Managing pain

Following my last post on Managing Medications I thought I would write about managing chronic pain. I have fibromyalgia and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome amongst other things so I'm no stranger to pain!

I tend to use a pain scale to judge how much pain I'm in and then decide on pain relief accordingly. At this point I'd like to mention I'm no doctor. I'm just sharing my experience of managing pain.

The chronic pain scale. Unsure of source

Anything between three to five is a good day and normal for me. To be more comfortable day to day I utilise things like epsom salt baths, cannabis oil (you can read my review here), heat packs and I use orthotics on my most troublesome joints such as my wrists, knees and hands.

Between 5-7 I use things like hot/cold therapy topical pain relief like muscle rub or ibuprofen/diclofenac gel. Over the counter Medications like paracetamol and ibuprofen (careful not to use two of the same Medications at the same time. E,G. Ibuprofen/diclofenac gel and ibuprofen tablets.)

7-9 I use prescribed Medications such as naproxen and tramadol 10+ I have oramorph 14+ is a hospital trip for me.

It's worth knowing that if you have exhausted all your pain relief options to no effect and haven't taken paracetamol, if you can, you should. This is because paracetamol works like a stepladder for other Medications enabling them to work better.

A doctor in A&E told me this when I had gallstones, Because of my chronic pain I'm tolerant to most pain killers and they began to run out of options so started me on an IV of paracetamol alongside the morphine and entenox  (gas and air).

Coping emotionally with pain is a different matter. It's important to have a good support network and healthy coping methods. I'm lucky to have a good support network both at home and online. I also use journalling to express the anger, frustration and hopelessness that comes with been in pain everyday. I did a post on emotional self care a while ago, you can read that here.

Do you have any questions or tips on coping with chronic pain? Feel free to leave a comment below.

As always thanks for reading.

Laura :)

Cannabis oil vaping for chronic pain.

So after all the hype that followed the medipen release I found myself curious. I wanted to know could cannabis oil really help my pain, fatigue and insomnia?

I did so much research on why cannabis oil was different to the cannabis that's normally smoked and the science behind it. I tried to research the disadvantages as well as the advantages.

For the basics check out:

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/essential-oils/cannabis-essential-oil.html

The downside is you don't know how your body may react to it, your other medications may interact and the stigma, as soon as you say the word cannabis it conjures up images of spliffs. In the UK cannabis is illegal. Luckily cannabis oil isn't. Finally It goes without saying:

!!!! Please don't try any new treatment or medication  without consulting your doctor first!!!!!

I couldn't afford the £49.97 for a Medipen starter kit and £24.97 for refills so I set about looking for a cheaper version.

I found the CBD king starter kit for £28.99 on amazon. It arrived within 3 days despite the delivery estimate putting it at 5-10 days.

It was fairly easy to work out and the vaporizing pen  came with a charger, two cartridges and a metal storage case. I don't smoke so inhaling took some working out too but then I was off.

I found the best way to use it was to inhale 3 short puffs of about 2-3 seconds three times a day. I then had more short puffs if I felt my pain levels increase. This is what worked for me but you may want to experiment to find what works for you.

I've been using it for 2 weeks now. My pain is still there (it's not a cure) but it seems to lessen it. The most positive effect I've found is that I'm less anxious and sleeping better. I can't say I've noticed any improvement in my fatigue but it's not deteriorated either.

After a few days one of my cartridges stopped working. I contacted CBD king and they responded the next day and sent me a replacement out and a free cartridge no questions asked. The Strawberry and custard flavour is amazing and so is the lemon and lime.

In short I've found cannabis oil has helped my anxiety and insomnia and has lowered my pain levels. I'd recommend CBD king as their pen is the same as medipen and their customer service is amazing.

Do you have any questions or Have you tried cannabis oil for chronic pain or other illness' have you found it helped?

As always thanks for reading,

Laura :)

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this honest review I just really liked the pen and the company.