This is not what youn want to here I think, but here goes anyway. My accident happened in 1976, 2nd ak amputation in 1980. I have never ever gotten over the pain. I also have a very very very bad stump which just made things even worse. Short story is 27 years after I finally became a Chronic Pain patient and use strong stuff in a patch. It is the only thing that ever helped me at all. Used properly, side effects have been minimal to nonexistent. It is a huge responsibility though. A lot to consider.

You may just try and get use to it, learn to distract yourself if you can. Boy, I am Mr. Sunshine eh?(Heavy Sarcasm). Hang Tough and I wish you the Best! Other people have had great success with altnative therapies, no reason you can't either., just not me.
Paulie

Hey Martin,
Well, I dealt with chronic pain for so long that I was sure that I would have to deal with phantom pain however I have bouts of it. Sometimes it will just hit me and then it will be gone.
I participate in a lot of yoga and meditation. I was in a yoga class four months post amputation with no prosthesis and I used chairs and anything I could get my hands on to help me get into positions. I found that it helped distract me and also to help my mind realize that it was all in my head. It also helps me if I touch my residual limb when I am going through the pain. If I can see me touching it I some how have been able to know that it is ok. Like I said though I do not experience it everyday or for minutes, hours, days at a time.
I have mostly phantom sensation. I still in my mind have toes, and a bunion on the outside of my pinkie toe that burns, and a big toe that was screwed together ( whole other story) so as I say it is in my head. Our brains are very powerful and unfortunately remember a lot of bad things.
Hope that some of this info. helps you out.

For me it slowly decreased as time went on. Still get flashes every now and then. Almost drop me to the ground. I think most of it is when a nerve gets hit just right. But I do get that annoying throb when I take my leg off at night sometimes. Seems like it's worse when the weather changes or after a hard day at work.
I think it's different for each of us. How the nerves were tied off and such. Unfortunately, I think we'll all have it to some extent for the rest of our lives. I hope it lessen as time goes on for you.

I took neurontin for several years. It did nothing for me. It works for some people, just not me.
For some people direct pressure on the end of the stump seems to work. When it comes to pain it is all very subjective and doctors seem to be grasping for anything that may work.
I was on dilantin for years and it did nothing either.
The last thing they tried on me was something called "Baclofen". That stuff gave me irregular heartbeats.
Good luck. I hope you find something that works.

Hey Martin:

I struggled with phantom pain for a good 5 years after my amputation in 2001. I am a hemi-pelvectomy, so with that amount of nerve damage I was bound to have more of it than some. Neurontin didn't work for me. I was on a fentanyl patch for the first year, but I hated being so "out of it" - so with a lot of medical help I got "unhooked." But I was still in so much pain (I called it "zingers"). I was on regualr doses of Oxycontin up until recently. Not until about a year ago, did the pain start to subside. I still have it from time to time, but can usually calm the nerves by getting up & crutching and/or putting a heating pad on the residual area. I never can get rid of the sensation that I still have my foot and knee though. I don't feel any other part of my missing limb - just the foot and knee. Weird... Anyway, try the heating pad; it helps me - maybe you too?