Soaks?

[Rayne]

I looked through some of the immediate posts and didn't find my answer so I decided to start a thread of my own, I hope it's alright.

Do soaks help, with epsom salt or just hot water soaks in the bathtub?

[Lily]

Hi,

I think a lot of us get relief from heat and a bath sure can be relaxing, so no harm done, it will relax sore tired muscles.

I have heard some people use epsom salts in the bath, and they have magnesium in them. Magnesium is known for it's muscle relaxant properties so maybe it's even more effective. I haven't tried the epsom salts,although my mother used to swear by a bath in epsom salts after a game of tennis :D

Happy soaking :flowers:

love
Lily

[Rayne]

Thank you I will definetly be doing some soon. Is there anything else that helps?

[Lily]

You can try things like tiger balm or ben gay creams for joints and muscles. I was using tiger balm long before I really knew what was going on, it does help some.

What meds are you currently on, besides all this many of us need additional pain relief at times besides the usual stuff we have to take for the Lupus.

love
Lily

[Rayne]

I am currently taking Plaquenil and Prednisone.

[raggedyann1]

HI,

I used to put epsom salts and baking soda in my baths along with a couple drops of essential oils. The oils for the pleasant scent and moisturizing qualities. The baking soda helps to draw the impurities out of your skin. What you will obtain is comfort and perhaps some relief. But they will not have any effect on the disease process.

Take care,
Karen

[Rayne]

Ok I'm going to add baking soda to the water also, thanks for the idea. I'm just looking for some relief because I'm not taking any pain meds at the moment.

Thanks again.

[redrose77]

A few months ago my foot swoll to 3 times its normal size as we had no insurance yet and I was unable to walk even to the bathroom we soaked it in really really warm water with epsom salts for a few hours 3 nights in a row. That seemed to make a difference as the swelling went down. It did nothing for my hands though and Our tub is midget sized (I am 5'4" and about 2' too tall to sit in it w/o having knees bent at weird angle while sitting straight up) so full body soak is not possible. No clue if it would help. I take 3-4 hot showers daily (my skin turns bright red afterwards). I have also used a lot of icy hot type rubs and heating pads. Heat helps ever so much but can increase swelling. You may need to ask your doctor about an antiinflammatory. I notice everyone seems to have given wonderful advice just wanted to add my own experiences in case they might help. I will say a hot tub does wonders as does deep tissue massage (birthday gift from family member a few years ago and it was heavenly although painful at first). Another thought- just a thought because I have no clue how well it would work or if it would work try ice anywhere that is swollen. For me cold hurts so bad I never use ice but it might help you.

[bananawear]

Hi Rayne- My former massage therapist told me about a very inexpensive bath salt that I used to make at home. I would buy natural sea salt by the pound at the health food store, its really cheap, like 20 cents a pound, and mix it half and half with epsom salt, and then I would chop up a handful of fresh rosemary and lavendar from the bushes in my garden, but you could use a few drops of essential oils if you dont have the fresh herbs. Shake it up really well in a zip lock bag and then just throw couple of handfuls in every time you take a bath. It does help with inflamation and relaxation. It stores in the bag for a long time.

Epsom salts have been a home remedy for years!

Take good care- Chris

[raggedyann1]

Rayne,

Just a caution about hot tubs. Not all of us can handle them and for some of us, especially with raynauds the water shouldn't be above 90 degrees F. Going into a hot tub and then coming out is a pretty sure way to set off a raynauds attack.
I wish I could still use hot tubs, they are wonderful, but btwn the heat and the chlorine I just can't do that.

Also deep tissue massages can make us feel worse. If our tissues are already inflamed the deep massage will inflame them more. However there are many massage therapists who undertand techniques that are helpful to us. I wish I could still affort my twice monthly massages I had for awhile. They really made me feel better for a day or two. The woman I saw was very experienced and very careful not to cause me pain.

Good luck,
Karen

[julbird]

I have a massage therapist that works with me as a part timer on her days off......each day she is there she massages me during my breaks which is wonderful! Anyway, she is now bringing me some Epson Salt that she dyes and puts essential oils in. She gives them to all her clients, many of which are Memphis Griz basketball players.....(aww they smell like lavendar!) anyway, she brings me a weekly supply, all I do is give her the salts......will have to find out how she dyes it though, and it looks pretty sitting on the tub.......she uses the smaller salts also, and they dissolve faster.

Jul

[rsmurphy]

Hi! Everybody,
I found hot soaks great, but after several embarrassing episodes of being unable to get out of the tub....getting in was the easy part.. my joints were too sore to bear my (generous, ..ok, really generous) weight, my ankles, wrists and shoulders were so inflammed and painful, and on top of my blood pressure problems my head was spinny dizzy.......I didn't, wouldn't and couldn't fit down the drain.... I did consider calling 911 but decided I would rather freeze to death in the bath then humiliation when the paramedics got here.....rolling over the edge worked....10 minutes on the floor of the bathroom before crawling into bed... lets just say I avoid hot soaks. :rolleyes: sue

[skardykat]

Oh, Sue, I have such a vivid picture of all that. ;) Still, I am so sorry it got to the point where you thought of calling 911.
I think most people would be in shock to see how we get in and out of the tub, bed, chair or how we walk when no one is looking. Hey, whatever works.

[rwb200]

Many may not have this problem but my wife does so I will add it as a caution.
My wife has Subacute Cutanious Lessions with her Lupus. Just a touch of Epsom Salts to any area and it becomes inflamed and very red.
Larger amounts result in hives and lessions.
Not sure if any others have this or if it is just a part of the extreme drug sensitivity that she has.
She has problems with many items but tought I would add it as a caution so that anyone who is concidering using it will know that they may want to try it on a very small area first to see if they have problems prior to submerging in a bath tub full of it.

[shopgirlsw]

Hi, just my two cents here,

I love soaking in the tub almost nightly! I add a half cup of sea salt and a half cup of epson salt, and about 1/4 cup of baking soda then a few drops of peppermint oil, love the smell of mint :rolleyes:

I find for myself that I sleep better and fall asleep faster on the nights that I soak, as well as wake up more rested, still soreness but a little more bearable.

I also use a product called Bio-Freeze, it is cheap on Ebay, it is a cryotherapy gel, like cold therapy, but it is wonderful stuff, sometimes my mom takes my bottle and I have to hunt it down as she uses it more than I do :D

Sincerely,

Shopgirlsw
:love: