• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Adverse reaction to acupuncture

Boule de feu

Senior Member
Messages
1,118
Location
Ottawa, Canada
I've been dealing with a very stiff neck, lately (last two weeks). Lots of pain.
I finally decided to go see an acupuncturist.
It did not go well. One of the needles caused a lot of pain.
It felt like someone was pulling on my muscle and trying
to tear it apart.
The session lasted 10 minutes only. The music really bothered me.
I was totally exhausted + flushed cheeks. Sweating.
My neck and shoulder area are more painful than before.
I can't move my arm anymore. No strength.
Who else got bad results from acupuncture?
 

serenity

Senior Member
Messages
571
Location
Austin
i did not have as bad an experience as you but i did not have a good one - having to sit in one position for so long, dealing with a doc i thought was a quack, seeing strange things like those little beakers they put on people that produce swollen red whelps (is that the word?) - it was all too strange for me & the doc (are they even docs?) didn't do much to calm my nerves. i ended up in more pain after leaving than i was in before.
 

Boule de feu

Senior Member
Messages
1,118
Location
Ottawa, Canada
i did not have as bad an experience as you but i did not have a good one - having to sit in one position for so long, dealing with a doc i thought was a quack, seeing strange things like those little beakers they put on people that produce swollen red whelps (is that the word?) - it was all too strange for me & the doc (are they even docs?) didn't do much to calm my nerves. i ended up in more pain after leaving than i was in before.

I can imagine how stressful it was!

My doctor seems very genuine and really wants to help. I don't think she's a quack.
Fortunately, she did not charge me the session after seeing what it did to me.
I could not walk straight anymore. I felt so dizzy and nauseated.
I don't think she will ever offer me acupuncture again!

Would you say that she did not apply the needles properly
OR
is it CFS related - just another reaction that I have to live with it?
 

serenity

Senior Member
Messages
571
Location
Austin
i don't have an answer as to why it happened to you, yeh this doc was not good - tryin to sell me her potions & powders & mushrooms & stuff, told me "forget Western medicine" when i tried to give her my history. not cool. if i do acupuncture i want them to be able to understand a mix of Western medicine & acupuncture. it was not for me. i have a friend trying to geet me to go back but at this point i am not ready to try again.
i am glad your doc didn't charge you.
 

serenity

Senior Member
Messages
571
Location
Austin
yeh i agree, i don't tend to think anyone is out to get me - just you know, they may believe in something that i dont'.
 

Boule de feu

Senior Member
Messages
1,118
Location
Ottawa, Canada
It doesn't matter where I turn to, it seems that nobody can figure out what's wrong with me.
If at least, I could find some relief... somewhere! I don't care how much it cost me...
 

serenity

Senior Member
Messages
571
Location
Austin
all i can say is what worked for me - remember my primary diagnosis is Fibro tho... i execise gently every day. it helps me very much. i also gave in to meds, sleep meds & anxiety meds & antidepressants. so far i have not had to give in to narcotics for pain since my work out helps to keep the pain at bay.
 

serenity

Senior Member
Messages
571
Location
Austin
yes just be careful & start out small, obviously exercise isn't for everyone so dont' take my word for it - some here really can't tolerate it & there was a time when i couldn't either. how i suddenly was able to & it helped i do not know, but it did.
 

*GG*

senior member
Messages
6,389
Location
Concord, NH
If you have neck issues, perhaps you should investigate Trigger Point injections?

Do you have Fibro?

Myofascial release work, massage therapist can/are trained in this.
 

Boule de feu

Senior Member
Messages
1,118
Location
Ottawa, Canada
If you have neck issues, perhaps you should investigate Trigger Point injections?

Do you have Fibro?

Myofascial release work, massage therapist can/are trained in this.

Thank you, G.

I did see my GP this morning and he told me that it is muscle spasm and thought it is not related to my other conditions. I didn't want to get into an argument. I could have told him what I know about myofascial pain syndrome but decided not to. It is my intention to see a massage therapist. I also have some issues with electric shocks along my spine which come and go when I'm exhausted. I will have to find some way to get rid of them, too. My GP is not a pain specialist and I doubt he will be of any help.

I was not officially diagnosed with fibro, but my doctor did write the word fibro down (a few years after I found out I had CFS) on a report for a specialist. I don't have the 11 points out of 18 (I might have 9) but I have all of the other symptoms and very intense pain almost everywhere in my body. For some doctors, it is enough to diagnose it.

Thank you for the advice. I believe the acupuncture session did help somewhat (after two days, the pain was still there but not as strong). Maybe next time, I will see a "real" acupuncturist.
 

*GG*

senior member
Messages
6,389
Location
Concord, NH
Thank you, G.

I did see my GP this morning and he told me that it is muscle spasm and thought it is not related to my other conditions. I didn't want to get into an argument. I could have told him what I know about myofascial pain syndrome but decided not to. It is my intention to see a massage therapist. I also have some issues with electric shocks along my spine which come and go when I'm exhausted. I will have to find some way to get rid of them, too. My GP is not a pain specialist and I doubt he will be of any help.

I was not officially diagnosed with fibro, but my doctor did write the word fibro down (a few years after I found out I had CFS) on a report for a specialist. I don't have the 11 points out of 18 (I might have 9) but I have all of the other symptoms and very intense pain almost everywhere in my body. For some doctors, it is enough to diagnose it.

Thank you for the advice. I believe the acupuncture session did help somewhat (after two days, the pain was still there but not as strong). Maybe next time, I will see a "real" acupuncturist.

Yeah, my Dr. for CFS is not a pain guy either. I go to a pain clinic, and that has helped a lot, last fall I was a 7 to 9, and am now 1 to 3! I take Acetametophin pretty much 24/7 to keep down the inflammation/pain and Fish Oil. I have heard/seen the inflammation I have in my body at the Foot Dr. and a Dr. I saw for some shoulder pain.

I would like to try Enzymes, but I don't have the money for that at the moment, perhaps next year?!

The acupuncturist did not have lasting effects for me either. It would only help for a few hours, if that.

You have heard that "they" are working on diagnosing Fibro by different means, I think to take out the 11 of 18 tenderpoints. I think spasms are part of Fibro, although have not read it anywheres. How else do you get the bunched up musles/tenderpoints? Don't really know anything about this though.
 

Boule de feu

Senior Member
Messages
1,118
Location
Ottawa, Canada
Yeah, my Dr. for CFS is not a pain guy either. I go to a pain clinic, and that has helped a lot, last fall I was a 7 to 9, and am now 1 to 3! I take Acetametophin pretty much 24/7 to keep down the inflammation/pain and Fish Oil. I have heard/seen the inflammation I have in my body at the Foot Dr. and a Dr. I saw for some shoulder pain.

I would like to try Enzymes, but I don't have the money for that at the moment, perhaps next year?!

The acupuncturist did not have lasting effects for me either. It would only help for a few hours, if that.

You have heard that "they" are working on diagnosing Fibro by different means, I think to take out the 11 of 18 tenderpoints. I think spasms are part of Fibro, although have not read it anywheres. How else do you get the bunched up musles/tenderpoints? Don't really know anything about this though.

A few years ago, my GP had referred me to a a very good physiatrist and I started going to a pain clinic shortly after that. Well, the physiatrist was so worried that I would get worse (because of the extreme exhaustion and pain), she wrote down that I could not attend any of the sessions (except for one hour a week if I could get out of the house). This is how I won my court case... I was able to learn a few things. She never wrote down FIBRO but my GP said afterwards (during the follow-up) that I was in the process of getting fibro. They were able to see the signs, I guess.

My pain is still at 8 - 8,5 every day. I don't remember what it is like to be pain-free. The meds are not helping and because I am drug intolerant my GP is shaking his head not knowing what to do next. This is why I went to see a naturopathic doctor, not because I believe in what they are doing but because I have no other choice if I want to have some relief. However, I'm not ready to stop seeing my doctor - he does come up with pretty good ideas, too!

I've never heard of enzymes treatment.

How much fish oil do you take?

I just read that myofascial pain syndrome is related to fibro and it would explain the spasm and nodules. See the book: Integrative therapies for fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and myofascial pain: The mind-body connection.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
sorry to hear about your experience.. maybe the accupuncturist wasnt well trained and experienced. You probably should of asked her to turn the music off or down if it was bothering you... things may of gone a little better then?

I know many dont believe in it... but many accupunturists also do a gentler form that they use for children.. that is using a lazer on the accupuncture points instead of needles... lazer is painless.

When i was desperate when my child was young, I took her to an accupuncturist who then used a lazer on her... and amazingly that fixed her issues (she had grows on her vocal cords and already had had surgery approx 16 times for this issue and was due for more surgery. Lazer Accupuncture fixed the issue which surgery hadnt been able to fix!!

Maybe that is something someone here may want to try.
 

Boule de feu

Senior Member
Messages
1,118
Location
Ottawa, Canada
sorry to hear about your experience.. maybe the accupuncturist wasnt well trained and experienced. You probably should of asked her to turn the music off or down if it was bothering you... things may of gone a little better then?

I know many dont believe in it... but many accupunturists also do a gentler form that they use for children.. that is using a lazer on the accupuncture points instead of needles... lazer is painless.

When i was desperate when my child was young, I took her to an accupuncturist who then used a lazer on her... and amazingly that fixed her issues (she had grows on her vocal cords and already had had surgery approx 16 times for this issue and was due for more surgery. Lazer Accupuncture fixed the issue which surgery hadnt been able to fix!!

Maybe that is something someone here may want to try.

Yes. That's what it is. A lack of experience.
I could have gone to a skilled acupuncturist but his office is on the other side of town, and it was too much demanding for me to get there.

The experience was horrible. You would think that someone who understands CFS (I have noise sensitivity!) would know not to leave some music behind before leaving the room.

However, the pain left me after two days. Coincidence? Maybe not. My shoulder and neck are still tender but it's nothing. I can live with it, now. Better for sure.

I have never heard of lazer acupuncture. I don't think my ND even knows about it. I will ask her next time I see her.

By the way, she never did give me another appointment... maybe she got scared? (lol)
Or maybe she realized she can't do much for me... =-(
 

justy

Donate Advocate Demonstrate
Messages
5,524
Location
U.K
Hi Boule, i am sorry you had such a bad experience at the Accupuncturists. I am diagnosed with M.E and am in a very bad relapse after a roughly ten year remmission. I cannot currently tolerate many treatments that do help others. I tried massage therapy with a very good trustworthy therapist who was very gentle and it left me in aghony for weeks with all mysymptoms flaring. Now i dont try anything new, just in case. I think for me my body is not strong enough to take the massage, or it released too many toxins as i was very brain dead for a long while after.

The same lady gives me reflexology -which is lovely and helps in a very gentle way. It uses pressure points -like accupuncture but just on your feet, and no needles. The same therapist though told me she had another M.E patient who could'nt handle the reflexology either.
When i am feeling a bit better i hope to progress on to accupuncture, as it helped wityh my recovery l;ast time.
 
Messages
2,565
Location
US
Sorry to hear it went so badly. I believe in acupuncture but I don't know a lot about it. But I believe a lot of natural therapies don't work properly for CFS/ME. I had one accupuncture needle once and it hurt and so I didn't proceed with the therapy. I was told I would hardly feel the needle.