All the healthy stuff

I kicked my husband off his DnD call in our bedroom so I could go to bed at 9:30. I slept 10 hours and feel much, much better. Being a working parent in a pandemic rally makes recovery slow …

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Try not to, especially with blood pressure meds! That’s one drug it’s better not to miss. (There are others. If I’m late with my anti-seizure med I notice a weirdness.)

It could be the one-way vein valves in the legs are also to blame. They help keep blood from pooling in the legs, but can lead to edema if they aren’t working very well. I get edema too probably for this reason, despite my BP being pretty much under control. It doesn’t help when I sit for long periods at the computer.

By the way, I ain’t no MD, as they say. But I’ve studied arteries and blood pressure and whatnot, so have some background. :crazy_face:

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That’s good to hear. Amazing what rest will do. Good luck with being SO busy!

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Naproxen is the only thing that consistently fixes the issue when my back goes (or plenty of rest but that’s often impractical) but if it’s lower back pain that you’re getting, I’ve found this really helps:

KneedDnTwist_9828-400x286

This doesn’t work if it’s already at the point where I can’t walk, but if I notice that I’m getting a bit “twingey”, this will often stop it from getting any worse. I’ve found it works best if I can get someone to put one hand on the elevated knee so that it stays on the floor and one hand on my shoulder, and then have them gently push my shoulder towards the floor (so that I can relax into the stretch without having to push it myself) until I feel my lower back pop into place, and then repeat the stretch in the other direction. Then a couple of ibuprofen, a hot bath/shower, and moving very carefully for the next 24 hours is usually enough to prevent it getting any more painful.

My heart goes out to you; back pain is genuinely miserable.

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I don’t know if you can get this where you are, but:

https://www.backrelief.ca/back-relief-products/robax-heatwraps/lower-back-hip-heatwraps

Really help for me. It’s like those handwarmers you can stick in gloves, only it’s on a stretchy belt. (Robax also makes muscle relaxants that you don’t need a scrip for in Canada.)

I found naproxen didn’t even touch the pain, so YMMV for any of our advice.

I also convinced my dr. to prescribe me some Tylenol 3s for emergencies, because one taken at night on the first night usually lets me sleep enough to eliminate the need for more. I use opiates very, very sparely, but sometimes they really are necessary. (Him: “I can’t prescribe very many.” Me: “I don’t need that many, but the last time you prescribed them was 2013. It is literally for emergency use.” Him: “Fair enough.” I haven’t touched them. But knowing they are there is a relief.)

Hot baths with Epsom salts is also helpful. Anything that can relax the muscles and encourage bloodflow to the area. And, as you’ve discovered, sleep. Sleep works miracles. The trick is being able to get some.

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well, this is a timely discussion for me: i have been doing the stretch you describe almost every day for YEARS, and it has always helped me. i love it. i really recommend it.

BUT, this weekend i learned that i can also overdo it. i apparently pulled a muscle in my mid-back bad enough to also cause a bit of a fever (who knew that was possible?), and so i woke up yesterday achy and sore all over, AND i had a bit of a fever. guess who spent yesterday freaking out that i might have contracted COVID? sheesh, 2020, i swear…

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I hope the fever and soreness go away without your getting COVID!

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the good news is that aside from my back hurting so badly that it’s hard to take a deep breath, i’m fine. no fever, or any other symptoms. but thank you!

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Gets prescription

Looks up active ingredient

“Okay, I’ll probably be allergic to this, but I an do a patch test.”

Picks up prescription

Looks over label

“Fragrance? There’s a near-certainty I’ll be allergic to this, but at least they could list which ones on the off chance. And whose bright idea was it to add “fragrance” to medicine?”

“Cocoyl? Okay, that turns out to come from coconuts. Maybe I should just return this and skip the patch test, since I’m more likely to have a severe allergic reaction than to get any benefit…”

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Fragrance? /smh

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Checking the NDC number on Dailymed, they don’t list fragrance.

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I still haven’t heard back about the meds. I also have a couple x-rays coming up. I only have basic cotton masks, and I’m allergic to the standard masks, many of which contain latex and the rest of which contain other elastics. Does anyone know how to find a good elastic-free mask?

My yoga practice

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I started biking 70 pounds of toddler to their respective schools.

I hurt.

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Is it just me, or does anyone else get migraines from magnifying glasses?

I’m not having any rash from the meds, but I am having spectacular teichopsia, which is a known side effect.

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I hope it didn’t turn into a headache.

It did. Which has come and gone and come back.

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Also, I keep getting sick after eating bread. Had mouth sores the last couple days. For years, I’ve had the worst reaction to sourdough bread, and when I’ve looked it up, it’s all about how sourdough helps. Always helps. I don’t have the same reaction to most other wheat products. I used to attribute it to acidity. I wonder if it’s a yeast allergy…?

Bread is one of those foods that my body craves and my digestion… doesn’t. A piece of toast, fine. More than that and I pay for it. That’s true of starchy stuff in general.