Hello! I am curious to learn any suggestions you all may have for eliminating (or easing) chronic pain. I have RA in nearly every joint, recently my hands and thumbs have been almost unusable, and I am hoping some of you may have a little insight into ways to help this, other than the 12-14 Advil I take religiously every single day. (I KNOW this is killing my liver, but I don't know what else to do!) Any suggestions would be very appreciated. Thanks!
Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
My best pain treatment is a detox bath. Twice daily during rough periods. 2 cups epsom salt, 1 cup baking soda and very warm/hot water.
It lasts about 2-3 hrs but hey relief is relief.
Pam
Posted by grandmother (Member # 19908) on :
I use generic Aleve. It lasts, for me 10 hours on 2 pills.
Hot baths and walking. Walking, walking, walking. When I was having severe pain, only walking helped. It was hard to get going, at first, but I credit walking (and my LLMD) with saving me.
[ 02-07-2010, 04:32 PM: Message edited by: grandmother ]
Posted by dfalcone (Member # 19035) on :
You need the relief from pain so the advil is giving you that. You can take milk thistle caplets to protect your liver, and do other things to protect it like avoid drinking alcohol... but you cannot be in constant pain.
I find that for at home treatment heat is the best thing, and I use ex st tylenol arthritis for pain when it's really unbearable or just ****ing me off! ) Grampas Garden sells some great hot pack things that go in the mircrowave, and I am quite attached to the body shawl. http://www.grampasgarden.com/
When the pain in my hips or legs is to great to sleep in my bed I like a recliner... it seems to take pressure off the lowerback/sacrum area. Of course, I do that with the help of my beloved body shawl.
I listen to K. Edstrom's guided meditation/imagery on defeating pain, which I found on www.healthjourneys.com. It helps me relax sometimes.
I have been receiving Rosen treatments and of all these this helps the most. I have learned a lot about my body's reactions and I have learned some ways to relax and release tension that is just reactive to the pain and not the disease itself. Many layers... ugh. But it helps me and some days after a tx I am pain free for hours. Wish it would last but am grateful for the break.
So, that's what I do.
Oh, and Ben Gay rub... that helps my lower back a lot.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- First, it may seem like I am against all methods of pain relief but as I've been damaged by so many attempts - and the pain was still never relieved - I have found other ways to work much better.
Ibuprofen (as in Advil) is very hard on the kidneys.
Acetaminophen (as in Tylenol) is hard on the liver and NSADS (as in Aleve) have other problems as well, beyond the frequent connection to stomach ulcers.
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Do you have a good LLMD who is addressing lyme? Addressing the infection is key. LIVER support, too, is vital (as a stressed liver will result in body pain) but I don't think it's enough to protect against everything as the lyme toxins, thenselves, are just so much for the liver to handle.
Are you gluten-free? A gluten-free diet is a tremendous help.
Taking enough Magnesium and FIsh Oil?
Can you get massage - or warm baths in Epson salts?
Excerpt: "I was taking Tylenol like I was supposed to, by the label," he said. A few days later the then 37-year-old Benedi was in a coma and in desperate need of a liver transplant. . . ."
(WASHINGTON) -- Tylenol, Excedrin, NyQuil. These household brands and others have come to symbolize safe, convenient relief from the aches and pains of everyday life. But this week the Food and Drug Administration is focusing on a seldom-discussed side effect of the medications: severe liver damage.
. . .
. . . acetaminophen continues to be the leading cause of liver failure in the U.S.
. . . . ===========
Corydalis is an herb that is a tremendous in relieving pain. I'll be back with a link on that. Addressing infection is still the number one thing needed, but corydalis can be a good support - in addition to gluten-free diet, magnesium, fish oil, etc.
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Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
First, as many sleep meds are also very hard on the liver or kidneys, and sleep is such a huge issue for most of us:
Corydalis can also help calm the brain. This is the same kind of amygdala kindling that occurs with neuroborreliosis. That kindling can cause severe pain, anxiety and even seizures.
The protective effect of dl-tetrahydropalmatine against the development of amygdala kindling seizures in rats.
Lin MT, Wang JJ, Young MS.
Department of Medical Research, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Yung-Kang City, Tainan Hsien 710, Taiwan. [email protected]
The influence of dl-tetrahydropalmatine (THP), an active component isolated from a Chinese herbal medicine corydalis, was tested on the development of electrically kindled amygdala.
The seizure activity was quantified by a ultrasonic system for vertical motion measurements. Intraperitoneal injection of THP (20 or 30 mg kg(-1)) 30 min before applying the daily kindling stimulus prevented the development of the kindling process.
The behavioral seizure score and the motion responses which normally develop during electrical kindling were reduced below their initial values.
The results suggest that THP is a very effective antiepileptogenic and anticonvulsant agent when applied to electrically kindled rats.
Shixiao San, Jin Lingzi San, Liang Fu Wan, and Baishao Gancao Tang
by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon
excerpt:
. . . Corydalis is added "to increase the pain-relieving effects of this prescription."
To compare Shixiao San and Jin Lingzi San, it is helpful to examine two of the main ingredients. Yang Yifan (9) compares corydalis to trogopterus (wulingzhi):
Corydalis and trogopterus enter the liver and spleen meridians. Both are able to promote blood circulation and remove congealed blood. They are very effective for relieving pain.
Corydalis, inflammation - 3 abstracts (one lead to Curcumin)
Hypomagnesemia, pain - 32 abstracts
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This is an excellent formula, intended for use before going to bed (follow instructions and caution with driving until you get used to it. Do not mix with sedative or alcohol).
Ingredients; Corydalis root, jujube seeds and Schisandra fruit.
Jujube is also called zizyphus. Schisandra is also spelled schizandra. Both can be searched at PubMed and at The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook ( http://oneearthherbs.squarespace.com )
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) Grampas Garden sells some great hot pack things that go in the mircrowave, and I am quite attached to the body shawl. http://www.grampasgarden.com/