Chronic Pain

Sad as in pathetic and a little discouraging. I went to the Canada Day fireworks. I was anticipating it might trigger a migraine since I already had aura symptoms, but this is hardly unexpected these days, so I went anyway. And the fireworks themselves were not too bad. I got a few extra visual trailers and the noise got a bit painful in the end, but all in all tolerable.

But getting to the show was another story altogether. It was a fifteen minute walk from my place to where it was being done. No point in driving and the taffic was insane. I started off and I felt some pain in my knees and hips. I felt a little off balance and uncoordinated. Not a big deal. But it got worse and quickly, the gnawing and piercing ache intensified with each movement... making me more aware of my body and the distance I needed to still go. Needless to say the way back was even worse, just compounding pain with every step.

Fifteen minutes of walking and that is a lot of pain. And I know from my short walks to the store, this pain is going to be there when I wake up, at least as an deep more diverse ache anyway. I wanted to go to the fair in thie city this year, but I wouldn't even make it to the fair grounds these days.

I am thinking it is about time I should be getting some sort of FMS treatment. I delayed for awhile because I was on quite a few migraine meds, but now, not so much. And honestly trying to get in the routine of short walks is not going to work if I get that much pain for such a small effort. Afterall, I have to manage to work as well, not just wallow in self induced agony because 'excersize' is good for me... bad enough dealing with the pain that is just there and the pain that is worse for whatever random reason without intentionally adding to it exponentially.

It is a little depressing to know you can barely function and any effort causes that much pain. I can't become any more of a hermit than I already am, but occasionally I have the delusion I can go out and actually do something only to reminded that I cannot.

Hi Myth,

Welcome to the ChronicPainConnection forum! (I read your introduction as well as your post here.)

I'm sorry to hear your attempted celebration of Canada Day turned out to be so painful. I can totally empathize with you about trying to go out and do "normal" things. Many of us have become virtual hermits because going out is so exhausting and painful. I do think it's important, though, to keep trying. Even though we know it will mean more pain and extra days in bed, I think it can be worth it occasionally. We need to keep some connection with the rest of the world.

It's not at all unusual for fibromyalgia patients to also have migraines, or vice versa. If you decide to try Lyrica, please let me know how you do. Right now I have no plans to try it because I have a treatment plan that is working pretty well for me and I don't want to rock the boat.

I hope you'll continue to visit us here––whether it's to ask questions, share an experience or just blow of steam. We'll listen and do whatever we can to help.

Unfortunately since I just got botox injections for the migraine situation, my neuro does not want to put me on anything else. At least until we know how effective it is. Which so far, not effective. I was rather hoping it would have some effect, even if it is just a muscle thing. But it seems to be causing an increase in pain elsewhere, which has not been pleasant. Scalp pain, neck pain and migraines well within the 8 on the pain scale. So right now, not too happy on any pain front.

I really think the whole reason my doctors have had such trouble handling these migraines is because of the FMS itself being one pretty consistent trigger... which I figure means you can't treat one without considering the other. At least that makes logical sense to me. FMS is such a slippery slope of symtpoms, if you don't aim for the core of it, you won't have much luck treating the symptoms.

Myth
I was hoping to find out whether the botox injections were doing you any good with your pain???
I'm a little curious as to why they feel botox would be good for Fibro or Migraines?

I do hope your finding some relief and getting along better than you were in July.

It surely is discouraging when you try to do something like a normal enjoyment activity and end up in bed for 2 or 3 days for trying to bring something into your life to live normally.

I don't really have many friends anymore, I don't really like being around me either. LOL
When someone invites you to do something with them, it's very hard to explain to them exactly why your not willing to go or why you would rather them to come to your house to visit.
I've explained dozens of times, why I am reluctant to go on any activities very often. Because if I go, I know that I have to give up 2,3,or sometimes 5 days, just to recover and stableize my pain again.
It's actually been a huge sacrafice for me to have friends nowadays.
I have an elderly friend that I try and help out a couple afternoons a week, pay her bills, make and arrange her doctors visits, order and set her meds up for her each week, I try to do some very lite housework for her and best of all we sit and visit a couple afternoons a week, she gives my an outside activity thats not too strenuous and one that I can easily make arrangements to come on a better pain day, as long as I get her needs taken care of sometime during each week. She's my best friend, she's 92 and a great and wonderful dear friend. She has RA and really does well on her Embrel injections that I give her once per week. She like myself still has pain, but the both of us can manage together to take care of her errands, shopping, etc.

I'm hoping to hear more about your injections, as I'm trying to figure out more treatments for myself.
Betty

My botox was for migraines, so all in the head area. It is not painful, but a bit pricy. It takes about a week to kick in and can last up to three months. For me it was effective, as in a good batch, and I had no forehead movement for two months... but it did not work on the migraines.
I have heard they do it for FMS as well, in different trigger areas, and I actually think that would be more effective.

quote:

Originally posted by Myth:
Unfortunately since I just got botox injections for the migraine situation, my neuro does not want to put me on anything else. At least until we know how effective it is. Which so far, not effective. I was rather hoping it would have some effect, even if it is just a muscle thing. But it seems to be causing an increase in pain elsewhere, which has not been pleasant. Scalp pain, neck pain and migraines well within the 8 on the pain scale. So right now, not too happy on any pain front.

I really think the whole reason my doctors have had such trouble handling these migraines is because of the FMS itself being one pretty consistent trigger... which I figure means you can't treat one without considering the other. At least that makes logical sense to me. FMS is such a slippery slope of symtpoms, if you don't aim for the core of it, you won't have much luck treating the symptoms.

Hello ? Are you still with us ? We need you here to add your input , we have been gathering in the Daily Grind chat room .. since some here find it difficult to meet all the time online .. but in what seems an impossible to define there is definition .. i keep telling my sil that hiding from issues is no way out .. yes, there is pain, and yes there is sorrow .. but as i said quite often, you gotta learn to embrace the issues and if your limitations are such that friends , and some family, may never understand, but it's okay .. you can vent here, you can ask the questions you are afraid to ask your doctor, or can simply read and hope to come away with a feeling of self. That is priority, self recognition, it is not what you can no longer do and worrying about all of that , look for whatever positive you have in your life .. this is just one part or side of you .. there are many. I feel body, mind and most important , psirit .. have to be treated as one .. my Np understands me that way .. if they cannot handle anyone of the three issues i raise, body, mind and spirit .. then I look for someone else .. i don't need some 20 something yea old looking at me like i have two heads .. lol .. so like anything else you do in this life , you have options ..

I am glad you expressed what you are feeling and thinking ..

My Mom was going thru some female issues and kept stalling about going in to her doctors and we (her children) are all in other states.

Mom does not like to talk to anyone about too much, generational thing, so after weeks of agonizig over the situation, she comes clean . She calls me ? So now I have to switch gears in my head, to daughter mode. On the day my Dad passed , I told my 3 bros, that when or if Mom is seriously ill, THEY need to stay on top of the situation, as I did all those years for my parents, but more importantly Dad ...

He also was a hush-hush kinda guy .. I say you don't have to scream it from rooftops, but the public is just not aware of what difficulties "hidden" disabilities cause .. not just to us, but our families , friends, work associates, if you are lucky enough to be able to work ...

SO, after mom calmed down and finished , i called and emailed all 3 boys and said , deal with this, i cannot do it .. and so they are going to handle it and my Mom was frought with calls from her "sons" and she calls and started to get angry I said anything but then she realized that it does feel better to be open, not like Dad.

I am gla, she now is calm, why ? Because she talks about it, you know the scenerio, all thses elder women sitting around playing cards or something and chatting about all the different tests and things .. and my Mom , the tite-lipped one, just started talking, matter of factly, abbout her situation. Lo and Behold ! Her real friends have all but bathed her ! lol .. just kidding, but they are going to office visits , pre-screening tests and if there were anything terribly wrong , they are there .. and she felt relieved .. isn't that what it is all about.

These chat forums, shareposts and all are here for us. To do or say, within limits, what ails us, what we would have liked to have done, where we are, from fun to sad .. we are here !

I for one ask people , hwta they think I have .. the response is usually a hip/knew operation. They see the cane , they see me and figure, no serious thing , right? Well, I hate to say this, but you have two choices, you can ask for help or suffer in silence. Now I am not afraid to tell anyone what i have, and dispell any notions about whatever it is they were thinking ...

I told BettyBoop , and posted it here I think, but my SIL has spine problems and fibro .. I have been trying to get her here , to open up. She sees a one on one , I have been there. It is as if you were speaking and then the therapist asks you what you think ? Duh ?

I would want feedback, would you ? and feedback that sounds like it relates to your illness. SHe never walks away from a session feeling like she relieved any anger or frustration issues , but that lasts about two hours .. then she still has no new info and is still feeling emotionally drained.

She is shy about talking about her issues, she is a mom of two preteens. Goes to school , and in all likelyhood in pain. If ya cannot get release, not relief, then you will probably stay right where you are and not progress .. she knows it, she just has to get up her nerve. she is very bright and my bro tells her so, and he also suggessted she listen to me, so , we will see .. anyway, enough babbling .. lol .. going to make my third attempt at getting out of here .. my bro John keeps asking me about this darn wreathe , oh well, that's another story ... lol .. A