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• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Age 20-30 >> Interview CP42 >> She mainly accessed support groups on internet for information and did not want to dwell on the bad things.

Spinal pain. Pain started 1997. Pain management: Advice about pain management from complementary therapist. Current medication: co-dydramol. Past medication: co-codamol.

• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Age 41-60 >> Interview CP15 >> When she was deciding whether to have surgery she used the internet and asked her consultant lots of questions.

Pins and needle, numbness and neck pain since 1996. Surgery: Neck surgery for cervical mylenopathy. Treatment: Physiotherapy before and after surgery. Pain Clinic given oral steroids. Pain management: NHS outpatient pain management programme. Current medication: gabapentin, amitriptyline.

• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Age 41-60 >> Interview CP08 >> Does not find commercial or American sites useful and suspects that no two experiences of pain are the same.

Back pain following injury working with horses 1999. Surgery: Discectomy, 1999. Treatment: Pain Clinic for epidural steroid injection. Current medication: co-codamol (Tylex), codeine phosphate, tramadol.

• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Age 20-30 >> Interview CP16 >> Cautions others to be wary of commercial interests on the internet, but says that doctors are starting to welcome informed patients.

Abdominal/pelvic pain following appendectomy, 2001. Treatment: Steroid/anaesthetic nerve block. Physiotherapy. Current medication: None. Past medication: gabapentin, amitriptyline, morphine (Oromorph).

• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Age 41-60 >> Interview CP34 >> Finds internet support networks good but stresses that you have to be careful what advice you listen to.

Post-surgical adhesion pain/abdominal pain since 1979. Treatments: Coeliac plexus nerve block. TENS. Counselling. Current Medication: dihydrocodeine, amitriptyline, dipipanone (Diconal) for flare-up.

• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Age 41-60 >> Interview CP12 >> Her initial internet searches were unsuccessful but once she knew what to look for she was amazed at what she found.

Multiple tests all negative. Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, 2002. Pain management: Pain Association Scotland Living with Pain course. Current Medication: Occasionally uses co-codamol.

• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Age 61-80 >> Interview CP13 >> Tried to get information about her shoulder operation from the internet but would have liked more information from the hospital.

Osteoarthritis. Pain in shoulders since 1980s and lower back pain since 2002. Treatment: Hydrotherapy, Cortisone injections in shoulders. Surgery: Planned shoulder replacement in the future. Current medication: Cox 2 inhibitor. Past Medication: Ibrufen.

• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Age 31-40 >> Interview CP39 >> Searched the internet to find out what 'chronic pain' meant after seeing a poster in the surgery waiting room.

Neck and arm pain since 2003 aggravated by working at computer workstation. Treatment: Physiotherapy, NHS and police convalescent home. Current medication: tramadol slow release, tramadol, amitriptyline.

• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Age 41-60 >> Interview CP34 >> Finds internet support networks good but stresses that you have to be careful what advice you listen to.

Post-surgical adhesion pain/abdominal pain since 1979. Treatments: Coeliac plexus nerve block. TENS. Counselling. Current Medication: dihydrocodeine, amitriptyline, dipipanone (Diconal) for flare-up.

• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Age 20-30 >> Interview CP23 >> Discusses the pros and cons of the email forum group.

Pain due to damage to spinal cord from Chiari I Malformation and syringomyelia. Pain started 1997. Surgery: Essential cranial cervical decompression and laminectomy, 1999. Treatment: Pain Clinic for medication. Current medication: gabapentin (Neurontin), dothiepin, tramadol.

• Chronic health issues >> Chronic Pain >> Age 20-30 >> Interview CP02 >> Recommends using the Citizen's Advice Bureau for information about benefits and has also searched medical literature on the internet via Medline.

Multiple tests all negative. Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, 1996. Pain management: In-patient NHS pain management programme. Current medication: tramadol, amitriptyline, sertraline. Past medication: ibuprofen, paracetamol, diazepam