a good nights rest.

I hope this info helps in any way!

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