Pain/Painsomnia…what to do

[TianneD28]

So I have EDS, POTS, gastroparesis and many other related illnesses. In 2009 I was in a car accident and this triggered my chronic pain and ultimately got me my diagnoses of EDS.

I take cocodamol, amitryptiline for pain and I also use a tens unit and ibuprofen gel. The last few weeks my pain has been at an all time high and affecting me daily to the point I don't even want to shower and I'm a massive germaphobe (I'll get on public transport and press the bell or hold the rails with a anti-bac wipe over my hand or around the rails lol) anyway I'm struggling to sleep and I go to bed after 3-5am and even then it's not a deep sleep it's one of them ones where your eyes are shut but your pretty much awake.

The lack of sleep has caused me to have hallucinations almost every night. One of these hallucinations it was raining in one area of the room and there were birds flying around…messed up I know. The amitryptiline makes my pots so much worse and I'm constantly dizzy and what I'm on now for pain doesn't really help. What medications can I ask my dr for? I'm seeing him on the 31st as I had an MRI for my sciatica which I know the hospital haven't even reviewed yet and it's been over a month. I just want to be able to at least do things at home without being in so much pain that I'm losing sleep over it and feeling like I'm going crazy. When I was 14 I was prescribed tramadol which did nothing for my pain so I don't know if I should ask my Dr to try that again at a higher dose as I presume it was a low dose due to my age at the time.

Thank you in advance to anyone that can help

[johnsmith]

More pain killer may exacerbate the problem. The pain killers you have been taking may have prevented you from feeling some of your pain. However. they have also blunted sensitivity to noticing when you are damaging yourself. The result, damage to yourself which increases the pain level resulting in the need for more pain killer.

Lack of sleep results in loss of fine muscle control with the result that you experience more pain.

What you can do depends on the financial resources you have available. See a sports therapist who can check how many muscles are over contracted. What a sports therapist can advise whether they can help I have no idea. The information provided will be of use. Another specialist to see is an Alexander Technique teacher. They may be able to help reduce some of problems you are experiencing. You medical problem is outside my experience so all you can do is investigate and gather information which hopefully will prove useful.

Lastly you need to engage in meditation and mindfulness. Meditation_A_Way_of_Awakening_-_Ajahn_Sucitto.pdf is a free download from

amaravati.org/dhamma-books/...

Practicing Meditation and mindfulness is not going to be a cure. However, pain is an emotional response to what you experience. If you learn to experience pain but not be emotionally responsive to it the nature of the pain you experience will change. There should be Buddhist groups in your vicinity were you can learn about the practise of meditation and mindfulness.

Meditation and mindfulness will hopefully help with some of your sleep issues.

Hope this helps.