Severe Chronic Pain is a Killer – Study Finds
http://updates.pain-topics.org/2010/04/severe-chronic-pain-is-killer-study.html
Previous research has demonstrated a clearly negative influence of chronic pain on health. Now, a new study portrays a profound link between severe chronic pain and death; inflicting nearly a 70% greater mortality risk than even cardiovascular disease.
In 1996 a large cohort of 6,940 persons was recruited by researchers at the University of Aberdeen, UK, and information collected about chronic pain status, general health, and sociodemographic details [Torrance, et al. 2010]. Followup 10 years later linked these data with routinely collected national data for death registration. A total of 5,858 (84%) individuals from the original cohort were linked, including 1,557 (27%) who had died. The researchers found a significant association between chronic pain and all-cause mortality. Particularly troublesome was severe chronic pain — survival among persons with this condition was significantly worse than among those reporting mild or no chronic pain. Even after adjusting for various confounding sociodemographic factors and effects of long-term illness, patients with severe chronic pain had a 49% greater risk of death compared with all-cause mortality and a 68% greater risk of death compared with all cardiovascular-disease-related deaths.
COMMENT: The negative impact of severe chronic pain on survival discovered by this research is dramatic and concerning; especially when considering the recent brouhaha about purportedly high risks associated with analgesic agents, particularly opioids. In an objective risk-benefit analysis, it would appear from this study that the increased mortality risks associated with untreated or inadequately treated chronic pain could pose a greater threat than any hazards potentially associated with pain-relieving medication therapies. In brief — and this is admittedly a strong way of putting it — any restrictions on access to effective therapies for severe chronic pain might be tantamount to fostering premature death in the afflicted patients. *As always, reader comments are welcomed.*
Filed under: General Problems
Wow I can’t believe I came across this as I’m sitting up unable to seeing again in pain that is so horrible it literally takes my breath away. I was in a bad car accident 5 years ago that resulted in C3 – C6 spinal fusion, bilateral hip replacements and a host of other scary spine issues. I thought I was getting back on my feet and decided to have dental implants. MAJOR mistake. My trigeminal nerve was severed in one place and crushed in 2 others. I ultimately ended up with a massive infection in the bone – osteomylitis and lost a good portion of my jaw. Ultimately ended up with CRPS of the jaw which truly is hell by itself without all the other pain.
I’m so, so tired of being looked down on and labeled “drug seeking” when in fact I am “pain relief seeking”. I had a great pain management team but the practice converted to pushing injections. The injections don’t work. One in my jaw made the pain much worse. Its now a game – you want opiates then you must have injections regardless of if they work. They do work lining the pockets of institutions that do them. Another no, no – don’t ever, ever ask to have meds increased even if you have been on them forever and they are no longer effective. If I had cancer then it wouldn’t be a problem. Not that I wish for that or dont feel empathy for those that do. Just feel like I’m dieing inside. Living on borrowed time. Totally understand this study. Living in this much pain is a living hell. Will share this with my doctor and keep on hand for those 3am ED visits. Please please please health care workers listen!!!
I tend to think my late wife fit in that category. About the only thing which would touch her pain were opiods. And about the only time she got prescribed them was for short term acute pain situations where she’d come alive for a few days, or maybe weeks. The rest of the time, she was bedridden, as it was just too painful to even get up in her wheel chair. At times the pain would get so severe, she’d be screaming in agony. She’d try the woo and snake oil from the pain management clinic, but it would do nothing when the pain got that bad. She used to say it was like the one time she had surgery and the anesthesia was inadequate.
When the pain would get that bad, we’d head to the ER, only to be told their was nothing they could do. Even her pcp told her, there was nothing that could be done… she’d been through the bogus pain management programs where they’d recommend woo and psych which proved ineffective for her. Over time, she came to the conclusion that the ER was useless and she was adamant not to go there.
When she had a string of abdominal attacks over a period of time, she ignored it, believing the ER would do nothing. As time progressed though, things got worse and worse, until she finally said (after much pleading on my end), I guess we should try the ER… and that was after days of continuous agony. By then it was too late, and despite great effort at the hospital she was unable to recover.
Alas, on her last 3 days on earth, she was finally pain free… after 30+ years of suffering.
I had a ER Dr tell me if I didn’t get a PM Dr and get the pain under control that it could cause me to have a stroke or aneurysm. The pain caused my blood pressure to skyrocket and before he let me leave he did a test to make sure that wasn’t happening The pain was scary bad and I guess it scared him to.For 2 years I went without adequate pain relief and now since I had to move I’ve been without any meds for almost 3 months I was thinking last night I can’t go on like this much longer. When you have to move out of state and start over it should be illegal to have to go so long before you get insurance changed find a pop then get referred to a PM Dr. Finally I have a appt with a PCP next Monday but who knows how much longer I must suffer. I can’t function can’t properly care for myself or even stand long enough to cook a meal. If it wasn’t for microwave things I’d go hungry they aren’t good for you but I can’t do any better. Being almost bedridden is not living and that’s where I’m at 90%pf the time. This isn’t right!
So very true . The mental anguish of constant pain makes life not worth living. The will to live leaves .the anguish of the mind , the lack of sleep ,the constant fight to get relife…. it kills the will to live . They dont want to go to hospital for care in crisses because hospitals do not keep up maintance meds on time let alone give extra pain meds for currently occoring crisses . They are afraid of instutionalised care which makes them feel more victumised doe to the uncaring staff. They feel caught in a living hell and just want out.i do not have cronic pain but i have watched my son suffer in agony for 13 yrs. His dreams are nightmares where he is contained with no meds and no ability to contact me or leave. He is paralized and constantly terrified from past experinces with hospitals and doctors. He used to get enough meds to take the edge off the pain but dea got all the doctors and drugstores scared . Now he lays in bed in pain 24 7.
I am glad I am not alone, but as a pain sufferying person, in the wee hours of the night I do feel alone. I am so sick and tired of doctors and for two years almost I have not been properly treated for my pain. I recently am starting back on my pain meds, and was able to get into the pool to exercise, just walk. I have a shot back, and severe nerve impingement. During the summer I saw a very young doctor who had a report from my pain doctor for recommendations for pain medication. SHE WOULD NOT DO IT! which left me again sleepless nights, and depression. She told me to exercise, and if she gave me pain meds I would injure myself, and she wasn’t willing to do that. The truth of the matter is she didn’t want to do it. Why is the government making it harder for doctors to treat chronic pain? I do believe we die sooner. It is inevitable..thining the herd!
My pain management office has utterly failed me. I went in and told them I wanted to get a job and that I had MORE pain, supported with medical diagnosis and they dropped my meds 30mg per day. I woke up this morning with nerve pain so bad I got out of bed at 5:30am. This is a nightmare that I am not going to wake up from. There are no more pain management people that take my state insurance in the area so I have to live with under treatment and NO JOB. I can totally understand why people with severe chronic pain don’t live so long. My blood pressure goes up when I am in high amounts of pain. Its already high to begin with, but it overrides my blood pressure med. I have no doubt some morning I will be getting out of bed at some ungodly hour and drop dead of a stroke or heart attack. Pretty sad when they will push NSAIDS on the patients all day long but when it comes to pain pills, they are TOO RISKY. So I guess its alright to have a ischemic stroke or heart attack from the NSAIDS, it is almost inevitable that you will have some problem with them at some time, but its just too risky to give a pain medicine to someone that has conditions supporting the use of said pain medicine. In other words, they know the risk of you DYING from the NSAIDS, but they just can’t have you getting addicted, even though if you have severe pain, you probably won’t.
Can I ask where you live wanting my life back? Your story is just like mine!! if you live in Central Oregon could you please find me on fb?
thank you
I absolutely believe this. The stress of under treated or untreated pain is very very hard on a person’s body and I’m sure causes a lot of internal invisible damage. And for all those anti opiate people out there, I hope they get hip replacements and are told to take motrin when they leave the hospital. Let’s see how that works for them. Then they’ll have a little taste of what it’s like but their pain will lessen over time. Not so the chronic incurable illness.
My primary care doctor will not respond on the online portal we have to now use. When I call, I get the same message to go to the online portal.
I messaged them to give them a FAX # of the pain mgmt clinic that needs my records from primary care. They will not take the CT scan report from me. I have the CD as well.
I just do not get this constant stalling and jerking me around.
I have a titanium neck from C-2-C-6 & C-7-T-1 has subluxation.
My entire lumbar spine has bulging discs & S-I joint needs an I-FUSE.
I need a break through pain med, right now.. They make it so difficult, I am just worn out and have been crying and living on an ice pack.
I have neural foraminal narrowing and spurring on C-2-C-6, and the pinching pain and stabbing is just unbearable.
My blood pressure is directly tied to my pain levels and eventually turns into coronary spasms which mimic a heart attack. I have no doubt it will kill me eventually but I finally gave up and started drinking to help deal with the pain.
“Pain never killed anyone.”
People who live with daily intractable pain hear that old saw all the time — especially in the ED of their local hospital when they present with the pain of ‘invisible disease’ at 3 o’clock in the morning.
We now have a smidgen of data to support our need for treatment for medical reasons instead of an excuse for not treating our ‘addiction’.
Use it, pain people. Treatment is your right – not a privilege.
Yes I will and yes treatment is our right!! Well said!!!
Wow, I believe this. I went for 2-3 years, with untreated pain (that I now get disabled and meds for) For 2 of the 3 years , I was denied tramadol. I was grateful for tramadol, it barely touched the pain, but it did somewhat, but it helped me sleep. I was told by my Dr. To take Tylenol up to 6 times a day and Advil. Well I moved and got a Dr who suggested tramadol ,but he also felt that my intestine was swollen. He asked me if I was hurting there. He pushed on a spot and o he was right!! So he says i think you have an upper GI tear and Rx d me Omperazole to be taken on an empty stomach, to heal this tear. In two years I was able to heal a lot, got off the Omperazole by substitute yogurt. I can’t imagine what more GI damage 10 years of denial of Pain meds and being told to take Tylenol and N Saids.