Pain Management

[whotoldya]

Been working with various pain management centers around the region. Seems most want to give me pain killers. I do not want those. Rather find alternative methods to ease pain.

Some of the herbs at the local herb store have helped some.

Also the Rehabilitation Center I go to has begun what they call an "Independant" program. Pay by the month go as many times as I want. No assistant but I remember most things they taught me.

Seems Rehab centers in other locations are starting to offer the same service. Been telling other friends about this. They are doing the same thing.

Anyone have any thoughts on this topic?

If you wish to post a topic you should be able to.

whotoldya

[lehman-parker]

That's an interesting concept about rehab centers. So is it like going to a gym but (I hope) at a lower cost?

Pain management is a problem for me. I'm extremely sensitive and/or allergic to all sorts of things so have sworn off meds altogether. More often than not, meds have caused me more problems than whatever they were supposed to help with.

Acupressure can help with my headaches, and just sitting still long enough helps with muscle spasms. And I try to avoid anything that I seem to be allergic or sensitive to.

[whotoldya]

I have the same problem with pain meds. The side effects are horrible. And they make me sick.

About 2 months ago they gave me something called Nuerontin. For me that's the only one that ever went down with no side effects. It is not a pain killer. They said it is for nerve pain. It has helped me sleep and reduced spasms.

The "Independant Program" at the rehab center is only $15 a month.  They have very simple things to use. No stress no weights. Just simple excersize.

[lehman-parker]

That's excellent about Nuerontin... I'm glad it helps you. I vaguely remember something about it. Is it a nerve block med?

[lehman-parker]

Well that's weird. I had three paragraphs in my last reply and only the first one posted. Very strange!

[buckeyestatebargains]

Well that's weird. I had three paragraphs in my last reply and only the first one posted. Very strange!

Right under the subject line above, there's a message that says, "45 character limit." Is that why your paragraphs disappeared?

Geez. Please don't shut me up after 45 characters. 😞

[whotoldya]

Not sure how it works. The doctor told me it was originated like 40 - 50  years ago for Epilepsy. It did not help Epilepsy. How ever those who took Nuerontin kept reporting less pain in various regions. They were sleeping with less pain.

The doctor had me try it very low dosage with dinner. Made me a little bit sleepy about 3 hours later.

Noticed I slept better. She had me take 2 at dinner. The nightime spasms ended. Slept better.

It is not a miracle pain killer. But it sure helped me sleep better.  🙂

[whotoldya]

Are you hitting "Reply:?

Lots of other messages are real long. Wonder if you can adjust the amount of letters in that limit thing?

[agnessrainn]

Right now I am dealing with pain management for a fall I took  in Nov and fractured my left hand in five places.  I am taking, of all things, an anti-depressant.  It's called Gabapentin and was used as an anti-depressant in the 80's but is now used as a pain blocker ... and it works as such but it has me unbalanced and walking into walls and doorways. 

I too am highly sensitive to drugs and side effects ... the worst for me is prednisone and as an asthmatic that is bad because prednisone is THE drug to take for asthma attacks.  I suffer from steroid psychosis on this drug and have to take another med to counter act the side effects.  Sometimes I wonder when I take my meds ... how do all those pills know where to go and what to do.  I am on a lot of meds ... for asthma/copd I use inhalers ... I have four different kinds.  And for mental health issues ... depression and anxiety ... I take three different meds.  Some days I feel like a walking pharmacy!

Kate

[brandyhill]

Neurontin works by "turning down the volume" of pain perception in the brain.  I took it for a couple of years and it worked pretty well, but I stopped because it dulled my brain a bit, and I prefer to be sharp, plus it causes weight gain in some.  I refuse to take anything that increases my appetite--I can do that one all by myself ;-).

[brandyhill]

I've seen prednisone-psychoses before.  I was afraid to take it because of that, but I feel great when I take it, like Superwoman.

I have gouty arthiritis, aka metabolic arthritis.  Most people think of gout as something that strikes your big toe, but if it goes undiagnosed like mine did, it can attack all the joints.  It can be extremely painful in its flares.  Whenever I take Prednisone that pain is greatly diminished.

Mostly I don't talk about it because I want to take the focus away from it as much as I can, but there are times it knocks me on my fanny.

[lehman-parker]

I'm not sure what was happening with my posts last night. I was having a heck of a time even opening up pages in eBay groups and boards, and then that silly thing that I could only post one paragraph.I don't know if anyone else was having an eBay problem.

Below the reply box, I'm seeing 65,000+ as a character limit now, but don't know what it said last night.

I installed a Java upgrade yesterday, so I'm wondering if it's causing problems. If I keep having problems I'll do a system restore and see if that helps.

So... this longer post is a test... this is only a test... 🙂

[lehman-parker]

Ah, sweet success.

I'm going to mention  Neurontin to my husband. He has arthritis that's getting really bad and sometimes wakes up during the night from the pain. Thanks for the info!

[lehman-parker]

Right now I am dealing with pain management for a fall I took  in Nov and fractured my left hand in five places.  I am taking, of all things, an anti-depressant.  It's called Gabapentin and was used as an anti-depressant in the 80's but is now used as a pain blocker ... and it works as such but it has me unbalanced and walking into walls and doorways.

I too am highly sensitive to drugs and side effects ... the worst for me is prednisone and as an asthmatic that is bad because prednisone is THE drug to take for asthma attacks.  I suffer from steroid psychosis on this drug and have to take another med to counter act the side effects.  Sometimes I wonder when I take my meds ... how do all those pills know where to go and what to do.  I am on a lot of meds ... for asthma/copd I use inhalers ... I have four different kinds.  And for mental health issues ... depression and anxiety ... I take three different meds.  Some days I feel like a walking pharmacy!

Kate

Ouch, those fractures sound painful, Kate.

[agnessrainn]

The fractures are healed but I have residual pain ... which is getting less and less with the medication and I am able to do more and more with my hand.  Today I was actually able to put on a pair of zip up jeans ... I have had to wear pull up pants for the last three months ... what a joy it is to be able  to manipulate a zipper with no pain.  Hurrah!

Kate