Hi everyone!
I am just wondering what works for everyone to manage their pain?
Best,
Erika
xoxo
As of right now I do very little…but what I do sometimes works amazingly. There is a pain relief cream Tylenol precise…it works wonders for me. I also use Tylenol arthritis. Working out in the pool or lower body cardio has works some too (that is only if i can actually handle the movement). Those are my suggestions…believe me we are all searching for at home pain relief other than meds that will knock us out. I hope this helps you a little. We are all in this together. You are not alone 
Thanks! I am doing yoga everyday and cardio when my body allows. I am also taking cymbalta. Sometimes I get injections of lidocane in my neck. The pain meds my doctor gave me do not work for since I am still a teen they won’t give me anything strong. Which I can’t really blame them, but I need something more for certain days.
900 mgs of Gabapentin along with 800 mgs of Ibuprofen and 100 mgs Tramadol every night. It helps, but is no cure. It just makes the pain a little easier to tolerate.
Something I do is swimming. It was something I learned in a Chronic Illness program, as gentle exercise helps to cope with pain. It my sound crazy but it now lowers my pain levels quite dramatically. Try to stay warm in the pool and always wear a thermal top and a swim cap, as the physiotherapist said it would help to stay warm. Just take it easy at first and build onto trying just do a little more each time you swim. I now swim twice a week and I think I probably could extend that to three swims a week. I now swim for 40minutes so that's about half a mile each swim. After my swim session I treat myself to a 20minute spa to help keep my body warm and its great to meditate while in the spa.
Another way if paracetamol won't help is to use heat, especially moist heat like a hot water-bottle...
Hope this may help. Mike
Effexor was working for me for quite awhile but seems to have lost it’s muscle against the pain. Asking the docs for something different and still doing the relaxation, meditation and small rest periods throughout the day.
Docs just took me off (tapering) the Effexor and I will start Cymbalta as soon as possible thereafter. I will let everyone know how it works for me.
HEY GUYS, ANY OF YOU TRIED A TENS UNIT…? I’VE GOT ONE AND ITS BEN OF GREAT RELIEF, AS IT SENDS A SMALL ELECTRICAL CURRENT ACROSS THE NERVES SENDING THE PAIN SIGNAL TO YOUR BRAIN… MY THERAPIST SAID IT MAY HELP FOR SHORT BURSTS OF BRAKE THROUGH PAIN AND CAN BE USED ALMOST ANYWHERE ON THE BODY… ITS WORTH A TRY, ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON’T LIKE TAKING MEDICATIONS THAT MAY HARM YOU LATER ON IN LIFE…
Effexor and xanax is what works for me. Use to take Lyrica. Other than that just relax when I go home. I mean I literally shut down.
Avoiding all gluten removed 97% of my pain, but it is a 100 commitment. Try it for two weeks and see if there is a differences for you. Some Doctors say it can take months though to have an effect. Even if you are not gluten intolerant, Gluten causes inflammation in most people. I was so bloated that I lost 6 inches of my waist in 2 weeks.
I get 9 hours of sleep. less then that and I hurt. I take naps two to three days a week. Before I get out of bed I stretch for a a bit to loosen things up. .Yoga, palities, and walking work well also. I pretty much just do the warm up and cool down part. I ignore anyone that tells me to walk faster. I go slow. If i go to fast for my body I walk less cause I hurt then.
A mile slow does more for my well being then a half mile fast. If I am having a bad day I more pace then walk, just enough to get the blood flowing. As good as it sometimes feels to sit and watch tv all day I know I need to get up at the end of every show and move around a bit. I lock up if i sit more then an hour.
Shock of any kind also causes pain so I found it is better to go outside with a jacket on and have to take it off in the fall and winter then to go outside and shock my self.
I also have a foam mattress, Springs make me sore.
Hi Erika
I'm on Tramadol, Lyrica, Cymbalta, Xanax, stillnox & serequel!
The list did include oxycontin until I came off 2 weeks ago.
The medications are so specific to you that it's quite trial and error.
The best medicine I've finally found after 28 years of letting myself waste is a good physio, personal trainer and getting myself moving! It's easier said than done though as some mornings I just want to hide.
I work in a Senior Role and that's my daily passion to get me through as well as my fab husband and 2 young kids.
Magnesium is also another good one to take as well as a multi vit and omega 3 fish oils.
Hope this helps you in some way!
Take care & remember you're never alone xx Jo
I am on disability. This would not work if I worked. I make sure I get sleep. I sleep in late and take naps. I try to stay with the same bedtime. I cannot live without my Advil pm. I am also on Lamictal, risperdone, elavil and I very low dose of Ativan. I have found working out at the gym beneficial. I try to go at least 4 times a week. Sometimes I can only do an hour of slow walking on the treadmill. If I have a flare I lay down in the dark and use Ultram and a heating pad.
This may sound a little odd but I started thinking about all the things that are different from when I was a kid. One big thing was plastic food containers. I have stopped using them for three weeks and am working at home more now. I am not 100% sure that there is a correlation. but most of my plastic is older and I wonder if it is breaking down and making me more toxic. I have just felt better the last few weeks.
Sometimes I have to grab at straws and just test odd things on myself to see what works.
Yoga, sleep, real food. low sugar, no gluten, low stress, low noise, drinking water. all these seem to help.
Ah, reading about the gluten makes me sad. I think it might be a problem for me, but I have balked at going GF. Tried it for a few days and DID feel better. What I just read there backed it up even more. Not allergic to gluten (we checked), but I didn't know that about inflammation. As for meds, motrin and flexeril for me. I've been hesitant to take anything else, like the Lyrica and whatnot. The flexeril is more for my TMJD (way crooked jaw, cramps, pain, blah) but it helps overall for pain as well.
For sure exercise. It's hard to get up and moving sometimes, but when I do, I feel better, generally. I also find if I do too much, it hurts. I guess we just have to walk that line.
This sleep you all post about....what is this? lol Sleep would be great. Probably would help. However, if I lay there TOO long, it hurts then, too. Ugh!!
hi guys, i'm seeing my dr next week as i suspect i may have rheumatoid arthritis in my larger joints, as i'm very stiff and have extremely painful hips and sometimes in my shoulders as well.. i'm only taking paracetamol and a codeine 3x daily but it isn't helping my joint pain.. the last time i visited my dr we talked about going onto stronger pain meds, and tramadol was suggested.
because of my cp and raynauds, i have to be careful of any other medications but would you think tramadol is a good pain relief for joint pain...?
i relies you aren't dr's but if anyone is taking tramadol, could you please reply with your findings..?
this would be much appreciated..
Someone put on the discussion about using vitamin B5(Pantothenic Acid) at 500 mg. every 6 hours. Actually, I started trying that and have been on it for a week. Amazingly, it does help. There is still pain but it is bearable.
Thanks for that information.
I’ve started a new diet focused on nutrition dense foods and crushed greens in berry smoothies. Along with that I take a high potency dose of magnesium on an empty stomach at night. I have found certain foods make my joints swell and fibro symptoms worse so I have eliminated gluten,dairy and sugar from my diet. On top of that I still take 20mg of Cymbalta in the morning. I also go to yoga three times a week and am involved in Dutch dance that I have practice for the other two days. I now know I have poor circulation so I get a massage every two weeks.
If you have any questions please ask and I can help guide you to the right foods.
I hardly ever need to take tramodol or darvacet anymore, which is good because I had wild side affects. I do ake Advil frequently though, but that’s better than the alternative.
I almost feel like a normal high school teenager enjoying my Senior year!
I have decided that I have worked enough in my chosen field and I am now dedicating my time and energy to my son. I am on disability. I was diagnosed with Bipolar in addition to my fibromyalgia and the doctors sent me home with a variety of medicines that coicidently helped me get some SLEEP. Oh YEAH!!!! I did not think that was possible.
The combo makes me sleepy but it was not enough so they added a small amount of ativan. And I added Advil pm because I am in pain at night. I don't take the ativan (muscle relaxant) every night, but it helps.
While my son is at school I allow myself one day of rest (4 hours during the DAY) during the week BECAUSE I always wake up at night and go into a light sleep. If I have a lot to do one or two days then I back it up with the nap plan. You can work yourself into exhaustion.
Now this does make some sense because RESEARCHERS know that our cortisol levels and REM sleep is disturbed. So the idea of a full nights rest just does not exist with FM patients. But who says you can't find that sleep in naps during the day? AND I say you can.
This is not for everyone but this lifestyle allows me to go for many painfree days.
I currently use Botox regularly for muscle relief, and now using a sleeping aid nightly and cymbalta. It’s just a fine balance of trial and error. I also participated in counseling for a year and found that very helpful, I have better perspective of my illness, less anger and my partner is now more understanding.
I used one for a bit and it worked fine. Then it started irritating my nerves and made my pain worse. Just and FYI
MikefromsouthNZ said:
HEY GUYS, ANY OF YOU TRIED A TENS UNIT…? I’VE GOT ONE AND ITS BEN OF GREAT RELIEF, AS IT SENDS A SMALL ELECTRICAL CURRENT ACROSS THE NERVES SENDING THE PAIN SIGNAL TO YOUR BRAIN… MY THERAPIST SAID IT MAY HELP FOR SHORT BURSTS OF BRAKE THROUGH PAIN AND CAN BE USED ALMOST ANYWHERE ON THE BODY… ITS WORTH A TRY, ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON’T LIKE TAKING MEDICATIONS THAT MAY HARM YOU LATER ON IN LIFE…