Is your pain worse day or night ?

I was asked by my GP this week if my pain is worse at night or in the day and could not give a concise answer…

pain is such a part of my life I have not really thought about when it is worst.

So now I am thinking about it and decided it is about the same, I do think it is more stressful at night in that you

are the only one awake and if the pain is bad it is all you can think about.

What do you all think ?

Is is different pain day and night…I do get very still if I lay in one position for long then try to move but the same happens

if I am sitting during the day and let myself sieze up.

Comments ?

Ell

hi ell

i am the same as you.

night seems worse but that could be because there are fewer distractions.

i’d say my pain is the same day and night.

carole x

Night, definitely! Although I don’t know if that’s to do with already having gone through a long day. Pain seems to worsen throughout the day, especially if I’ve been on my feet (the worst pain is in my feet).

Although my best couple of hours are probably last thing at night, because that’s when I’ve had a soothing bath and pop most pills before going to bed. So the pain is artificially less just for that couple of hours, before things start wearing off again.

If I’m only getting one decent couple of hours a day, I don’t know if that suggests I’m under-medicating for the rest. It is possible to take enough to be comfortable, but I’m not happy about doing it permanently. I’d be zombie-like, and my poor liver! It doesn’t matter about the zombification if I’m going to bed anyway, but I don’t want to be like it all day, so I have to put up with a certain amount of pain.

Tina

My pain is at its peak first thing in the morning until the meds kick in and again in the evening. The evening I put down to being on my feet all day with work and having young children.

like Tina my best couple of hours are after my soak in the bath and when my night meds kick in then I foolishly stay up to late because I feel somewhat normal if slightly spaced.

tina you make a very interesting point about does this mean I too am possibly under medicating it is so hard to get the balance right I am going to give this some more thought.

ann x

Hi ladies, the medication issue was why my GP asked…he said it is really hard to get the balance right and many people

only take enough medication at night due to not wanting the zombie effect during the day.

So you both probably are under medicating.

To be honest I would happily settle for being a zombie as opposed to a stressed out / in pain wobble !

I am not able to get into or out of a bath so that lovely long soak to ease the aches and pains doesn,t happen.

Trying to decide about getting a walk in bath but afraid I might soon need a wet room so worried about the expense

of changing bath then it being no good anyway pretty soon.

GP in my case has suggested upping my meds at night for now, with my agreement so that I get the best possible rest

for as long as possible.

Thanks for your input.

Ell

Totally agree it’s a difficult balance! (As well as difficult to balance, a lot of the time!)

I suppose it depends how severe the pain is. Last week, when I had agonising cramps on-and-off for a whole afternoon, I would have taken (almost) anything to try to stop it - and did - including swigging down some pickle juice. Yum!

But mostly, my pain is not agonising - simply depressing. So when it’s affecting quality of life, but not so much it’s unbearable, it’s hard to know what to do. I do think my drugs are sedating, and I have trouble going all day without needing a nap as it is, so I’m reluctant to tweak anything that might see me spending even more time asleep. It’s a real Catch-22, isn’t it?

Tina

baclofen asks as an anaesthetic to me.

it’s great for ensuring a good sleep but i’m a little wary after that episode i had the other week.

bleeurgh!!

Thank again to all, I have upped night meds and get a very little more sleep then am awake again and cannot get comfy enough to get back to sleep.

Just yesterday my daytime pain was at screaming level…extra meds and then hyper

Oh well maybe tomorrow will be better, I live in hope !

Elljay