Stubborn trigger points (Ramana's Case)

[ramana]

Spices have been excluded for 2 days. Not taking benzo. Valium did not help me -except making me sleep and then waking with pain. Elavil helps...

[mbaker]

Have you tried getting a prescription for Ultracet or Ultram from your doc?

mb

[ramana]

Yes they cause dizziness for me. Haven't been able to get around that so far. Vicodin is the only thing that works but can't take that for long

[ramana]

I started having dental pain in mid May. The pain was in the front tooth of the lower jaw. They said it is referred pain from the wisdom tooth. So I got that extracted. Now the front tooth pain is back again and the new dentist says that gum disease and tooth decay of the front tooth. I was befuddled by this since I maintain dental hygiene (flossing + mouthwash + brushing) and even then yellow stains have formed along with gum disease. The dentist mentioned in the passing that this may be caused by acidic body. Is there any way to test for acidic body. I have followed an alkaline diet (by habit - didn't have to modify my diet much) and yet all this. Is there anything else that can be causing the body to be acidic (if it is acidic)

[webslave]

I've never heard of that as a reason for tooth decay ("acidic body"). I know if you drink a lot of soda, which is acidic, or fruit juices, or smoke, you promote tooth decay.

[ramana]

More question for the gurus:
My major symptom nowadays is a sudden shooting pain from the left abdomen to the the left testicular region. I also get a left sided constant rectal pain that appears to be originating from the same area in the left abdomen.
I have done internal work several times but cannot find any trigger point. I have massaged the psoas muscle/ lower abs but now cannot find trigger point. Yet the pain is there. Does someone have any idea what else can I look at?
If one ever got kicked in the testicular region, the pain would go from the testicles right into the abdomen to the side. Mine appears to be exactly the reverse, on sudden bending or standing up, the pain starts from the abdomen and goes right into the testicular region

[webslave]

Probably not relevant, but just keep in mind the possibility of kidney troubles here. Below is a pic of the areas affected by pain originating in the kidney.

[ramana]

The pain that I am experiencing now (in a matter of 2 months it has changed a lot) is exactly around the red area that is described in the photograph which shows the front portion. But not sure if it is a kidney issue - I have been asked to get checked for kidney stones. Maybe will give it a shot.

[ramana]

An update on the progress...
I have less pain than the full year from Apr 2007 - June 2008 that had me bedridden. Now I don't have much pain while bedridden but still cannot walk more than 15 minutes.
The first break came in June 2008 when I did a 24 hour trans Pacific flight (I was all prepared for emergencies during flight but it was one of the most peaceful time I had it in three four months).Second break came in September 15. I stopped doing the entire version fo Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol (no PT - I am out of US). I eventually gave up the tapes also in July 2008 because I had done it for a year and after listening to Dr Wise voice I would get transported into the times when I had more pain and it was very discomforting mentally. I do MMR religiously and also do the relaxation while praying to God. I have done homoeopathy and ayruvedic simultaneously + Bowen therapy and EFT also. I can't see any direct correlation with therapy and any improvement.
I continue to be unable to work because of shoulder pain + armpit swellings + pelvic pain. Not a pretty sight but after 1 year of mostly writhing in pain, this is a big improvement.

[ramana]

More update:
Armpit swellings: gone for a month now. No idea why
Testicular pain : Knock on the wood. Gone. But I am not tried any jumping or jogging
Rectal pain: Same in intensity
Other problems cropped up - all due to bad posture: shoulder continuing, low back pain
Started having abdominal pain since Oct. All these make me miserable but pelvic pain takes the cake.

Am doing a 20 hour flight back into US and will try PT / one more shot at Botox only for sphincter muscles.

As for improvement, I really can't point to anything. It is just I lie around, try various medications, break my head trying to get disability payments, get through the divorce process, breathe deeply, relax pelvis. No formal paradoxical relaxation. I just take it easy even though moeny is running out and I am going to lose health insurance in the next few months

[garyholc]

Ramana

Have you tried using a tennis ball to focus on the TP's causing the back pain and some of the rectal pain, also a Theracane? I found these two items combined with Clare Davies TP workbook such a valuable help for me. Tennis ball especially.

[ramana]

Theracane I have used consistenty. It is good but only while I apply it. Tennis ball I had completely forgotten since it didn't do anything. Maybe at these lowered (knock on the wood) pain levels, it may help
Thank you

Good to see your progress

[ramana]

Valium suppositories have finally started helping. They don't cause any drowsiness. I get 2 hour of relief. I never got much relief from medications earlier (Lyrica and Elavil appeared to help for a while). PT says the muscles are tighter than early part of 2008. My pain is down from the early part of 2008. She says though that I can relax very well during PT (thank you Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol).

[ramana]

I have tried valium (up to 7.5 mg in one dose) and Baclofen (up to 30 mg in 3 doses). While valium made me sleepy (and thereby relieved pain), Baclofen did not do anything. Recently I tried valium and baclofen in suppository form. I don't get any constipation or drowsiness. I do get some pain relief- sometimes for a few minutes I notice complete relief.
Initially one of the early pain docs that I had seen at Stanford was reluctant to prescribe suppository saying that it is exactly the same as taking tablet because there is systemic absorption. Now at least in my experience that is not the case. So I am somewhat confused and wondering if there are any other pain medications that can be made in suppository format (I know B&O but haven't been able to get them) that can relieve pain more effectively.

[ramana]

I was put on Levosulpiride by a psychiatrist with a diagnosis of somatization. He did not have high hopes of recovery anyway (and neither did I but I have visit docs in accordance with disability insurance instructions).

So I added Levosulpiride 50 to cymbalta 40 mg that I started taking 2 months ago. Cymbalta has not helped me so far. I don't take any other medication. I was surprised to see reduction in rectal pain (I have a spot on the left side on the sphincter which constantly pains and is not a TrP). The correlation is there because I skipped medicatoin twice in the past 10 days and noticed the pain returned to baseline levels.

I have taken the medication for 12 days. Any idea on why it may be working? Psychiatrists only expected results (if any) after 3 weeks. Maybe with insights from this forum, I can help psychiatrists better understand this. Here is a link that describes some of its properties
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080105/msgs/806091.html

it is not available in US (and probably not in UK as well).