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Vinca

(54,346 posts)

9. I had severe pain for months and months after a bout of shingles.

Sat Dec 27, 2014, 09:34 AM

Dec 2014

It's called "Post Herpetic Neuralgia" (doesn't sound horrible, but it is). At first I had to take the serious pain killers, but as their effectiveness wears off fairly rapidly I discovered something that helps: engaging the brain in any kind of focused activity. It made sense to me since the pain was always worse when I first woke up in the morning before my brain had fully engaged. I started turning on the news immediately to distract my brain. I am thankful I finally recovered (although years later I still experience mild symptoms). I don't think people - doctors included - appreciate what being in real pain is until they experience it. "Tricking" your brain is something to try . . . anything is worth trying.

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Scientists find a way to prevent, reverse chronic pain [View all] UglyGreed Dec 2014 OP

K&R! I hope this turns out to be as promising as it sounds. Enthusiast Dec 2014 #1

Pain is your body's way of telling you to make changes Demeter Dec 2014 #2

This is for people with nerve damage, where pain is triggered incorrectly. NutmegYankee Dec 2014 #3

Too true! I suffer from small fiber sensory neuropathy, the most painful form of neuropathy. Dustlawyer Dec 2014 #4

2nd, I have MS, pain is often a feature of that, and there is nothing I can change to make it stop. LiberalLoner Dec 2014 #6

I really do feel your pain. I have the same type of neuropathy asjr Dec 2014 #14

Sorry to hear that you have it too. It is hard to understand and therefore explain how you Dustlawyer Dec 2014 #16

I take Cymbalta and Lyrica but get no asjr Dec 2014 #17

I used to get that too. They did 5 nerve conduction studies and scratched their heads that they Dustlawyer Dec 2014 #21

amputees deserve relief roguevalley Dec 2014 #29

there are unfixable things, Demeter blackcrow Dec 2014 #5

Hello bigwillq Dec 2014 #7

I know, I'm well aware of that Demeter Dec 2014 #10

Acute pain... GTurck Dec 2014 #11

sometimes acute pain is a good thing. Sometimes it is just the body malfunctioning just like liberal_at_heart Dec 2014 #22

that would be acute pain. not chronic pain. mopinko Dec 2014 #30

I know someone whose life was destroyed by Trigeminal Neuralgia IDemo Dec 2014 #8

I had severe pain for months and months after a bout of shingles. Vinca Dec 2014 #9

That is the basis for Lamaze HockeyMom Dec 2014 #18

About 10 years ago my husband had such uncontrollable glaucoma that he was on liberal_at_heart Dec 2014 #20

and the elderly NJCher Dec 2014 #12

Sweet! New thousand dollar pills! TransitJohn Dec 2014 #13

So we shouldn't have new medications? drm604 Dec 2014 #19

Did you hurt yourself TransitJohn Dec 2014 #26

I smoke an Indica hybrid once to thrice a week and it does wonders for my neuropathy NightWatcher Dec 2014 #15

And many dont recognize the revolution of medical marijuana... Anansi1171 Dec 2014 #27

An indica with high CBD in particular eases pain. AtomicKitten Dec 2014 #34

What is CBD? dmr Dec 2014 #35

here's some info AtomicKitten Dec 2014 #36

Thank you! dmr Dec 2014 #38

I suffer from the usual aches and pains of aging.. arthritis, etc. mountain grammy Dec 2014 #23

My husband is growing his own now too. I am hoping now that we are growing our own liberal_at_heart Dec 2014 #24

I've never been in the solution to everything camp. Yet that sounds like it would truly help me. freshwest Dec 2014 #32

It's a rat study..... Do rats and mice feel pain like we do? Baclava Dec 2014 #25

If this passes muster there are going..... bobGandolf Dec 2014 #28

I googled this and apparently the FDA recommendations are for injections only: freshwest Dec 2014 #31

The standard pain killers only succeed in making me sick Paula Sims Dec 2014 #33

amitriptyline has been used to treat chronic pain AtomicKitten Dec 2014 #37

Marijuana. I'm just sayin'. ladyVet Dec 2014 #39