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Sunnyraven

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NC
Hello everyone,
I posted my newbie info already and now I don't know what to do. I came in to see him bc I had been dealing with intensifying neck/shoulder/knee/ect pain and migraines, which I never used to get. I had been trying NSAIDs with little improvement, except for my psoriatic arthritis pain/symptoms. He told me to stop taking NSAIDs, which is fine bc they weren't working anyway and started me on zanaflex 4mg 3x daily and Cymbalta. I have no insurance which is why it took me 5 months to go to dr since I'm unemployed due to my body not cooperating. Anyway zanaflex helped only marginally when I took it at the first sign of a migraine...it worked for 1.5 hours than migraine back. I know Cymbalta can take weeks to months to start working. I have a tramadol rx from a couple years ago that I only took once bc it made my heart rate elevate and very anxious! I am at times unable to get out of bed, much less work (at least 2 days a week). I need an inexpensive pain med that can get me through the worst of it until the cymbalta starts working. I'm going to call dr tomorrow, so please if anyone has any experience or suggestions please share!
Thank you!
 
Well, don't put all your eggs in one basket. Cymbalta didn't work for me. It made me feel really dead, and I couldn't get out of bed the entire 13 days I was on it. It made me worse than I was before taking it. It may not work for you either.

I also used to suffer from arthritis, and I have damage to my wrists from it. I'm only 26. My doctor taught me that any time you have an "-itis" it means you're fighting inflammation. So through an anti-inflammatory diet and taking 9 turmeric pills a day, I over came the arthritis. I still swell up in humidity and all that, but my inflammation in my entire body is down drastically and I no longer have the joint pain I used to. As for the psoriasis, a few people in my family suffer from it really badly, and the only way they found relief was through diet as well. Psoriasis seems to be an inflammatory reaction to an allergen, so if you're able to eliminate the allergen causing it you should improve. Drugs/ medication won't solve the problem, they just put a bandage on it. As long as you stay on the pills forever you'll feel fine, but you won't really be recovering.

So I highly recommend doing an anti-inflammatory diet (no grains, dairy, sugar, alcohol, or starch, and only eat organic, because added chemicals and pesticides on food can be the cause of the inflammation too.) Also, it shouldn't be hard to find turmeric pills. Try taking 3 in the morning, 3 with lunch, and 3 with dinner.
 
I am still in the process of trying to find medicines that help. But it is a process. I am sorry I cannot offer more direct advice. I can, however, offer support. I truly know and understand what you are going through.
 
Ty very much! I will look into the diet!
 
Hi there! Welcome to the forum! So sorry to hear about your situation... trying to treat yourself properly when you have no job and insurance is so darn hard! I've been in that situation, and let me tell you it's a real nightmare!

To me neck pain and migraine pains are the worst pains ever, so I understand how you feel. Have you ever gotten your head checked? Are you over 50? Do your migraines get worse in the morning? I ask all this because I started having some really bad headaches recently as well, but have always had migraines in the past.
 
I have had this current headache for 3weeks! They started in Jan of this year and have progressively gotten worse. Almost always I wake up with one in am....sometimes they are just mild, and sometimes crippling. I have not been to a neurologist or had MRI cuz can't afford. I have already spent about $1000 in 2 weeks and feel worse than ever!
 
In someways I'm feeling like a secondhand citizen. This is the first time I haven't had insurance in my life! It started when my ex fiancé assaulted me disfiguring my bottom lip and severely dislocating my shoulder. I had to have 2 surgeries bc 1st failed (2 sx was in 5 months). My job let me go after 7y, a week before 2nd surgery. Anyway, I had insurance then, but was expected to pay over $20,000+ In hosp bills...not to mention losing my house!
I had to file bankruptcy last year. And I can't look for a job currently until I figure out what's going on. Bc I'm not over 65, or have dependents, or make at least $11,000 I don't qualify for Medicaid, Medicare, or Obama care! I'm going to attempt to get short term disability so that I can get the test I need done
 
Sunnyraven I am so sorry to hear about all that has happened! We also suffered a number of losses due to my deteriorating health and years of surgeries before I was finally diagnosed and treated properly. I cannot imagine going through all of that without insurance though. I will keep you in my thoughts for sure! Here are my thoughts on medication or treatments that I have used that might be affordable. They are NOT the best things, but I am taking into account that you are in a bad situation right now so may need to find over the counter solutions....

Migraine - I have these bad enough to be approved for regular Botox treatments in neck but my first line of defense is actually Excedrine migraine. In fact you can often find a generic version of this at a Dollar General. Also, remember that while one medicine has a limit per hour, you can layer them, so take Excedrine (generic) and Aleve (generic) and Ibuprofen. Check the times for when they can each be taken again, some are 8 hours some are 4-6.
Drink a TON of water when you take this.

Heating Pad - I have one with a fuzzy cover but you could layer a very thin towel, basically I spray it lightly with a water bottle - very very lightly misted so the heat is moist when I lay it over my neck/shoulders. This helps a million times more than plain heat.

Capsaicin cream - for that weird burning skin feeling (neuropathic pain) this stuff is the only thing that works for me. Also very cheap. Can find it with the Icy Hot and other creams.

As far as prescriptions the med that works the best for me is good old Gabapentin (generic Neurontin) which is no longer popular among most docs because you do have to take it 3 or even 4 times a day instead of the newer stuff but it is REALLY cheap.

I wish you alll the best!
 
Heating Pad - I have one with a fuzzy cover but you could layer a very thin towel, basically I spray it lightly with a water bottle - very very lightly misted so the heat is moist when I lay it over my neck/shoulders. This helps a million times more than plain heat.

Capsaicin cream - for that weird burning skin feeling (neuropathic pain) this stuff is the only thing that works for me. Also very cheap. Can find it with the Icy Hot and other creams.

As far as prescriptions the med that works the best for me is good old Gabapentin (generic Neurontin) which is no longer popular among most docs because you do have to take it 3 or even 4 times a day instead of the newer stuff but it is REALLY cheap.

I wish you alll the best!


Thank you for your informative advice.
I have suffered from Fibro for more years than I can remember... thought I was neurotic...I have recently been diagnosed because a Dr actually sat and listened!

I am off to the $2 shop tomorrow to purchase a spray bottle for spraying my heat pad.
I am taking Gabapentin and at the mo taking 200mgm night and morning and 100mgm mid day... that goes up to 200 mgm on Friday... I'm really looking forward to that...
Once again thank you and I wish you and everyone else well as you negotiate your journey... Take care
R
 
I have had this current headache for 3weeks! They started in Jan of this year and have progressively gotten worse. Almost always I wake up with one in am....sometimes they are just mild, and sometimes crippling. I have not been to a neurologist or had MRI cuz can't afford. I have already spent about $1000 in 2 weeks and feel worse than ever!

So sorry to hear that! Your headaches sound a lot like mine, mine started to get worse back in April. I had a MRI some weeks ago but haven't been able to see the neurologist to get the results! So I can imagine how frustrating it is, headaches are always hard to deal with, specially when you have to go to work. Are your headaches worse in the morning or start gradually later in the day?
 
In someways I'm feeling like a secondhand citizen. This is the first time I haven't had insurance in my life! It started when my ex fiancé assaulted me disfiguring my bottom lip and severely dislocating my shoulder. I had to have 2 surgeries bc 1st failed (2 sx was in 5 months). My job let me go after 7y, a week before 2nd surgery. Anyway, I had insurance then, but was expected to pay over $20,000+ In hosp bills...not to mention losing my house!
I had to file bankruptcy last year. And I can't look for a job currently until I figure out what's going on. Bc I'm not over 65, or have dependents, or make at least $11,000 I don't qualify for Medicaid, Medicare, or Obama care! I'm going to attempt to get short term disability so that I can get the test I need done��

I completely understand you! I had no insurance for nearly 4 years and let me tell you I feel so grateful I didn't need to get anything done during that time or had any kind of serious issue. If I had, well i don't know what I'd have done. It's awful and scary tho, I did feel scared, but fortunately didn't have any major issue.

Sorry to hear about your ex fiance, what he did is awful! I hope you called the police and sue him! I hope they didn't let him get away with this!
 
In someways I'm feeling like a secondhand citizen. This is the first time I haven't had insurance in my life! It started when my ex fiancé assaulted me disfiguring my bottom lip and severely dislocating my shoulder. I had to have 2 surgeries bc 1st failed (2 sx was in 5 months). My job let me go after 7y, a week before 2nd surgery. Anyway, I had insurance then, but was expected to pay over $20,000+ In hosp bills...not to mention losing my house!
I had to file bankruptcy last year. And I can't look for a job currently until I figure out what's going on. Bc I'm not over 65, or have dependents, or make at least $11,000 I don't qualify for Medicaid, Medicare, or Obama care! I'm going to attempt to get short term disability so that I can get the test I need done

Do you live near a teaching hospital by chance? I know our local teaching hospital has sliding scale fees for those without insurance but who are not able to afford care. Another option is filing for disability. I get medicaid because I am disabled, and it doesn't depend on income as much.
 
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