The day before yesterday was one of the worst. I was really one suffering puppy. So I basically laid low and used the CD I mentioned in another thread of hypnosis and relaxation meditations. I used it all day. In fact I now play it on repeat while I sleep. So anyway I got up the next morn and felt much better. Then throughout the day I noticed that I hardly had any pain or symptoms. It felt like the very early days of dealing with this when my symptoms were very very mild. I really don't know how to explain going from full on flare to nothing the next day. This has happened several times lately. I get one day flares and then I'm better the very next day. The only thing I do when it happens is really work on deep body relaxation.

Does this ever happen to you? It just seems so strange to go from major pain to very minimal in one day.

Hi icelander

I can't really compare because my medications are probably different to yours and affect my pain levels but I can see how relaxation would help - like a form of self-hypnosis.

I've read that some types of neuropathy are due to over agitation of nerves and faulty brain signals. Focusing on relaxation would send feedback signals to the brain of calm and comfort (thereby reassuring the subconscious brain that things are ok) - as opposed to agitated type signals that might be generated by physical activity, anxiety or other causes.

It's great you've found a method that helps you. Flare ups are horrible and anything that works (without side effects) is worth doing. I've tried meditation and relaxation with moderate success - I use breathing relaxation sometimes to help me sleep but my brain is often so overactive that trying to meditate purposefully just becomes frustrating. Like you, just taking a day to lay low will help to reduce pain. Thanks for the CD suggestion.

I can't meditate proper either. It actually makes things worse for me. What she (cd) calls meditation is actually a form of deep relaxation that is much easier to access. I have some form of ADD. I can't stay focused long but I can get into really deep states of bodily relaxation. That seems to do the trick. But.. I had to really dedicate myself. Just once a day or so does little for me. I have to soak in it. Fortunately, being retired and no family and few friends (by choice) leaves me with almost unlimited time to do this work up to 4 hours a day on hard days and rarely less than two. Then I sleep to it.

In the beginning of this journey I experienced the most pain to date and I didn't have a clue what to do. That makes it impossible to answer your exact question but I do have similar experiences with less severe pain.

There have been nights that I could not sleep because my burning sensations were too strong. I put on my headphones while lying down in bed and listened to one of my relaxation CD's. Some time later I realized I had been asleep and my sensations were gone.

I do believe relaxation meditation CD's can effect symptoms. Stress is a huge contributor and imo anything you can do to alleviate it is helpful. I think keeping the body and mind calm while flaring can help shorten flares. Stressing about what's going on will only make it worse as I have personally experienced.

It's good to hear that.

I am titrating down to stop Ambien and am off pain meds.(I keep some hidden for emergencies) This means that I get the full Monty when the flares come.I can't tie to any circumstance or food or lunar calendar. I know that stress is bad but can't tie to that either. Nowadays I try to catch myself when becoming agitated for any reason and remember to not sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff. I am curious about how many hours of sleep you get a night? Did the CD add to the hours? I am in a disrupted sleeping pattern right now and am too tired too early and falling asleep with the TV on and then awake as a hoot owl at 2;00 or 2;30 am. I might see if there is relaxation sounds available on Pandora. Good Luck, Ken in Texas.

Yes, it's all small stuff. Letting more and more go is important.

Getting into a HABIT of some meditation with a mantra, I use most of the time, NO PAIN...repeating over and over in my mind and working more to do this 10-15 minute meditationn before getting up from a night's sleep. And I sleep pretty good.

Ken, TV in room or any electronics is one of the worst things we can do to our bodies/minds...all those frequencies going on. There is much written about this. I've never had a tv in my "sleeping room"..... C

I knew these things before I got into bed with Ambien.(pun intended) It has been over a year with the pills and I didn't care if a brass band was circling the bed, I was going to go to sleep. I will have to try harder now that the pharmacy isn't helping. The redneck response would have been"No TV!!!! You have quit preaching and started meddling now".Thanks, Ken in Texas.

Ken titrating off Ambien is probably contributing to your disruptive sleep cycle and ramping up some symptoms. How much are you taking now. I consider myself an expert on this subject from my personal relationship with this drug the past 20 years.

When working with mantras, as in thoughts upon which to focus, the key is to keep thoughts-- if using thoughts -- "positive."
Positive thoughts/language carry more power.

(Please note some forms of meditation have a goal of "no thought."
Some "mantra work" is not done in the English language, it is done in ancient spiritual language/expressions.)

If/when using thought/language, using a phrase like "no pain or no ________," is negative language and is not recognized in the way we intend by the subconscious mind.

When we focus on "No pain," our subconscious registers the word/concept of "pain." (It does not hear "No Pain." It hears "Pain.") We are more likely to manifest pain. We are lending energy to, reinforcing, the experience of pain.

Please see this brief BBC News article on "The Healing Power of Positive Language" here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8326171.stm

In "positive" language, the word/concept of "pain" is not used at all.
When we want "no pain," we may use positive words/phrases like: "comfort," "peace," and "joy."

We focus upon what we want, not upon what we don't want.
We want comfort, we do not want (no) pain.

We may also use very creative approaches, like the one offered in the example described in the BBC News article.

I hope this helps.


DejaVu