Hi, Ive been dx since 2003 with Relapsing Remitting MS and my MS has been behaving itself fairly well over the years with just a few relapses mainly optic neuritis. However, about a week ago I started having a burning sensation in my left boob but in the last 12 hours the pain has spread to my back, left arm and the left side of my face. I have had the odd occasion previously when I have suffered burning pain to one area of my body, but this has always been no more of an area that my hand could cover.
Can anyone please advise me of what I can take as pain relief until I can get hold of my MS nurse on Monday. I’m currently crawling the walls in pain and discomfort and can’t sit or lie down with out an affected part of my body touching a surface causing the pain to be 10 times worse.
Try to cool down the burning type places. If you happen to have a cool pack in your freezer, try that wrapped in something to protect your skin (even a pillow case or a tshirt which would be soft enough but also allow the cool feeling through). Or if you don’t, but own a flannel and a sealable plastic bag, wet the flannel, wring it out and put that in the plastic bag. Freeze that for an hour or so and try using that on your burning up places. (And if you have more than one of each do two, then when one warms up you can swap them over. Even if you have a wine cooler in the freezer, try that, again wrap it in something to a) protect the skin and b) make it last longer. In Summer, I’ve often taken a wine chilling ice pack to bed with me!
Tomorrow, see if you can buy some cooling spray from a chemist or supermarket. Or some kind of ice gel spray / roll on. I’ve used polar freeze and Magicool. But ask for a pharmacist to see what they might have to cool down.
Obviously you can try paracetamol etc, but with neuropathic pain, they’ll not be of much help. If you have at any time been prescribed any drugs like Amitriptyline, that would help, (check the use by date if you’ve bit used them in a while). Ask friends or family who’ve got current prescriptions for similar drugs (of course you’re not supposed to share drugs with someone they’ve not been prescribed for, but in extremis…)
Lastly, of course try your MS nurse on Monday, but also try your GP too for a prescription for something that helps with neuropathic pain, Amitriptyline, pregabalin, gabapentin, if you’ve ever tried anything and it worked, try for that.
And of course, wear natural fibres in the meantime (or nothing in bed) and open your windows. Neuropathic pain may not be actual heat, but cooling down does help.
Sorry you are feeling so awful. Have also had ‘the burn’ on numerous occasions. All of what Sue says above is really useful, but if the pain really is unbearable, you can always phone your gp who although closed will have an ansaphone message with an out of hours telephone number for your area. Might be worth giving them a ring to see if they can prescribe something that you could collect or ask them to fax to your pharmacy.
I’m not sure if answering this post set off some psychosomatic effect in me, but my left foot is agony tonight. I’ve tried drugs (Amitriptyline and clonazepam) and magicool spray. I’m currently sitting on my bed next to a snoozing OH and snoring cat (or maybe it’s the other way round!). Thinking of getting up again for a while, trying to distract myself, and give drugs time to work. Then come back to be with that wine chiller wrapped in a pillow case!
I agree with Sue and Sally in using a cool block or something similar to place against the offending burning part. The burning sensation drives us wild with no way to ease the discomfort while it lasts.
But would like to add that in the while before you can get a nerve pain medication to try I wear no nightclothes and try to expose the offending part (a leg or an arm, or even shoulders) to cooling air either near an open window or get yourself a free-standing/office fan. Your OH and kitty would have to get used to the hum and the breeze though! I now use both meds and the fan when I need to.
