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.ACUPUNCTURE AND POST SHINGLES

Posted , 5 users are following.

jocelyne44618
jocelyne44618

Hi can any one tell me if they live in the uk

,also I want to find out if acupuncture  would work on this pain,  or hypnoses .

 

1 like, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • ron96331
    ron96331 jocelyne44618

    Posted

    Dear Jocelyne

    I've heard that acupucture for postherpatic neuralgia is possible and all acupuncture pratitioners woud have some knowledge of this. For myself it's in the nerves of the right side of the head and neck, so that means severe headaches and I didn't try the acupuncture idea because the headaches were too much

    • jocelyne44618
      jocelyne44618 ron96331

      Posted

      Hi Ron, I do hope you are ok at the moment,  do you work or are you retired, are you also in the uk  or where are you?

      How do you cope with yours, your head aches must stop you from doing a lot of things  do you still drive?, its such a crippling pain  unless you have it  your  never going to know how painful this pain is. I find that one of the doctors says you have to breath thro it  well you take this pain and you show me how to breath thro it because all you want  is the pain to stop. My spine also feels like its on fire but because my arms can not touch my pack i cant get relief.

      I wish you well Ron and to every one who reads this.  I dont feel as alone as I was until I met this site.  Jocelyne

    • ron96331
      ron96331 jocelyne44618

      Posted

      Dear Jocelyne

      I am retired living in India but I'm British. The doctor told me to go on Neurontin/gabapentin and it clears the headach away almost completely, the only thing is I've read a lot of reports about coming off that drug or reducing it there's a terrible withdrawl, so I feel I'm trapped with this now. Don't know what to do. The drug is very good makes you slightly sleepy that's all. It clear my pain away enough to be going around. I don't drive, fortunate to have smeone take me shopping etc,.

      But anyeway I'm worried about this drug I'm taking, so I wouldn't recommend it.

      Hoping all is well with you

      ron 

    • jocelyne44618
      jocelyne44618 ron96331

      Posted

      Hello Ron, well I have just typed a letter to you then then the cat jumped onto my keyboard and pow it all vanished. ahhh ok I have stopped screaming...  After reading your write up  I must admit   I have started to worry about  my Medications  Im lucky to say I do get my chemist to put my tablets in medi packs so I dont have to worry about opening all my med boxes.  I take Gabapentin I take 900gm 4 times a day yes its a lot, plus I take liquid oxycoden as and when I need it plus amitriplyn  100 mg at night   yes I agree they let me sleep but when I wake im in pain,  I have taken patches to cover the area which contains lidecane you put them on for 12 hours then take them off for 12 hours, I like to think that they are working  well they did but after a couple of weeks  I found once you took them off the area (under my breast) became super sensative in a bad way.  so I stopped using them.. well ontop of that medication I have  cronic arthritas,  I have had two full knee replacements, now require a full shoulder replacement,   I use a trans dermic patch  of 125mg per hour  you keep this on for  72 hours then you change to a fresh one one,  This one I vowed that I would not go any higher than 100 mg  but now on 125mg. The Gabapentin and this patch  which I know  I could possibly become or already hooked on them, because of the dosages

      but the doctors feel that they will sort all this out after they find the right meds which I could take  and be pain free. that is why I am looking for other ways to go back to my "normal" way of living, it scares me that at 62  this month  I will be living on my own for ever, because lets face it  no one wants to meet a person who has our type of pain. and agree to be love them. Please keep in contact  on how you are coping, I do hope people on this site for medical reasons do stay in contact as, lets face it every one feels they are alone  until they find this wonderful site and forums.

    • ron96331
      ron96331 jocelyne44618

      Posted

      Hello Again Jocelyne

      Sorry to hear about the cat on the keyboard, never mind there ae all kinds of things that you just have include in a day. I worry about medications too, like when is it going to level off? When is it going to stop, I'm on your 900 mg Gabapentin x4 per day and more - I have no system developed just take one when I feel like it, they're addictive. I don't have these patches but I've been scratching the side of my head for months. I don't know if I said it last time I've had PHN on the right side of my head and neck sice Sepetember last year and the whole picture is just beginning tio hit me thanks to this website. I came across another that tells about people trying to stop Gabapentin and that's a real horror story, so I'm hoping that I can find a reasonable dose and stay with it. I'm 69 this year, I juat want to have an easy life. Jocelyne I don't have these patches because there are no lesions now and that oxycoden I don't have, various things to help me sleep like lyrica and I went to a psychiiatrist a couple of times because things were getting too much and he gave me a yellow pill that calms me down and also something help me sleep. So, as long as they give me the meds I'm okay, dependency is what it is. Anyway thank you Jocelyne and others for being in touch, it pleases me to know there are fellow sufferers of PHN and I get support just knowing that.

      ron  

    • jim66082
      jim66082 jocelyne44618

      Posted

      Joycelyne:  I am so sorry - I know how you are suffering and I too am just 60 and have this for 7 years.  I was on palliative levels of fentanyl 100mmg patches every 48 hours and became tolerant to the drug.  The worst part was the patches didn't work at least twice per week and on top of the horrible pain I started to get wretching withdrawal. So zoning out and meditating for pain was interrupted by horrible agitation and all of the stuff you see with junkees on tv.  I went to a doctor that specializes in street kids on heroin.  He said if I dont get off the fentanyl I will be gone in 3 years - likely from some bad episode and self harm vs the actual drug as in toxic.  So I went off it - they wanted to lock me up in a psych hospital to deal with it.  I went to Florida away from family and friends and basically sat and rocked in a corner for two weeks..Likely foolish but I got through it.  The pain of course went way up but the drug really wasnt doing much anymore at those high doses.  Unfort I am now on much high level of oxy which I had also taken for breakthrough pain -but am off the fentanyl.  So more pain an pain hours but no massive withdrawal episodes which I just couldnt take anymore along with the pain.  I guess what I am saying is I understand and that we will do anything for relief and for a few hours of normal life a day where we arent so distracted by the pain that everything is a huge effort and you question it.  I think I can say that - I know we have all been there - it is normal.  Most people cant understand - they know what it is like to have a bad burn, buth they dont know what it feels like to then rub sandpaper on it - and then do that for hours.  I say keep self advocating and try everything.  Wishing you well  jim
    • jocelyne44618
      jocelyne44618 ron96331

      Posted

      Hi Ron  A very big thankyou for putting my mind at ease.  Yesterday I went to the pain clinic at our main hospital in Cambridge, its a training hospital, and we have doctors and medical staff from the services, there.

      I will be 62 in a week and well before my partner passed away 3 years ago, we had planned to retire then, and enjoy life But now that he is no longer with me, I am very scared of retiring   I think I have to make two important desions  now that Chas has gone its hard to talk to his photo (now you run to the hills) I know but I wish he could reply and tell me to get on with things.  firstly call it a day and retire, but I am afraid of being alone and the second one is to attend the pain clinic and meet with the surgeon who wants to operate on my right shoulder, scared of the pain I will have, may be they can sort out my PHN as its all on the same side.. What does our futures hold, I mean well I cant go out for a meal, because im to scared that my PHN goes mad and then I will have to come home..

      Ron how does your partner/wife act when you have one of your bad sessions?  Ok  I need to wash my hair now and shower before I settle down for the night.

      Hope to speak soon take care  Jocelyne

  • david72151
    david72151 jocelyne44618

    Posted

    Hi Jocelyne

    I posted on another PHN discussion some while ago and it is still having posts to-day. I am in the UK and developed shingles in my right eye and head in December 2012. The full story is on the other posting.

    I still continue to see a cranial osteopath who I feel has benefited me greatly and my symptoms are soreness/sunburn feeling around my eye centred on my eyebrow with only the occasional bad pain. The good thing is I am getting better.To answer your question the cranial osteopath did mention acupuncture and said it may be of help. I did not get around to pursuing an appointment so I am unable to tell you if it works. I don't think anything is guaranteed to clear PHN. However she also recommended Tai Chi as she found my whole body was still tense and this may help the body to relax. Fortunately my U3A group formed a group I have been to 3 sessions now and although my head is still sore I feel better with my body afterwards which makes it easier to cope. I hope I have been of some help at this terrible time.

    David

     

    • jocelyne44618
      jocelyne44618 david72151

      Posted

      Thank you David  Im not sure if you read my profile,  my shingles started under my bust area, I was lucky to receive the meds which they like us to take when its spotted early.  Mine started in June Exam time so I was unable to care for my students who needed me to reading for them.I am still having such pain where the nerve endings fire up under my bust and round the back to the shoulder, I might have to take medical retirement because I cant cope in classes, I have a meeting with my school line manager and I think the head on the 11 Feb  it scares and up sets me because I love my work.  I cant beleive that there are no organisations that people like us could  join on line or in our home towns.  Do you find that if your streesed your  areas fire up and hurt, or how do you work.  Thank you again for contacting me  I have a meeting next week with the pain clinic at our major teaching hospital in Cambridge I hope.
  • david72151
    david72151 jocelyne44618

    Posted

    Hi Jocelyne

    I wish you every success at the pain clinic. I was recommended to go to  a pain specialist by Moorfields which I did at a Spire Hospital privately. After some expensive tests which failed to find the cause he prescribed gabapentin. Rightly or wrongly I decided not to take it as he said there were side effects and I did not want more trouble. I researched what else was there about as I was in agony and was at my wit's end knowing what to do. The more you look for help you find the health service does not have a cure. Have you been told that HPN can take months or years to go. You have to try and find something that gives some form of relief to the nerves. Although difficult try and remove the stresses and worries from your life and relax. My first visit to the cranial osteopath was a revelation to me. Although the PHN was in my right eye and head her initial reaction to my body shape was that I had been in a serious car crash.Over time she worked on my physique reducing the tenseness in my muscles and ligaments and working on the flesh where nerve endings are situated. It is a very gentle treatment, you don't feel a thing. I was determined to carry on as best I could. Cold also affects the nerves. I am retired so life can be easier but I found doing physical work like gardening etc took my mind off the pain. I don't know of any organisations that help sufferers, we suffer in isolation but others on this site may lead you to something.  I hope my words can give you some support.

    David

  • jim66082
    jim66082 jocelyne44618

    Posted

    Dear Joyceyne:

    What is important is you try every possible therapy - self advocate - only you can do this and only you are experiencing the terrible life disruption of PHN pain. I did try acupuncture, even acupuncture with bloodlettin(cupping) by an eastern/western licenced MD.  I also did hypnosis and mindfullness training.  Unfort for me the accu and associated treatements didn't help.  The hypnosis and mindfullness - really is a meditation state that helps you focus to take your brain away from the pain.  The true hypnosis again depends on the individual - although I could get into a relaxed state I dont beleive I ever got to that truly hypnotic level.   So again it is very person specific.  The MD (yes hypnosis is covered in Ontario Canada by our govt health care) believed  her was very successful in some patients - told me of cases that were hard to believe.  Nevertheless I would say try EVERYTHING.  I have now for 7 years and today just posted my FIRST PAIN RELIEF find.  A topical that actually allows me to wear clothes again and have sheets and matress touch me at night.  Not a cure all but just having extra hours a day is a GODSEND.  I am also trying some othe therapies like cryogenesis.  Will also try a cold laser - but that one is at the bottom of my list - biolgical plausability is minimal.  In all these treatments there has to be some biological rationale even if it is stretch.  WIshing you well and please keep us informed - any glimmer of hope (ie less pain or fewer pain hours) is a plus.  I should also note how psychological support is also necessary.  One is cranky at times and it impacts our social relationships hugely and then crushes ones self worth and any posiitve  ego that we might have had..  In particular it takes a heavy toll on our families who worry and also are impacted by our inabilities to do normal life functions so many times in a day or week.   jim

  • jim66082
    jim66082 jocelyne44618

    Posted

    Sorry Jocelyne - i replied twice.  I thought one reply was lost so did it again.  Same theme different words.  jim
  • ramesh1936
    ramesh1936 jocelyne44618

    Posted

    I tried accupunture . I had more than 10 seatings.

    I wasred my money.

    It has not worked.

  • jim66082
    jim66082 jocelyne44618

    Posted

    when one is in pain one tries anything. I spent well over 1K on a quetenza treatment in Florida being hopeful.  Then moved on.  I understand mind you - money that could have been used for other purposes.  The key is to try things that might work - vs are scams or just have no validlity. 

    jim

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