The pain continues...

Sorry you are feeling so bad.  Don't end your life. I've been there before with pain.  Pain is not a fun thing.  Figuring out why you are having pain is important so you can at least focus on fixing it and then have it fixed... or at least part way fixed.

Bananas have potassium in them.  They seem to help with some leg cramps for some reason.  Your pain in  your chest may be unrelated... or might be related.  Only a doctor could tell you.   I get leg cramps a lot.  Is the pain in the front  of your chest or in the back of your chest?  Is wierd that it responds with antacids.  I started keeping a food diary.  I still can't figure out what sets off periods of acid reflux.  Stress I am guessing, probably, not the food.  Though I found tomatoes are acidic, and I do have more problems when I eat things like pizza and pasta with tomato sauce on it.  And only in periods of stress, like well, currently.  

Do you get pain in your joints?  I have an autoimmune disease (connective tissue disorder, they believe currently to be lupus but they keep changing the diagnosis around).  ANyways, I get an inflammed rib cage occasionally.  Also get inflammed joints that make me hurt, which includes my knees, fingers, elbows, tissues in the rib cage (there's also a joint where the rib cage meets in the front of the chest i occasionally get inflammed joint there).  I was 18 when the pain and inflammation started.  It wasn't too bad then, but by the time I was 21... there were nights I would just lay in bed crying myself to sleep because the pain was so bad.  Ibuprofin will help joint pain better than acetaminophin.  If you take a bunch of pain meds on a daily basis, be sure to take them with food, since it will sit better in your stomach.  I also have a lot of stomach problems.  And problems with my body processing vitamins (I have a vitamin deficiency with B5, B6, and B12 according to my doctor and my test results).  I have heard that there are some studies that they are currently trying to do (I think in England, not here in the US) that link autism to autoimmune disorders.  Not sure if they are studying if it's related in the same person or if it's related in relatives of someone with autism.  Anyways, I am curious about it because I have a connective tissue disorder and autoimmune disorders seem to run on both sides of my family (mom's and dad's relatives).  I have a lot of sleep problems.  I have trouble getting to sleep.  I have trouble staying asleep.  I hear every single noise and little noises wake me up.  Air conditioner coming on.  Sometimes the refrigerator motor comes on.  Husband has to sleep in another room, and sometimes he snores or even just breathes too loudly that I hear him as well.  I'm experimenting with white noise for myself and my daughter to see if we can sleep better and through the night.  I know for me, sleep is important so my joints don't hurt.  If I get my sleeep all messed up, my health deteriorates pretty significantly.  And sometimes that means I also get stuff like ear infections,  bronchitis, kidney infections, etc.  So, sleep important.  Trying to reduce stress levels are important.  

My doctor has kept me on cymbalta, an antidepressant, because at higher doses it does help with autoimmune diseases and fibromyalgia (also causes pain in joints, muscles, and other things). I also take ibuprofin.  I used to take prescription stuff years ago for joint pain (arthritis meds) but a lot of that was removed off the market because it caused heart attacks in old people. Oh, well, not to like freak you out about this stuff... but if you are having pain... I don't know if it would be something to ask your doctor to look into.  They just do a blood test.  And then if your blood tests show things like high ANA (antinuclear antibodies), high SED rate (blood sedimentation rate that indicates inflammation), and other things, then they refer you to a rhumatologist.  And if the stuff is negative, at least they can rule that stuff out.  

Well, anyways, only person to figure out what is going on in your body is a good doctor.  No matter what you have.  And if it's diet related, your primary care doctor can refer you to a nutritionist.  I don't know what kind of insurance you have, but sometimes nutritionists are covered and sometimes they aren't.  

Oh, another thing to rule out with joint pain and feeling crappy is lyme disease.  Again a simple blood test.  

Anyways, Um, really I hope I'm not freaking you out talking about health and diseases and stuff.  I just hope you can figure out why you are in so much pain and fix it so you aren't feeling like dying would be better.

Oh, another thing I notice that sets off joint pain and migraines and fatigue is the weather.  I had an excrutiating migraine and joint pain last night.  Last night/early this morning we had some storms come through. This evening we had a cold front come through which brought more storms.  I am feeling better in both headache and joint pain now that the weather has passed.  Still you should go see a doc... just journal and see what things set off your pain and other things.  Food diaries, headache diaries, pain diaries (where located, when, maybe figure out causes like weather, lack of sleep).  Then you can bring all that to your doc... if you can figure out correlations.  I have been doing those types of things, off and on, for years now.  Sometimes I can't make any correlations, and sometimes I can.  Weather, food, sleep, etc.  

Hang in there, okay?  *big hug*

Don't worry I wasn't going to end my life... I just had the thought if this thing kills me then I'm not fighting it... It makes me feel physically like I am going to die...

In this case I think it was a med thjat caused the damage/pain... I looked up the warnings and side effects of a pain medicine I was perscribed... I had a bad feeling right from the start about it, but my doctor talked me into taking it. She lessened the dose to one week. I thought one week should be fine. That way (I thought) no serious side effects would happen because I wouldn't be taking it long enough. Boy am I wrong. It seems just two or three days is enough for it to cause signifigant pain...

I don't normally tend to notice joint pain except my fingers/wrists... Probably carpal tunnel... I wear a wrist brace at night if I can. I notice my knee joints pop sometimes and it took a while for one knee to heal after falling on the ice one year. As far as autoimmune conditions, I don't know. I tested negative for lupis and related...

I wonder if concentrating on living in the moment might help?  There are many times it helps me.  When I suffer pain of any kind, whether physical or emotional, I have a tendency to over-analyze what I'm feeling and thinking, trying to figure out what caused the pain, how long it's going to last, should I go to the doctor, will I still feel this way tomorrow,will I miss work.....and so on. All those thoughts don't help one little bit. So I concentrate on relieving the symptoms (like antacids), or taking a warm bath with bath salts while reading a book, watching a favorite movie, or reading the Bible -- reading the Bible helps an awful lot.  I have some DVD's that are really historically or archeology based, but help me remember that Jesus was a real man (although Divine) and no doubt had bad stomach aches, headaches, and problems with His friends.... If I can distract myself from trying to live tomorrow today (or even to live 2 hours in the future) it helps. You like to write, so maybe journaling about what you're feeling, but not worrying or analyzing.....just describing.  I'm glad you're feeling better this morning....life's like that.  :>)

I go to a bland diet when gerd or heartburn type ailments bother me whether it is from a med or from something I ate.  I lay off the chocolate (frappichino drinks, etc.) and acidic things until it has died down.  I had to stop taking aceteminophen as it was aggravating the situation.  By bland, I mean bananas, soda crackers, chicken broth, fruits excluding acidic ones.  Diet plays an important part in our lives.

When I had a major attack which led to spasms which seemed to be chest pains, I was given nitroglycerin (Nitrostat) tablets to use at the hospital.  I went through the tests which ruled out heart attack.  I was put on prilosec and have used it the past 2 years.  It helps.  

Unfortunately we are guinea pigs with our meds and their side effects.  I am a cna currently and work with the elderly...many are on lots of meds.  One med is given to help with the symptoms (fallout) of another....it is a domino effect.

It is good you are researching and asking questions.  That puts the time/suffering to good use.

Mjthewritermom

The pain you get in your leg, is it possible that you somehow stretch a muscle there when you are sleeping?  That happens to me quite a bit and it can take awhile before the leg feels better.

IMHO meds can actually make us feel worse; some of the meds I take DO make me feel worse and I'm tempted to get another opinion.

Love the picture of the kitten  = )

Hugs to you ....

wolf

Ugh. If it's an ulcer, you can get it knocked out quick (depending on the type) with that antibiotic mix they use. I was one of the first to have it when it came out decades ago. After a year of suffering, it was gone after a two week course. Incredible!

If it continues, get it checked out. Otherwise you'll end up like me, throwing up blood on the conference room table and passing out. And no one wants that...what would the clients think!?!? :)

MJthewritermom... that's scary about the nitroglycerin... I looked up on wikipedia and it says it is used as medicine.  But it's also an active ingredient in explosives!  I would be paranoid that I'd blow up or something if I took it.  *grin*  Yeah, I know it wouldn't happen.  Hey, but it might be proof to the theory of spontaneous human combustion which is highly controversial that it can even occur.  :)   Or maybe I've just watched that movie "This is Spinal Tap" one too many times.

888mom, I know. My dad was always making comment about the nitro and being afraid it would expload in mom's purse...  I saw something on Riply's (or related show) about combustable humans. Creepy...  Someone looked down and saw their leg on fire...  I think they were relativly calm about it surprisingly. If it were my leg, I'm sure I'd freak...  Hafta remember stop, drop and roll, from 1st grade lol.

Savas yeah passing out like that certainly would be quite an experiance for everyone there.  I'm thinking it'll end like the last time when I tried one of mom's antibiotics for a sinus infection... Same thing occured, 2-3 days taking bam instant ulcer...  The intense pain lasted a week, then subsided within 2-3 weeks...

For the most part I ignore it. I whine about it in the morning, but then it goes away after taking an antacid and eating something. I think it's when my stomach is empty is when it gets the worst...  I'm trying to lay off the tabasco sauce and eat as bland as I can tolerate, lol.  I'm occupying myself by napping, petting my cat, working on my story (writing about my character struggling to become sober from his addiction to rotten apples and other fermented fruit...I'm sure he'd be classified as a wino in the bug world, lol.) That gives me something to laugh about. I also have my african violets to enjoy.  I pollenated one last year 2x and got two seed pods. Those pods ripened. I planted the seeds, and now 8 of them are blooming and others are producing buds.

I have over 50 seedlings so it'll be time to weed them out and keep my favorites.  The "rejects" and extras I plan to go to my grandma's church to be sold at the Bazaar in the fall to support the church fund. Hopefully they will be blooming so they can be picked off quickly like the last time I put a blooming violet down on the table.. I put down 2 fully bloomed purple ones, walked off in 5 minutes to find them missing only to show up later in the checkout line. There has to be a record there, lol. In the spring we sold a couple light lavender-blue ones as well. Those went quickly.

I thought your leg was just sore, not ulcerated - sorry  = (

My father took nitro for years and didn't explode.  I THINK is has to be combined with other chemicals to become an explosive.

Wonder why there are so many digestive problems going on now - not just at MH but everywhere.  Could it be GMOs or something humans have made to make things "better".  Usually I have to take Zantac before I eat to handle the gas.

Your comment about pollenating african violets was interesting.  They are supposed to be difficult to grow but then I killed a cactus so I'm not much at gardening.

Hope you are feeling better.

Hugs ....

wolf

It could be low k for the leg..or it could be I slept on it...or anything else. My leg has been much better.  I did make sure to eat a banana today. ;)

It does make you wonder about the GMO's...

African violets are really not difficult to grow once you understand what they need.  The like indirect light, be kept moist but not soggy wet and they need a lighter soil mix than most house plants. To make a lighter mix, get a couple perlite bags (the tiny white pumice like stuff). Mix about equal parts perlite with the soil.

To make things worse, when you buy an African violet from a store, they are almost always potted in soil too heavy for them. if you water them like normal plants, they will be soggy wet and rot. It's a good idea to repot them using a lighter soil mix if you plan to keep them long term. The store ones may also have mold on the flowers and leaves. That too can kill the plant, or at least mar it.  I had that problem last winter when I bought some. I ordered some greenlight fungaway, mixed a diluted solution and zapped the mold with a spray bottle.

You may also get bugs, which means more hassle... Put the plant in a ziploc bag and give a generous spray of insecticide in the bag. Seal it off and let the plant stay there for a good 24 hours away from direct sun. That should kill the bugs. If not you can do it over later.

I always seem to get thrips with new arrivals bought from any store... That's why it is good to keep newly bought plants away from your existing plants.  To combat thrips, remove all the flowers and buds. (that's where they get the most food) Do the bag trick.

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Otherwise it's just basic maintenance. Make sure not to over water and not let the plant dry out. Repot the plant every once and a while.  Lately drying out has been a problem along with temp fluctuations... My flowers are suffering, but so far the plants themselves seem to be healthy.  The cross pollinating and seed planting has turned out to be a really fun experience. I find it interesting how many colors and leaf types I got. Along with good I also got to see a “not so good” trait that came up. Some tend to drop flowers as they fade. (Like lilacs)…which is more an annoyance but common with many non “Optimara” violets. The violet clubs call that single dropping. It’s a recessive trait and happens only to single petal flowers. (flowers with 5 petals.)

I mean single flowers for african violets. There are also "Sticktite" flowers that don't fall off. Those are usually what you find sold in the stores.

That's really interesting and helpful.  Maybe I'll try it now that I've read your comments.  My mother was "good" with african violets too; she used to play music for them and the plants really thrived.

GMOs - they are everywhere.  Fish or pork genes are in tomatoes and worst of all, they don't have to put on labels or warnings that they are GMOs.  A person thinking they are getting "pure" tomatoes, don't know they are eating fish or pork genes.  That's bad for religious groups who don't eat certain types of meat or for vegetarians who think their food does not contain meat.  I don't know about vegans.  If you ever have the time or inclination, there was a project done about ten years ago called the EAGLE Project and its focus was the amount of chemicals in the Great Lakes, particularly mercury.  It a combined effort between Native people and non-Natives.  It was quite interesting.  I saw the raw data but the finished report didn't contain much of the incriminating levels.

Glad you wrote that information about plants  = )  Also glad your leg is better; lack of potassium never occurred to me.

Glad your leg is better.

Medication reactions are scary... does that mean you have an allergy to it?  That is so scary.

Okay, now I'm scared about GMOs.  How hard is it to grow your own vegetables?  Can you do hydroponics in the winter?  Would it be too expensive to make your own greenhouse?  Or turn a room in your house into a garden room?  I think my husband will shoot me if I do that with our new house.  :)

It would be too expensive. Hydroponic equipment can run into the $100's- $1000's. I don't have that kind of money to throw.  We do plant some things in our small garden. Even so you can't be 100% sure you are safe from harmful chemicals and metals in the soil...