Re: A slight bit of relief - updated

[Guest guest]

Another update: The ongoing (1x a week) acupuncture continues to give more

relief. I haven't had to take Vicodin in a week! No pain during the day,

nodules are small and pink instead of huge and purple/red and no new nodules in

a week. My leg feels normal for long stretches of time every day and the

swelling has reduced enough in my foot so that I can wear normal shoes again

instead of always wearing shoes with an open back to give my swollen foot/ankle

more space.

I am concerned, as my hormonal cycle seems to trigger intense outbreaks and

pain, that this all goes away later this month. BUT, for now, it feels great to

be at about 75%.

Jill

>

> Hi all. I have been in pain every day since Mid February with a major (and my

first) EN outbreak. Probably 60 nodules by now, mostly on my right leg and

foot.

>

> I have tried icing and soaking and gluten free and elevating and NOTHING gave

any relief. I have been going thru supplementation therapy from my naturopath

as well as sensitivity reduction therapy to try to get this to back off. No

luck. Finally the naturopath prescribed Vicodin for me so I can sleep and I

have been taking Vicodin nearly every night at bedtime for a few months. The

feeling of the drug kicking in and alleviating that pain is a moment I wait for

all day. But, chowing on Vicodin is no way to live so I tried to find other

ways to deal with the stuff that might help me stop taking the Vicodin.

>

> A few weeks ago I began seeing an acupuncturist who studied in China. He

calls the condition " wind, damp, heat " and prescribed seven treatments of

acupuncture and a chinese herb concoction he had made specifically for me/the

EN. I take 18 herb pills a day (3x a day - 6 each time) Over these couple of

weeks the pain level in my leg has dropped a huge amount, my leg and foot are no

longer swollen to the size of an elephant's leg/foot and the nodules (I am still

getting new ones) are not hot, not as painful and seem to come and go more

quickly. I am hopeful that with a couple more weeks of treatment its completely

gone. I had my eighth treatment yesterday morning - The acupuncturist is

surprised it hasn't gone away more quickly but he's still confident it will go

away.

>

> Just curious if anyone else has had any success with acupuncture in the past?

Boy the needles hurt if he hits a nodule -- but the pain subsides in a few

minutes.

>

> Hope your holidays are pain free!

>

> Jill

>