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Pain Threshold

G

Grumpy Cat

Well-Known Member
Grumpy Cat nurse here. Man am I grumpy! I have a bladder infection at this time that came on literally in a matter of minutes and I'm in excruciating pain - for me. I consider myself to have a low pain threshold. If I'm in any pain, I can't focus on anything else until it is completely gone. As most of you know I'm not Aspie. Since most Aspies have problems with touch and other external stimuli, do you also have a low pain threshold?
 
Thanks, Peng. The pain is almost gone. I just have to drink a lot and try to flush it out. I've been Miss UTI Queen since birth, but I've pretty much given up my throne - I only have bladder infections every now and then. I've been told that kidney stones are like giving birth for men. That must have been really painful.
 
Based on events earlier this summer, that is to say an accident which resulted in a fracture in my back and extensive damage in my leg-both a fracture in my leg and a bunch of other stuff, the medical names for which I forget, I learned that I have a very high pain threshold, in other words, even when in excruciating pain, I try to continue functioning as much as possible, and doing as much of the things I would do anyway as possible. The people at the hospital I went to after the accident kept expressing surprise that I was perfectly calm, and wasn't crying and stuff.
I find physical pain actually puts me in a better mood as it distracts me from the mental pain that is the bane of my life.

All the above sounds boastful; sorry for that. I don't consider that it makes me a better person; it's just something interesting about me. I'm pretty dang whiny when it comes to emotional pain. Unwanted touch from people is connected with mental pain, rather than with physical.
 
nurseangela said:
Thanks, Peng. The pain is almost gone. I just have to drink a lot and try to flush it out. I've been Miss UTI Queen since birth, but I've pretty much given up my throne - I only have bladder infection every now and then. I've been told that kidney stones are like giving birth for men. That must have been really painful.
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Welcome and yes that what people tell me. I learned I get it if I have too much calcium which sucks as I love dairy products. I just need to cut down a little.
 
I'm actually surprised (since I have such a low pain threshold) that I don't have more sympathy for some of my patients who are in pain - I guess I've been desensitized by so many patients who abuse pain medicine and come to the hospital just so they can have the highest IV stuff available.

One subject Ste11aeres touched on that a lot of people tend to believe is that if a person can't tolerate a lot of pain then they are a weenie (my words). I think people have different pain receptors. And even though I have a low pain threshold, I don't like taking any pain medicine unless it's really warranted and I only want to take the lowest dosage. I've never had narcotics.
 
Ste11aeres said:
Sorry about your infection, Nurse Angela :(
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Oh, thank you Ste11aeres. As you know, I have a phobia of doctors so I like to treat myself first. I took some Cystex that I got from Amazon (I love you Amazon!), drank a bunch of water (for flushing) and some coffee (diuretic), so we'll see what happens. :p
 
I've always had a somewhat high pain threshold. I've never been seriously injured, but all painful minor injuries i just walked right off. I sprained my wrist several times, I took a softball to the ribs once, i sprained a toe once, and I strained both leg muscles thanks to a vengeful coach in PE back in middle school. Even before i got seriously into self harm, I had a pretty good tolerance for pain.
 
I just couldn't do the self harm thing like cutting - it would just be too painful and I couldn't get anything else done.
 
According to other people, I seem to have a high pain threshold. I can't say for sure myself, because I don't know how others experience pain; therefore, I can't measure my endurance against theirs. I know I can withstand a grueling massage from my sports therapist, while my large male friend can't bear it. Some men are very sensitive though, and this fellow is probably on the spectrum too. My father had a high pain threshold, so maybe it's genetic.

One thing is for sure, I can barely tolerate a bladder infection. I used to get them a lot when I was young. Pure misery. The only thing that might be worse is a bad toothache. You have my sympathies and wishes for a speedy recovery. Do you have a heating pad? Placing a heating pad on the pelvis can help ... helps me anyway.
 
nurseangela said:
I just couldn't do the self harm thing like cutting - it would just be too painful and I couldn't get anything else done.
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You'd have to have a really low pain threshold for that haha. But yeah i get ya, it sort of breaks a natural barrier (metaphorically anyways) to do something like that. Though i will say, no injury (accidental or self inflicted) hurts like the migraine headaches i get sometimes. I can take a lot, but not those migraines. They debilitate me for hours. Idk if i a migraine counts though...but its painful so i'll say it does. :p
 
Kari Suttle said:
You'd have to have a really low pain threshold for that haha. But yeah i get ya, it sort of breaks a natural barrier (metaphorically anyways) to do something like that. Though i will say, no injury (accidental or self inflicted) hurts like the migraine headaches i get sometimes. I can take a lot, but not those migraines. They debilitate me for hours. Idk if i a migraine counts though...but its painful so i'll say it does. :p
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It counts.
 
Cali Cat said:
According to other people, I seem to have a high pain threshold. I can't say for sure myself, because I don't know how others experience pain; therefore, I can't measure my endurance against theirs. I know I can withstand a grueling massage from my sports therapist, while my large male friend can't bear it. Some men are very sensitive though, and this fellow is probably on the spectrum too. My father had a high pain threshold, so maybe it's genetic.

One thing is for sure, I can barely tolerate a bladder infection. I used to get them a lot when I was young. Pure misery. The only thing that might be worse is a bad toothache. You have my sympathies and wishes for a speedy recovery. Do you have a heating pad? Placing a heating pad on the pelvis can help ... helps me anyway.
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Thank you, Cali Cat. Just went to the bathroom and I thought it would flush out since it hasn't been long that it started, but it didn't yet. (Heavy sigh). Nothing will actually help mine, Cali Cat. I get that burning pain that you can't sit, stand - NOTHING, cause no position helps. The only thing to stop it is continuously drinking fluids to flush it out. If I get blood with it, then I know it's too late. And sometimes the pain will be so bad that I get the shakes and my teeth chatter. What are your bladder infections like?
 
This is kind of interesting. It seems, so far, that Aspies have a high pain threshold - and then there's me (NT) Miss Low Pain Threshold. :confused:
 
nurseangela said:
What are your bladder infections like?
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Like a hot poker inserted into my nether regions. :screamcat:

The heating pad helps if I can lie down for a while. Mostly, I walk constantly, or rock if sitting. I imagine that's because I'm trying to get away from the pain.

I have to drink lots of water and cranberry juice, and I take that Azo medication. That gives me some relief.
 
Eek, good luck! I've heard cranberry or some other fruit is good for UTI and related nuisances. Er, not just from Cali Cat, I've also heard it elsewhere.

My pain threshold is probably about average or barely above average. I had a pulled muscle or something once in my ribs and it was interesting trying to sleep or even breathe for a few weeks. Sharp, burning, stabbing little pain. *shudder* I was much nicer back in those days. These days, the more I hurt, the meaner I get. Kind of like the Hulk!
 
:smilecat:A Grumpy Cat Nurse Tid Bit -- Oldie men that get UTI's go nuts (literally).
(Some oldie women can too, but mostly the oldie men.)
 
My son, if he gets a splinter, you better get the earmuffs. But a broken arm? Nah, cool dude!
It's like an inversed pain threshold. I understand this isn't uncommon among aspies.
 
zurb said:
My son, if he gets a splinter, you better get the earmuffs. But a broken arm? Nah, cool dude!
It's like an inversed pain threshold. I understand this isn't uncommon among aspies.
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Yeah, I get that. Actual pain is easier to handle than an annoying ache or minor injury. I whine more about the small stuff. I don't know why though.
 
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