Parasthesia - what helps to distract you?

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Just that really. I have numbness and pins and needles due to fibromyalgia (relatively recent diagnosis) and some days it's really intrusive. I also have tense muscles in the back of my legs.
Has anyone got any tips for things that help?
TIA

Bump?

Distraction from that is so hard… where in the body is it? Is there any position which is more comfortable?
Can I just check that it has been investigated and not automatically assigned as fibromyalgia?

I have fibro and get this a lot. I sympathise, it's horrible. The best thing that helps me with this is to have an Epsom salt bath. I buy big tubs from Amazon or eBay.

I can't remember what helped at the time but I will say that eventually the feelings will become the new you. It now doesn't register in my brain that I have the pins and needles unless someone asks me to describe fibro. Its the same for the (lower level) pain. I am sorry you have it

I've ended up writing an essay.... sorry!
As I didn't get any replies last night, I assumed the thread had bombed, so thank you, @MrsDoraDumble, @apricotdreams and @Pixiedust1234.
To respond, I've had bloods done (thyroid, inflammatory factor etc) - all negative. The fact that most of the symptoms are not permanent gives the doctor confidence it's the fibro.
I have a permanent numb patch (on the skin IYSWIM, I do have deeper sensation but can't feel things that should tickle or scratch) on my face from my lower lip to the jaw line. I also have a small bit above my top lip. These are permanent, but the area sometimes extends to part of my cheeks.
Both soles of my feet burn very frequently and the back of my left thigh is permanently numb in a similar way to my face. This too extends down to the back of the calf frequently - some days it gives me a limp.
If I use my dominant arm a lot, I get tingling on the inside (where it touches the body if your arm is by your side), which extends to part of the palm and my ring and little finger. Again, sometimes it also extends to the ball of my thumb.
Medication wise, I'm taking amytriptyline, which has been fabulous as I'm in far less pain, and baclofen to help with the tension in the muscles on the back of my legs.
I have a tens machine which helps to a degree with the leg issue (I think the sensation of it helps to distract from the feeling).
I'm also taking baths with Epsom salts, but don't know if I'm doing it often enough?

Just wondering if there anyone around who can help?

I have continuous pins and needles in both arms and both legs. It’s chemotherapy nerve damage. It’s so bad I’ve begged for amputations but the doctors said I’d just get phantom limb pain anyway. I’ve had all kinds of drugs and treatments including a spinal cord stimulator implant and nothing has helped. I can no longer walk. I also have screeching tinnitus. I wish amytriptyline would help me. It’s a living torturous hell.

@Summerdayshaze, I'm so sorry for you. I already had tinnitus before this, so I can understand where you're coming from. As far as the parathesia is concerned, I don't know where to go with that, but I'm considering getting hearing aids (I also have hearing loss) which might help?

With those symptoms I would definitely be asking for or a referral to a neurologist before settling on a diagnosis of fibro. No disrespect to your GP, but they could be caused by neurological issues and a specialist would be be able to rule this in or out pretty quickly.

Probably take forever on NHS though - might it be worth an initial consultation privately?

Have you had Vitamin d checked?

I’ve had fibro since 2017, you do get used to a lot of it tbh

I’ve found acupuncture one of the most helpful things. Did this privately

@Hallelujah2020, vit D level is normal, but I do take several supplements anyway.
@Rosamond35, I have thought about that, but know the tests that I'm likely to need on top of the consultation will end up in a bill of £££.

True, though if the neurologist felt there was something that warranted investigation they might be able to write to your GP to get you a NHS referral a bit more quickly. Although I'm still not really sure how it all works, despite recently having had private consultations and then been referred back to NHS for surgery!

On the other hand, they might say everything checks out OK and then you've got some reassurance at least.

I'm only saying in light of personal experience of symptoms which were met with confusion from GPS and physios, but from which the neurologist knew there was something quite wrong within minutes ,(although symptoms had progressed considerably by then).

@Rosamond35, just coming back to this to say I'm talking to my GP in the 23rd and will definitely be asking for a referral. I've had enough now. I've had to put my tens machine on tonight, not because of pain, but because I couldn't stand the feeling in my legs and feet any longer.

Good for you, it would be awful to suffer only to find out later it was something else than could have been sorted earlier. I'm quite annoyed that I didn't push harder to see a neurologist sooner, even though neurological symptoms were a bit vague to begin with.

Thank you @Rosamond35. I'm so done with this. It's really holding me back. I hate it. It's really making me miserable.

I know, I've had burning pain throughout the lower half of my body for the last few months now and its really wearing my down. Though I have noticed that stress does make it even worse, so I think I might try some relaxation or meditation exercises to see if that helps.

If they're unwilling to refer you to a neurologist, is there a specialist you could see for fibro instead? There must be something more than can be done, whatever is causing it.

Out of interest, what's the feeling in your legs like? I have spasticity in mine as well as burning and numbness and it does feel very uncomfortable. Do you have spasms or anything? And I assume the GP did a neurological exam themselves?

@Rosamond35, mine is a feeling of numbness (mostly in the back of left thigh, that's never gone for nearly three months), but also tingling down the back of both or one leg, depending on the occasion, with the feeling that the soles of my feet are on fire. I've also got tight muscles, even when I know they should be relaxed.... (I'm taking a low dose of a muscle relaxant for info...
Thank you for your reply. I'm feeling desperate because I need to get back to work, and am still nowhere near it.

@Rosamond35 how is it
now ? Ive had it on and
off but bad on my arms
atm
x

@Starrr123, I saw you had posted so I've name changed so I can give you an update on what's happened for me.
I eventually saw a neurologist who ordered MRIs as well as telling me to up my gabapentin dosage to see if it helped - it didn't so I'm now back on a low dose.
The upshot is that my legs have nothing visible wrong with them so it's been put down to fibromyalgia. They're not as bad as they were - driving sets my left leg off and sometimes my right, and they have both play up if I have to stand still e.g. in a queue - I'm sure people must think I'm desperate for a wee as I end up shifting from foot to foot, shaking and wobbling my legs! Im still taking a muscle relaxant (and still get the muscle tension), but had to change medication as the original one stopped working completely.
As for my left arm, I have a bone spur pressing on the nerve root. It's great that I know what it is, but I still have just under a year to wait to even see someone to discuss treatment (I really need the spur removed, but they might try numbing injections first).
I still use a TENS machine occasionally (for pain) and it really helps to suppress the sensations in my legs, but I don't use it solely for that - putting the machine on and setting it to what I need is a bit of a faff.