This is topic Improving, but doc just cut my pain pills in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.


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Posted by 0ldman (Member # 22101) on :
 
21 years in, had a nasty flare up a few years ago. I've been taking abx for 3 years now, just started with pain pills two years ago.

Showing serious improvement, but still need pain pills.

Any words of advice?

Without the pain pills every day's pain just builds on top of the day before. What ever normal process to deal with pain, adrenals, endorphins, just doesn't do anything most of the time.
 

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Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
 
Oldman,

Is it possible for you to address the source of some of the pain, such as the inflammation, herxing and toxins to help reduce the pain levels?

Glutathione, epsom salt baths, Alka-Seltzer Gold, ibuprofen, and a combo of inflammation reducing supplements have helped some people with pain issues.

I am so sorry you are hurting. I hope the pain cycle is broken soon for you.


 

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Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
 
Magnesium helps a lot, also coffee enemas help a lot (don't knock them until you've tried them!). There are lots of other supplements that help: enzymes, etc. Glutathione can be sublingual, in suppositories, or nebulized.

There are topical pain meds, including Lidoderm patches (helps me a lot). They're rx.

And anti-inflammatories, both herbal and rx.

If all of that isn't sufficient, it sounds like you need a pain management doc. But the above is enough to keep you busy for a while. That said, for some the pain level is such that pain meds are a necessity.

There are also meds like gabapentin (neurontin) and baclofen, which can help a tremendous amount, too. You will likely need a combo of a number of these.
 

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Posted by glm1111 (Member # 16556) on :
 
Parasites/worms can cause a tremendous amount of pain. I was on morphine and in a lot of pain until I treated for parasites. Google parasite symptoms and check out Humaworm symptom list.

If you have not looked at this angle and much overlooked co-infection of Lyme disease, it would be a good idea to do so.

Gael
 

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Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
 
Try low fat. I just did and my pain completely went away. When I start eating fat, it comes back (protomyxzoa rheumatica). That's one of the reasons I'm pretty sure I have it. Of course, gluten free, sugar free will help too.
 

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Posted by gigimac (Member # 33353) on :
 
Sorry to hear this old man. Treating lyme, herxing, and being sick and tapering pain meds is a crappy combo.

Just coming off pain meds too quickly can be horrible not to mention lyme thrown in the mix.

I hope your doc is being gentle and allowing a slow taper.
I hope you find a solution.
 

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Posted by sparkle7 (Member # 10397) on :
 
Maybe you could find a pain management place? If they were helping & not causing serious duress - I don't know why he wuld just cut them off.

I think alot of doctors are under pressure by the authorities to stop prescribing pain meds. It's probably a decision based on being called on the carpet rather than your health or improvement. Many doctors do not have pain management training.

Try to find a pain clinic. Opiate pain meds have been proven to help people who need them with few side effects. Not treating chronic pain seems to be much worse that taking the drugs.
 

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Posted by 0ldman (Member # 22101) on :
 
Herx is part of it, most afternoons around the same time, 4 to 5 days a week, generally tolerable.

I have nerve problems in my arms, unsure whether it is primarily caused by activities (computer guy) or Lyme. Always gets worse when I herx, but most things do.

I was on lortab, helped plenty, if I took one before I started hurting I never got bad, but then I was taking them and not hurting, didn't have enough to make it from appointment to appointment.

Doc gave me percocet 7.5, 40 pills with one refill to last 90 days. Generally that is enough to make it with a few left over, but the pharmacy says that we can't do refills on percocet. Called the doc and he says he's a bit nervous as I've been on pain pills for nearly two years.

The worst of it is my arm, radial nerve is irritated for some reason, shooting pains through my arm, feels like my muscles are being pulled through my hand, kind of hard to describe. When I can't sleep because it never lets up, I can't work, when I don't sleep I hurt worse...

I've found a few stretches that help, but the stretches irritate tennis and golfers elbow, but make the radial nerve problem better. Anything that improves one of the three makes one or both of the others much worse.

Aside from sitting on my thumbs until it quits hurting, I'm kind of at a loss.

Working out helps to a point, but I don't know what point to stop at until the next day, and in general Lyme form the damned target keeps moving.

edit: cut out sugar, low on carbs and eating fairly healthy, got better after I started back on sugar.

Might feel better if I cut it out again, I'll try it.
 

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Posted by amyb (Member # 5520) on :
 
I just feel bad when people are in so much pain.

I would for sure go to a pain management specialist.

My sister has/had Lyme- she has serious arthritis, nerve damage and pain from her Lyme her spine is in constant pain.

I just want to tell you she was in so much pain taking so many pain pills, then a ton of stomach issues and taking even MORE pain pills

That she ended up getting HALF her stomach cut out and some intestines from the pain pills creating two LARGE ulcers that would never heal with acid meds


She is now forced to deal with the pain because her stomach cannot handle any pain meds ever again.

I am not saying anyone is that bad yet, I didnt think she was either, and I do not think she thought the pain she was having in her stomach would lead to half taken out
 

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Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
 
Do you think it could be carpal tunnel related? I got carpal shortly after we moved next to a park (tick bite). My arm felt like it was being electrocuted inside. I ended up getting surgery for it(helped).

I think when we herx (don't really know for sure, just speculating here) that we may have more inflammation due to the toxin release. So that alone, and if you had carpal too (computer work), could aggravate it.

Does one arm have it more than the other (the one you use the mouse with)?
 

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Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by 0ldman:

The worst of it is my arm, radial nerve is irritated for some reason, shooting pains through my arm...

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