Pain relief and quality of rest

is it true that pain relief will add to the quality of rest and life style (as opposed to "toughing it out" by resisting medication that relieves pain because of belief that sustains in Tylenol and Advil cause too much bodily harm)? My daughter is experiening extreme pain and fatigue. Dr. has given her Cymbalta which has helped but she will only take Tylenol at night and ususally awakens in the early morning hours in pain and unable to sleep. She uses Thermacare heat patches during the day. I have told her that hurting only tightens the muscles more and causes more fatigue. If this is a true statement, I need someone with more medical authority to state that, since I am only a Mom and have no proof that this is a fact. Thanks.

[geminigirl1963]

I certainly do NOT have any medical authority - I'm by no means part of the medical profession at all, with the exception of being a patient.  I can only attest to what I experience as a sufferer of Fibro and CFS.

I can 100% say, from my own personal experience, that pain relief will add to the quality of life and rest when you're dealing with fibro.  The same goes true in the reverse - rest and sleep will add to the quality of your pain control.  It's a vicious cycle - when we hurt, we can't sleep and when we can't sleep, we hurt more.

While it is true that too much medication of any kind can cause problems, it's also important to remember that it is during our rest and sleep that our body "heals" and if we're not getting the rest that we need, then our bodies are in a constant state of turmoil.

I feel that if your daughter had better pain control, then she would be able to get better sleep and therefore, be able to enjoy more things during the day.  It's very common for sufferers of fibro and chronic fatigue to have sleep problems, so many patients find that they need to take something to help them sleep, whether it be herbal, over the counter or prescription.  HOWEVER, it's VERY important for your daughter to NOT add or change anything with her current medication regime without first talking to her doctor.

How old is your daughter?  Is it possible for you to go to a doctor's appointment with her so that you can bring up these concerns to both her and her doctor at the same time - that way she can also be there to hear exactly what the doctor says about pain control.

Also keep in mind that what may work for one patient may not work for another and it's quite common to have to try several different therapies before you find the right one.

Hang in there - I know it's difficult, but your daughter is very lucky indeed to have a mom who is so concerned and involved :)

[vintagechicken]

Excellent advice given above!

[acker]

as geminigirl says (and vintagechicken for that matter).
the setbacks are addiction or dependency, and the perception that longterm use isn't good for the body - but this is a conditon that really calls for as much bodily rest almost any way you can get it...
i take sleep tablet - Valium actually - in small doses as infrequently as possible. naturally the next day following decent rest is a good day. sometimes i

[acker]

alternate between good night and bad night's sleep. any way good luck with it. it's a balance between getting a comfy sleep, and your daughter being comfy with the schedule of medication.

[mommatney]

I would say that as a general rule, getting rid of or reducing pain to a managable level would definitely improve the quality of life, however, if a person is unwilling or unable to take the medications, then they may be adding to their reduced quality of life by taking the medications in the end.  Does that make sense?  

Of course, getting pain reduced is going to make a person feel better, it is going to allow their body to rest better therefore acquire the sleep cycles in the amounts that the body seeks in order to get the rest and rebuilding that it needs.  But, if the thought of taking the medication or the side effects of the medications is adding such a level of stress that it is counter productive, you are sort of at square one.

As a rule, when I was still working as an RN, I would tell people that suffered with pain for whatever reason, that they needed to take the pain medication BEFORE their unacceptable level of pain.  If they waited until they simply had to take it for relief, it was too late.  It takes the medication time to work, in that time, the pain level will increase and it ends up taking more medication in the long run to achieve the acceptable level of pain control.  If the pain medication were to be taken before the unacceptable level of pain were reached, the minimum amount of pain medication could begin the job, keep the pain at an acceptable level and therefore end up using less of the medication that so many of us do not like to take.  

I don't know if it will help your daughter to know that or to hear it, I know I personally fight taking pain medications myself even in knowing this.  So, it may be that for her, the idea of pain medications are adding too much stress to her.  It seems silly, but having been there in her shoes, I understand.  But, yes, you are correct in telling her that reducing the pain will add to her quality of life, and it will likely help her sleep as a result.  It just may be that she has such a mental hang up to the use of medications for pain that she will add stress to herself as a result...kind of a catch 22.