Are you taking an antidepressant? I found that the combination of BBD ms diet and the older antidepressant nortryptiline have been very useful. Are you over exercising? You really can make fatigue worse by pushing yourself. I used to have to rest for two days after a simple shopping trip. Maybe the best thing is to start exercise very slowly and build up to more as you can tolerate it. Hugs to you: this fatigue is something different than ordinary tiredness.

I have pain 24/7 as well. The whole left side of my body. And pills don't really cut it. I'm with you on this. I have trouble sleeping because I'm heat sensitive, so as soon as whatever side I'm laying on grows hot, the pain gets intense and I wake up. cannabis helps... other than that, I haven't found anything that really cuts it. I also lay in bed most all the time...

i have the same problem. my dr keeps handing me new antidepressants and drugs like lyrica and neurontin just don't work for me. I never like cannabis but I finally broke down and tried it.

I still don't like the way cannabis makes me feel but the pain is substantially decreased when i've taken it. i don't use it very often (maybe ever couple of weeks when the pain becomes completely unbearable) but it takes the edge off enough for me to keep trying to exercise. I also decided that i'd rather take that then become dependent on pain killers that do nothing to actually fix the problem or the pain.

I tried yoga and couldn't even do that because of the pain. Instead, I've started with walking on a treadmill for five mins a day and I'll move that number up as i grow stronger.

I hope your dr can help you.

I can empathize with you as I too have terrible leg pain. I am on my 3rd med. and it works better than the other 2 but it seems to be wearing off. I am so discouraged and not sure what to do next. I am trying so hard not to complain and turn it over to God.
I plan to email my neuro this week and see what he says.
Good luck and hang in there.
ooxx

I have had little luck even with Percocets and Hydromorphone, but DO get substantial benefit from cannabis. It feels like all my muscles relax a bit, so that I'm not so tight. Have had pain for over 30 years and have self-medicated with cannabis the whole time because pain meds didn't do the trick, and I was paranoid about getting hooked on pain pills like my mother did. I usually hang in until 9 at night when I'm so tight I can't stand it, or take one earlier if it is a really bad day.
Hang in there.

maybe alpha lipoic acid r will help --read about it in my group--it is also a super antioxident--curing our symptoms--be well -sherrya

carolina:

I'm on 30 mg. of morphine sulfate 3X a day now. The pain is much more manageable. This is much more effective than the oxycontin was and also the Vicoprofens (which I still use for break through pain along with Tylenol #4).

I think you need some strong drugs. I tried the Neurontin and the Tramadol and they simply did not help much and I found I was taking more and more pills.

With the morphine sulfate you take up to 3 pills a day, some days I take only 2. I've never had much luck with physical therapy.

If you can still walk, walking is probably the best physical therapy one can do.

After I get done with this next round of surgery I plan to try to start swimming at the local Easter Seals Society pool in the nearby town. We'll see how long I last at this. I must admit, physical anything = pain for me. That is why I hedge.

Best of luck to you.

I didn't do well with the whole bike thing, but someone bought me a set of just like the pedals. I have them by me where I sit and I have even figured out how to use them in bed. They really do help keep my legs feeling better, and I have alot less leg cramps/spasms since I started using it. Just a thought...

I hope you feel better. Really, if you can try and get around a little out of bed, strech it might do so much good. It is horrible to start to feel defeated.

Hey Carolinagirl123 -
A couple of thoughts as I've been through things and found I had to start systematically ruling things out. One thing I found out is that I have a sleep disorder that is common among those with chronic illnesses w/ pain. Alpha wave sleep intrusion keeps me from getting the full delta sleep we need to feel better. I take different meds at night to help with this including neurontin and Klonipan and a Rx sleeping pill. During the day I can take neurontin, but makes me whoosy - don't like it. I've tried Baclofen, and that is a little better on the pain relief with about the same whoosy-ness. I've found there are 3 types of pain for me: cramping spasm pain; tingly pins and needles pain; and on-fire pain. What do you have the most? That will help your doc know what meds to try for you.

i get terrible leg pains too. it is like i can feel knots in them. and then i get what i can the ants running up and down the legs.

i hate it.

percocets do not seem to help.

what to do, what to do? do we want to live like this?

twink yes we do...never give in...never give up--we will survive--hugs

I have taken lyrica, cymbalta and now i am on nortryptiline. I am at the maximum dose of 75mg and I have no pain. Still stiff and tight, but no electrical serges. Percocet and vicodin never touched my pain. The nortryptiline can give you dry mouth, but it is a side effect that i can manage with sugar free candies. Hope you get some relief soon.

I hate that you all are experiencing so much leg pain but I can relate. Some with M.S (i'm not officially diagnosed yet) say it's numbing and tingling and ant biting feelings but I have chronic, constant pain, like shards of bone stabbing each time I walk with 40 lb sand bags hanging below the knee on each leg. My best description so far , along with other body aches and pains, TN in the jaw and side of the head and also aching fore arms and hands in the evenings mostly for the hands and arms.

It's good to know i'm not alone in the extreme leg pain feelings.

When I was taking Phsical therapy a stationary bike with a large and cushy seat helped , but only would stay on it for 10 miin at a work out, NO MORE- and the P.T. did A stretch type exercise for my spine where he would get the pressure off - Helped !
The leg's can drive you batty-
Hoping you feel BETTER !!!

Carol....like Kindal...I am also not diagnosed with MS (but DO have Fibromyalgia)...as I've continually mentioned since joining here over 3 years ago! That being said...I am STILL having numerous, ongoing, and NEW symptoms mimicking MS...with LEG PAIN being ONE of the most troublesome of all! I say "ONE" bc....as it USED TO BE my most prominent & troubling symptom...I've SINCE developed many more Sx's that are just as TROUBLING....such as balance/coordination, bladder control, IBS,.... However...when those severe "shots of PAIN" set in...they certainly get your attention!! And the constant aching...well...that just makes me want to put a bullet in my head somedays!!

I don't really know any good advice...as I'm feeling like I'm hanging on the edge of a cliff myself these days! I WILL agree with several others however....in that Cannabis...Medical Marijuana (MM)...is DEFINITELY a HUGE help to me!! I've tried tons of meds over the years...including Lyrica, multiple types of AntiDepressants, multiple types of pain killers & muscle relaxers....ALL of which have serious side effects...for ME anyways! As it is...I'm currently on NO meds...as I've lost health insurance and husband is STILL out of work...& STILL waiting on SSDI to come through (although, after hearing they're TRILLIONS in the hole now...may NEVER get it! )! So...MM is ALL I have left for now...and I can NOT tell much difference in IT & ALL the previous drugs that I've taken for "this & that"....EXCEPT for LESS side effects! Good Luck to you! ;)
~tj