Pain Still Keeping Me Couchbound

I'm still couchbound due to excruciating pain.

The pain started a bit over a week ago.  The pain wasn't terrible in those first few days but, by the weekend, the pain was unbearable.  Sunday was the worst day with constant pain in the seven to nine out of ten range.  Saturday and Monday were pretty much equal with constant pain in the six to eight range.  

Tuesday and Wednesday (so far) have been only slightly better with constant pain in the five to seven range.  The pain gets up to a seven when I do some walking or when I delay taking some Aleve or aspirin for the whole night.

On Saturday, I finally resorted to throwing some Aleve at this pain.  I took one Aleve in the morning and then one Aleve at bedtime.  I hardly slept at all due to the pain and, by Sunday morning, the pain was worse.  On Sunday, I alternated between Aleve and aspirin all through the day, every four hours.  

By Monday, I was feeling a mild improvement although I was still couchbound and not able to get around due to worsening pain.  I continued alternating between Aleve and aspirin through Monday, every four to five hours.  On Tuesday, the pain had subsided slightly again so I slightly let up on the Aleve and aspirin. 

Now, I'm alternating between Aleve and aspirin every six hours.  I didn't take any Aleve nor aspirin for eight hours through the night but the pain spiked again by the eight hour mark.  So, I'm back to a six hour schedule.

I'm also using ice on this nerve a few times a day.  This does provide some temporary relief...  for about an hour after using the ice.  It is very temporary though.  

Another thing I noticed is that this nerve pain is stretching out longer along the nerve.  This morning, when I got up, the pain was excruciating in my right knee, my right shin in mid-shin, as well as in my right pelvis at the site of my last bone marrow biopsy.  My hip and thigh were not nearly as bad as in previous days but the pain was now reaching all the way down to my mid-shin.  

If I touch this nerve anywhere along its path through my pelvis, hip and down my leg, the pain is excruciating.  In past COVID infections, I've had problems with various joint swelling to very painful levels although not as painful as this inflamed nerve.  I'm not seeing any swelling this time either but this time the inflammation is in a nerve starting in my lumbar spine and making its way down my leg.

So, I did some research.

I found that long-COVID is causing this sort of nerve pain in a significant number of patients.  The virus is attacking the central nervous system in some way.  I don't fully understand the hows or whys at this point but I did find that many other people are experiencing what I am experiencing and it is due to this COVID virus.  

If I still cannot get around and am still couchbound by Friday morning, then I will be making an appointment with my primary care doctor.  I want to find some other medications (other than NSAIDs and definitely not narcotic pain-killers) to alleviate some pain rather than continuing to use Aleve and aspirin.  There are too many dangers with NSAIDs for people over 60 years old and I am in that category now so I'd feel much more comfortable going some other route for relief.

Apparently there are some anti-depressants and anti-seizure medications that can help with chronic pain in the central nervous system.  That might be a better route for the next few weeks if this doesn't resolve itself by the end of this week.

I really could use some relief as well as some solid sleep!