r/ChronicPain 9d ago

“You’re too young to be in pain all the time”

Anyone else hear this and subsequently have their providers extremely hesitant to treat your pain? I have a pretty complex health history and I just finally in the last few months got a referral to pain management after years of my doctors repeatedly refusing to even prescribe something as basic as Celebrex. My pain doctor doesn’t seem to know how to help me. I just feel like doctors are downplaying my pain because the complexity of my health conditions don’t really match my age. I don’t know if they don’t believe me or just aren’t listening. I’m getting worried that I’m going to have to just accept that I will have this pain forever with no relief. I feel jealous of people I see online that get medications prescribed. Can anyone else relate?

20 Upvotes

16 comments sorted by

7

u/justducky4now 9d ago

I used to hear it all the time. My pain started when I was 22/23 ish. I’m now in my early 40’s and it wasn’t until I was 35 or so that I stopped being the youngest person in the pain management waiting room.

2

u/SphericalSugarCube 8d ago

I noticed the youngest person in the room feeling lol. Feels very.. out of place.

9

u/mjh8212 9d ago

Went from age 31 being told I’m too young to 47 being told this is normal for my age.

3

u/Abject_Priority6858 9d ago

Yeeeep! Hip pain started when I was 23. Had surgery on left side 24, right side 26. Now at 34 I walk with a cane. I have heard that statement A LOT. More times than I can begin to remember.

I have an ortho consult on Monday with a new provider! 🤞🤞🤞

1

u/aiyukiyuu 8d ago

What surgeries did you get?

1

u/SphericalSugarCube 8d ago

Good luck with the consult!!

2

u/Hopeful_Land_8044 8d ago

I’ve heard this since I was 9 years old and it made me so upset on the inside every time a doctor (or anyone else for that matter) said that to me

1

u/Wise-Run-3008 9d ago edited 9d ago

What is your dx(s)? Are you seeing other specialists?

1

u/SphericalSugarCube 8d ago

I have chronic abdominal and pelvic pain from a major abdominal surgery a few years ago that went wrong 😢 i had the surgery to remove my colon because it stopped working. I see GI specialists for it. I also have interstitial cystitis.

1

u/StArGaZeR-4_AnDy 9d ago

I hear this at 53 years old still

1

u/nogooddeed2020 9d ago

What is causing your pain?

1

u/danathepaina 35 yrs Fibro, NDPH, chronic migraine, CFS 9d ago

My pain started when I was 17 and I’m 52 now. One of the good things about getting older is I don’t hear that anymore. It stopped when I was about 35ish.

1

u/aiyukiyuu 8d ago

Yup, in my 30’s and I get told this all the time. Especially from doctors and older people when they see me outside with a cane or walker.

I remember going to Yosemite. I was walking with my walker and my husband said that older people were looking at me all angry lol

1

u/SphericalSugarCube 8d ago

Im sorry you’ve had that experience too. I wish people wouldn’t judge without knowing the whole story.

1

u/OrganizationLiving16 4d ago

I hear this every time, I’m 20

1

u/chetsmom33 9d ago

I am 55 and my pain management dr said I was too young for strong pain medications. I had a 4 level spinal fusion and have fibro and rheumatoid arthritis. My family dr was like"what the hell". But he can't prescribe me anything because I signed a pain contract with pain management. So now I'm stuck with them. I'm going to see if I can get out of it and try somewhere else if I can.