allodynia

[Katchy]

My main complaint regarding my ms has always been pain.

When I tell people that I hurt to the touch, they look at me like I am crazy. And I am sure most people in my life think I am exaggerating the pain outright lying about it.

One of my biggest fears going to the doctor is having my blood pressure taken... anyway..

I recently came across a website that had information about allodynia. I had never heard this term before, and honestly I don't understand why my neurologist has never talked about it.

Here is a link if anyone is interested
http://juniorprof.wordpress.com/2008...-is-allodynia/

Simply put it is experiencing pain from the slightest touch.

It seems there are some meds you can take to help.

Has anyone ever heard of this? Are there meds that can help?

I guess I am just hoping to one day not have to live with pain in my arms, legs, shoulders, neck, hips... come to think of it... pretty much everwhere..

[MS Diva]

You poor thing, that sounds awful! And I have heard of the pain from a very simple touch being painful.

Actually, this article may interest you: http://www.ei-resource.org/news/fibr...-fibromyalgia/

I don't know if it will be helpful, but ALL points of light are good when you're in the dark, I say!

I hope you find answers soon.

[Kimba22]

Hi Katchy,

I'm sorry. What you are experiencing sounds awful. And, yes, I have heard of it before.

That is an interesting link, MS Diva. Sounds like something worth checking into. I know Lyrica is prescribed for fibromyalgia, and many people with MS also experience relief from neuropathic pain with the drug. Gabapentin is what helps with some of mine.

Another medication that may help you is Amytriptyline. From the MS Society of Canada: Amytriptyline (Apo®-Amitriptyline)
This sedative tricyclic antidepressant can be
useful in extreme hypersensitivity to touch pains
of MS (allodynia/dyaesthesias)
http://mssociety.ca/en/pdf/managing-ms-pain.pdf

I sincerely hope you find something that helps so you get some pain relief.

Good luck!

[J-Bo]

I can empathize

Klatchy, I have pain that’s worse when my feet or legs are touched, even by just bed sheets, soft socks, or even a soft breeze across the skin, but I’m not sure it’s the same kind as yours. Mine is intense burning neuropathic pain. I haven’t had any luck finding anything that helps, but I think that the suggestions that others have offered do help for most people.

One medication that I didn’t see mentioned is Cymbalta. That might be another one you should keep in mind. So the good news is that there are options out there for you to try. The bad news is that all of these can take a long time to determine if they are going to help. But again, they are worth trying because being in pain all the time can’t be good for you. You’d think that having all the other MS symptoms should be enough, but no, we have to endure this too.

I’ve been reading the MMJ thread with great interest and wondering if that might be helpful for pain, but I unfortunately live in a state where it’s not legal. If you’re in a state where it is, maybe you might want to consider that as well.

Hope you find something that helps.

[football-mom]

I also have allodynia and it is well-controlled with gabapentin, which I also take for other nerve pains.