Alternative to hot water bottle?

[SufferingSilently9]

Hey,

I cannot sleep with this constant pelvic pain and pain killers aren't working and its wayyyy too hot for my go to hot water bottle or heat muscle cream.

Can anyone suggest some good hot weather pain management sleep techniques? I cannot get comfy or take my mind off it as its across my lower abdomen, lower back and right hip and thigh..

Thanks xx

[Holleymuzz]

Hi

I totally get the fact it’s far to hot to wacking a boiling bottle of water on yourself!

Ok so I’m 7 days post op and again can’t use hwb’s. So I’ve been coping by

1. Keeping on top of painkillers even if you have to set alarms, ibuprofen (I can’t take it but you might) with paracetamol or if it’s stronger meds like paracetamol with tramadol it improves the efficiency,

2. Pillows! Gather all pillows you can get your hands on make a fort if you have too! Prop them here n there, whatever makes your more comfortable, relieves pressure and relaxes you.

3. Sometimes I use a breathing technique which is.. breathing in through nose counting to 3 then out through mouth counting to 5, repeat as needed ( might not help pain but can help with the anxiety caused by continuous pain, relaxes you so maybe you can cope better with pain.

5. Baths. Ok so it’s too hot for hot baths but a warm bath will help ease some tension in your back and legs, bit like water therapy.

4. Have you got a tens machine? I don’t but did use my sisters one once and it really did help.

So I don’t know if that helps but yeah that’s all I have

Xx

[princessk09]

I use my microwaveable hottie. I know this is like a hot water bottle but it doesn’t go as hot. I then put my fan on facing towards me to help balance the temperature out.

The hottie smells like lavender so it helped me sleep the last few days due to gas pains from the lap xx

[Lllllllllllll]

I live in a hot country and sympathise. I spend most nights with a hot water bottle on my pelvis and an ice pack in a wet flannel on my head. It sort of evens things out. Pillows under the knees is also good advice. Good luck!

[Clairey_C88]

Hi, I am in the same boat but I find that direct to skin heat patches work a treat. They don’t get as hot as a hot water bottle, and they stay where they are placed all night! Hope this helps.

[Flocast]

You could try placing a couple of thick pillows under your lower back, right behind the navel. This position stretches the pelvis and will help with the bloating and pains.

[Sagada]

Same here... I've just ordered a TENS machine and let's see if that works...

[Starfish123]

I’m still using 2 hot water bottles in the evening and overnight, but I also use arnica gel from sbc as well as camphor and menthol gel also from sbc, the arnica is cold and the menthol warms so both help. Arnica is also good at pulse points to cool down. I also use a tiger balm product again it gets hot etc. Pillows to support as mentioned above.

Hope you find some relief.

[Orchid_lover]

Lloyd’s chemist do an ice pack (which you can also use as a heat pack). I find it helps me get to sleep and the cold is just as soothing as the heat from a hot water bottle. The only thing is that it doesn’t last that long, but it re-freezes again in a hour when put in freezer.

[bakequeen]

Have you tried oramorph? Liquid morphine, not ideal as a long term solution but i’ve found it to be quite an effective painkiller before x