Having Multiple Sclerosis and usinga tanning bed for pain

[maryannthequeen]

I have been diagnosed with MS March 2002. I live in St. Petersburg Fl and it is hot almost all the time .I was very active & I had used a tanning bed 5 times a week. I enjoyed the quite time because of my busy schedule. I stopped going because I had to stop working and I was in a wheel chair and ran out of money.
It helped my severe pain. Now I have restarted back in the tanning bed or stand up for a few weeks and I have taken my self off of all the pain meds that I was on (oxycodone & double morphine patches every 2 days) I feel Great !! I am still having pain, but I do not feel any more pain than I was in when I was taking the pain medicine. I do not recommend you do this unless you talk it over with your Dr. This is what I had to do to find some way to get off of my pain meds ad get some quality of life back. Is there anyone out there that has experienced or know anything about tanning beds helping pain with MS?
Thanks

[sllowe]

Hi there,

Welcome. You are very fortunate to not experience weakness from the heat. Maybe it's because time in the bed is only a short interval.

I read an article recently about a woman who has MS and used a heating pad for her RLS. It works well for her. Think it was in the Neurology now recent issue.

While I'll not go on and on about what the sun or the bed can do to you long term and cancer, etc (I LOVED all the time I spent inthe sun too!), I'm am happy to hear you are doing well w/out the pain meds!

Thanks for joining us,
Shell

[meg321]

I would have to agree, I did tanning beds for 30 years and I finally quit before I even understood why..I understand but It doesnt sound like a good idea with MS.

And there are other ways ...

good luck ,

meg

[Guitar_grrrl]

If it were me, I'd put my money toward a massage instead of tanning.  Not as dangerous, and so much better at soothing aches and pains and spastic muscles.

Just my $0.02

[supermum_ms]

There's something a little disturbing about the idea of using a tanning bed, especially with a disease like MS, it would be a very unusual tool due to heat being one of the big no no's. And the very high risk of Cancer, the connection of tanning beds and Cancer is established, the level of risk being higher with the amount of exposure, daily to me is mind bogglingly high.

I have a vague idea that the benefit may stem from the sensory deprivation aspect of the enclosed booth, i recall reading something about the addictive calming affect of the tanning beds, which is why 'some' people become dependant to feel good. Thats not to say this is the same, i dont understand why you feel better and in less pain, but could there be something about the total environment that allows your over loaded senses to relax?

I really dont know but its not something i would recommend anyone doing, MS or no MS, its just not safe, you would be hard pressed to find any dr over here that would ok the practice, there is just too much evidence about the negative aspect of tanning beds.

I really dont know why your experiencing what you do, its not the same as the benefits of sunlight and wellbeing, Vit D etc so its got me stumped.

Cheers.......JJ    

[addicted2harleys]

I am undiagnosed.  But, I had to quit using tanning beds when my neuro problems started.  They really made me weak and sick.  Anything with heat does, for that matter.

Glad they work for you though.

Addi

[HVAC]

Tanning beds would go against conventional wisdom of heat causing MS to be worse. If it works for you I guess that is good.

Alex