Nerve pain
 

What can I do for nerve pain?
Lately it's been in my face (left side) and the past few days in my left 2nd toe! (same toe each time) and it can get really painful - which just feels weird.

Can stretches help nerve pain?

I don't want to take painkillers all the time.
Or is this something i just have to 'get used to' like all the other sx?.....

As I have no dx of anything, I'm not on any med's, and I'm in between nuero's - seeing a new one in 2 weeks.

I have found that massages,and stretches help mine. Chiropractor helps as well. Some days nothing helps, but I keep trying.

I am not sure what you mean by nerve pain. Burning/tingling sensation? Or spasticity?

When I had it, it was so bad that I had to go on IV steroids for 5 days, it was an attack with lots of other things going on, I had to result to demerol until I got on steroids, I cannot explain the pain, it is not spasms, burning or tingling, I can't explain it, but hope it never comes back. Hope you get it taken care of soon.

Barb -
It's mild to intense pain (neuralgia?) that can be fleeting or last for 30mins to an hour.
Ever had 'brain freeze' (pain in your head) from eating something really cold too fast like ice-cream?
It's like that. I've had it in my head (minus the ice-cream), and other parts of my body at different times.

I take Neurontin for nerve pain. For me it works well. I do get some breakthrough pain but it is manageable and far better than what things were like before I started the medication.

Another med that I tried that worked extremely well for nerve pain was Cymbalta. I was only on it for 3 days as I ended up having other side effects from it.

May be you can get in to see your PCP while you are in between neuros.

The reason I asked is because I experience a burning sensation on the top of my head as well as one arm from time to time. Mine seems more intense/painful when I am hot. I did take neurontin for about two years, but stopped last summer as I did not want to continue to increase the dose, I was taking a rather high dosage, and it was no longer helping. The doctor described this as neuralgia, so it can manifest itself in different ways.

I think that massages, etc may help with spasticity, but not nerve pain.

I take one of the anti-epileptic medications (Sodium Valproate) for nerve pain.

I don't think this one is available to those in the USA, but other medications in the same group have had good results when treating neuralgias.

Koala,
I'm in Aus too.
Is the anti-epileptic med only available with a prescription?

The Dr's I have seen don't bother offering any meds to help wth the various sx, so i don't know anything about what's available.

You can get Depakote here in the U.S. which is a mix of sodium valproate and something else (can't remember). Neurontin is an anti-convulsive, anti-seizure, anti-epileptic med but chemically different than sodium valproate and works differently with the neurotransmitters. I am not sure if you can get it in Australia or not.

It is really a hit or miss on what will work and what won't work and we are each different. I have found that massages are out of the question for me as they increase the pain and spasticity - one wrong touch and it's over. LOL I do my yoga daily and that seems to help.

I also use a lot of ice. Ice helps those neurotransmitters. People who have trouble swallowing due to a stroke, brain injury, etc. are advised to drink ice water as it helps the nerves and thus makes swallowing easier. I have the constant hug and sometimes, like I mentioned, have breakthrough pain. I have no abdominal reflexes on my left side and the nerve pain shooting through that area can be tough. So I use my ice pack on it and it really, really helps.

Try different things and see what helps relieve the pain while you are waiting to get in to the dr. I find that if I follow my instincts, I do best. In other words, if I feel like I need to put ice on something I do it and it feels better. Other times, I want heat.

Feel better soon!:hug::hug:

Tricai, My hug is on the left side too. It has been really bothering me since the winter has been so cold. So I am not sure if I want to try ice.:)

Nerve pain is worse than natural childbirth pain.:eek: I don't have nerve pain with my MS (thank you God), but I had a roaring case of shingles on my head/face/mouth. The pain cannot be described, except to die would be a relief.

So Sorry for your pain..:grouphug:

Sally - yes nerve pain can be excruciating!
I haven't had it that bad for long periods though- only for a few seconds, then it goes, then comes again (a bit like contractions!) But never for more than a few minutes all up thank God!

But yes, when I had it in my head, I was worried.
If I hadn't of had a clear MRI and CT scan 7 months prior, I would have been at the Dr. asap looking for an annuerism! (sp?)
:hug:

Unfortunately all those medications like the anti-epileptics, Neurontin, Lyrica, etc., are all prescription only medications. That's probably a good thing though as they all have a long list of side effects, but as a nerve pain sufferer I'm sure you'd be like me...well prepared to put up with some side effects just to get rid of that pain.

Oddly enough, I did get relief from sciatic nerve pain last year, with acupuncture. I agreed to the treatment as a last attempt to help that pain, but I must admit I started with absolutely no faith at all in the needles. I'd tried it once before (many years ago) for something different and they didn't work, so imagine my surprise when my sciatic nerve pain vanished and I was able to walk again with just my cane, and being able to ditch my rollator for a while.

Narcotic pain killers like Morphine and Oxycodone (Endone) rarely work for nerve pain, and only a small percentage of people benefit from their use, but I find a combination of the Endone and Epilum (Sodium Valproate), works well for me.

While doctors are very reluctant to order opiates these days, I'm sure you'd have no trouble getting something like Tegretol or Epilum. Amitriptyline (Endep) is another commonly ordered medication for the successful treatment of nerve pain.

Good luck, and I hope you get some relief soon, but to get any of these medications you will need to see a doctor. Do you have a neurologist you could see? Also, seeing you don't sound happy with the GP you've got, maybe it's time to try and get on the waiting list to see some-one else? :hug:

I've had a few different places, and diferent things help, depending. I find magnesium and potassium supplements keep it to a minimum to start with.

Stress is also bad - not enough sleep, too cold, not eating right. All that makes me feel not so good also makes the nerve pain worse. I may not notice for days or a week, but it'll come. Took me a long time to make the connection.

Ice or heat will mix up the signal sometimes, either stop it or make it less painful (but I have to do the ice or heat as soon as it starts or it doesn't seem very effective).

Stretching makes it worse for me. I never excersize when nerves are acting up due to that. Walking is okay, but yoga is out of the question.

Amitriptyline worked well for me.

Koala - yes I see a neuro at the Royal Melbourne in 2 weeks. I hear he's very good.

Excellent! I saw a Professor some-one there many years ago in the late 1980's... (I forget his name and he would be retired now) but I remember they were very nice, and very good.

I hope it all goes well for you. Please let us know how you get on. :hug:

I know what you mean about the terrible pain with shingles. I had them a few years ago and it's such a deep deep pain like someone is ripping your nerves out bit by bit. It was on my left arm. I still get nerve pain there, but not nearly as bad.

I agree -- it's pretty hard to top nerve pain! Having been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, the pain doesn't seem to fit the description. Not so much the muscles, but the nerves. I have it all over my body, different areas at a time, however I've had a literal "pain in the butt" for 13 years non-stop. It sure wears you down after awhile. The only med I found that really helps is Carbamazipine (sp?), generic for Tegretol. The only trouble with that is it puts me to sleep so I don't like to take it often.

Hopefully you can get a handle on your pain before the MS symptoms advance, if they do. Being in a wheelchair now, the added pressure on my "bottom" is making things worse. Good luck with your new neuro! :)

Yes, Koala I will let you know how I get on.

I just want some answers. (preferably that it's NOT MS..)
I'm over being told it's stress though.

There seems to be not much left to test for, but my aim is to go in there and say, 'ok, can we start from scratch here? Maybe re-do all the bloods, another MRI...'.
My last brain/C-Spine MRI was last May. Bloods done last April and June. Spinal MRI done August. All clear.

How can i say nicely 'please don't tell me my sx are from stress' if he heads down that path??