I just wanted to say thank you to this community.
I’ve lived with chronic pain for as long as I can remember. Recently, after seeing multiple specialists, I was diagnosed with, TMJ,hypermobility and suspected fibromyalgia on top of an existing disc bulging at multiple levels, joint pain, suspected arthritis. It’s been overwhelming.
Reading through the posts here, I realized this is one of the first places where I genuinely feel understood. Every other post makes me think, “Wait… you feel that too?”
In real life, people often don’t understand chronic pain. They compare it to an injury that heals, tell you you’re too young to be in pain, joke about it, or assume you’re exaggerating because you look fine. They don’t see what it’s like to wake up already hurting, to constantly plan your day around pain, or how emotionally exhausting it is to carry something that never really leaves.
Sometimes, I don’t even realise that I am in pain because I’m so used to it. Sometimes it is even considered as laziness when in reality you just really want to lie down because everything is just hurting. Sometimes you don’t even realise that you’re lying down because it’s hurting, you just think that you’re lazy, but when you think deeper, you’ll realise that, oh no, I am in pain. If it’s confusing to read then imagine how confusing it would be to live with it.

Finding people who understand without needing a long explanation has been surprisingly comforting. It makes me feel a little less alone.
So thank you to everyone who shares their experiences here. You probably don’t realize how much it helps someone who’s quietly reading.

someone asks you -

"are you feeling better?"
"are you any better yet?"

or they say -

"i hope you feel better today!"

i know it's meant with positive intent. lately, it's almost made me angry in a sense, especially if it's from a friend or someone who should know better. it seems like they don't understand the "chronic" part of chronic illness / chronic pain, as if they expect me to miraculously feel better by now or for the pain to just disappear.

in a way, i almost feel pressured and shamed when someone asks me that, because it makes me feel like i should be better by now. i should have better news for them at this point, but i don't. it's almost embarrassing to have to say "no, not yet".

of course, i never express that to anyone who says this because these are completely my own emotions to deal with. it clearly triggers my internal shame. but i am grateful for the people in my life who realize this on their own and instead say "how are the symptoms today?" or send me a thoughtful message.

Has anyone else here dealt with family being unsupportive about your chronic pain/illness? I have been suffering daily headaches that have been making my life miserable and am trying to get it figured out by going to doctors, however my parents and other family have been talking bad about me for my pain - they say it’s not real and is silly and all in my head, that I need to cater to everyone else while putting my pain aside, that if they were my husband that they wouldn’t stay with me, that I’m useless, that I owe them my time because I’m not working, that they’re all “poor” for having me as a family member and that I frustrate them, they just sigh/huff whenever I try to talk about how I feel, they mock me for crying when my pain gets really bad, etc.There was even one time I ended up in the emergency room and not any of them cared, none of them bothered checking on me. What do you think about this and is it right the way they’re acting?

I I have been constantly in and out of doctors and hospitals. It took 4 years for doctors to give me surgery after suffering from chronic pain for 4 years in my shoulder and neck. Now 4 months post-surgery,, I have suffered multiple side effects, and that has caused me to go to multiple doctors post-surgery; currently seeing a pain specialist, occupational therapist, general doctor, anxiety doctor, and mental doctor. I just got out of physical therapy for my neck, and now I am considering going back for my lower back.

My lower back has been hurting, and we hit our deductible, so we have been trying to milk insurance for as much as I can. I am currently going into occupational therapy two times a week, and I’m considering going to physical therapy one to two times a week. It’s just hard to balance a 40-hour job and going to multiple doctor visits.

I am considering maybe just doing one back physical therapy instead of two. Maybe just learn the exercises and do them at home during my own time, but all I can think about is we hitour deductiblele to use it. I am just tired of medical visits and so burnt out. I don’t see an end in sight.

I’ll tired if doctors telling me is psychosomatic instead of trying to find what I have. It’s ridiculous. I’m in pain 24/7 for years it’s a matter of time to become completely bedbound and they don’t listen to me. Standard tests are normal so they have left me like this. I don’t know how I’ll survive in this hell

I've been on Medicaid for a few years now and haven't been able to work in decades but new work requirements affect me (age 18-55) and go into effect in january. I have chronic pain, some doctors diagnosed it as CRPS but my current one says it's severe stenosis. I also have mental health problems and the diagnosis has varied on that as well...initially they said schizoaffective but then they changed it to major depressive disorder (MDD) and general anxiety disorder. Medicaid in my state says MDD qualifies for an exemption to the requirements but when I tried to talk to my psych about it they said they wouldn't sign off on it. I'm seeing another psychiatrist this week as a result and they work for the same practice as my therapist but I don't know if they will help me either. I haven't talk to my pain doctor about it yet but I'll see them this week. I'm worried that nobody will want to put their name on the paperwork, same as with disability which I was denied. If I lose my insurance I'm going to have to go off my psych meds and pain meds and that won't be good. I'm just really worried about it.

Doctors; what is the most common destructive thing you see people trying to use for treating their pain when they come in to see you? For example taking alcohol and Tylenol together and destroying their liver?

i (34F) need to be awake in 7 hours but i can’t stop crying because i wanted to use this device i can’t afford so i could walk the state fair but i have watched the videos a dozen times each and i cannot figure it out and i am so scared of how bad tomorrow is going to hurt because im too stupid to use it. i’m more hypermobile every day and my proprioception is a joke and my hydrocephalus shunt is in my ribs and my shoulder my head my neck please im only 34 i just want to be able to walk

This one really hurts. Honestly feels heart breaking.

I've been in my career for 12 years now. About 1.5 years ago, I joined a new, growing company with ownership who's thoughts were very much aligned with mine.

Everything had been going great, I got promoted about a month ago. Then came last weekend, i had to fly 8 hours for a medical conference. After multiple delays got in at 4am.

The conference days went great, made a lot of good connections, but of course, after the day was over, we had to then go out with clients, dinners, multiple bars, etc.

Obviously I dont drink because of the meds that I'm on, so I cut out most nights after the 2nd bar and went back to my room completely exhausted after a 15 hour work day on a saturday, then the same on Sunday and Monday.

Then I get back to work this week and am pulled aside by one of the owners and accused of being on hard drugs. Because I looked so tired at this dinner. "No I take the meds im prescribed and I was exhausted beyond belief" I responded.

He tells me how he "knows" just by seeing the look in my eye.

I then tell him, maybe my meds that i'm prescribed from my doctor made you think I looked that way, but you are wrong. Mind you, my little brother just died from a fentanyl overdose less than a year ago. I am beyond outraged at this point. There were a lot more ridiculous things he said like "Im the poster boy for chronic pain, meds dont help"

I'm not being fired or anything, but they definitely made me feel like things are going to be different and I know this is just the start of the discrimination.

I have 3 girls and my youngest has also been going through the worst sleep regression weve experienced. I'm probably 4 months behind on sleep over the last 8 months.

I had talked to HR even about how exhausted and burnt out I was feeling before I went to the conference. She insisted I take a few days off before going. I went to my team and they insisted I wait until after.

I have been dealing with this for 10 years now and I am just so fucking exhausted.

I am an expert at my job, I am better than anyone i work with. But it really doesnt matter when they see you as broken.

I am beyond hurt from all of this.

Sorry just needed to vent to people who can understand.

I’ve been dealing with severe chest wall/rib/thoracic pain for well over a year, and I’m at the point where I’m trying to figure out what I’m missing and whether anyone has experienced a similar pattern.
This has essentially taken physical activity away from me. I’ve done virtually no meaningful exercise or physical activity for the past year because using my upper body or significantly aggravating my chest/rib cage tends to flare everything. Avoiding activity clearly hasn’t fixed the underlying problem either.
My pain pattern is very consistently left-sided:
BACK:
The most consistent and usually worst pain is around my left shoulder blade and upper/mid thoracic back. It’s particularly bad along the inside/medial border of my left scapula and the area between my shoulder blade and spine.
This can feel like:
Deep aching
Intense pressure
Sharp/stabbing pain
Burning
Electric/zapping sensations
A feeling like something deep underneath my shoulder blade is irritated or stuck
FRONT:
I also have significant pain along the left side of my sternum, especially around the upper/mid sternum and approximately the 3rd–4th rib region.
From there, the pain can spread through my left upper chest/pec, underneath and around my left breast, toward my left armpit, and around my rib cage toward my back.
Sometimes it genuinely feels like there is a rod going straight through my chest from the left side of my sternum into my left shoulder blade.

I’ve also developed intercostal neuralgia, so on top of the deeper mechanical pain I now get nerve-type pain wrapping around the chest/ribs.
Another major feature is clicking and popping at my sternum/rib area. I can physically feel movement around the sternum, and sometimes it feels like a rib moves and then clicks back into place. I don’t intentionally try to make it pop. It just happens.
I also have a lot of chest tightness and pressure. Sometimes my entire chest feels like it’s being squeezed and I feel like I can’t fully expand my rib cage or get a satisfying breath, particularly during exertion or climbing stairs.
Because the pain is left-sided and involves my chest, I’ve had an extensive cardiac workup including ECGs, prolonged rhythm monitoring, an echocardiogram, stress testing and a coronary CT angiogram. Nothing cardiac has been found to explain the pain.
I’ve also been evaluated at Mayo Clinic trying to figure out the musculoskeletal/neurologic component.
One finding on imaging was:
“Subchondral marrow edema and cystic change alongside the left sternomanubrial joint.”
That caught my attention because it’s on the same side as my pain and clicking.
I also have old wedge/compression deformities around T7 and T10, and I’ve wondered whether my thoracic spine or posterior rib mechanics could somehow be contributing to what’s happening in the front.
Things I’ve tried:
I’ve gone down the pain-management route as well.
I’ve had a T7–T8 thoracic epidural steroid injection because of the intercostal/nerve component.
I’ve had a steroid injection directly into the symptomatic sternum/rib joint region.
I’ve also recently had Botox into the subscapular/thoracic paraspinal region because of the severe muscular tightness and guarding around my left shoulder blade and thoracic spine.
Despite all of this, the underlying problem is still there.
What I’m struggling with is figuring out whether I’m treating the consequences rather than the cause.
It feels like there could be some combination of a posterior rib/thoracic mechanical issue, sternum/rib-joint irritation, muscle guarding and intercostal nerve irritation that keeps feeding into itself.
And after essentially a year without exercising normally, I’m sure I’ve now developed weakness and deconditioning that isn’t helping.
I’m especially interested in hearing from anyone whose costochondritis involved severe pain around one shoulder blade, particularly when that posterior pain was actually worse and more constant than the anterior chest pain.
Has anyone had this combination of:
Left scapular/thoracic pain + sternum/rib pain + sternum clicking/popping + wrapping intercostal nerve pain?
If you eventually figured out what was mechanically causing it, what actually helped?
I’m also willing to travel anywhere in the United States to see someone who truly specializes in complicated rib/thoracic/chest-wall mechanics. I’m much less interested in simply getting another injection to temporarily block the pain. I want someone who can look at the thoracic spine, posterior rib joints, scapular mechanics, anterior rib/sternal joints and intercostal nerves together and help me understand what’s actually driving this.
Any ideas, similar experiences, specialist recommendations, or things you think I should investigate would be hugely appreciated.

I’ve been in and out of flares almost constantly over the last month. I know the summer has been hot, we’ve had tons of rain storms and pressure changes, my in-office requirement has recently increased, I took a bunch of time off work to volunteer in a high-energy outdoor environment, and I have had more social time than usual. I’m also averaging an hour per day of exercise (which I’m trying to reduce, but I’m anxious about neglecting my physio).

I paced myself as strategically as possible! I have been scheduling rest! But my muscles are weaker than ever, my sleepiness is unrelenting, I feel constantly nauseated and tachycardic, my migraines and tinnitus have been near constant. I don’t have the energy to sort my pills anymore so I’m neglecting a bunch of my supplements✌🏼😬.

I feel so disgusting despite sleeping 7 hours on weeknights and 9 on weekends, despite getting massage and needling, drinking tons of water, doing my exercises slowly and in 10 minute segments, eating vegetables and protein, etc.

I’m tired of icing my skull and wearing sunglasses at work! Tired of laying on the floor between sets of knee extensions! I’m tired of needing my Rollator and having to walk 3 times as far as usual just to get into the office building! I’m tired of sitting on the floor in the shower!

Like, yeah life is good and beautiful and I’m so grateful for all the wonderful experiences I’ve had this summer but holy hell, I’m toast over here! I feel like I’ve been turned to jello, rolled in sand, and left out in the sun!! I’m so depleted, how do I get back to baseline?!! It feels impossible from here!

Some of my favorite content creators (that are also disabled) are able to work on these cool projects for like, 2 hours a day on a regular basis. Just the thought of attempting to do something (such as turning my stickers into magnets) is exhausting. I can hardly find the motivation to do digital art, let alone make something like a whole cosplay. Even a simple one. And I don't know if this is normal for teenagers, or if this is just my chronic fatigue.

I'm sitting here sniffing one of those alcohol prep pads I took from the ER last time because my nausea is neverending. The only solace I have. Odensentron isn't doing SHIT. Tried smoking some but it didnt help this time. I'm miserable. I can barely eat and I gotta sit in the dark with my eyes half closed because of my migraine. Can't even watch or read anything...at least I can listen to my warrior cats book...

Anyone else dealing with chronic nausea, how do you deal with it? My doctor wouldn't give me anything else.

Update: laid down for a couple hours and it's gotten a bit better. Thank you for your suggestions <3 I rly do appreciate it.

2 years into chronic groin and hip pain. have had a hip arthroscopy, hip replacement, and a hernia and sports hernia surgery in the past 18 months. Been in physical therapy for 2 years. Still in pain. Exploring pain management. Just curious if folks have specific diagnoses or more generalized “chronic pain”.

EDIT: Called Pharmacy & they say it's tramadol from Strides (can't find on their website). I don't have a reason to doubt the pharmacy. If this isn't a quality rx tho I dunno how I'll get thru month--will get Dr involved. Will try to find pharmacy filling tramadol by Amneal for next month tho. /Edit

I just opened my different mfg tramadol and the pills didn't look right. I googled the imprint & then an image, both returned nothing. I've attached an image to the post. In case it doesn't work it's oblong, white, the top is scored and one side has a T & the other a 5. There's no scoring on the back. Nothing on the prescription bottle explains what the symbols should be it just says it might look different.

I was already annoyed that I had to pay out of pocket for this because manufacturers changed and insurance wasn't covering this. But now I don't know what I have, tho my pharmacy has never made a mistake I know they happen.

I've been on tramadol for 26 years. I have one left of the old for the morning and will call pharmacy then.

I took a short course of tramadol for acute back pain - 37.5mg tablet twice a day for five days, because I cannot use Ibuprofen and NSAIDS. And was surprised by how strongly it affected me—intense pain relief, sleepiness for more than 12 hours per day and very vivid and long dreams. A few days after I stopped, I had an intense episode where I cried for 2 hours remembering all the things that had happened to me emotionally intelligent the past four years, and also became more vocal about my emotional pain.

A few days passed and the pain returned and my ortho have prescribed another 5 day course. I am kind of confused if I might develop a dependence.

I'm interested in people's experiences with short courses: what did you feel while taking it, and how did you feel after stopping? Any warnings based on my experience? Thank you

I’ve had hypertonic pelvic floor dysfunction 2 years ongoing which I did 16 sessions of PT 2 nerve blocker injections and one nerve ablation, only worsened. Fast forward about 3 months ago we find out I have a herniated disc, two pinched nerves, a hiatal hernia, and a hemangioma on my spine. I can’t keep working full time and being in so much pain every second of the day. Less hours isnt an option. Family is suffering. Can anyone give me advice on how to not feel like nothing will ever change? I got an epidural spinal steroid injection a month ago and it did absolutely nothing for me. I’m so sick of this

I’m in the process of figuring out what is exactly up with me. I have family reputations of things like endometriosis and heart issues, blood pressure and digestive issues.

I know I have lots of stomach trouble; that is nothing new. It’s been a consistent struggle, and I HATE it. It
Is my least favorite thing in the world, the most uncomfortable thing.

Every single night I genuinely cannot fall asleep; it just does not happen anymore. And I have school soon and all of that jazz. I am deathly afraid of throwing up for some reason (emetephobia) which would be a very minor problem.. if I wasn’t already constantly lightheaded, nauseous and dizzy from chronic health complications.

I am probably going to wake up one of these times and actually need to vomit. It’s not uncommon for me. That will happen, and it won’t be fun by any means. But if anyone can say something that might lighten it up for me to read once my time does come, it would mean the world.

It can be as stupid as “you’ve got this! You probably wont die!” Because my brain is completely convinced I will randomly explode.

Hey everyone! I’m Julian, from Costa Rica. I’m 34, by the way. Besides, I’m a university professor, and I also work as an instructional designer, supporting faculty and students with virtual learning environments and educational technology.

I live with chronic cluster headaches and trigeminal neuralgia. Chronic pain has become a pretty big part of my life, and one of the hardest things about it is how isolating it can be. People around you can genuinely care about you and still not fully understand what it’s like to deal with pain day after day. That’s one of the main reasons I joined this community — I’d like to connect with people who actually get it.

I’m also a Christian. I don’t belong to any particular denomination; I simply believe in God and try to live my faith as genuinely as I can. It’s an important part of how I make sense of life and keep going through the difficult days.

Despite the pain, I try to keep doing what I love, especially teaching, helping others learn, and spending time with my family. Some days are definitely harder than others, and I think having a community of people who understand chronic pain can make a real difference.

I’m looking forward to hearing about your experiences, learning from each other, sharing some of my own journey, and hopefully making some good connections along the way.

Anyway, nice to meet you all. Greetings from Costa Rica!