Tip for pain relief

Hi everyone,

I have type II TN and what I believe to be geniculate neuralgia. This means I have pretty constant pain.

Unfortunately, I seem to be allergic to the big three meds (gabapentin, Tegretol, and Lyrica). To top it off, I don’t seem to have very effective doctors, and until I have health insurance, I won’t be finding new ones. So, I’m left with extremely limited choices regarding pain management.

I have been out of work caring for the in-laws for over a year. Now that they are in a nursing home, I want to go back to work (if for no other reason than to be able to afford health insurance), but I needed a way to ice my head while I’m working. I’m looking for manufacturing work (leaving higher ed behind), so what I look like won’t matter.

Here’s my trick: I poured 2/3 water and 1/3 vodka onto a Depends pad. You can use isopropyl rubbing alcohol instead of the vodka. Sadly, I had lots of vodka but no rubbing alcohol! Once the pad swelled a bit, I put it in the freezer. When it was frozen, I took off the “cloth” wrapping, leaving the frozen gel interior, and then cut it into the right shape for my purposes. Next, I put it in a food saver vacuum bag and sealed it.

I’ve created several of these and plan to make more. They stay cold for at least an hour.

Here’s the neat thing, though: I use a Buff scarf to hold it on my head. I fold the tube in half, then in half again. I slide the gel pack in between the layers, and I put that on my head. The gel pack stays put!

I will be building a collection of these scarves, and I intend to have a number of gel packs that I can take to work in a cooler or store in the freezer.

This, ibuprofen, and the occasional Tramadol are all I have for pain relief right now, but the gel pack system has been a Godsend.

I hope this helps someone!

Beth
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Thanks for the tip! By the way, does drinking vodka help? I’ve been thinking about trying it.

I think it couldn’t hurt, Jasmine! I tried pot for pain relief, but it didn’t work. Maybe tequila is the answer! :slight_smile:

I’ve wondered about pot too!

Yeah, my head still hurt and I felt sleepy. I have thought about trying high cbd pot to not get high but still getting the healing part of pot.

Be careful with the Pot - It can be a double edged sword - I have had it help - and I have had it trigger some bad attacks .

Just saying.

Awesome Beth!!!!! :-D

Beth,

I'm so sorry to read of your circumstances! It is really sad your resources are so limited beyond your help. Truly, I hope the frozen alcohol pads grant you relief. And I love the scarf fashion statement! -- Best regards, Priscilla

Tried the Pot, Tequila, Vodka, Gin and Scotch. Nope.

-- Priscilla (Drunk and in Pain)

VeteranInPain said:

Be careful with the Pot - It can be a double edged sword - I have had it help - and I have had it trigger some bad attacks .

Just saying.

Priscilla, you're cracking me up!!

Ronni, I have thought about trying different varieties of mj (I hear what you're saying about the word pot). I, like you, have struggled with the stigma, and I smoked it when I was younger. And my stepson has a problem with addiction, so I hesitate to use it. But maybe it's time to give it a concerted shot.

VeteranInPain, thank you for that warning. If I try it again, I'll definitely be on the lookout for how I react to it.

Ok, maybe I'm not too bright... I know what THC is but what is cbd? I haven't smoked POT since I was a teenager, LOL!

My understanding, Cathy in MD, is that THC is what gets you high, but CBD is a chemical that has been shown to be anti-inflammatory. It also helps people with a serious form of epilepsy to not have as many seizures.

Btw, where are you in Maryland? I grew up first in southern Maryland, then in Frederick. My folks live on the Eastern Shore, and my sister lives in Damascus.

Thanks to all of you that answered.

Beth, I live in the Harford County area of MD, so the northeast side.