[ALT MED] Controlling Pain??

[Trek]

For the past few weeks I've been having pain in my hip. Especially after sitting or driving for any amount of time. Can usually walk it out, but it's becoming more disruptive.

For the past three days, I've had a more widespread pain. Knees, thighs, ankle, hip, shoulders, ribs, neck, upper chest, wrists, with sporadic occurances of an overall general pain. All is worse at night (of course), although trying to move to get out of bed in the morning can easily take up to a half hour.

Not pain related, but something screwy going on... my hands have been "off"... typos, dropped items, try to rub the side of my nose & poke myself in the eye instead.

My speech is also "off"... wrong words, or "blurred" words. It's not consistent, and I can "focus" on my speech to be understood clearly. But it takes my total focus... forget doing anything else at the same time.

Okay, this is what I know I have, or rather, have been told I have... Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, arthritis in my one shoulder, and a benign (NOT cancer - NOT growing) brain tumor located between the pons & medulla of my brain stem, just below the fourth ventricle.

There are a host of meds that have been made available to me in the past. All for symptomatic treatment/relief... but nothing to "fix" the problem. The drugs steal too much of my limited energy, mental clarity, and it just makes me "feel sick" to be taking pills round the clock. A waste of time and money in my book since they don't cure anything, and while they do eliminate or lessen some symptoms... they create other problems.

So... Besides being on a vitamin/mineral/supplement regimen that has kept me going well for years... I have resorted to OTC pain killers on nights such as these. Tonight, it's worse... seriously considering taking a muscle relaxer & some ultracet.

That's all the information I can think of to tell you. Now, could someone please tell me how to treat pain naturally? Something that would work even when OTC meds won't.

I already use relaxation techniques such as quiet time, soft relaxing music, soft lighting, calming surroundings, etc. Please don't suggest a hot bath... for some reason they make my symptoms worse. Much worse.

Oh, and the doctors have been written off in my book. I'm sick and tired of the quick rundown of testing and then a handful of prescriptions being handed to me as they say "I just don't know... try these."

 

[goatlady2]

Not being flippent here but you are looking for a miracle. I would venture to say the speech and upper extremity problems are being caused by that tumor exerting pressure on the brain, possibly expanding. Any chance of removal of same? As for the pains it's 1 or a combo of your other problems. Herbs do work on "root causes" but slowly especially on long-standing problems. I'm truely sorry I cannot offer any suggestions for you.

 

[Herbmountain]

Goatlady is right. This is much bigger than than just one symptom. Request a "Cat Scan" to determine if the tumor is growing.

As for all your other diagnosis? There is a thread here on the "American Patient" you should read. So many things that contribute to all these "unknown" diseases.

Many signs are ignored by the patient. The disease goes deeper and then you get exausted. Much like an athlete running on no fuel. Things are bound to break down, muscles, bone, connective tissue.

If you are serious about trying to do alternative...get a Chinese or Indian herbalist that can address your diet, mind set, lifestyle. You will have to do the work on this one. It has gone beyond just taking OTC's and pain pills. You need to address diet, mind set and exercise and lots of rest.

 

[summerthyme]

Yep, gotta agree with Goatlady and Herbie. Trek... this sounds like it's going the wrong way, for whatever reasons...

Believe me, I understand how you feel about doctors. BTDT.

The only thing I have to add is, what about your diet? How healthy (not "USDA pyramid" healthy, but naturally healthy) is it? Do you drink plenty of pure water, unsweetened (and NOT artificially sweetened) fruit or vegetable juices?

What about allergies, especially food allergies? Have you ever done an elimination diet, where you start out with almost nothing but white rice and lamb or rabbit, and then *slowly* add foods one at a time, to see if symptoms are aggravated by certain food groups?

Although I'm a dairy farmer, I know full well that many people have trouble with dairy products- although I think the pasteurization process is more the culprit than the milk itself. Ditto beef- if it's raised right, meaning mostly grass fed without hormone implants (actually more beef in this country IS raised "naturally", despite all the hoopla about "hormone laden beef")

I don't know where you are in NY- we're down in the southwestern corner of the state, probably too far to be of any help. But if you do find that naturally raised meats seem to help, I raise chicken, turkey and Dexter cattle on a custom basis for people every summer.

I agree with Herbie though, that you need to find an alternative professional if there is ANY chance of doing so. They work with the whole person, and once you've gotten into as much trouble as you apparently have, it's going to take someone who knows what they're doing to help you heal completely.

But I'd think diet (and possibly some herbal liver support and cleansing) would be a good place to start.

I hope you find something that helps.

summerthyme