My Severe Pain Relief Guide
The following is my guide to treating sudden onsets of pain and other symptoms. While they work wonders for me, they may not all work for you. I hope you find at least some of these relief programs successful in your sudden onsets of symptoms. And I hope you keep trying new things until you have a full relief guide of your own. Please keep in mind that these are programs, courses of treatment, that are for sudden onset, not for long-term relief. Keep in mind that as with many people diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, pain medications make my pain worse, and often do not even touch the pain. I am also allergic to codeine.
UPDATE (02-03-18): I am now taking an experimental combination of non-prescription drug Dextromethorphan and prescription drug Quinidine (DXM/Q) for treatment-resistant neuropathic pain and central sensitization. Please go here to read more about this. The symptoms once treated by the mexiletine have still not returned. I am no longer taking flexeril as it is the source of too much brain fog. The DXM/Q and magnesium supplements are successfully treating my muscle spasms and tightness.
UPDATE: (11-20-17): I have stopped taking Mexiletine. My peripheral nerve pain has not yet returned. I have been off Mexiletine for about 3 months now.
UPDATE (12-05-16): I am now taking Mexiletine for neuropathic pain. It has had a very beneficial effect on my peripheral nerve pain and chronic constipation.
Pain Type | Pain Relief | Long-term Side Effects |
| Sudden onset of deep nerve pain that also results in deep muscle pain (widespread pain). A sudden increase in widespread pain that is not limited to bones, joints, muscles, nerves, or one particular area. | Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide (OTC) – For analgesic effect. 10-40mg tab. Effectiveness: 20-40% at this dosage, 100% at high dosages > 120mg. | Anxiety/panic attacks/agoraphobia, dissociation, slurred speech, distortion in time perception, increase in innocuous visual and auditory hallucinations, reduced muscle coordination and control, increased cognitive impairments. |
| Sudden onset of severe headache. | Naproxen (RX) – 500mg tab. 100% effectiveness in about and hour in most cases. | Increased pain and stiffness. |
| Sudden onset of severe back pain. | Ibuprofen (RX) – 800mg tab. 50% effectiveness. | Rejection of 95% of foods due to severe stomach irritation. Syncope, nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, increase in all IBS symptoms, difficulty breathing. Majority of side effects occur within 1 hour of eating. |
| Sudden onset or increase in muscle pulls during sleep or during the day. | Flexeril/Cyclobenzaprine (RX) – 10mg tab (extra) in morning or evening. I already take (1) 10mg tab at bedtime, every night. | An extra 10mg per day/night results in increased fatigue during the day due to accumulated effect. Muscle fatigue-induced Sleep Apnea. |
| Sudden onset of widespread muscle tightness. | The hottest bath possible. 20 minute soak. 50% effective. | A really high water and electric bill. |
| Sudden onset of severe bone and joint pain. | Reduce calcium consumption + 25mg Hydroclorothiazide + increased water intake. 100% effective in < 4 days. | This is typically due to a change in diet. Once diet is altered accordingly, there is no need to continue this relief program. This type of pain can also be caused by some new medications that have severe bone and joint pain as a possible side effect (e.g. Nasonex). |
| Sudden onset of severe pain around the shoulder blades, and increased and painful cracking in knees and other joints. | Reduce potassium consumption + 25mg Hydroclorothiazide + increased water intake. 100% effective in < 4 days. | ^ See above. |
| Sudden onset of severe spinal pain. Includes the spine itself and the muscles surrounding the spin. | Eliminate refined sugar consumption + 25mg Hydroclorothiazide + increased water intake. 100% effective in < 4 days. | ^ See above. Avoiding refined and artificial sugars and replacing it with something like Stevia has only beneficial results. Read the labels, some store brands put sugars like dextrose in Stevia. Dextrose may also cause these symptoms. |
| Sudden onset of nausea. | Ginger Root Supplement – 550mg. 100% effectiveness in < 30mins. | Often due to medications. Talk to your doctor about reducing the dosage. Symptoms can also be the result of increased pain. No known long-term effects. |
| 1: Sudden onset of widespread muscle tightness that is prolonged. 2: Sudden onset of headaches after caffeine consumption. | 1: Reduce caffeine consumption + 25mg Hydroclorothiazide + increased water intake. 100% effective in < 4 days. 2: Eliminate that particular source of caffeine. Personally, I cannot handle caffeinated soft drinks or coffee. I take 150mg Jet Alert (OTC) first thing in the morning. About the same mg as (1) cup of coffee. I take 3/4 of the 200mg tab. | This is typically due to a change in diet. Once diet is altered accordingly, there is no need to continue this relief program. I have noticed no long-term side effects of this dosage of caffeine. |
| Sudden onset of popping/drumming sounds and feeling in the inner ear. | Veramyst (RX) – 2 sprays. | Increased mental, emotional, and physical fatigue (extreme exhaustion), delirium. |
| Back feels stiff and like it needs a good crack. | How to crack your own back. | Chronic lack of needing to see a chiropractor. |
| Localized pain. | Peppermint extract oil in mini spray bottle. | Your pets may avoid you. |
Notes on DXM: May or may not be in a form with Guiafenesin and it is obtainable over-the-counter often labeled as a “Mucus Relief DM” for cough (expectorant). This is a drug that raises the pain threshold in the medulla oblongata, which has several major cranial nerves running though it. DXM effectively numbs these nerves at higher dosages. Lower dosages help manage sudden onsets of severe widespread pain. This drug is not an effective pain medication for most people and should not be taken long-term. It may be effective due to it’s analgesic properties, or possibly due to reducing tolerance to chemicals normally released to counter pain. I need significantly less mg than most for analgesic effect, possibly due to my chemical sensitivity.
I have yet to meet anyone with whom this drug is as effective with them as it is with me. I originally requested to be put on this medication long term. Since there has been some successful studies with DXM as a pain management drug, it was prescribed. Long-term side effects can result in loss of independence as this drug is classed as a dissociative hallucinogen at higher dosages and side effects increase over time. This can be a very painful drug to ween off of after taking long term. Side effects may take up to one year to completely subside depending on dosage and length taken (e.g. 120mg 2x day for 1yr).