[BDPpartner]

I am so tired I so need to sleep but I can't, my pain is horrendous at the moment and if I try to settle down to sleep not having the distraction of tv ect means the pain becomes all consuming and to much to cope with. Any ideas ?

[Skeezyks]

Hello BDPpartner: I'm sorry you are having such as difficult time. Well... you don't mention what type of pain it is you're struggling with. Perhaps other members, here on PC, know. When I can't sleep I get up & walk around-&-around our dark & quiet home sometimes for as much as an hour or two... sort-of a walking meditation. Thoughts come & thoughts go. I simply allow them to arise & fade at their own pace. If particularly difficult thoughts come up, or if I'm having difficulty with physical discomfort, I focus on it & breathe into it & simply strive to be with it to the best of my ability. Whether or not something like this will work for you would depend, I would presume, on what the cause of your pain is. If it truly is "horrendous" then perhaps the solution is simply medication of some sort. I wish you well...

[lizardlady]

Originally Posted by BDPpartner

I am so tired I so need to sleep but I can't, my pain is horrendous at the moment and if I try to settle down to sleep not having the distraction of tv ect means the pain becomes all consuming and to much to cope with. Any ideas ?

If zoning out in front of the TV helps, why not do that? On nights that my pain is too bad to sleep I give up and find something to distract me from the pain a bit - post here, hunt funny cat memes on line, read, stare at the babble box....

[jaynedough]

My mom taught me this: Write the most boring story you can (in your head). It works sometimes. I'm with Lizard about leaving the TV on.

[misscath007]

What kind of pain do you have? Have you tried a heating pad or an ice pack? I get bad migraines and sometimes an ice pack on my neck and a moist heat pad on my head will help. You can also try some ibuprofen.

For distraction:

easy crafts

word search puzzles
online games
write in a journal

[BDPpartner]

Originally Posted by misscath007

What kind of pain do you have? Have you tried a heating pad or an ice pack?

I started writing a list of my problem areas but couldn't post it, it seemed to self pitying, I'm a typical chronic pain sufferer my default answer when asked if I'm ok is too smile and lie " I'm fine " If I complain about how painful I am people quickly loss all patience and understanding.

I injured my back at work and take well over a hundred pain killers a wk and unfortunately I am experiencing server muscle spasms at the moment which extra muscle relaxers aren't touching.

[misscath007]

I kind of get it. I suffer from chronic migraines and only a few people in my life seem to understand that no matter what I am doing to try to prevent the migraines from happening I am still getting them. I take medications to prevent pain but it is causing me more pain so yeah, catch 22...people with chronic pain are very misunderstood.

It's not self pity if you are in pain BUT

I am a bit alarmed to hear at the amount of pain killers you are taking though?? Have you explored surgery with your doctor? I understand you are in pain, but it sounds like you are immune to these drugs. Please rethink this route you are taking.

You need to see your doctor about this. You heading toward disaster if you keep taking this amount of medication!!!! Whether it's legal or not, I don't care, not here to judge but you know it's you're life.

[BDPpartner]

I am very aware I am taking huge amounts of pain meds it's probably closer to 150 tablets a week but they have told me surgery isn't an option at the moment as the extra bone is too close to my spinal cord the chance of paralis is about 95%. Surgery will only be an option as a last resort. The pain meds allow me some semblance of life but they are also endangering it ROCK AND A HARD PLACE springs to mind

[ChronicBlue]

I live with cervical nerve damage, and it can be so incredibly painful sometimes I can't even tolerate the pillow. Depending on how bad pain gets, I have to go to the hospital and get nerve shots, but while at home, I use cold to ease up nerve pain, so I take a super cold shower, then lie down with ice pads, and turn on the tv as background noise while I let pain killers work.

Have you ever talked to your doctor about IV treatments? For example, depomedrol is used for nerve shots, but it also works for muscular stuff too. I just think 150 pills weekly sounds really bad for your stomach, you could get gastritis that way