I had been taking ever increasing amounts of codeine-based pain killers for PEM and my chronic pain for YEARS. Went to a pain management clinic where they asked me to try stopping the pain meds. I noticed no increase in pain while off of the pain meds, none. Here I was almost popping them like candy - and only thinking they helped. It was nice to be able to reduce the brain fog that the meds induced.... especially since it wasn't a 'necessary evil' like I thought it had been.
I, too, take ibuprofen when I get a flare-up of my tendonitis (chronic inflammation - no wonder I discovered all my methylation defects) - and it doesn't touch my chronic pain, not even a little.
What helps me? So far, it's been heating pads and epsom salt baths. It doesn't eliminate them long-term (they keep coming back). But I can be at a good, low-pain level for a good, solid 48 hours after each epsom salt bath if I apply heat in the evenings and raise my legs. I can't take magnesium orally - but the epsom salt baths helps to get it absorbed transdermally - I'm going to be buying some magnesium oil/spray when I can to see if it can extend the length of time between soaks. I find it really interesting that magnesium added to a bath can make such an amazing difference. I've done hot tub soaks a lot as it can make me painfree while I'm in the tub - just not very practical. The epsom salt bath, brings my pain down to a 1 or 2 for 48 hours and makes it so much easier to live with.
My mother? took nurontin (sp?) and found it helped a lot with her pain since it was more nuerologic than inflammation.
Future steps for me - I'm supposed to try accupuncture for my upper back pain (used to be referred gall bladder pain, but it's become a chronic pain source now). And I'm supposed to try Pulsed Infrared Light (
www.healthlight.us) for my muscle and joint pain (my long-term chronic pain) - to see if it can make a bigger difference.
