Long term pain management

[KPoppins90]

Hi folks,

I posted recently after my laparoscopy and everyone was so lovely and supportive!

I just wanted to post again to ask for some solutions to long-term pain management. It's been 2 weeks since my lap so I think I'm out of post-op pain, but the pain I had prior has come back with a vengeance! It feels constantly like I'm on my period with intense pains in my lower tummy and back, and I'm bleeding every day (this has been about six months). I'm on the combined pill and don't take breaks as advised by my consultant.

I don't have a post-op follow up with my consultant until October and until then he's advised back-to-back taking the pill and keeping a pain diary, but in the meantime I'm just kinda exhausted from permanent pain.

I really don't want to keep chugging painkillers every day, so I wondered if anyone has other methods for managing the pain long term? I'm looking into anti-inflammatory diets (thanks to the folks who pointed me in the right direction for this info!), and I have a heat pack that I use while working. I also want to get back to exercising regularly, I just need to push through the tiredness!

I'd be really keen to know of things that work for others to try and lead a semi-normal life!

Massive thanks in advance for any advice <3

[kittykins7]

Hi K Poppins.

Yes it's a great place to share ideas and everyone is so friendly aren't they. 😀 .

The best tips I can think if are, as well as the anti inflammatory diet, have you tried taking some supplements to also reduce inflammation and help with the tiredness.

Things such as, turmeric, but it has to be turmeric with curcurmin and black pepper which is a great anti inflammatory. Also take a good vitamin b complex, especially b12 as this helps beat fatigue, I swear by a good magnesium spray which helps with aches and helps you relax at night, I spray it on my parts that ache like back and thighs, but your body absorbs it well if sprayed on the soles of the feet. A good Omega 3 fish oil is a good ani inflammatory, I also take zinc which is important as you can't get this from diet alone, and vitamin d.

They are my main staples, along with a cbd oil. You can also take other additional things to reduce toxins if you wish, but it starts getting expensive. Pro biotics are also important to add good bacteria to your gut, or get in the habit of eating kefir yoghurt, it'sa fermented food and full of good bacteria and some are so delicious.

Hope this all helps with you as it has with me. Its a constant battle, but we have to do everything we can to slow the Endo down from coming back repeatedly, so as to avoid multiple surgery's, as they just increase the adhesions and it becomes a vicious circle.

With my diet, the one main culprit to avoid for me more than anything is gluten.....I've also found it easy to switch to decaf tea and a good decaf coffee, as caffeine feeds the Endo. Cooking from scratch is far better than processed food as you know what your eating. Gluten free penne pasta is great and you can't taste the difference. In the winter I make a super green soup which is nice. I still have occasional naughty things, you have to allow yourself treats, but get straight back on track asap.

I try and minimise the amount of painkillers if possible as that takes all the good bacteria away from your stomach. But at the time of the month I take some strong 500mg co codamol that I got the hospital to prescribe me after my surgery.

As you've not long had your surgery, my advise to you would be to try and do as many of these things as possible now, to keep on top of the Endo coming back and try and slow it down to reduce further surgeries. I know it's all about improving our quality of life, but still enjoying it.

I used to do yoga and pirates, but the last year I've stopped, as we got a dog so I've been walking her instead. But as long as its some gentle type of exercise, I find it helps my mental health so much.

I really hope you find some of these tips useful. I wish you good luck with your endo journey.

Let me know how you get on, and feel free to ask me anything in the future. Xxx🙂