Monday, December 06, 2004
busy, busy
well i've been so busy lately that i've had no time to write. so here's a summary of major developments in the past month:
** In early November, I got my MRI results (of my lower back) and the blood tests back, and found out that the results were normal. At first I was quite irritated since that ruled out any sort of joint inflammation or slipped/herniated disc (and thus left me back at square one in terms of finding the cause & solution of my leg pain). But then I realized that it's just plain silly to be upset that your MRI turned out normal. Just plain silly. The rheumatologist I saw said that my problem was thus likely neurological (i.e. nerves in my leg muscles are transmitting pain signals even though there is no longer anything to cause them pain in the first place).
So I get prescribed a very low dosage (10 mg) of Imimpryline (a tricyclic antidepressant), which is supposed to help in the perception of nerve pain. I wasn't too optimistic about this one since a few months back I was prescribed Elavil (amitryptiline) for the same reason, and the side effects (MAJOR dry mouth, drowsiness, dizziness, abdominal pain) were such a pain (literally) that I had to stop it after a few weeks. Even at such low doses as 10-20mg (regular doses are 50-100mg for depressed people), it seemed to be doing more harm than good.
Furthermore, I never like taking any sort of drugs for anything (never have) but I was at my wits' end so I filled the prescription. I was also referred to a neurologist at MIT, but the earliest appointment available was in February. I begged if there was some way I could see another neurologist at a different location, and then finally got an appointment with someone at MGH (the earliest appointment was December 28th). Not great at all (especially since that meant I had to be back in Boston by the 27th) but I took it anyway. Grumble, grumble.
** That same day, I spent a lot of time Googling on the net (yet again) to try to find a cause (and solution) of this problem. I didn't want to take the prescription medicine because it seemed like it wouldn't be getting to the heart of the problem. Eventually I found some sites (listed below) that mentioned how cream with capsaicin (extract from chili peppers) can be very helpful for chronic pain sufferers. So i figured out I should give it a shot...I was almost desparate enough to try magnet therapy (ok, so maybe not *that* desperate ;-D ).
general info about capsaicin
capsaicin as alternative pain-relief treatment
** Somewhere around in the middle of all this (Nov. 10?) Michael & I broke up. Lots of tears (not to mention packets of Kleenex). But at this point I guess it's better for both of us to move on with our lives.
** Around Nov. 17, I purchased a tube of Nuprin(R) brand capsaicin cream (it's called "arthritis relief" or something like that). I applied it and it at first it sort of burned for several hours (normal). I kept applying it 2-3x a day and it always sort of burned at first (or whenever I took a shower) but slowly it died down. More importantly, it actually decreased the pain I was having in my hamstrings/quads!!
** On Nov. 20, two AMAZING things happened: (1) I ran for the first time in several months (i went to TNT practice in Wellesley, and ran about 4.5 miles). It was the first time that I could run without nagging pain, plus I didn't have the stabbing pain afterwards. Woo-hoo! And (2), later that day, Cal whupped Stanfurd's ass in the Big Game, 41-6!! I went to Hurricane O'Reilly's in Boston to watch it with some MIT friends who were also Cal alums. It was such a pleasure to watch the Stanfurd players get their asses kicked. :) Go Bears!!! :)
** On Nov. 24, I ran for the 2nd time, this time only 2 miles, nonstop. I was still in sort of disbelief, that I could actually run again!
From then on I started running 3x a week, 2-3 miles each time. Wow, was I actually getting back into a training regimen! I'm starting to get my confidence back!!
** On December 4, I ran 5.0 miles in 56 minutes (yay!), at TNT practice. This time it was basically the same course as 2 weeks ago, but this time I wasn't gasping for air, nor was I dead last. At last, I didn't forget how to run!! ::) And yeah ~11:00/mile is a crappy pace, but i stopped to walk about 2-3 times, plus there were tons of hills (ack!). It was on the cold side (upper 20s/low 30s) but that's actually totally fine by me..i had gloves & a hat.
BTW- I still haven't taken the prescribed imiprimine for the pain, since the capsaicin seems to be doing such a good job. I still plan on going to the neurologist though, just in case the pain flares up again, or if they can actually give me a more accurate diagnosis of the problem I had.
** In early November, I got my MRI results (of my lower back) and the blood tests back, and found out that the results were normal. At first I was quite irritated since that ruled out any sort of joint inflammation or slipped/herniated disc (and thus left me back at square one in terms of finding the cause & solution of my leg pain). But then I realized that it's just plain silly to be upset that your MRI turned out normal. Just plain silly. The rheumatologist I saw said that my problem was thus likely neurological (i.e. nerves in my leg muscles are transmitting pain signals even though there is no longer anything to cause them pain in the first place).
So I get prescribed a very low dosage (10 mg) of Imimpryline (a tricyclic antidepressant), which is supposed to help in the perception of nerve pain. I wasn't too optimistic about this one since a few months back I was prescribed Elavil (amitryptiline) for the same reason, and the side effects (MAJOR dry mouth, drowsiness, dizziness, abdominal pain) were such a pain (literally) that I had to stop it after a few weeks. Even at such low doses as 10-20mg (regular doses are 50-100mg for depressed people), it seemed to be doing more harm than good.
Furthermore, I never like taking any sort of drugs for anything (never have) but I was at my wits' end so I filled the prescription. I was also referred to a neurologist at MIT, but the earliest appointment available was in February. I begged if there was some way I could see another neurologist at a different location, and then finally got an appointment with someone at MGH (the earliest appointment was December 28th). Not great at all (especially since that meant I had to be back in Boston by the 27th) but I took it anyway. Grumble, grumble.
** That same day, I spent a lot of time Googling on the net (yet again) to try to find a cause (and solution) of this problem. I didn't want to take the prescription medicine because it seemed like it wouldn't be getting to the heart of the problem. Eventually I found some sites (listed below) that mentioned how cream with capsaicin (extract from chili peppers) can be very helpful for chronic pain sufferers. So i figured out I should give it a shot...I was almost desparate enough to try magnet therapy (ok, so maybe not *that* desperate ;-D ).
general info about capsaicin
capsaicin as alternative pain-relief treatment
** Somewhere around in the middle of all this (Nov. 10?) Michael & I broke up. Lots of tears (not to mention packets of Kleenex). But at this point I guess it's better for both of us to move on with our lives.
** Around Nov. 17, I purchased a tube of Nuprin(R) brand capsaicin cream (it's called "arthritis relief" or something like that). I applied it and it at first it sort of burned for several hours (normal). I kept applying it 2-3x a day and it always sort of burned at first (or whenever I took a shower) but slowly it died down. More importantly, it actually decreased the pain I was having in my hamstrings/quads!!
** On Nov. 20, two AMAZING things happened: (1) I ran for the first time in several months (i went to TNT practice in Wellesley, and ran about 4.5 miles). It was the first time that I could run without nagging pain, plus I didn't have the stabbing pain afterwards. Woo-hoo! And (2), later that day, Cal whupped Stanfurd's ass in the Big Game, 41-6!! I went to Hurricane O'Reilly's in Boston to watch it with some MIT friends who were also Cal alums. It was such a pleasure to watch the Stanfurd players get their asses kicked. :) Go Bears!!! :)
** On Nov. 24, I ran for the 2nd time, this time only 2 miles, nonstop. I was still in sort of disbelief, that I could actually run again!
From then on I started running 3x a week, 2-3 miles each time. Wow, was I actually getting back into a training regimen! I'm starting to get my confidence back!!
** On December 4, I ran 5.0 miles in 56 minutes (yay!), at TNT practice. This time it was basically the same course as 2 weeks ago, but this time I wasn't gasping for air, nor was I dead last. At last, I didn't forget how to run!! ::) And yeah ~11:00/mile is a crappy pace, but i stopped to walk about 2-3 times, plus there were tons of hills (ack!). It was on the cold side (upper 20s/low 30s) but that's actually totally fine by me..i had gloves & a hat.
BTW- I still haven't taken the prescribed imiprimine for the pain, since the capsaicin seems to be doing such a good job. I still plan on going to the neurologist though, just in case the pain flares up again, or if they can actually give me a more accurate diagnosis of the problem I had.
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