Pain, pain go away, come again another day - or not at all!

[Maggiet]

Hi to all my fellow pain sufferers out there. Nearly 2 and a half years ago I was walking my dog and my foot was tingling - as if my socks were too tight - and, boy has it progressed since then! After 2 MRI scans - head and spine - enough blood taken from me to keep a vampire in suppers for 12 months and various other tests, I have finally been diagnosed with small fibre neuropathy. This is a very annoying condition that means the small nerve fibres 'spark off' all the time causing extreme pain in the hand, arms, feet and legs as well as unbelievable sensitivity to the smallest of touches, but at least that rules out having my legs waxed ever again! I have tried all the usual drugs - amitriptyline, gabapentin, pregabalin, duloxetine and tramadol. Now, ladies and gents, these drugs do take the sting out of the tail of chronic pain BUT only, for me anyway, if you do not want any quality of life at all and certainly don't work as I seemed to have spent most of my time on the sofa with glazed eyes and a mouth as dry as the bottom of a budgies bird-cage whilst trying these drugs. As nothing is working I have now been told by the pain clinic to come off the Tramadol, but slowly, slowly as withdrawal symptoms are bad too!! Aargh - I despair! I have a prescription for aqueous menthol cream to take to the GP which I am to rub on the affected areas. As only my trunk is NOT affected I have asked for a vat of the stuff to plaster on and will most prob have to get up even earlier for work to slap it on all over! I am assured that that there is no smell to this cream so at least I won't smell like stick of chewing gum! I am now being sent to the Pain Clinic nurse who will give me advice and strategies (how I hate that word) to deal with my pain. I have named my pain - as recommended by some - as Harry the B*****D - nothing to do with Prince Harry I assure you (in fact he has a certain je ne sais quoi!) and I have told my Harry to clear off for the day, PLEASE. So Happy Friday to you all, let us all take one day at a time even if it is bloody painful!

[Bananas5]

Not strategies - plans.

Not issues - problems.

Best of luck with the cream. Hope it isn't too oily or you will feel like a greasy chip.

Pat x

[Hidden]

Paton, I was chuckling at the thought ipof a stick of gum wandering around but a greasy chip is too far!

Maggie, that sounds like one big ouch. I'm sure the pain clinic will give you some ideas to make life easier and better.

Hope Harry lets you enjoy the sunshine if you get any this weekend.

[sargrith]

Maggie, it's true that there is always someone worst off than yourself. I do hope life improves for you soon. Best wishes.

[teadrinker]

Your drug list sounds the same as mine ( I don't take any of those now) and I can sympathise with the budgie-cage mouth and the zombie brain. I can relate to having to get up early to put the cream on - have been doing this for the last few weeks to deal with dry skin, but it's paid off eventually. I am not a morning person.

I hope the new cream works for you. Some years ago, when my facial pain was possibly a jaw joint problem (it wasn't but we went through the treatment to rule it out) I had to apply anti-inflammatory gel 4 times a day to my face. It stank of glue, so very attractive. I was working in a hospital outpatient department at the time and the only mirror was in the ladies' loo, via the waiting room. So off I'd go, clutching my tube of cream, ignoring the stares, I so wanted to shout it, "It's not piles, OK?!"