Re: type of pain -- was Need Help on Intro Diet

[Guest guest]

Kim, yes, I can tell you something about the pain. First, I am 68

and I do have arthritis at least in my hands as evidenced by a couple of

knobby finger joints. I suspect also in my shoulder that has no cartilege

and I need a new shoulder for, WHEN I feel up to it. I have

fibromyalgia for generalized pain. Most of my pain is in the entire

spine and that's where the worst of it is, especially from the neck to

the bottom edge of the shoulders. Six people have chosen to include

me in their auto accidents in decades past which of course hasn't helped

anything. Yes, I, too, get a lot of pain with gut reactions but

that has calmed down since I dropped the rice, and after three weeks it's

hard to feel like pain would be a main die-off reaction but perhaps it

is,

I know I very likely can't fix this. But I'm going to ask the doctor this

afternoon how much diagnostic stuff we can do to determine what it is,

like an arthritic flare so I need more Ibuprofen for awhile? Being

" out " and needing to get back to the cozy relationship with my

chiropractor that I had until my energy disappeared a couple of years

ago, plus geting back to my acupuncturist? Could I have a stress fracture

like my neighbor got spontaneously a few months ago so she had to do

nothing but sit for 8 weeks? I would at least like to know that

more exercise and stretching isn't going to hurt anything as I'm more

than willing to do that.

Any ideas greatly appreciated.

Can you be more specific? Where is the pain located, does it

fluctuate in intensity, does it change throughout the day? That might

help us think of some options or causes for you.

Like everyone else, I have multiple sources of pain. Where it is

located tells me what is causing it so I know how to correct things if

that is possible. Living with chronic conditions means you can't always

" fix " the pain source, but we can learn to live with it. I now

know what pains to ignore as they are part of my digestive dysfunctions

or my metabolism or my neuropathies and so on. I know when I need to get

to the doctor or ER if the level of pain and/or its location changes

dramatically.

Kim M.

[Guest guest]

Kim, yes, I can tell you something about the pain. First, I am 68

and I do have arthritis at least in my hands as evidenced by a couple of

knobby finger joints. I suspect also in my shoulder that has no cartilege

and I need a new shoulder for, WHEN I feel up to it. I have

fibromyalgia for generalized pain. Most of my pain is in the entire

spine and that's where the worst of it is, especially from the neck to

the bottom edge of the shoulders. Six people have chosen to include

me in their auto accidents in decades past which of course hasn't helped

anything. Yes, I, too, get a lot of pain with gut reactions but

that has calmed down since I dropped the rice, and after three weeks it's

hard to feel like pain would be a main die-off reaction but perhaps it

is,

I know I very likely can't fix this. But I'm going to ask the doctor this

afternoon how much diagnostic stuff we can do to determine what it is,

like an arthritic flare so I need more Ibuprofen for awhile? Being

" out " and needing to get back to the cozy relationship with my

chiropractor that I had until my energy disappeared a couple of years

ago, plus geting back to my acupuncturist? Could I have a stress fracture

like my neighbor got spontaneously a few months ago so she had to do

nothing but sit for 8 weeks? I would at least like to know that

more exercise and stretching isn't going to hurt anything as I'm more

than willing to do that.

Any ideas greatly appreciated.

Can you be more specific? Where is the pain located, does it

fluctuate in intensity, does it change throughout the day? That might

help us think of some options or causes for you.

Like everyone else, I have multiple sources of pain. Where it is

located tells me what is causing it so I know how to correct things if

that is possible. Living with chronic conditions means you can't always

" fix " the pain source, but we can learn to live with it. I now

know what pains to ignore as they are part of my digestive dysfunctions

or my metabolism or my neuropathies and so on. I know when I need to get

to the doctor or ER if the level of pain and/or its location changes

dramatically.

Kim M.

[Guest guest]

Kim, yes, I can tell you something about the pain. First, I am 68

and I do have arthritis at least in my hands as evidenced by a couple of

knobby finger joints. I suspect also in my shoulder that has no cartilege

and I need a new shoulder for, WHEN I feel up to it. I have

fibromyalgia for generalized pain. Most of my pain is in the entire

spine and that's where the worst of it is, especially from the neck to

the bottom edge of the shoulders. Six people have chosen to include

me in their auto accidents in decades past which of course hasn't helped

anything. Yes, I, too, get a lot of pain with gut reactions but

that has calmed down since I dropped the rice, and after three weeks it's

hard to feel like pain would be a main die-off reaction but perhaps it

is,

I know I very likely can't fix this. But I'm going to ask the doctor this

afternoon how much diagnostic stuff we can do to determine what it is,

like an arthritic flare so I need more Ibuprofen for awhile? Being

" out " and needing to get back to the cozy relationship with my

chiropractor that I had until my energy disappeared a couple of years

ago, plus geting back to my acupuncturist? Could I have a stress fracture

like my neighbor got spontaneously a few months ago so she had to do

nothing but sit for 8 weeks? I would at least like to know that

more exercise and stretching isn't going to hurt anything as I'm more

than willing to do that.

Any ideas greatly appreciated.

Can you be more specific? Where is the pain located, does it

fluctuate in intensity, does it change throughout the day? That might

help us think of some options or causes for you.

Like everyone else, I have multiple sources of pain. Where it is

located tells me what is causing it so I know how to correct things if

that is possible. Living with chronic conditions means you can't always

" fix " the pain source, but we can learn to live with it. I now

know what pains to ignore as they are part of my digestive dysfunctions

or my metabolism or my neuropathies and so on. I know when I need to get

to the doctor or ER if the level of pain and/or its location changes

dramatically.

Kim M.

[Guest guest]

Hi . When I started SCD about 5 months ago, my gut symptoms dramatically

decreased within a week, but my joint pain has lingered. At the advice of a few

folks on this board, I went to a doctor and got a prescription for LDN. The

doctor also told me that my pain could be from an inablility to digest protein.

So in addition to the LDN, he suggested that, for three weeks, I (in addition to

staying SCD compliant) not eat any meat, chicken, fish, or cheese. He also

prescribed tumeric capsuls. Although it was tough to stick to the diet, by the

end of the 3rd week, my joint pain was virtually gone. My doctor concluded that

it was the protein causing my joint pain and told me to take betain HCL pill

after every meal containing protein. I just started this new regime so I don't

know if the betain works, but I do know that when I go back to eating protein

without the betain, the joint pain returns within 12 hours. Unfortunately for

me, the LDN didn't help my joint pain, so I stopped using it after a couple of

months. I hope this helps.

[Guest guest]

Hi Carol,

Thanks for the suggestions. I cannot at this time get along with turmeric

but I am taking ginger, boswellia, malic acid and MSM for pain. I'm not

sure if they help or not. Bromelain I know can also help but it has to be

on an empty tummy for pain help (otherwise it just helps digest your food

if taken with meals) and I am a grazer through the day. I will look

up the LDN though with my troubles with medicines I might not look at it

just yet. I take weekly B12 injections (for many years) and vitamin

D, too, after testing. I do have arthritis but I don't THINK it's

RA as I don't get swelling and red joints, my fingers are getting knobby

like regular arthritis. Of course I don't know where else I may have

it.

I saw my wonderful doctor today and he said I'd better have a CT scan of

my spine to see what all might be going on there. Guess I have to

dig that up now. At least it's not got the awful noise of the MRIs! I

also got a prescription to have my Ibuprofen compounded like my TYlenol

is, and both the doctor and the pharmacist (when I called before I left

to see if they could compound it) said I am not taking enough Ibuprofen

if I have inflammation, so just before I left I doubled the Ibuprofen and

it helped a lot! Maybe this is just a flare of some sort or

other.

Hi , You sound like a good candidate for Low Dose Naltrexone

(LDN).

People are using it for not only bowel diseases, but RA (rheumatoid

arthritis) and fibromyalgia, just to name a few. The main website is

www.LowDoseNaltrexone.org

When arthritis first appeared in my knees I treated the inflammation

with

curcumin, the main healing component of turmeric, the spice. Some

people

cannot tolerate turmeric, so go slowly if you try it. I scoop the

spice

turmeric into empty gelatin capsules and for inflammation I would

take 2-3

per day. It helped a lot with the pain and inflammation. My knees are

fine

these days.

Also, has your B12 level and Vitamin D level been tested?

Carol

[Guest guest]

That's an idea, Carol. I went 20 years without any protein at all and I

suppose I could manage it for awhile for diagnostic purposes. It is

tough. I've known for 35 years that I have to take the betaine HCl

when I eat protein because I don't make any in my stomach so I hardly

ever try that.

Is the LDN mainly for various kinds of pain then?

Hi . When I started SCD about 5 months ago, my gut symptoms

dramatically increased within a week, but my joint pain has lingered. At

the advice of a few folks on this board, I went to a doctor and got a

prescription for LDN. The doctor also told me that my pain could be from

an inablility to digest protein. So in addition to the LDN, he suggested

that, for three weeks, I (in addition to staying SCD compliant) not eat

any meat, chicken, fish, or cheese. He also prescribed tumeric capsuls.

Although it was tough to stick to the diet, by the end of the 3rd week,

my joint pain was virtually gone. My doctor concluded that it was the

protein causing my joint pain and told me to take betain HCL pill after

every meal containing protein. I just started this new regime so I don't

know if the betain works, but I do know that when I go back to eating

protein without the betain, the joint pain returns within 12 hours.

Unfortunately for me, the LDN didn't help my joint pain, so I stopped

using it after a couple of months. I hope this helps.

[Guest guest]

My doctor prescribed the LDN for the inflamation, not the pain. It didn't work

for me, but others have had great success with it. If my UC symptoms come back,

I'm going to try it again. But hopefully by sticking to the diet, that won't be

necessary.

I agree it's tough doing the no protein thing, especially when so many other

things are already off the menu. I feel a lot better just knowing what is

causing the pain. One other thing you might consider is doing a elimination

diet with nightshade vegetables -- tomatoes, eggplant, peppers. A lot of

people have reactions to these veggies. Good luck.

[Guest guest]

My doctor prescribed the LDN for the inflamation, not the pain. It didn't work

for me, but others have had great success with it. If my UC symptoms come back,

I'm going to try it again. But hopefully by sticking to the diet, that won't be

necessary.

I agree it's tough doing the no protein thing, especially when so many other

things are already off the menu. I feel a lot better just knowing what is

causing the pain. One other thing you might consider is doing a elimination

diet with nightshade vegetables -- tomatoes, eggplant, peppers. A lot of

people have reactions to these veggies. Good luck.

[Guest guest]

Hey Ann,

Lyrica is like Neurontin (spelling?) many tolerate the Lyrica much better

though..

Just a thought though- have you looked into Low Dose Naltrexone?

Jodi