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Coping with pain


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Hi all. As I'm having a tough pain day, I thought I'd ask what you do to cope with pain that seems to help. I'm not coping all that well today--after some meditation, watching silly stuff on tv to make me laugh, and taking meds for pain and muscle spasms, I'm all out of ideas.

Thoughts??

Nina, a not so nimble mouse, who's writing you from bed, which I've been in since 6pm.

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okay, this may be really lame, and i don't mean to insult your intelligence, but heat & ice do wonders for me in certain areas. i say certain areas b/c my extremities can't tolerate cold at all. but for behind the neck/back of the head pain ice does wonders for me if i'm laying down. and for other things heat seams to at least quell things a bit for me...i discovered this through unintentional placement of my laptop:-) again, i realize it's fairly lame but i figured i'd still put it out there...ya never know.

hope you're feeling better soon,

:-)melissa (who has also been hanging out in bed more than she'd like ever since the cleveland trip....grrrr)

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Tramadol! (Zydol)!

Today nothing shifted my pain, I felt like all my joints had snapped. I did feel a bit better about a hot bath.

Heat definitely helps, and lying flat- taking the weight off my hips, butt, legs etc.

Have you thought about holistic stuff like acupuncture? Myuncle has MS and swears by it for his pains and aches.

Perhaps a homoepath could help come up with some chemical free pain relief treatments for you?

Maybe a massage?

Uhh....stuff from Lush? their bathbombs are awesome...www.lush.com

Feel better soon! :)

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Thanks for the ice/heat reminder. I forgot about that option. Heat, when my nerves are inflamed, makes things worse, but sometimes, ice helps. We have special ice packs that Teri got as a sample from a rep--they're great.

No, I hadn't heard of biofreeze before...I'll check into it. Funny thing is that my cats go NUTS with flexall... there is something in it that's like catnip, but better. They sit ON me and try to lick wherever the stuff is.

It's really too soon for me to say much about the ENDF forum...it's not as busy as here, but the folks are very supportive. I've noted a lot of overlap in the discussion taking place here and what's discussed there, although at a slower pace, probably because there are separate forums for the separate disorders--that makes a lot of sense though because those with, say, EDS type I are very different in their issues from EDS type III. Maybe in a month or so, I would have more of an opinion. Feel free to private message or email me if you want to check in on that topic next month.

Meanwhile, I did put my neck brace on. I haven't worn it in about a year---and my neuro thinks it would help to wear more often, but my pain management doc thinks it's very bad long term and to try not to use it. Grrrr.

Thanks for checking in with me. I just need to get through this pain to the other side...

Nina

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Pers, I love baths...personally, I love Philosophy brand stuff... http://www.philosophy.com

:) as one of my dear friends would say, retail therapy helps (in case you don't get the joke, that means shopping, online or other).

Yep, tried accupuncture, chinese herbalist, and massage. I still get massages... I have one scheduled for Friday night ...ahh....

Wish could take tramadol, but I can't. I have taken ultram in the past but it doesn't work for me.

Nina

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lol...i am cracking up envisioning the cats enjoying your attempt at pain relief b/c i can see my Czar doing the exact same thing.

and yes, you've gotta love the conflicting advice from the docs about the neck brace...it seems to me though that as long as you're wearing it in a limited way, (which you obviously are seeing that it's been a year!) it's worth a go if there's a shot at some relief. i haven't had to use it recently but at times mine helped me tons long after i thought it would be of any use....and my surgery was much less of an event than yours.

(you say you like baths...you're able to tolerate them okay BP wise? do you have trouble once you get out?)

here's hoping you're able to get some good sleep tonight,

:-)melissa

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How do I cope with pain? Not very well! :)

Sorry! Bad joke.

Um...let's see...I'm addicted to Thermacares--not a cheap thing...oh poop! And, of course, my temperpedic bed.

What kind of pain are you having? Like the nerve stimulation stuff or more joint pain sort of stuff.

I just started Topamax for pain and have had my first pain-free day in forever. It helps with the nerve pain coming from my neck and such. Although, I've only taken it two days, so it's a bit premature for me to say if it works wonders or not.

Also, I know benzos are controversial...BUT they DO help me BIG TIME with pain...like dramatically...a little xanax could break your cycle of pain a little maybe.

Pain has become the biggest complaint I have now and it is a huge struggle and I don't have much to help you...sorry. Sometimes the collar could be good though to stop the cycle...it doesn't mean you will be using it so much that it will mean you will be getting your muscles weakened, ya know?

I am so debilitated by my pain that it is what keeps me homebound I think...b/c I only have a couple of positions that I can sit in without major problems...I have to be positioned very particularly in my bed or recliner most of the time. AAaaaaarrrrggghhh....so, all that I can say is...I empathize with you and I am sorry you are having such a rough time with the pain today. I know it really, really, wears ya down!

Later alligator,

em

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baths are double edged sword. I love them, but since Teri's away, I think it's not a good idea as I sometimes have trouble getting out of the tub by myself because it sinks my bp into the tank.

the pain is a bit of everything... I did something to my upper back/neck yesterday just doing a few minutes of Pilates. I know I must have done something the wrong way b/c those exercises are supposed to be safe. Anyway, I'm having shoulder joint pain, nerve pain and clonic movements down my left arm, as well as sharp nerve pains in the tips of 2 fingers (feels like a nail is being driven into the tops of the fingernails). Also, I'm having spasms in the front of my chest and down my bicep. This is all familiar pain--it happened when I had physical therapy also.

Yeah, gotta love the one doctor telling me the opposite of the other...I should count myself lucky as it's not the SAME doctor contradicting him/herself. I've had that happen before :)

Off to bed. Em, wish I could take xanax on top of what I already took, but I'd worry that I wouldn't wake up tomorrow... not sure if it's okay to mix oxycontin, flexeril and xanax together. I already took the first two. BTW, Oxy makes me hyper in my head just like with percocet! Hence, my flurry of posts. Brain is on overdrive, body is not moving.

Nina

Edited by MightyMouse
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I feel your pain...literally. I don't know if it is the heat or the humidity or just a bad pain week. My rheumatologist just put me on Norco. It is a narcotic similar to Lortab, but with a lot less acetominophen (spelling?). I was worried about using this because narcotics usually drop my bp very, very low, but it has helped my pain with not too much of a drop in bp. You may want to ask your doc about something like this, but I would wait until someone can be with you until you try something new...but I am sure you already knew that!! Also, the biofreeze works wonders. I get it in the roll-on that way you don't have to get your hands messy and it's really good at targeting a specific muscle group. Hope you can get the pain under control!

Jaime

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the pain, i should be so lucky to say mine was anywhere near controled. my TENS unit is actually making my neck/upper back pain worse, so i'm back to ice, gentle swimming(we have pools that you can just walk into the water, just like a beach). i have taken a liking to my lidoderm patches(5% lidocaine), though i have to be careful as to how often i use them, they do help. i can use up to 3 10x14 cm patches at a time for up to 12 hours, then take 12 hours off. i can repeat this up to 3 times before i have to take a nite or two off. oddly enough, just pressure helps me sometimes. i buy up to 10 wraps a year at the dollar store and wrap my self up like a mummy. i also have a cat that enjoys rubs, her fav is Watkin's brand menthol camphor. i really like Swedish Bitters rub by Natureworks, Gessy won't eat it either. now i'm also stiff more than ever

best of luck, to anyone who hurts. i can only hope noone is getting as bad as me. i see the er in my future, again. :rolleyes:

blackwolf

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Maybe it's the full moon or something - I think for the last two or three days my pain level has really been up there! I use Vicodin (same thing as Lortab). I think, though, that I am starting to get rebound headaches from the acetominophen since I get the same headache from my sinus tablets. Percocet makes me really wired so I know I can't do that. I am having a terribly insomniac night too! YECCH!!

Norco was good but my doctor changed me a couple years ago because the vicodin was cheaper. Oh how I miss my masseuse! I'm like Morgan - can't wait to be able to get that personal masseuse. Tried TENS a few years ago, didn't help that much and now there is my pacemaker keeping me from trying it again.

I've decided that the pain is just the price of me living another day. Some days it doesn't feel worth it.

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I ordered the biofreeze this evening so I'll have to let you know how I, and my kitties, do with it.

Also, I had a friend remind me that I should be taking the oxycontin all the time, not just using it when the pain bothers me. Obviously, I'm still struggling with my mental difficulties accepting the need for a major pain killer on a twice a day basis.

Here's to pain free days for all! B) Nina

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Yeah for Biofreeze! :lol:

My family dr. also talked about the importance of getting pain meds in as soon as pain starts, and not while it's already set in, as it has a much better chance at working. It's so hard for me to remember all these drugs anyway, I only take 3, which is far less than most of you, but my brain in not equipped to tell me what to take and when! B)

About this "retail therapy" sometimes I've found a new pair of shoes or a new DVD just does the trick as well! :angry: Me being the youngest of 3 girls, the term "spoiled brat" has been used more than once. So, living up to my name, if I really wanted stuff in my younger POTS years I'd go shopping with mom and dad and pick something, or many somethings out, and exclaim "OH my heart, my brain, I FEEL them getting weaker by the minute!" usually brought on enough laughs to get me what I wanted.........you gotta do what you gotta do!! ;)

Take Care All,

-Steph

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