Hi everyone,

Thought I would ask if this is uncommon or normal.....

I have recently had a resurgence of my severe pn for no apparent reason, so therefore I can't address the way to help myself out of the pain of course. But something I have realized I do this past year is when I am in the 7+ range of pain I begin to get restless and feel the need to find a good feeling. Some way, any way, any good feeling. Mostly I turn to food. I have become somewhat of a comfort eater. Health is not a to serious of problem at present time, but, who knows, it could become a serious problem. At this time I am 5"5 (I have already shrunk an inch at 40 from 5"6 at 18!-is this normal?) and 130lbs. I am flabby but not fit as I do not exercise due to my condition. I am hoping to get a recumbent exercise machine off of freecycle at some point, since I can use my legs most days with no problems - but my health is okay right now. I know eating is a bad habit, in a way, but I do other things to help distract me; a hug from my kids, a kiss from my hubby. So where is the line between a bad habit and a necessary crutch?

But do other people do this? Or something like this? I fixate on needing a good feeling. I only get this way when my pain get up in the higher numbers and goes on for multiple days. I don't eat a lot - I just need a little to distract me from the pain. I just feel so bad physically I can't stop thinking about feeling a good feeling! And the taste of whatever favorite food of the hour is..mmmmmm..feels so much better than the pain!

Okay am I completely looney or what?!

I always was a bit of picking more than eating a good healthy meal. But- this has been crazy. Especially in the evening, I watch tv after hubby goes to bed and have a bowl of dry multi grain cereal to pick on (almost continually). It seems to keep my mind off the pain, etc. I thought it might be my pain meds causing the need to pick even more than usual. In addition, I will grab something sweet durning late afternoon/early evening as well. Pain is at it's worst during these times.

I've found that listening to a favorite piece of music can sometimes help take my mind off the pain, if only for just a little while.

I don't eat when in severe pain. I just can't.

But my chronic pain and arthritis, is aggravating. I just got some amitriptyline at the doctor's this week. My feet are not hurting too much but my neck, back hip and knee are giving me grief.

I grow things. I start my garden indoors, around now with seeds.
Right now some go in the fridge for "cold treatment". I have 3 pots of cat grass germinating and some catnip.

My cats keep me pretty busy, and laughing, and I rely upon them quite a bit to keep me diverted from discomfort.

I also come here. I've found over the years that helping others, helps me. I enjoy knowing there is some hope, some benefit my painful existence is connecting to.

Eating releases dopamine, which makes us feel better. See this article on nutritionwonderland.com -- scroll down to the part that's headlined "Dopamine and Eating Behaviors".

Eating, especially sugary foods, also releases the kinds of endorphins which act as natural painkillers. But another kind of endorphin (dynorphin) also works as an appetite stimulant -- it makes us feel hungry. From Franzlefort medical articles:

It may be possible that stimulating natural pain relief -- dopamine, endorphins -- through eating could eventually become a problem: the reward-pleasure-craving-for-more cycle could lead to overeating. That's bad for health, and especially for neuropathy sufferers due to the effect of glucose metabolism on nerve degeneration.

(I think that's so. Someone correct me if I'm mistaken.)

There are other behaviors which can release dopamine and endorphins, though. Exercise is a prime example -- get that bike! -- but listening to soothing music for half an hour (as kvan1917 wrote above), being in sunlight, letting yourself experience strong emotions (think about how you feel after one of those laugh-'til-you-cry episodes), and cuddling with someone (including a dog or cat) can also release naturally analgesic chemicals.

There's some evidence that being in a natural setting also helps. From Athleta.net:

It's not bad to use snacking to alleviate the pain, and there's definitely scientific evidence showing why that works. But I might suggest that one diversify one's methods of stimulating natural relief.

Thanks ger715 - I am glad to see that someone besides me does this. It is definatly when my pain is reach 7/8 that I feel the need to eat. It does not have to be junk food either, just a food I love.

kvan1917 - I havent tried music, but I would love for that to work! I will try it - thanks for the idea!


mrsD - My cats too give me that feeling to combat the pain. I also have a ferret. They all play together and are at this time very involved with destroying the x-mas tree. It adds alot of humor and joy to my day to havetem running around and playing. That and when one of my cat's cuddle with me also help with the painful moments. I can't eat when the pain hits at 9+, I don't desire anything at that point but to be unconscious. I love to garden but because my pain is in my arms I have had to give that up completly. How are you able to focus on gardening when the pain is in your legs and hips, etc? I am talking about those peak moments? I can deal with the lower pain and can distract myself I just dont want to develop an eating disorder.


don_s - WOW - Talk about an education! You have given me the most amazing information I have read in quite a while. I don't always need to have a sweet treat to fullfill my craving, but I do notice at times I crave a sugery treat. Which is strange as I have always had a a sugar intolerance. I really, really appreciate what you taken the time to write - thank you! There is alot of good information I can use. It really explains why I crave to EAT when my pain hits the 7-9 range! I don't feel hungery at all - I just want to eat food that I love.

My pain seems worse in cold weather and winter. and I tend to skip meals...mostly dinner. But sometimes lunch. I eat a high protein breakfast every day tho...morning is my best time. This has messed with my blood sugar, but so far I am able to avoid insulin. I tend to eat quality high protein foods, and snack on protein nutritional bars like Zone bars, when I skip a meal. Nuts also seem to help. When you get to be my age 65...you'll understand, how food intake changes. Keeping away from carbs really helps me alot. But that is just me.

I walk with a walking stick and only stand up for 15minutes at a time. In the house I do flats of flowers, under lights, etc.

It takes a while and planning to get them spaced out...when to start, when to be able to harden off outside. (I have a small cold frame for that). So I start the perennials first, in cells, and then move them out to do some of the annuals. I don't do everything, I buy the common things.

Once outside it is move them up to larger containers and I have a table out by the back door I work at. Each day I do some until I have all the flats outside on a long bench in the sun. I have to tend them daily, meaning hobbling out there and watering and whatever they need. When the actual planting time comes, hubby puts them in the ground for me. I do quite a bit of container gardening now, so many go into containers which I can do. I take some upNorth for there also, so I have to keep them going til July.

Here are some photos:
This first one is indoors in early March... the flat on the left has 3 types of Black Eyed susans--Rudbeckia annuals, and the center is some ornamental grasses. Mostly blue fescue.
The second pic is hardening one flat off. The Rudbeckia in the back various grasses in the front.

The 3rd is from 2009 when I took alot of petunias (purchased) upNorth, along with my own seedlings. This was a massive error for me and I try not to repeat this. LOL I just overbought.
But it shows the two benches I use to hold them there until they get put in.

So you see lots of work that is manageable with sitting down frequently and hobbling around.
Once I bend and get going in hot weather, I can do some planting bending (not kneeling)...but hubby will do most of it in small bursts, for me with direction. I am slowly fixing 2 new gardens with self sustaining ground cover perennials and flowers, so planting was less this year than the previous.
I also have adoptive homes for my "baby plants" and give away alot. One never knows how successful the seedling starting will be so I always have extra. Now that I have my tricks, there are more extras...LOL and my son now has his own home and he takes many of my overflow ones.

My knee went out today...so I am very upset about this, as it has been 8yrs before when this happened! I might have to get another injection...I'll wait a week and see. Wearing my brace again! DANG! I can barely walk today... I am NOT HAPPY.

this is a photo 4 of our pontoon boat one season when I took up my plants for our island home.

I would like to get some raised beds going in the back yard eventually, and that would help too. Lots of things in the gardening catalogs to help with raised bed planting etc.

I also do art work, but when pain is bad, that doesn't seem to help...I can't think straight then. One year I made Crystal balls from crystals and semiprecious gems... that did work out. This year I was planning some cat and hummingbird things..but today my knee is making me think it won't work out. I'll be going back to my Lidoderms this week! Maybe that will help, again. sigh.

When you look at the flowers/boat, you will see that hubby is a great help and good sport. Without him I would not be doing most of this stuff! I think he secretly enjoys it...but won't really come out and admit it. But he helps without complaint, and so we are a team effort. 43 yr old team now!

Blaine:
Everything I know I learnt on the Internets!

Mrs. D:
That's awful. My sympathy goes out...

I've understood for quite a while now that Heartless Time will eventually take away the ability to do what I love most. But one does NOT look at that prospect with delight...!!!

It's lovely that you're able to do so much with plants and your garden. The third picture looks like the kind of garden I would want -- lots of natural-planting landscaping? I see daylilies and shrubs, and a picnic table under a big tree -- bliss.

Yes, Thank you Don....

We live in a woods, so I use plants that blend together and look semi wild. In that spot in spring are Siberian Iris too.
Some of those daylilies I did from seed years ago, that I bought from Park Seed. That was a challenge! They need cold treatment before germination. ( now the many colors are sold at reasonable prices at our local WalMart, of all places! But back then the only way we could afford many fancy day lily types was from seed. The seeds were mixed, but all lovely. One of them is a maroon/copper red, which is just stunning..but don't know any of their names etc).

Down in front...we live on a hill.. I have a small garden near our steps under the oaks.. here is a photo of that.
Across the street and down at the corner I maintain wild flower/ground cover gardens on the city property too.
When the oaks leaf up I don't have much sun, so everything blooms as spring bulbs, then ground covers in the shady areas.

The hill presents many problems for my getting up and down.
I was very busy this past week and maybe strained my bad knee from many errands and carrying heavy things up here.
I use my walking stick on the stairs always.

When I die I hope I can get to live among plants such as those in your garden. Thanks for posting so much beauty MrsD!