I feel for you. Ever since I started having chronic pain, I feel for anyone going through it. I have neuropathy from chemotherapy treatment for Hodgkins Lymphoma, and I've tried so many things to try to remedy it. I've come to the realization that it may or may not go away and I may have to live with it indefinitely. At this point I'm just trying to learn how to manage it... All I can say is, keep trying. Allow yourself time to rest when you feel exhausted, and most importantly remember to be very kind to yourself and to tell yourself you're doing the best you can.

That really sucks, I'm sorry to hear that.
I wish you the best of luck with that doctor's appointment.
I have a friend who has EDS and she suffers from it pretty bad. So I can imagine what you are going through. No one should ever have to deal with a horrible disease.

A close relative of mine had this same thing. He found great relief from a tens unit. They're everywhere now; Amazon, big box stores etc. I wonder if it was mentioned at your appt.

Im sorry. I have a bad back but not DDD. I understand your pain. Try to find someone to help you get through it. Being alone and in pain is miserable.

Awe. I feel for you. I can't imagine being in constant pain like you are. But I do have experience with depression and anxiety. I want to tell you that you aren't alone. I would love to start a conversation with you and connect at any level. Hope to here from you soon. Keep your head up! Talk to you soon!

I got devastated by fibromyalgia in my early twenties. I suffered debilitating chronic pain for 15 years. Crazy exhausted, depressed, lonely, and stuck in a loop are experiences I know intimately.

My heart beats for you. Every single time.

Do you have a dog? I'm 58 and the proud owner of four arthritises. Whenever our dog senses one of them is acting up, she'll curl up on it or next to it when we go to sleep. Significant statistical difference (right hand side of the curve) from Aleve.

I have had similar since I was about 30 and im 57 nearly so you can and will learn to live with it is all I can say.

If the first pain clinic doesn't help - go to another. Not all are created equal. Also do you see a specialist for the DDD and what did they suggest for pain management? I've very suspicious of Drs who don't have recommendations but only diagnoses. (I've been disabled for 16 years due to neck and back problems). I hope this is a Good Clinic!

I have a degenerative disc in my lower back, but my pain is the more annoying type. It hurts, but not that much. Exercise is supposed to help. Specifically strengthening your core (stomach) muscles. Next time I go to my doctor I'm going to ask him about stem cell treatments and how far along they are in the U.S. From what I understand, they aren't that popular for treatment in the U.S., but I have heard success stories of doctors doing it in other countries.

Hang in there. You don't know how strong you are until the only option is to be strong.

I can empathize with you. I had severe lower back pain for 14 years, but that was resolved when I had a ruptured disk taken out. I really hope that they can do something to resolve the problem. Pain management can reduce the discomfort, but does not resolve the problem.

I'm sorry you're in such pain. Some people swear by meditation as an effective means of pain management. I've had limited success controlling serious pain through sheer force of will, though, but I've never gone through any actual training. If conventional forms of treatment remain ineffective, that might be an avenue worth exploring.

This site is a good place to start - there are a lot of very nice people here and there's usually an intelligent, interesting discussion going on in one of the sections.

I know someone who is in a similar situation to you thanks to her fibromyalgia, chronic arthritis and several other conditions, though she's 30 years older. She also finds it very hard to cope sometimes, but on the whole pain management makes it possible for her to get by day to day. She has various hobbies, which helped her meet new people - what do you like to do and could you use it to meet people?

You are in a tough spot. But finding someone to hang out with and do things with might break you out of that loop. You may not get the life you had back. A new hobby that you can handle within your physical limits might do the trick. And if you can handle guys talking about airplanes for a few hours, I 'd suggest a pancake breakfast at the local airport.

Here’s hoping it works out for you! My mom has had hit or miss results with her pain management and it took them quite awhile to get her on an effective regimen - but now that she’s there it was definitely worth it!

That has got to suck. I hope only the best for you and that you are able to recover and be happy

Next month I turn 30.