It's good to know what your options are when you're in pain and not thinking straight. Now that I'm starting to be able to manage my pain better and perpetuating factors (like IBS, PMS, hypoglycemia, etc.) I am slowly coming up with a good list of how to normalize my body as much as humanly possible. Sometimes when spasms or nausea/dizziness is unbearable and all else fails, I just drug myself enough to sleep through it. Sleep is so important. Do what you have to do to get whatever kind of sleep you need! For me, it's priority numero uno. And keep calm! My pain used to make me panic--now I'm easy breezy and it makes things go a lot smoother (and I make more rational decisions).
...muscle spasms/trigger points
...muscle spasms/trigger points
- Muscle relaxants/benzos (like Ativan)
- Moist Heat
- Mixture of heat and cold (10 min heat, 10 min cold, 10 min off, repeat)
- Theracane
- China Gel/Custom pain salve (made on Etsy by a friend) of essential oils
- CBD gummies (these help in conjunction with drugs, but not much on their own)
- Compression top
- Trigger point injections/medical acupuncture
- Foam roller
...joint pain
- 800mg Ibuprofen (strong NSAID, ie. Toradol)
- Bracing (I use ankle braces and EDS splint rings for my knuckles)
- Epsom salt baths
- Flexiseq Gel (arthritis gel)
- Comfort U Body Pillow
- Massage
- Chiropractic work
*Something I have started doing now that I have a few drugs that work for me is taking it before if I know I'll have a hard day or the second it comes on. The last few weeks, my pain has been a lot more controlled doing this. Usually I have a mixture of joint pain and spasms, so I take a muscle relaxant like Metaxalone and 800mg Ibuprofen and that has been helping me. I also finally got around to keeping a pill box one me for when I'm out and crisis strikes. Stay ahead of it.
...vertigo/lightheadedness/nausea
- sublingual Zofran
- CLIF shot bloks (Margarita flavor--high in salt)
- Compression cooling eye mask (also for migraines)
#themoreyouknow
I will add to this list as I think of more things. If anyone has any questions, please message me!
For me personally, ginger tea and and BioBands have saved me from nausea where the medication could help no more. My doctor actually recommended the BioBands. They use the pressure point on the wrists with a magnet.
ReplyDeleteI make sure to get the highest-quality ginger tea (I prefer Traditional Medicinals) or just use raw ginger and honey. If you have an Asian grocery store near you look in the tea section for a glass jar that looks like jam with a picture of ginger on it. It's a honey/ginger tea that can me mixed into cold or hot water. That stuff if pretty good and recommended by my doctors here in Korea.
Becca, ginger tea is a godsend! I had a roommate in college that was Taiwanese, so we always had it around. Thanks for the tip! :)
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