Can anyone please recommend cheap pain relieving tips?

jahou

Hi there. I have severe spinal osteoarthritis and stenosis throughout the whole of my spine due to a congenital scoliosis . Had open posterior and anterior lumbar fusion surgeries a week apart in 2014 where they discovered multiple pedicle fractures (after doctors in my local area told me my pain was imagined! ) 6 months on a lorry went into the back of my car and messed up my thoracic spine and they discovered osteoarthritis in my thoracic and cervical spine . I usually cope ok and manage to just about work full time despite being in chronic pain but really been struggling in the last few weeks and wondering if it is time to give up. I walk a lot, do stretching and physio exercises, go to the chiropractor every 6 weeks, take amitriptyline, a very low dose 2mg diazepam due to nerve damage, turmeric, bromelain, ginger and green lipped mussel and do mindfulness. I take codeine for pain but can’t take this when working or driving. I used to use occasional nsaids (had asthma so shouldn’t use them) but I can’t take these at all now as had microscopic blood in my urine for months and going to loo 12-15 x a day. I am now on the usual very,very,very long waiting list for further investigations as they think it’s either interstitial cystitis or endometriosis inside the bladder. Had 8 surgeries for endometriosis after being told for years that my abdominal pain was imagined and then told the same when I knew I had developed osteoarthritis. Having a major flare up at the moment due to the cold and wet weather and the stress of going under the knife again (I am terrified of hospitals after so many bad experiences) and not having a diagnosis re bladder issues. I am really not coping physically or mentally and feeling extremely isolated. I am in my mid 40s and feel like my life is over. Can anyone recommend anything please? No point in seeing GP or asking for steroid injections as the waiting lists here are beyond a joke. I can’t afford to pay for treatment as in major debt after paying for endo surgery and paying to see decent spinal surgeons when I became apparent that the orthopaedic consultant local nhs insisted I see was really incompetent. I feel that the system sets you up to fail and have to give up work. I can’t get any help. I would like to try CBD oil with a small amount of THC but obviously this is illegal in the U.K. so I risk getting a criminal record and losing my job if I do go down this route which seems so unfair when I am desperately trying to reduce my pain so I can continue to work. Has anyone gone abroad to try this? Plus off course we can’t have the profit margins of big pharmaceutical companies being affected if people try cannabis products.

frogmorton

Hi jahou

Nice to meet you

Sounds as though you've got a LOT going on you have my sympathy. I also hate hospitals with a passion. Mainly I think it's how powerless I feel at the hands of all those professionals.

One of my 'go to' pain relievers is honestly just a warm (almost hot) wheatbag! I also have a supply of the 'one off' heat patches you can buy in supermarkets. I tend to buy them when they are on offer and use them if I am struggling, but need to be out of the house and nowhere hear my microwave.

I hope others come up with some useful ideas for you too ((()))

Take care

Toni xx

stickywicket

I just use exercises and distraction but mine is RA (plus OA) and my spine is pretty good.

IOne thing that comes to mind, reading your post, is that you're taking quite a few supplements. These can sometimes work against each other and against prescribed meds so, in your shoes, I'd be taking a list of them, plus prescribed meds, to my local pharmacist to check if I was doing more harm than good.

CBD Oil is definitely not all it's cracked up to be - see my thread lower down the page.

Bubble

Hi, maybe you could try Belladonna plasters which come in various sizes. I use the large plasters on my back and I do get some relief. I had to order them through a chemist as they aren't readily available in the shops. Hope things improve.

Trish9556

Try a TENS machine - Boots do a very good one although others are available. Mine cost me about £30 if I remember rightly and still going strong. After initial outlay all you need is batteries and replacement pads (which I get from Amazon as they're a lot cheaper!). They're all a bit different but the boots machine does have various modes and you can use either all four pads or just two depending on where the pain is.

Stay safe, Trish .

Twirl58

Deep Heat roll on is lovely and warming with out the pungent smell of typical products.

Gemthom85

I know this might sound mad but......uddermint is great. Its what farmers put on dairy cows for milking. 😂😂😂
But give it a go. My uncle gave me some an it works AND smells AMAZING!! think it comes in big tubes tho. Not sure of how much it costs or if you know someone that knows someone with a dairy farm. 💁‍♀️

Apollo149

Sorry to hear you have so much wrong with you. Have a look online at DMSO which must be diluted but it has been around for some time.

Ellen

Thank you @Apollo149 for thinking of the original poster of this thread.

Here are a few posts about DMSO:

https://community.versusarthritis.org/search?domain=all_content&query=DMSO&scope=site&source=community

It's very important to check whether anything 'alternative' is compatible with your existing medication or health conditions, (Including the asthma the OP mentioned in their post), with your Dr.

Best wishes

Ellen.