Hi - can I just ask you lovely diagnosed people how you deal with pain in muscles, especially when you want to sleep??
I’m quite well at the moment but have started having very tight painful muscles in my legs over the last few days. Tonight they are so painful I can’t sleep at all. I’m just about used to my legs buzzing constantly but this pain is something else and a new one for me.
Any tips oh wise ones?
Dxx
Hi Deb, nothing worse than pain especially if it’s keeping you awake.
For starters, have you tried paracetamol? I find that quite good for muscle pain.
If you’ve tried that and doesn’t work, you obviously need something stronger. Go to your GP. It’s tricky to work out if it’s nerve pain or muscle pain, anyway GP will hopefully work out what’s best. If nerve pain, there’s several drugs that can help (Amitripyline, Gabapentin, Pregabalin). GP might try you on one of those.
How is your gait when walking? You might be getting what’s called ‘secondary pain’… that’s when you’re putting strain on your muscles because of the way you are walking. If that is the problem, a course of physio can help.
Anyway, try the paracetamol (at night it can be quite comforting to take it as Lemsip), and/or go and see GP. Don’t put up with the pain when there are drugs that can help.
Take care,
Pat x
Hi Deb,
I am plagued with this, as if I had flu’ every single day, but my neuro thinks it’s NOT RELATED. Pfffff!
There are a few words I could say about that.
Anyway, if it’s muscle tightness that’s the problem, you may find a muscle-relaxant such as Baclofen, whilst not actually a painkiller, might address the causes.
Otherwise, as Pat said, it’s probably good old-fashioned painkillers like paracetamol.
I found cocodamol (paracetamol + codeine) excellent, as paracetamol alone doesn’t do much for me. Unfortunately, after about a year of taking it (under medical supervision), my body suddenly decided it didn’t like it any more, and was going to make me throw up if I tried to continue.
No idea how something can be fine for months like that, then suddenly not, but I’ve had problems with codeine ever since.
Tried taking a complete break, then gradually reintroducing it, but my body still doesn’t like it, which is a real shame, as it was soooo effective.
I can just about stomach a little, if I get really desperate, but it seems I can never return to regular use.
Still, you might get on OK with it, and your body not rebel like mine.
Tina
The problem with painkillers is that they only mask the problem and do nothing to tackle the cause. Getting a decent physio to suggest an exercise/stretching programme would be a good start.
I found acupuncture helped to ease back pain and might be worth looking into. Do you have an MS Therapy Centre within range, as these places tend to offer both treatments?
Hi, thanks for your replies. It feels like it’s due to tightness or squeezing of the muscle of its own accord, a bit like cramp. It’s better when I’m active and worse when I’m still like in bed. Awards ceremony this evening will be difficult as I have to sit still for 2 hours.
I’ve been buzzing, burning, twitching and jerking for several months but as annoying as they are they don’t hurt like this new tightening. Paracetomol doesn’t help, ampiwotsit doesn’t do much either but probably I’m on too low a dose at the moment, I can’t tolerate codeine either Tina, it makes me very sick.
My gait is fine - I think it is anyway but people at work look at me walking towards them and say ‘you having a bad day today?’ when I thought I looked just fine, so who knows!!
I know everyone is having to put up with similar and far worse so I hate to moan but it’s definitely becoming quite draining!
Deb
Hi Deb, go and see your GP. Sounds like muscle spasms… a kind of ‘hug’ of the leg muscles.
Nothing more draining than pain and please don’t worry about having a moan.
Hope you get some help soon,
Pat x
If it’s like cramp then magnesium might help. I take 375mg and find it works pretty well.