Comment · Sat, September 24, 2022 · ND Owner
Surprisingly Fast and Pronounced Pain Relief with Palmitoylethanolamide - Placebo, Coincidence, or Very Effective Supplement?
Original post in this thread
kqfka · 12 points
I bought some palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) to try out for the chronic back/neck/shoulder pain, inflammation, and muscle spasms I've had for years (no specific etiology for the pain, possibly fibromyalgia). I can't take NSAIDs because of GI issues (quite possibly related to prolonged NSAID use in the past), and, while I'm prescribed cyclobenzaprine (which works better than acetaminophen, at least, but definitely isn't a cure-all), I prefer not to take it during the day. I've been experimenting with various supplements, particularly selective COX-2 inhibitors (which appear to be less damaging to stomach and intestinal linings than NSAIDs). Rephyll works reasonably well.
Anyway, I took some PEA for the first time this afternoon (400mg) on an empty stomach. I went back to work. Everything I'd read led me to believe I wouldn't notice any effects for somewhere between 5 days at the earliest, and possibly 3 months at the latest (if at all). I definitely had zero expectations that it would do anything for me today (which is to say that I'm skeptical about the possibility that the experience I'm about to describe was a placebo effect, but I'm also very aware of how real/powerful the plac…
What they were answering
kqfka · 4 points
I'm not too old (early 30s), but I'll be sticking with this one, I think. I've been taking Rephyll before bed the past two weeks or so (and periodically before that) - stops me from tossing and turning so much at night during periods of particularly bad back pain. Three nights ago I started taking PEA before bed, too. According to my fitness tracker, each of those nights, my amounts of deep and REM sleep have been double that of my monthly and 6-month averages, and about a quarter higher than my previous highest amounts for either deep or REM sleep. I've struggled with getting restful sleep for a long time. It's the most bizarre and wonderful thing
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · ND Owner
Glad to hear it! Finally getting better sleep when you have been unable to for a while is such a nice thing!