getting more on top of my pain - A plan!!

[crystal_willow]

Hello lovely people,

I am updating as I am beginning to get a better understanding of how to manage my pain.

Before I used to wait until I "needed" a painkiller and then take feminax but now I have learned a few things

1) Naproxen own brand is cheaper

2) you have to take it as soon as you feel any pain for it to be the most effective

OK so far so good...

This month I got caught out at work and could not take my pain meds until I was already in pain... I stayed at work and got all my meetings done but I know I could not concentrate and was open about this with my colleagues...

some were understanding, some just looked like they couldn't give a stuff... but it takes all kinds really doesn't it... anyway I am determined to be transparent about it as managing my pain is a learning curve for me and it ensures people are aware that if I am acting differently/distracted that it is temporary (and not infectious lol).

but as I was in pain I spoke to someone who knew about pharmacology/chemistry and this person pointed out that naproxen is good but it is an anti inflammatory medication and maybe an analgesic ontop would tackle the issue from both ends (inflammation and pain)

I have decided that in future I will take

day 1:

2 naproxen followed by 2 paracetamol as soon as pain starts!!!!!

then 1 naproxen and 2 paracetamol

if there is time have another naproxen before bed or just paracetamol

day 2:

am) 1 naproxen 1 paracetamol

pm) 1 naproxen 1 paracetamol

you can have a third dose if needed

day 3:

only paracetamol

This will be my plan

Thing is I am a little scared.. I am better at pain meds than I used to be so its hard to be sure but I think the pain is getting worse again. My endo was mild when the doctor did the surgery earlier this year so I am hoping I am a "mild endo-high pain" girl

Id rather that than imagine that it is getting growth-worse this quickly.

Thinking about the pain I used to have... it was worse before but I was not medicating myself properly at all... i'd wait until I was almost being sick and my thy's and knees hurt before taking painkillers... I have always been against masking pain but since there is no sure I kind of need to get over that really....

I guess I will be consistent with the pain relief and see if the pain seeps through my meds after a while.... then I will know it is getting worse....

I think if I take meds for the first 2 days without waiting for the pain to develop then I could even achieve a pain free period (very wishful thinking)

I am planning on trying my early intervention technique this coming month so ill see you guys in .. 22 days (I am currently on day 2.. my cycle is annoyingly short)

[crystal_willow]

definitely with you there on the overdose. I am a stickler for the rules on packets of medication and will never take any meds out with me unless they are in the packet so I can read the dosage even if I think I remember..

I was told about paracetamol overdose in a training session a few years ago..... *shudder*

yeah I won't ever be doing that....

I always have my diary with me so I write in when and what I have taken... some may say I am too strict but it reassures me so when I take a medication I know I don't have to worry about whether I am taking too much or too soon.

Naproxen and Paracetamol together seem to be working well so far.. I only just started doing it recently but it seems to be working well

The only real down side is that I really wish I could relax with a mimosa in the bath when I am on but I donlt want to mix naproxen, paracetamol AND alcohol... even if they don't interact I am sure my liver and kidneys won't thank me.. let alone my stomach

[Lizziecotterill]

Same here ladies, it is difficult esp when your out or at work to take meds without looking like a deuggy, because its not just a headache!

But most family & froends know about my endo & me taking pills are not a suprise to them.

Thst happened to me poping paracetomol like smarties, untill a few years ago i found solphadine max (red tablets dont let chemist con you into other ones as they ste just plain cocodomol & very exp for thst) so if you have really bad pains go for this! Over the counter.

I now have prescribed pain killers from gp; luckily gp is really fab, i get it on rwpeat too so i dont have to suffer indigity of explaining to emergency gp why what when.

I have cocodomol 30/500mg & menefemic acid 500mg. Just brilliant drugs. You need to ake properly ro work, i.e; straight when pain hits, then top up as directed for that 24hr block. Just to make sure.

[crystal_willow in reply to Lizziecotterill]

hmmm menefemic acid seems to be recommended by a few commenters here although its similar to Naproxen so I think I'll stick with that for now.

Diclofenac made me a LOT depressed when I took it before so I am hesitant to try a new NSAID again...

24 hour block sounds like a plan.. like assume it is going to be painful for the first 24 hours at least... not more waiting

[shopaholictink]

i have had 2 major bowel ops and have some vivid memories one of them being that i made the mistake of refusing drugs one morning because the pain was manageable and wanted to feel less zombiefied, a few hours later the pain was raging and the only pain relief available was morphine.

nowadays i have a breakfast of painkillers, mefanamic acid and paracetamol, to name a couple and then see how im feeling the rest of the day before taking any more.

my gynae asked me why i take the painkillers if i get a bad day and they dont work anyway, i replied because its all about hope, no one wants to feel like a zombie all day every day becuase of the painkillers we wouldnt take them if we didnt have too, cant imagine why people would want to take drugs to feel like that!

i hope your pain relief plan works for you x

[crystal_willow in reply to shopaholictink]

I've worked with drug addicts for a long time... as far as I can tell some peoples extreme pain is emotional pain and not so much physical and those people prefer feeling mentally numb to feeling in emotional pain all the time...

random tangent...

I really hope this works too.. I want to be all professional and not be weeping over my desk like I was before the op and before I knew how to handle the pain.

[Bez76]

Thanks - this is a good tip. I could do with some right now. I had my first Lap almost 4 weeks ago and this is my first period since, and I am also on day two. Again, I only have a small period in comparison to the awful PMT and pain when bleeding. Thankfully I am still off work recovering from the op, however, if I was at work today (well, I would be very distracted).

I have stage 2 Endo, which I think is considered relatively mild but the pain is NOT mild. I have also just started Dianette yesterday, so I am hoping that soon, the pain and build up before my period will ease up soon. Fingers crossed, and back to my hot water bottle

I hope the pain relief continues to work for you. xx

[crystal_willow in reply to Bez76]

I hope you are feeling better today, crossing fingers that your hormonal treatment helps x

[esbjorn]

Hi Crystal

sounds like a good plan! Just be careful with the lining of your stomach (speak to GP re protein pump inhibitors to protect the lining of your stomach). I'm on 2-5 naproxen - day - 2 is a really good day, normally I'm on 3-4/day but I'm a mild endo - high pain lass as well...

I used to be really, really grumpy in the morning (pain) and meds take at least 1/2hr or so to work. By then I had upset most of the rest of the family and set off to work feeling like a walking bag of flour (in pain). My top tip, if you wake up early in the morning/in the night with pain (mine starts in the lower back) - take naproxen (+paracetamol if needed) (and something to nibble with it to protect your stomach), go back to sleep and wake up to a good morning!

Good luck with your plan. Let us know how it's working!

x ke

[crystal_willow in reply to esbjorn]

I shall do

I always have food with meds as I do worry about my stomach lining..

I only take pain meds on 2 days a month or three if its really bad but the third day I probably would only take one thing if anything. As long as I am taking pills on top of food that should be OK shouldn't it? If its just 2 days out of 25?

[esbjorn in reply to crystal_willow]

Hi Crystal

Sorry for not getting back to you in December. Hope you're feeling ok & that your endo is keeping in check! As far as I know (I'm no medical/pharamceutical expert..) you should be perfectly fine taking naproxene/NSAID only once in a while.

I'm prescribed up to 1000mg daily (and I'm usually 1000mg daily, sometimes 750mg). Therefore I have to take care to protect my stomach lining. I know of people that have been on naproxene for over 10 years and are ok..

Take care

xx ke