The Mental Health Thread - (Help Contacts in First Post).

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Re: The Mental Health Thread - (Help Contacts in First Post).

Post by The Old Man of Storr »

Paolopaul wrote: Tue May 23, 2023 3:55 pm Hi all, first time posting on this thread. I post a bit on the main pages so some of you might recognise my name.

I never know where to start with this stuff but my issues are around anxiety, depression and chronic pain, with each affecting the others.

Around 5 years ago I injured my knee playing football, and was in constant pain for around a year whilst scans and physios couldn’t identify the cause. Finally found a good physio who helped me understand any initial injury had long gone, but the pain remained. Things came to a head just before lockdown as the pain spread and I had a brand new baby to look after.

Lockdown simplified my life and saved me, along with a brilliant pain therapist and some medication (duloxetine). I still get flare ups though, and in the middle of one now. Despite being experienced in this it still massively affects my mood every time, I wish I could do better with it but it’s there every second of the day and I get in such a muddle working out when to exercise and when to rest.

Hope I haven’t gone on for too long, appreciate any of you that have taken the time to read this. It’s really great to have a thread like this to share things amongst fellow Hammers.

We all take our health for granted ....then bang , something happens and it can all change just like that -

My wife had a whole knee replacement but she's still in as much pain with it as before - I keep telling her to go back to see the Surgeon who performed the operation but she just says ' What can they do ? ' so she puts up with it and takes the pain killers .

I went through similar with my back - my GP thought I was swinging the lead until the Consultant said it was time to operate and quick - I don't know whether I did some silly exercise trying to get back to work early or whether it would have happened anyway but things got worse for me afterwards too - anyway this ain't about me , it's about you [ if you think you can go on , meet me :grin: ] - I went to a Pain Clinic , waste of time but they did confirm I also had osteoarthritis - Surgeon put me on 3 x diclofenac per day and within 7 months I had kidney failure which led to sepsis - what actually helped my back was lying in a hospital bed for 3 months . Anyway that was years ago - I'm still on painkillers every day but as you probably know , movement and exercise are the best remedy and though I am as stiff as a board afterwards the boost it gives my mental health is immeasurable .

I take it you've been to a Pain Clinic ?

If not , they may be of use .

Depression and anxiety - pain will do that to a man especially if you are unable to do things that you were able to do previously , it can take a while accepting you are now leading a different life . You could speak to your GP , treatment is available whether cognitive or tablet form .

Swapping stories on here also helps .

Choosing the correct exercise will be crucial - sometimes we have to push through the pain barrier and crack on with the exercise - in my case I walk whatever distance I can manage , sit, rest then walk some more - I choose my place of exercise carefully some days , where there are benches or a low wall , other times I just sit on the floor . The longer I walk the easier it gets . Ten years ago I couldn't walk more than 30 paces without having to sit some days , now it varies , it's always shorter at the beginning then the gaps between having to stop get longer .

I was on 120 mg of dihydrocodeine twice a day until a Hospital Nurse visibly gasped when I told her what my GP had prescribed so I gradually cut it in half , then over these past 6 months I've been trying to reduce it again - some days it's 60 mg [ 1 tablet ] others it's 1 and a half tablets .

I do tend to go on a bit , sorry . :grin:

Best of luck , but don't let things get to you , we're always here .
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Re: The Mental Health Thread - (Help Contacts in First Post).

Post by Paolopaul »

Thanks Samba and TOMOS for your replies.

Sorry to hear what you and your wife have gone through TOMOS, persistent pain is a horrible thing to fight. I’ve found it so hard to make logical decisions whilst going through it. In desperation I went on Naproxen a couple of years back - it destroyed my stomach and I couldn’t eat hardly anything for 2 months. I’ve found some success in meditation and acupuncture since, and the duloxetine has been great for the pain & anxiety combo.

These days my pain is so closely linked to my mood it’s ridiculous - for instance I can often have a nice comfortable walk in a peaceful forest but can’t manage a walk round the block without losing the rest of the day. Often pain will come on when I’m feeling disconnected from the world, which as a dad who moved away from his home town can happen fairly often.

The pain clinic is not something I’ve been aware of so far - was that through your GP TOMOS?
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Re: The Mental Health Thread - (Help Contacts in First Post).

Post by Eggchaser »

Sorry for your loss Pablo, I do remember some of your posts about your grandfather.
He was a lucky man to live so long with so much love in his life.

RIP Grandad.
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Re: The Mental Health Thread - (Help Contacts in First Post).

Post by Joyeux Marteau »

Hi Paolopaul.

I have osteoarthritis so I understand what you are going through.

Have you tried Capsaicin oil or a hemp type cream?

The Capsaicin oil heats up the area which (to me) takes the pain away. The hemp cream I use must have some cooling effect which also helps me when I use it.

Hope that helps.
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Re: The Mental Health Thread - (Help Contacts in First Post).

Post by Joyeux Marteau »

Hey Pablo,

So sorry for your loss. He sounded like a great man.

He’ll always live forever in your memory.
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Re: The Mental Health Thread - (Help Contacts in First Post).

Post by pablo jaye »

Thank you all for your messages about my Grandad - they are really appreciated. It has been a bit of a whirlwind of a day with a few tears but one of the most wonderful things has been the number of messages and different stories that we’ve all received about him - and how many people’s lives he touched, even those he barely met.

Last years he went into my wife’s school to talk to the children about WW2 - all the teachers were in tears today and some of the kids were recounting his stories, including one, which had things happened slightly differently - he and I wouldn’t have been here.

He was an engineer in the RAF, based in Heaney in Rhodesia where all the pilot training took place. He was underneath a Wellington fixing it, and didn’t have the right spanner to use. He came out from underneath the plan, just as the cradle underneath it collapsed. He would have been crushed.

If I can be half the person he is then I’ll be doing well. He was always positive, embraced new things and ideas (he bought his first iPad at 93) and was always interested in people … I will try to be a ‘bit more Dennis’ every day.
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Re: The Mental Health Thread - (Help Contacts in First Post).

Post by The Old Man of Storr »

Paolopaul wrote: Tue May 23, 2023 6:37 pm Thanks Samba and TOMOS for your replies.

In desperation I went on Naproxen a couple of years back - it destroyed my stomach and I couldn’t eat hardly anything for 2 months. I’ve found some success in meditation and acupuncture since, and the duloxetine has been great for the pain & anxiety combo.



The pain clinic is not something I’ve been aware of so far - was that through your GP TOMOS?
I was given Naproxen , was as useful as Jelly Babies , it's not a strong pain killer as such - the Diclofenac [ 3 x per day ] - A Nurse I knew told me she'd read some pretty bad things about Diclofenac in Nursing Magazine so I went and spoke to my GP about it , he said he wasn't aware of anything untoward - I'm not 100% sure but I think it's use is now either very much limited or they've taken it off the market completely after they discovered a direct link with it to heart attacks - I am convinced it's what caused my sepsis and multiple organ failure but nothing was found .

The Pain Clinic is in Dingwall and yes suggested by my GP - didn't really help .

Not being funny here , but have you ever been tested for Gout ?

I realise it was a sports injury but for them not to get to the bottom of it is strange -

I suffered from gout for years , I take allopurinol as a preventative medicine - however while I was in a coma from the sepsis and hooked up to a dialysis machine my body swelled up like a balloon , my hands were like rubber gloves filled with water [ Jen told me later ] - try as they might the Doctors could not get the swelling in my body down - my wife told them I suffered from gout and could there be a connection , they told her they'd tested my blood for gout and it was coming back as negative , Jen explained to them that it can hide in the bones and not always show up in blood tests and could they please try colchicine [ a drug I'd taken in the past ] - as nothing else was working , they agreed and within 3 days I was passing urine once more and the swelling in my body gradually went down - so Jennie can lay claim to helping save my life as well as the brilliant Doctors and Nurses who monitored me day and night .

Could it be that arthritis has got into your knee ? - does it feel hot to the touch on occasion , does it feel painful just touching it ? It could be something as simple as gout - I would imagine they've tested you but if not it's a simple enough procedure .
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Re: The Mental Health Thread - (Help Contacts in First Post).

Post by last.caress »

pablo jaye wrote: Tue May 23, 2023 9:43 pm If I can be half the person he is then I’ll be doing well.
You are one of the good guys, Pablo. Thinking of you mate, and sending you all the love in the world.
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Re: The Mental Health Thread - (Help Contacts in First Post).

Post by Paolopaul »

The Old Man of Storr wrote: Tue May 23, 2023 11:59 pm I was given Naproxen , was as useful as Jelly Babies , it's not a strong pain killer as such - the Diclofenac [ 3 x per day ] - A Nurse I knew told me she'd read some pretty bad things about Diclofenac in Nursing Magazine so I went and spoke to my GP about it , he said he wasn't aware of anything untoward - I'm not 100% sure but I think it's use is now either very much limited or they've taken it off the market completely after they discovered a direct link with it to heart attacks - I am convinced it's what caused my sepsis and multiple organ failure but nothing was found .

The Pain Clinic is in Dingwall and yes suggested by my GP - didn't really help .

Not being funny here , but have you ever been tested for Gout ?

I realise it was a sports injury but for them not to get to the bottom of it is strange -

I suffered from gout for years , I take allopurinol as a preventative medicine - however while I was in a coma from the sepsis and hooked up to a dialysis machine my body swelled up like a balloon , my hands were like rubber gloves filled with water [ Jen told me later ] - try as they might the Doctors could not get the swelling in my body down - my wife told them I suffered from gout and could there be a connection , they told her they'd tested my blood for gout and it was coming back as negative , Jen explained to them that it can hide in the bones and not always show up in blood tests and could they please try colchicine [ a drug I'd taken in the past ] - as nothing else was working , they agreed and within 3 days I was passing urine once more and the swelling in my body gradually went down - so Jennie can lay claim to helping save my life as well as the brilliant Doctors and Nurses who monitored me day and night .

Could it be that arthritis has got into your knee ? - does it feel hot to the touch on occasion , does it feel painful just touching it ? It could be something as simple as gout - I would imagine they've tested you but if not it's a simple enough procedure .
Yeah the naproxen did nothing for me either, at the time I blindly carried on taking it as I hadn’t had too much experience of medication. The doctors here have always been very reluctant to give me anything stronger, the switch to anti depressants has eventually been helpful after trying plenty that gave me odd side effects.

Your wife sounds amazing. Being clued up about these conditions makes a massive difference, I’ve heard so many stories of patients or friends of patients coming up with the solution. It sounds like the two of you are a great support to each other.

For me, I’ve had a lot of tests over the years but these days I accept the issue is more mental than physical. Whatever initial injury there was in my knee is long gone and there’s a family history of high sensitivity to pain (and resulting chronic pain). I’ve had some pain issues with other parts of the body at times and the docs have never found anything physical other than muscle tension, despite the pain response being off the scale.

Part of the issue is I get obsessed with trying to make the pain go away and doing all the ‘right things’, when the best medicine is to relax and enjoy myself - easier said than done as I’ve never been good at switching off. Trying to find a new hobby that helps with this - latest attempt is to get into Lego!
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Post by S-H »

So sorry for your loss Pablo, your Grandad sounded like a great man.
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Re: The Mental Health Thread - (Help Contacts in First Post).

Post by Monkeybubbles »

Really sorry to hear about your grandad Pabs. On the positive side, if there can be one, you must have made so many amazing memories in all the time he was with you. Go easy, mate.
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Post by The Old Man of Storr »

Paolopaul wrote: Wed May 24, 2023 7:26 am Yeah the naproxen did nothing for me either, at the time I blindly carried on taking it

Your wife sounds amazing. Being clued up about these conditions makes a massive difference, I’ve heard so many stories of patients or friends of patients coming up with the solution. It sounds like the two of you are a great support to each other.

For me, I’ve had a lot of tests over the years but these days I accept the issue is more mental than physical. Whatever initial injury there was in my knee is long gone and there’s a family history of high sensitivity to pain (and resulting chronic pain). I’ve had some pain issues with other parts of the body at times

Part of the issue is I get obsessed with trying to make the pain go away and doing all the ‘right things’, when the best medicine is to relax and enjoy myself - easier said than done as I’ve never been good at switching off. Trying to find a new hobby that helps with this - latest attempt is to get into Lego!

Another drug they put me on after the back op was Gabapentin - I was taking it for years - like you if a drug is prescribed by a Consultant Surgeon I just took it - then I discovered it's also used to treat Epilepsy as well as Nerve Pain - eventually I asked my Doctor if I could come off it as I didn't feel it was helping - she said ' See how you go , you can always go back on to it ' - another drug they put me as Amitriptyline - when the sepsis struck I was on a rake of them including 2 for blood pressure - I was already on dialysis when my heart stopped and kept on stopping - The Doctors told Jen that there'd come a time when they couldn't revive me so [ according to her ] ' I kept staring at this Doctor asking him if there was anything else they could do , I must have looked like a mad woman ' she tells me - anyway , they went away and came back to her saying they were going to fit a mini defibrillator through the artery in my groin [ warning that the procedure itself could kill me ] - anyway , it didn't and yes , she is a pretty amazing woman - most women are you'll find , they're a tougher and more resilient bunch than any of us blokes could hope to be .

Listen , I'm not going to pretend I know what's causing you all of this pain but gout can affect any and all joints in the body - I know that much . If it's nerve pain then Gabapentin could be useful , Amitriptyline is both a painkiller and an antidepressant so you could suggest these to your GP - I find that unless you constantly badger your GP and keep returning to see them they won't go down the hospital route until they've experimented on you with a variety drugs first , it must be NHS policy - my advice is if you're worried about your health then keep going back to your GP until they do something about it .

Distraction is an excellent tactic especially when suffering from mental health issues - whether it's watching TV , taking up a hobby like Photography , Bird Watching , Trainspotting , Star Gazing , Lego or whatever - do whatever it takes . Just don't suffer in silence . Especially if there's a Family History of this type of pain .
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Re: The Mental Health Thread - (Help Contacts in First Post).

Post by btajim - mcfc »

I’ve had worries on my mind in recent days but a good walk today and eating well has set me right. Cut down on the drinking too. I’ll be watching Brighton v City at home etc.
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The Old Man of Storr wrote: Wed May 24, 2023 9:36 am Another drug they put me on after the back op was Gabapentin - I was taking it for years - like you if a drug is prescribed by a Consultant Surgeon I just took it - then I discovered it's also used to treat Epilepsy as well as Nerve Pain - eventually I asked my Doctor if I could come off it as I didn't feel it was helping - she said ' See how you go , you can always go back on to it ' - another drug they put me as Amitriptyline - when the sepsis struck I was on a rake of them including 2 for blood pressure - I was already on dialysis when my heart stopped and kept on stopping - The Doctors told Jen that there'd come a time when they couldn't revive me so [ according to her ] ' I kept staring at this Doctor asking him if there was anything else they could do , I must have looked like a mad woman ' she tells me - anyway , they went away and came back to her saying they were going to fit a mini defibrillator through the artery in my groin [ warning that the procedure itself could kill me ] - anyway , it didn't and yes , she is a pretty amazing woman - most women are you'll find , they're a tougher and more resilient bunch than any of us blokes could hope to be .

Listen , I'm not going to pretend I know what's causing you all of this pain but gout can affect any and all joints in the body - I know that much . If it's nerve pain then Gabapentin could be useful , Amitriptyline is both a painkiller and an antidepressant so you could suggest these to your GP - I find that unless you constantly badger your GP and keep returning to see them they won't go down the hospital route until they've experimented on you with a variety drugs first , it must be NHS policy - my advice is if you're worried about your health then keep going back to your GP until they do something about it .

Distraction is an excellent tactic especially when suffering from mental health issues - whether it's watching TV , taking up a hobby like Photography , Bird Watching , Trainspotting , Star Gazing , Lego or whatever - do whatever it takes . Just don't suffer in silence . Especially if there's a Family History of this type of pain .
Sounds like you’ve been through a lot and I commend you for still finding the time for strangers like me. Hope you’re in a good place at the moment.

I’ll definitely look into the possibility of gout, anything that explains what’s going on and gives me a bit of control back would be very welcome. Today has been a bad one with the same walk I usually do randomly causing a big pain reaction. I have to do everything I can to stop the negativity in my mind saying that it’s my fault and I must have done something wrong. That’s always how the spiralling begins.

By the way I also tried amitriptyline a few years back but it gave my severe restless arms and legs whilst trying to get to sleep - properly scared my wife so I came off it pretty quick!
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Post by ageing hammer »

Pablo very sorry for your loss
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Post by ageing hammer »

double post what's happened to teh site can't post over delays typing and double posts
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Post by The Old Man of Storr »

Paolopaul wrote: Wed May 24, 2023 6:34 pm Sounds like you’ve been through a lot and I commend you for still finding the time for strangers like me.

Once you post on here you're never a stranger , lots of Good Guys on here , mate . :newthumb:

Hope they get to the bottom of whatever's causing all this but whatever you do DO NOT go down the blaming yourself route , you do not possess the powers to affect that sort of thing - let us know how you get on and the best of luck .
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Post by S-H »

I lost my Grandad when I was 21, I had just met the future Mrs S-H, who he was looking forward meeting for the first time, before he tragically suffered a massive stroke..

After we lost him, I was full of guilt because during the previous years 16-20 I was more interested in enjoying myself with my mates, getting pissed up, whenever my parents would go and stay with him in Cornwall I'd opt to stay at home to take advantage of a free house.. after he died I would have given anything to have had that time over, and just spend more time with him whilst I could, instead of ****ing around, this was the man who got me into West Ham, and would drive from Cornwall to London and back, just to take me to see the hammers when I was a young lad... I'm gutted he never got to meet my wife, and that I couldn't give him the time that he had given me when I was growing up.

I am thankful that we spoke on the phone at least twice a week, mainly about West Ham, and that ne was never really interested in speaking to my Spurs supporting brother.. :D

Pablo, I'm so envious, and so happy that you got that amazing amount of time with your Grandad, sounds like you had an amazing relationship.

Cherish those memories, mate.
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Post by The Old Man of Storr »

Not been out for a walk since meeting Mr Douglas the Consultant on the 12th May so today I'm being dragged around the Boat Of Garten Osprey Walk - it's one of these....


https://www.alltrails.com/en-gb/trail/s ... och-garten



Good Mental Health to you all xx
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Post by Paolopaul »

The Old Man of Storr wrote: Thu May 25, 2023 10:25 am Not been out for a walk since meeting Mr Douglas the Consultant on the 12th May so today I'm being dragged around the Boat Of Garten Osprey Walk - it's one of these....


https://www.alltrails.com/en-gb/trail/s ... och-garten



Good Mental Health to you all xx
Did it go well TOMOS? Hope it was enjoyable.

I’ve had a walk today that has again annoyed my knee. I get so confused with whether I should get moving or not, but woke up this morning ok so think I just need to ride these things out and get plenty of rest after.
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