Lidoderm patches

[missy72450]

I recently received a phonecall from my neorologist and although I still do not have my dx she wanted to help me with some pain issues. I take Cymbalta at present and I do not like narcotics.

We decided to try lideoderm patches. I have tried them 2 times and am not sure if I can tell a difference.

Have any of you tried them? I am having neuropathic pain in my back and can not even stand my clothes to touch. She thinks I am in a flair. All I know is when I am no working I am sleeping.

[SarahL2491]

sorry they don't work mamiJ, they work for my spaciticy in my legs.  They don't stick good in areas where there is rubbing but I have had no problems with them.  Just rub them down really good all the way around when you put them on, even if you dance, because they are COLD going on!

[mamiJ]

The patches don't work that well for me.  in my experience, they help with mild to moderate pain...biggest complaint is that they DON'T stick to the skin :(

[missy72450]

Thanks again. I needed a good cry today. I know I am among friends. I need to suck it up and start prednisone like my PCP wants. I just hate the stuff.

LOVE yal  Missy

[Quixotic1]

Oooh!  Ooooh!

Anyone on treatment for neuropathic pain needs to read the two Health Pages written for us on that very topic by a pain management doc.  They emphasize the need to be patient - as hard as it is - and to go slow.

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/Nerve-Neuropathic-Pain---A-Primer/show/371?cid=36

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/General-Principles-of-Treating-Neuropathic-Nerve-Pain/show/452?cid=36

Enjoy!

Quix

[Sparkysarah]

I also sing and lost my confidence when I also could not hear properly as I could not hear if I was in tune. I noticed in church today that my hearing has improved a great deal and I so enjoyed just being able to sing and hear myself. I came out feeling uplifted, tired..but it was worth it. So I hope for you that your hearing loss is just temporary.

Last year I cared for my mother-in-law who had Motor Neurone Disease and with no previous nursing experience...I learnt very quickly and basically cared for her until she died. I do not think that any of want to be nursed..and it is my greatest fear to end up like my mother-in-law, out of control and reliant on others.

Writing and expressing what you are feeling is a gift so use it and reach out to others when you want to. Some days feel just like **** and it is not easy to keep that happy smile on for everyone..so maybe you need to tell those around you who love you..that youu are having a bad day. It is difficult sometiems for people to see what we are feeling in our bodies and I certainly experience this with my family and find it difficult to say that the positve mum, wife who is often in charge at home..actually feels like handing over the responsiblity to someone else as her legs and back are aching and she is just exhausted.

So Missy you are not alone and when you go out for that car ride to have a cry just remember that there are probably many others shedding tears at the same time.

With love, support and hugs..you are among friends.

Sarah xxx :)

[missy72450]

Thanks inny, I will check into the amitriptilline. Anything at this point I am so tired. I can not seem to stay awake to drive at times. Doc thinks this is part of a flair she may be right I think I am not getting enough rest. Stress may be playing a big part as well.

Work school and an eight year old (he is my grandson but lives with me). Busy life. I have a great husband. My daughter took the eight year old yesterday. He was suppose to stay the weekend but he wanted to come home when it got dark.

She got offended till I reminded her she was the same way at that age. I also have a three year old grandson who likes to spend lot of time here he is precious but very energetic.

School is difficult not so much because I dont know the material but because I cant remember how to spell. thank God for spell and grammer check.

Do you ever have problems calling up certain words? I could not remember the word popcorn last night. I almost cried. It is stinkin emabarrasing at work when you can not describe a problem because you can not remember the terminology.

Oh well I just put it in laymans terms. LOL Here I am babbling again becaus I am having a pity party.I try really hard to put on a happy face  for every one telling them none of this really matters. what is is and it does not really change anything.

But darn it it does change things. My body wont do what I tell it to.. It wont pee when I tell it to. It wont walk when I tell it too. It itches in places I cant reach and then it hurts to scratch it. It wants to sleep when I need to be awake.

I cant feel my feet in the mornings it feels like I am walking on someone elses feet. Sometimes I get in my car and drive down the road just to cry.

I am sorry to keep going on and on guys,. It is just therapy for me to write. I really love all of you and I have never met any of you. Thanks for listening.

Missy

I am a singer, It is hard to sing when you cant always hear the music. I am a nurse and I dont want to be nursed. I am the one people vent to so it is hard to vent to people.

[Inny2009]

Im so sorry your going through this! I dont know how these patches work but perhaps giving them alittle bit more time? I dont know..sometimes medication needs time to work but maybe it doesnt. I understand that kind of pain. Where it hurts to be touched. Its a real bummer.

I was on Amitriplyine at night to help me sleep through my pain and it did work for me. It is considered an antidepressent ( i got very confused with this and my doctor was quick to tell me that it wasnt for depression but helps people to sleep at night..especially with nueropathy and other issues of that sort). Good luck!

Inny

[missy72450]

I think so and so does Dr. Cape. She feels that everything points in this direction which has been hard to deal with.

I kinda did poor out my heart so to speak early on. My symptoms started about 12 years ago when I was admitted to the hospital witha high eosinophil count and they did not know why I hurt or why anything that was happening was happenng.

They went a full spectrum from Lymphoma to eosinophyllic grastro.  I have an intolerance to red meat and have had several exascerbations of "something they did ot know what that they only thng that changed it wa IV solumedrol.

The most recent being last Oct when I went to bed on a saturday fine and woke up Sunday without the ability to hear in my left ear. Within a week I could not walk for the vertigo.

I went through physical therapy for 6 weeks to learn to walk again and did this for awhile with a tripod cane.

I have had 2 more episodes since. I have had one MRI that the radiologist 5 years ago said the leasion wer "not unlike" MS. And the most recent was hyper something that looked like I had HTN which I do not.

Anyway thats the story abbreviated. I am an RN working on a degree to be an FNP. I have read your post and find them enlightening.

thanks, missy

[Quixotic1]

Hi, a lot of people benefit from the Lidoderm patches.  I hope it helps.  I completely understand about life consisting only of work and sleep.  That doesn't make much of a life.  That exquisite sensitivity to light touch is called allodynia.  Often a firm touch is tolerable, but the light brushing of clothes or a light touch from another person is unbearable.  Seems backward, but it is common.

Another addition that can help the Cymbalta is a low-dose of amiltrityline at night.

I hope you can get a handle on this pain.

Have you told us your whole story?  Do you think you are close to a diagnosis?

Quix