*hugs*

Chronic pain: sucks.

What helps: knowing when to push through this and when to let go. This takes time to figure out. I tend to try to push through everything, which often results in collapsation and panic attacks. Many times pushing through is just not possible.

If you can push through: have a graded to-do list (you will learn to figure this out without writing down, but it helped me to be disciplined both in thinking and writing down) - to rank tasks from low-brain to high-brain, and when the fog/pain is present, to do low-brain or mid-brain tasks and see if it is possible. Work in short intervals of 10-15 minutes to make sure you are not overextending yourself. Take breaks if you need to, but do not give up after the break is over.

If you cannot push through: rest, do maintenance tasks, whatever that means for you (tea drinking, sitting quietly, lying down, staring at the fire, playing with kids, etc).

What helps me with chronic pain is the concept of flow. For me, chronic pain is the lack of energy flow through certain systems/points in your body. So anything that can help with flow, both in different, non-blocked places, and with the locus of the issue, are good things. Some things that help me: walking, staring at fire, standing still in the rain (when available), dancing 5rhythms, sometimes hot showers, though they can also be bad, tea, cooking and eating certain foods.

The greatest lesson I am learning from chronic pain is letting go, which is as important to flow as not letting go. I have an odd feeling that once I am able to do this without pain, the pain will ease. It is hard going; my tendency is to clutch.

Thank you, Rose. *Hugs*

This is similar to what I've been trying (though depression and stifled creativity are what I have to be careful of).

Thank you for reminding me about breaks and finding ways to keep the flow going! Cynthia's noticed that I can not only tolerate something potentially stressful (like watching a movie in the theater), but can come out feeling better if what I'm doing is "fun" in some way. She's suggested fun breaks. :-) I may try those, though my (habitual) preference is to keep working.

I find there are times when I can can do things, a certain kind of headache, as long as it can be slow and steady. I used to bake a lot of bread or weed, or other garden things, with that kind. But if I'm frustrated, either mentally or physically, I cannot do that task anymore. If I'm out of an ingredient, or if the dough is just misbehaving. If I'm trying to plant but I need to first do this that and the other thing first. Or trying to weed and for some reason it's being harder than usually. I won't much notice the pain, even though it can be bad in these states, until the frustration and then it's so bad I have to go lie down. Which sounds like flow too :) Different kind, but flow.

The only thing that really works for me is opiates, and I can, after getting used to the dose, do pretty much everything while on them. But it works much better if you're on something long acting and you don't really want that till you need it all the time, so a thorny issue. Have you tried Fiorinal? There's a kind without codeine and a kind with. It's something that works really well for my sister, on the not quite bad enough for triptans headaches.

As far as I can tell nsaids alone don't work on migraine for anyone :) But there are combinations. What used to be called Extra Strength Excedrin and is now called Excedrin Migraine is a combination of aspirin, tylenol and caffeine. It works for a lot of people but works best if you catch the headache early. Combining nsaids with opiates apparently works quite well for some people. You could try and make your own combo, use the nsaid that worked for you for something else (ibuprofen works best for me with other kinds of pain, for instance) and tylenol and then a preferred method of caffeine ingestion :)

If you're the type who tries to plow through, or wants to keep working when maybe you should have fun, I'd say fun breaks are a great idea :) And possibly relaxation of some sort? I like hot baths, not too hot. Helps the fibromyalgia too. Combined with a dvd or a book :)

I have no idea where you live but one thing I found that actually helped, but is hard to implement depending on where you live was waterfalls. Have to be pretty big ones, not trickles, but more than a shower. My dad and I used to go to a section of the Columbia River Gorge that's just chock full of them and the ones that I could get near the foot of were amazing. And I'd have to get pretty close for them to work too. Something about the falling/breaking apart of the water, I guess. They tend to be loud but it's a different noise close up. I love waterfalls :)

Thank you, Erika!

"I find there are times when I can can do things, a certain kind of headache, as long as it can be slow and steady. ... But if I'm frustrated, either mentally or physically..."

O yes, I'm very familiar with that one. I'm learning to catch myself, breathe deeply, take a break, etc. when that starts.


Regarding opiates: I rarely hit a point where I really need/want them, but there are occasions. My main fear is becoming addicted b/c the few times I've been prescribed them (after surgery) I've liked them waaay tooo muuuch.

Have not tried Fiorinal, but have tried Excedrin. The only benefit I get from the latter is via the caffeine. Any time, over the last 3 months, that I've tried NSAIDs by themselves, they've done no more than take the edge off--which for me doesn't justify taking them and putting up with the stomach upset / hunger. Since the caffeine component is what helps (the mental fog), I just have a cup of tea as needed.

Waterfalls make perfect sense! My favorite place to be (other than asleep) when I'm in pain is in the shower.