What is the worst pain you have ever felt?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
41

I have posted this before, but here it is, copied and pasted:

I was about 26, i.e. maybe four years ago (I can’t remember, the last decade is a blur). I had just visited my sister, I think she had recently had her first kid (that should date it for me, but I still haven’t a clue. It was November, anyway).

ANYWAY, I was being driven homewards by my Mum when all of a sudden a small discomforting pain started to grow in my belly. In the space of about three minutes it had grown to unbearable agony and I was squirming all over the car. My Mum asked me what was wrong and I tried to tell her, but my voice was coming out in short breaths. She asked if I should go to the hospital, and I immediately nodded ‘Yes!’ (which was her clue that it was serious, as normally I avoid medical situations if I can).

So I’m in unbearable pain that feels like my intestines are being eaten by a weasel, and I have to have all these tests done. Yet I can barely walk, let alone stand for an X-Ray or whatever else.

The Doctors are clueless. They have no idea what’s wrong. The only conclusion they can draw is my stomach appears bloated, so they shove a tube up my nose and down my throat, which is a horrifically uncomfortable thing.

Six hours later, the pain is finally fading. I’m calmer, but scared. I fear I’m dying, though I try not to think about it. And the next day, the Medical Professionals still have no clue as to what it was.

Another night in the hospital, the tube is removed, I am released, and I go home none the wiser.

A month later it happens again. I go for a ride in the ambulance (cool, but it cost me money! D’oh!) and a new Doc checks me out. This time he figures it out in seconds.

If the first Docs had had the gumption to look at my family history, they’d see Gall Stones are very common, and genetically I’m more inclined to suffer from them.

Morons.

I have had atacks periodically, yet randomly, for the past four years since. Some are mild and bearable, some are worse. The worst one yet lasted 8 hours, did not cease during that entire time, and felt exactly like that scene in The Matrix where Keanu has the thingummy creature shoved in his bellybutton.

It is horrific, and, yes, apparently comparable to childbirth.

42

When I was eighteen, I was in a rather nasty bike crash. I really screwed myself up. I got a couple stitches on my chin, the left side of my face was torn up, I had gravel embedded in my hands, and both of my knees were gashed. My right knee was injured enough that I had to use crutches for a while, and limped for several months afterwards. But what hurt the WORST was my left pinky finger - about half of my fingernail was ripped off in the crash. The rest of the injuries weren’t fun at all, but the pinky was just awful. Really intense pain. It was kind of ironic, considering that it looked like someone had taken a bite out of my face.

43

Pluto sez:

Count yourself luck bud. I didn’t GET anesthetic. Freaking militay doctors. I literally bent the gurney they laid me upon to perform it.

44

The OP specified physical pain, describing it as more easily quantifiable. OK, we’ll stick with that, although SqrlCub had a point on emotional pain.

I once ruptured my liver on the handlebar of a bike (I don’t suppose many do that twice); that event also collapsed a lung and bent my spine - those were sideshows. There’s nothing quite like blowing out a vital internal organ. A year later my appendix quit its job and we did more emergency surgery - very similar pain experience, but at least I could breathe that time.

Two burn experiences - I once had a radiator cap let go while I was checking the oil and was showered with boiling coolant. A story in itself. Ver-r-ry painful. A night in ER, but few ill effects a few days later. I also passed out (faulty respiratory equipment) in a chemical plant storage tank and marinated in some stuff a bit more serious than lime juice. That one kept me in the hospital for a month - three weeks in one of those contraptions that looks like a conestoga wagon where they suspend you via harness in the air. The funny thing about that one (yet another story) was that I was apparently in shock and I don’t remember actually being in pain until the second day.

Then, burn pain. Quite riveting.

But, when I ponder the subject and the replies, I am called to consider the nature of one’s appreciation of the pain you endure. Both Veb and *Shayna point out that they experienced truly agonizing pain from eye injuries. I will add that some tooth pain I’ve experienced has easily rivaled that of the two life threatening physical events described above, Sheesh, a dentist’s drill in a nerve will make forget you’ve even got a liver to worry about.

I do think that blowing out internal bulkheads: a) causes pain, b) sticks with you if you live through it because you (if you’re conscious) probably realize that you might easily die.

45

Oh my goodness, just thought I’d say that reading about that pinky nail and the hemorrhoids minus anasthesia has me squirming. Seriously, that was so awful.

I hope no one ever comes THAT close to my ass. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

I was talking to my mom about the pain thing and she brought up the time I was 8 and I was on his old, hideous bike. There were no plastic covers on the metal handlebars, and so I made a sharp turn and the metal cricle embedded itself in my neck. I don’t have a scar, and I vaguely remember riding in an ambulance. Apparently I got 38 stitches, but I do not remember most of this. Must have blacked it out.

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. God Cynical, I am all squinched up just thinking about that. Ughhhh.

46

Yea, yea, OK. I’ll start using preview.

47

No doubt about it – it was when my hip joint first went bad from the side effects of corticosteroids. I was making the bed and felt a strange tearing sensation across my lower back and hip. I spent a large portion of the next few days on the floor until my parents came by and called me an ambulance (I had no insurance then, and it hurt too much to even think about getting to the phone). The doctors gave me pain pills and sent me home. I pounded on the back seat of the car and cried all the way home, it hurt so bad.

I stayed in the same condition for the next six weeks; the only thing that made it bearable was that if I lay down kept still the pain would subside until I moved. It gradually lessened and now my hip joints hurt pretty much continually, but it’s bearable. Beats hip replacement surgery (I hear that really hurts).

Catrandom

48

Incredible stories, all. As to my stories, hmmm. Where to start. 2 kids born by emergency c-section. Appendix that was ready to rupture as they were cutting me open, after 10 pelvic exams 'cause the docs were clueless for most of the night. 8-9 kidney infections in one 8 month span. Gall bladder attacks for almost 6 months before they decided it needed to come out. Walking up to your hubby to give him a kiss while barefooted and he was wearing steel-toed combat boots. Hit his boot just right, it ripped off the entire right big toe nail. Never did get that kiss. :frowning: Getting acrylic nails, and a few days later bumping into the van door while exiting, with my right pinky taking the brunt. It ripped all but the last 1/4" of my nail off. Dental pain: well, suffice it to say I let no one near my teeth without nitrous oxide, and LOTS of drugs, and haven’t for over 10yrs.

The worst? Kidney stones, and the resulting surgeries. One month in the hospital, 3 surgeries in 2 weeks. The last one cost me a rib, and the scar goes halfway around my middle, from my spine in back to my bellybutton (almost). For a week I couldn’t even sit up under my own power. But, I still have all my own parts. Which was in quite some doubt just before that last surgery. Let me add, this was after my daughter being born by c-section in Jan, those aforementioned kidney infections, my thyroid dying in Jun, severely bruising my back in Jun, moving in Aug, and having the surgeries in Oct. 1985 was not my year.

Aren’t you glad you asked? :wink:

<slight hi-jack> Sqrlcub, I have no words. :frowning: {{{{{Sqrlcub}}}}} </slight hi-jack>

49

The worst pain sharp pain I have ever felt was one time when I was cutting some Habanero peppers, I dropped the knife on the edge of the cabinet and the end flipped some pepper guts and seeds into my eye. I pretty much just colapsed to the ground in pain and shock for about 5 minutes. The stuff the cops use isn’t even in the same ballpark. For long term discomfort I have to give it to kidney stones though.

50

#1 gunshot wound (not life threatening, but it hurt so bad it made me want to do unkind things to supposed friendlies)
#2 chest pains (turned out to be hiatal hernia, but my brain didn’t know it at the time)
#3 RK surgery minus the post-op pain killers (not my brightest decision)

51

Undoubtedly the worst pain I have ever, ever experienced happened after the c-section birth of my youngest.

Everything was normal, I felt as alright as you’d expect, baby was ok, all the good stuff.I went to sleep and woke several hours later with the MOST painful muscle spasms in my shoulders.I swear, these spasms were more painful than all 18 hours of induced labor, a previous c-section,a broken leg,and many foot impalement injuries.The incision in my belly didn’t even register compared to this pain.I cried and cried,the docs would come in and tell me it was all in my head, nurses shot me full of morphine over and over, and it didn’t even take the edge off.I spent 8-10 hours in a fog of drug induced stupor and absolute agony.I hurt so much that I couldn’t even hold my new baby, and I cried when I had to ask the nurse to feed him because I was afraid I’d drop him.

My savior finally came in the form of a gruff old OB nurse who knew what was going on and put a heating pad on me and gave me some wonder drug that actually allowed me to rest, with the pain lessening steadily.I still love that woman, whoever she was.

Apparently,after surgery when they start reassembling you, the doctors are supposed to sort of ‘burp’ your abdomen like a tupperware bowl to get any air out of your belly before you are closed up.Having had the section performed in a bit of a hurry(baby was not happy,took mommy hostage) and considering the hospital was a teaching hospital, someone screwed up and didn’t get all the air out of my tummy.
This air rested beneath my diaphragm muscle and made me have these awful spasms in my shoulders.Man, that was the pits.

I don’t know how this will compare to some of the other stories here, but it still ranks as the #1 painfest I’ve ever had the misfortune to be involved in.

52

My story would have to be… summer of my senior year in highschool.

A gentleman was arguing with his wife. While he had 6 children, a puppy, and a kitten. Well he’d had enough of her, and accellerated into the intersection. I was going the speed limit. Unfortunatley, he did not look at all. I locked up the brakes very quickly. I slammed into the side of his merc, with my 73’ plymouth it just so happened it was legally lacking shoulder straps. I’m tall by the way. I managed to put my face, and my hand through the windsheild. I also did a number on my shins using the dash as a nice knife.

Oops. Should have seen their faces when I asked if everyone was okay… haha.

The pain didn’t hit me for a while. Once I got all the blood off my face, and put a couple peices of skin back. I felt okay. I guess I didn’t look so hot but it wasn’t too bad. I was worried about my car show the next day. Prepay. I could resurrect the car. I later went to the hostpital. Oopsy, I managed to break a few things in my face. My bad.

It hurt. I swear to god I almost broke my aunts arm when she did that ‘got your nose gag’. She didn’t realize… she learned very quickly. My septum managed to deviate. So I had to do the surgery thing.

The real pain, right here boys and girls. 24 hours after surgery, they pulled out the packs that were holding a flood of blood back.

I’ve never felt anything like that. Those things felt like 2x4’s being jerked out of my SOUL. The packs were really like… 6 inches long and about an inch around. First he broke loose the scabbing, then it was the burning searing. Then involunterily the tears started rushing down my face, I dropped the pan he asked me to hold for him (THE NERVE!!) Blood was running all over, and that was just one side. In the chaos he reached over and yarded the other pack out.

I hate drugs. Any kind of drugs. Usually I just stick things out. I was looking for milk and my bottle of pills that instant. I’ll never forget it. Think of when you get water in your nose… add blood, 10x the pain, and crying.

Owie. I can still feel it.
No match for some of you though. You’re a better man than I.

53

The night my brother died. Now watching my aging parents slip away from me…

54

I once dropped an iron skillet onto my foot.

Honorable mention goes to the time I was cleaning the stove. I picked up one of the electric burners to clean underneath it and realized too late that it was still hot. The initial contact didn’t hurt too badly, but for three days the burn throbbed like a mother.

55

The first time I had a migraine headache, I thought I was going to die. I actually threw up from the pain, it was so bad. My husband took me to the urgent care clinic, and the only way I could get the smallest bit of relief was to kneel, and hunch over so that my head could rest on the exam table. The doctor came in and thought I was a devoted Muslim, praying towards Mecca! He gave me a wonderful shot, I could still somewhat feel the pain, but I was too mellowed out to care. :slight_smile:

Childbirth was definately up there on the pain scale. I had an induced birth, which I hear is 2 or 3 times as painful as a regular one. Have any of you doper Mommies had both and would like to enlighten us? I think there was a definate psychological element to my pain, since it was 6 weeks early and I was unprepared and scared to death. The damn foley cathertar didn’t help my mood one bit, either!

56

Hmm. I’ve had two babies, one over 10 pounds, the other just shy of 9 pounds, without anesthetic. Yes, it hurt, but those two events are totally eclipsed on the pain scale by my worst headaches. Yeow.

The impacted wisdom tooth that ended up taking an hour to remove was also a lot worse. Though in that case it wasn’t really the pain - I’d had massive amounts of novocaine, so that was bearable. It was sitting there for a frigging HOUR with my mouth wide open, listening to all those horrid sounds and seeing my tooth come out one blood-soaked sliver at a time. Childbirth was much more pleasant, and I got to scream and holler as much as I wanted.

57

I had a groin pull once from slipping on ice. OK, that doesn’t sound so bad, huh? After 3 days of getting worse I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t even move from the pain. I tried to rise, but it was like my muscles were paralyzed. I tried to pull myself with my arms, but even breathing spiked the pain. I just lay there in horrendous pain at 1:00 am waiting for the morning, when my Mom would come downstairs and I could get her to help me up.

This occurred in the mid-80’s, when many doctors were using the tactic “give anti-inflammatories, NOT pain killers” which was possibly a reaction to the hype of the “war on drugs”. I mean, you could not get pain killer for kidney stones (which I had also, and the groin pull was much worse pain). Here I was , in a wheelchair unable to even sleep because of the pain, and they just prescribed NORMAL Tylenol, not even Tylenol 3. Eventually, because the pain was so great, a friend gave me some leftover Lortabs, and I could finally sleep.

Now that I’m all grown up, I TELL my doctor what I need, and I always carry Tylenol 3, Lortabs, and other medicine on trips in case something happens.

This brings up an sad point: I went to two doctors with my pain (I would have gone to more, but riding in the car was simply too much) and they would not fucking give me any painkiller. The friend who gave me the Lortabs did so because I actually begged him to buy Morphine, or anything, for me just so I could fucking sleep. I gave him about $500 and said “get me something for the pain, and keep the rest.” He gave it back and brought over the leftover prescription, and I was sleeping in 30 minutes.

Yet, if I had been successful in relieveing my extreme pain in that way, I would have been a felon. Since I received prescription drugs from a third party, I guess I was anyways.

58

I’ll throw in a vote for kidney stones. I’ve also heard it said that they are much more painful than childbirth. Strange, considering they are about the size of an English Pea.

59

…I’m sure I’ve not yet experienced “the worst pain” of my life.

But, these have made me the most miserable thus far in my life.

  1. Last November I had a kidney infection. I went to the doctor at 2pm, was diagnosed with a UTI, and left. I picked up my prescription at 5pm and noticed my back was aching, but I figured it was just tired from a day on my feet. 7pm, my boyfriend called, concerned, and said he was bringing over corn bread for me (my first symptom, looking back, was a complete loss of appetite). I was hurting, but still managed. 8pm, he showed up–and I was doubled over in pain that brought tears. The pain was just engulfing…and poor Bri felt so powerless. “Can I rub your back, hon? Will that help?” Me (wincing): “Oh, no, hon.” (Rubbing would have HURT!) Bri: “Well, baby, can I rub your feet?” :slight_smile: He’s so wonderfully sweet. The antibiotics for the UTI treat a kidney infection as well, and I was pain free within a couple of days. But YECH!

  2. Like Shayna, I had sinus surgery five years ago. They completely rearranged the inside of my nose–repairing or removing bone spurs, polyps, cysts, missing membranes, deviations, etc. The worst wasn’t post-surgical–it was removing all of the packing a week later. (Having to sleep with all of that packing was the WORST…I couldn’t breathe! I was so sleep-deprived by the end of the week I was an emotional mess.) They used a spongey material and had it shoved up my nose, to hold everything together. Removing each (there were 3 in each nostril) of these 4-inch long foam pieces was absolutely excruciating. The pain wasn’t in my nose–it was my teeth! The roots of the incisors go up into the sinus cavities, and I sat there tearing up saying, “I will never, ever complain about the dentist again!”

60

Holy cow, what the human body can take. My head wants to explode after reading these stories.

Anyway, here’s my list:
Tied 1 and 2: Hiatal hernia (thought I was having a heart attack) and TMJ.

3: Cluster headaches (thank god I don’t get THOSE anymore).

Honorable mention goes to a cracked tailbone from falling off a skateboard and a cracked rib from falling on grandma’s bannister. A cinder in the sclera. Oh and I had to hit the same spot on my hand with a 3 lb mallet not once, not twice, but three times.

I’ve never experienced childbirth but I remember Peaches telling me that her hips felt like “wet cement” after the birth of her first (or was it the twins?). Yoicks. I gotta respect that (Peaches, you get the wishbone!).