Reducing nerve pain without cognitive impairment

[gilhooley]

Hey everyone, I have severe nerve pain in both legs, I take oxycodone, lyrica, baclofen, and cymbalta. I lay down A LOT bc it feels better to elevate my legs. I have found that heat helps, I take hot baths with epsom salt, hot showers, using a heating pad on my legs, anything with heat. Also, everyone needs to try this drink called Nopalea, from Trivita. It helps with all types of inflammation. You only drink 3-6 ounces a day everyday. After about 3 weeks, I've noticed a big difference. I was a 7-8 everyday, now I'm a 3-4. The Nopalea is about $120 per month, it comes with 4 bottles, which should last 4 weeks. $120 might be a little pricey to some people, but I think its a small price to pay to alleviate some pain. Another device I am using is called an H-wave. Its like a Tens Unit but on steroids. Its a lot stronger and emits the electrical pulses deeper than a Tens. I've only been using it for a couple weeks but so far so good. I really suggest everyone google 'Nopalea' and give it a try. It will take a few weeks to kick in. I hope you find something that works!

Cheers

[funklab]

I take Lyrica and Cymbalta for nerve pain in my hands. I have found my nerve pain really increases when there is a cold front passing through. When these fronts pass through the amount of Lyrica and Cymbalta I'm on is not enough to provide adequate relief. I can muster through the pain during the day, but night is different. For pain relief I've found taking some cannabis that is around 70 mg as THC I can get good relief without being too spaced out. I don't take this amount every night. I only take it when my nerve pain flares up.

Marijuana can be quite an impediment to getting a job too, unfortunately. Even in states where marijuana is legal it seems too easy for employers to drug test you for "liability" purposes. It's a damn shame. We should do something about it.

[Mize]

Cymbalta helped my nerve pain but spiked my spasticity

[Sheri]

Hasn't worked for me, but supposedly low dose tri cyclic antidepressants like amitryptoline. No antidepressant effect at low dose. Take before bed, supposedly help sleep then also full days central neuro pain relief for some. For me, great sleep and weird day fog for a few days, no pain relief. After a few days, no sleep or fog or pain relief - sugar pill. Sounds fairly innocuous to try, tho. Have baclofen pump so considering a bit of morphine or clonidine if I can keep it low enough to not fog myself. No fog from just baclofen. Agree that distraction helps. Good nights sleep seems to help too. Good luck!

[Jim]

I'm C5/6 incomplete and have had 'burning butt' since soon after my injury 21 years ago. The burning is always there, when bad it feels like i'm sitting on a hot grill. Elavil (Amitriptyline) has been very effective for me, 20 mg in morning, 20 bedtime.

[flying]

T12 L1 incomplete here. I have disabling pain in my butt and on down to my toes. I say disabling because there is no way i could work, let alone drive very far. Others say there butt burns like mine, but i don't under stand how you can sit on it all day. I have tried to push through the pain and sit longer, but it's impossible. No one can stay sitting on the stove when it's on. For six years if been getting very small bit of return. Sounds good, until one realizes that my nerve pain follows all around every bit of return. Had four very small bit of return in my gluts, so maybe that's why I can't sit for very long.

I have not found any relief without a foggy head. On lyrical I could not remember my own name, no luck with the rest of it either. After a year on opiates, they started to make my pain worse.

So I got creative, and make my own meds. Make cannabis oil, which I mix 50/50 with coconut oil which I take 2x a day up the rear end. By far the best way to take the oil, way less head affect, but a very strong body tranquilizer. Take kratam sparingly, so as not to get the opiate negative affect. For a clear head, an energy boost, plus over all feeling better about life, I take micro dose mushrooms about every forth day.

[mrb]

I've got severe hypersensitivity across my chest, possibly this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allodynia and after all the pre gabalin, gabapentin, amytryptilin etc have started using lidocane patches on the sensitive area. It is painful to apply but I have noticed a reduction in nerve pain and light touching no longer hurts anywhere near as much. If it continues to improve things I'm going to try and get it via IV. A friend is having this done and is getting 3 months pain free between IV's which seems to be a reasonable price to pay for 6 hours in hospital every 3 months.

[Mize]

I'm C5/6 incomplete and have had 'burning butt' since soon after my injury 21 years ago. The burning is always there, when bad it feels like i'm sitting on a hot grill. Elavil (Amitriptyline) has been very effective for me, 20 mg in morning, 20 bedtime.

I have sacral paresthesia/pain almost constantly. Ranges from low intensity pins and needles to bristle brush up the backside and vice crushing the left nut. All in the spinal cord of course. Lovely feature of my paraplegia.

[Mize]

I've got severe hypersensitivity across my chest, possibly this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allodynia and after all the pre gabalin, gabapentin, amytryptilin etc have started using lidocane patches on the sensitive area. It is painful to apply but I have noticed a reduction in nerve pain and light touching no longer hurts anywhere near as much. If it continues to improve things I'm going to try and get it via IV. A friend is having this done and is getting 3 months pain free between IV's which seems to be a reasonable price to pay for 6 hours in hospital every 3 months.

More likely a variety of dysesthesia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysesthesia

For me there's a region on my chest and back that corresponds to the transition from sensation to paralyzed, where I get both dysesthesia and sensation-translation. The dysesthesia is like signals of pain, heat, cutting, tickling, etc. all simultaneously. Very sensitive to certain fabrics. Lidocaine helps some. I have a compounded Rx cream with baclofen and ketamine that helps lots but has a rebound effect. Try capsaicin too. This works pretty well for me by replacing the scrambled sensation with mainly heat.

[mrb]

More likely a variety of dysesthesia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysesthesia

For me there's a region on my chest and back that corresponds to the transition from sensation to paralyzed, where I get both dysesthesia and sensation-translation. The dysesthesia is like signals of pain, heat, cutting, tickling, etc. all simultaneously. Very sensitive to certain fabrics. Lidocaine helps some. I have a compounded Rx cream with baclofen and ketamine that helps lots but has a rebound effect. Try capsaicin too. This works pretty well for me by replacing the scrambled sensation with mainly heat.

That isn't what I get, Allodynia is almost exactly describing the stimulus and sensation. I do get something similar hands/feet but I guess we are all greedy collecting the side effects of SCI For now the lidocaine is effective, if it continues to help I'll look at IV that might assist with other areas of pain as well.