Fibromyalgia prompts doctors to prescribe medications from a variety of drug classes, because none of the medications used for fibromyalgia were actually developed for the condition or even approved by the FDA for treating it. Studies have shown relationships among fibromyalgia medications, anti-depressant medications, anti-seizure medications and the promising cross-results they can produce.
Nevertheless, the medications listed in this chart have shown effectiveness in randomized clinical trials of people with fibromyalgia. These include the antidepressant medications, such as amitriptyline (Endep), duloxetine (Cymbalta), fluoxetine (Prozac) and paroxetine (Paxil); muscle relaxants, such as cylobenzaprine (Cycloflex, Flexeril) and certain analgesics, including tramadol (Ultram). The combination of 20 mg Prozac taken in the morning and 25 mg amitryptyline taken at night also has shown effectiveness in easing symptoms throughout the day and helping to ensure sleep at night.
Recent studies using anti-seizure medications, such as gabapentin (Neurontin) and the drug pregabalin (Lyrica), demonstrated promising results in helping to ease pain, promote sleep and relieve fatigue.
You’ll find some other drugs used for fibromyalgia in the charts on analgesics and NSAIDs. For many people with this painful condition, an NSAID or analgesic, such as over-the-counter acetaminophen, provides sufficient pain relief; others take an NSAID or analgesic along with one or more of the medications listed here.
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Although I was misdiagnoised for years - there were too many things wrong. I'm glad the answer is FM. However, my doctor says that he can't fix me. Stress is our enemy. We need to remain calm. The doctors understands this but does your family? Really understand?
Besides FM I have about 7 different things wrong with my back which basically "can't be fixed".
If I'm smart I'll take the time to you again about what has happened to you. There is always someone worse than you, or me.
Thank God you aren't the worst! He's there. Use His help!
My hearing and sight can be fixed.
Good Luck and God Bless you all!
I have a genuine fear of newere drugs because so many get pulled from the market after a year or two due to the corrupt FDA. The docs offer me anti-depressants but I don't feel depressed, I just hurt and yes some days I do get down but not often. Ihave always had and used work as a distraction. NOw who knows. I have been exploring this site today as part of my take care of me first decision and saw for the first time the mention of the brain fog from the pain. I said about 5 years ago Ihad lost alot of my ability to concentrate and the things Iwas doing took longer and were harder ot accomplish. I am now working on accepting that I probably won't ever work as a nurse again and maybe not ever work again. That's all I wanted to say except is is very nice to have a forum where I can speak about this and be understood.
I worked as a Navy nurse for 18 years and was medically retired in 2007. I was a master's prepared clinical nurse specialist (cardiovascular) and was a critical care instructor. I also have a master's degree in human resources management. My last job was directing a 9 provider outpatient clinic.
My story began in 1999. I was running about 3 miles daily, did pushups and sit-ups, swam, etc. I started having numbness and tingling in the last two digits of my left hand. Long story short, I had an ulnar nerve transposition which didn't fix the problem. I had two cervical spine fusions (which did fix the problem), until one night in 2001 when I was doing some training in the ICU. I went to get a video off a shelf in an office and turned to say hi to my boss who was walking by. When I turned around, the bookshelf was falling over on me. It took 3 big guys to lift it off.
That event not only messed up my spine, but it also triggered the cascade of pain and other symptoms of FM.
Ultimately, after 10 years of dealing with this, I had to retire. I loved nursing and had plans to teach at a college after I retired. Now, I'm medically retired and on Social Security disability. I had to give up my nursing license last month because they now have a requirement for practice hours. I always said that they would pry my nursing license from my cold dead hands!!!
I'm finally ready to take my degrees, etc. off the wall and put them away because every time I see them, I get more depressed. I'm taking morphine once a day for the pain (among many other things). I was up to 3 a day, but was so goofy I worked my way back to 1. I've drawn a line in the sand with my meds as far as adding any more.
As a nurse, I never knew as much about FM as I do now. I remember the days when providers thought it was all in your head. Probably because it primarily affects women! I'm glad it is finally recognized as a valid disease. I agree that more research needs to happen with FM as well as pain control.
To Shanna, you are so right about other people's reactions. I know one thing for sure: when you develop FM, you find out who your real friends are & who really loves you! I found out that I have the Very Best Husband in the Whole World! (Sorry ladies, but he IS the best!)
I developed FM in 2006 after an accident in October 2005. I thought that nothing had happened except that the curvature of my neck had decreased, after 2 years of chiro to get a nice curve back in it. With a couple of months intensive therapy, I got my good healthy curve back!
My first symptom that we have tied to my Fm was severe headaches. My doctor sent me for MRI & MRA, clear. So he started "experimenting" with different meds. I developed Severe tinnitus, which for me is best described as the sound made by the 13 year locusts when they swarm. lol Asked my doc if med for headaches might be cause, & he allowed me to stop the med. Still tinnitus. Sent for ear exam; okay, except for a bit of high sound loss, which is to be expected, since I was then in late 50s. Audiologist suggested wearing a small hearing aid in my ears to "sort of block the other sound," hmmm... I declined. Never have found out what caused that, or anything to fix it. But I must move on.
My very worst symptoms, which changed my life Forever, were extreme fatigue & a mental lack of clarity & focus -- not a good thing for a college professor of history & geography! I struggled through that period with my doc changing meds & finding one that helped. We tried Cymbalta, & I thought for a while it was helping. But then symptoms continued to worsen.
By 2007, I was having a horrible time trying to work. And this was a career I loved! I began to give my students incorrect answers when they called or emailed me about dates for exams & other things. I even mixed up history & geog students! They began to look at me strangely when I more & more frequently answered them wrong when they asked such questions in person. Luckily for me, I'd studied so long & hard for my Ph.D, & I'd taught for so many years, that when I put my PowerPoint presentations on the screen, I could sort of go into autopilot mode. Except for geography. As we all know, world events happen without warning. One week I had to change my outline three times, when studying a new crisis in the Middle East! So "fibro fog," which I've seen as the term for this mental confusion, in several books, made doing my job, making out lecture outlines, getting tests scored correctly, having tests ready to give on the day I was supposed to, taking the right materials to the right class, on and on, became a problem that just about overwhelmed me.
The other symptom was Extreme Fatigue -- I think it deserves to be in capital letters. My very first experience was in the shower. I was scrubbing myself down, thinking about what I was going to wear, enjoying the warmth of the water. I had just done my legs with the wash cloth & tried to raise it to the water to rinse out the soap. I could not lift my hand! Well, I could, & I did, but I felt as weak as the first time I was sent to give myself a bath after my hysterectomy. Not normal, I thought. I called to my husband, & he helped me get out of the shower. I had him throw a towel on his side of the bed & fell onto it. I just curled up & lay there. I think he thought I was having a heart attack, & I wasn't so sure myself. So after about twenty minutes, that feeling passed, & I got dressed for work. He insisted on driving me in that day (he'd already retired), & I let him! Those periods began to come on more frequently.
We live 35 minutes from my work, far out in the country, no commuting except by our autos.
Then I began to have spells where I would just fall asleep reading a book & drop it to the floor, waking myself up. I would fall asleep at the computer, & when I "woke up" I would be waking from a "dream" & I would be reaching out my hand to hand someone something or take something from them. I'd seen very ill people do this when in a semi-conscious state, just before dying. That really scared me! I've since learned that doctors say FM patients do not really "fall asleep," they have instantaneous, very short-lived episodes in which they actually have hallucinations! That made much more sense! I'd be texting my daughter, who lived in another state, & I'd go "out of it," and when I woke up I would have been writing gibberish. Once I even sent the text! I saw it immediately, & sent her another to tell her I was okay. But she knew I wasn't.
Then I had several of those episodes while driving to & from work. Scary stuff! One day, coming home, I stopped at a yield sign to exit the interstate to our main highway. The next thing I remember, I was 2 miles down the road & had crossed a bridge over a small creek. That was it. My husband began to insist on driving me to work most of the time.
To make a very long story short, I finally retired at the end of the school year in May 2008. As someone else mentioned, that was a very depressing time. I no longer had a livelihood, but more importantly, I no longer had a sense of self worth or any sense of a "job well done." I LOVED teaching! I hated retiring, but my students were leaving messages on Rate My Professor such as "Dr. Brantley has lost it...IF she ever had it." "She needs to get to a nursing home right away!" "Don't ever take a class from her! Unless you're prepared for 16 weeks of utter frustration!" I would cry when I read those things -- because I knew they were at least partly right. My students who knew & loved me (small community college, close bonds sometimes) were looking at me with pity. I couldn't get to work by myself, & on several days I couldn't get there at all. One day my husband went in and proctored a test for me. One of the students asked, "Mr. Brantley, are you a teacher, too?" He said, "No, I'm a mechanic." They thought it was hysterical! But I said short!
In Jan. 2009 I found a rheumatologist in Dallas (3 hours away, but who cared?). He was wonderful. He began to set me up with new meds, one at a time, starting with worst symptoms first, he said. But as he added on, I began to realize that most of my symptoms were getting a bit better. When I first went to him, I could not in truth tell him that I ever had a "good day," & my husband agreed.
So over the next year, we developed this set of meds, which has worked for me (I make no promises for anyone else.) For the extreme daytime fatigue, "fibro fog," & sleepiness, he prescribed Provigil; for a long time, I took 2 each morning, but now I take only one. For the many muscular pains of FM, and for the depression & anxiety I occasionally experienced, I take both Savella & Lyrica. He made me experiment with the dosage so I could find the "most" I could tolerate without side effects, steadily working upward & then back down in dosages. It took most of a year to get things organized. I also take Tramadol for pain, & he started me out with 2 in morning & 2 at bedtime. Over time, I had gotten down to 1 at night! I have recently experienced a flare that led me back to the 2 twice a day -- for a while.
For severe RLS, I take Ropinerole, which is the generic for Requip. I've seen some of you mention this. I hope it helps you as much as it helped me! I now go to sleep & sleep at least four hours straight, more often about 7. I wake up & can actually get out of bed! After about two minutes of walking & massaging, I'm in pretty good shape.
Just listen to everyone who tells you to learn to Pace Yourself in Everything You Do -- and I mean Everything! And Listen to Your Body! Now that I have retired, this is so much easier to do. I plan everything. If there's something coming up that I really want to do -- grandson's baseball games, for example -- I don't plan or do anything strenuous for a couple of days beforehand, or for the day after. Because the next day, I may well pay for all the walking, all the sitting, all the nerve-wracking experiences of the games. :) But now that I KNOW and ACCEPT that, I'm so much better!!
If I could have only found that rheumatologist soon after being diagnosed, instead of almost three years later, I might still be able to be teaching today. At the beginning of the semester, when I know everyone is getting new lectures together, getting their equipment set up, I am most depressed. When something happens in the news that would have impacted my geography class, I get this itch to re-work PowerPoints, but there are none to do! Leaving work has been the hardest part! But if I can feel better & function better, I guess it was worth it.
I love all of you who are going through the pains & trials of FM & all other chronic diseases. But it's good for us to have a place to share info, & just to "vent" sometimes. As one of our forefathers said, (I can't remember which one -- lol), "We must all hang together, or we shall surely hang apart." Or something like that.
Have a wonderful holiday season, & God Bless Us Everyone!
Some advice I can give now: I used to panic when I had a "flare Up". But now I know better. If i'm tired I don't push myself. I plan my life around my illness. I don't care if someone doesnt understand anymore, I'm tired of hiding it.
What helped me more than anything was I accidently had to change my eating habits for a different health problem. After 9 weeks of no red meat (fish only tuna, salmon cod only), only whole grain bread, only non fate everything. Making vegies and fruits the main part of every meal. Honestly I'd have never believed this but it HAS made my inflammation go down. I've eaten whatever i wanted my whole life cause it was my reward for suffering...ya right...doesn't work that way.
I'm a believer now. I also bought a used Recumbent bike for exercise. I do it only 2 or 3 times a week but that's alot for me. I still take lots of pain meds and am always afraid of every new governmental regulation is going to black ball me or my doc. so far still good. I've been at my job for ten years and am very worried about making it til retirement. The job's mine, but my body may well not make it. I'd be very depressed if i didnt have a job though. Oh it'd be great at first but then i'd go stir crazy.
I've been treated like crap by doctors, relatives, friends and spouses. My daughter is the only person who truly cares and sees my real suffering. My job is tolerant because I push through so hard. I try not to let them see my limping or stiffness. My hips, back and wrists are giving out and it's also going into my eyes...(look that one up)..yep the eyes ...great huh?
But I plan alot of me time, I pamper myself and it helps a bit. It could always be worse..Really it could. I know now that when I have a flare...it will calm down. So I just wait...some days I'll say to myself..wow if i felt this good everyday it'd be a miracle. Those days are very few.
Find a Doctor who understands Fibromyalgia & who will treat you without over or under medicating you. Narcotics can kill you. Please read up on them, you don't want to never wake up. I've been taking them 32 years now. I'm very worried about what will happen to me when I'm old and frail (oh I guess i'm frail now)..I mean when I'm unable to take care of myself. Who will make sure I'm not silently suffering? Probably my daughter. Thank God. So I'm always thankful when I can lay in my bed and when the sheets dont hurt my skin. I have my cats who entertain me and make me laugh. I've finally been able to tell my Mom and she believes me. My sister has a friend who has it so she finally believes me. Who cares about the rest.
We are all in this together. There will come a time when pain will be treated without addictive drugs...they are researching this. For now just be gentle to yourself. You will make it.. I am.
God Bless
Thanks.
Oh...and if you have problems affording medications there are several drug companies that have programs and if you qualify they will mail your medications to you free of charge. Some doctor clinics will even help you with the paperwork and steps needed to apply.
God bless you each and everyone. And as always I pray they find a cure (or at least develop a treatment that works 100%!)
Good luck and good life to all of you. Love makes it all worth while.
The combination of pain medications I am on now my doctor and I have worked up to for at least 5 years now.
mobic 15mg (am), tramodol 100mg (am and pm), lyrica 150mg (am) and 300mg (pm)hydrocod/ibu 7.5mg (am and pm) and Treximet for the migraines.
This works well for now. As the problems progress the strength in the medications will increase.
Good Luck to all in finding relief and God Bless. ~April
I work in the medical field and was told never to mention that I have FM at work or around co-workers, as it is considered a diagnosis given by some doctors to just give complaining patients a pacifier of sorts.
I am searching for a different doctor myself as I feel that my current one does not take my complaints seriously.
Currently prescribed Zoloft and told to take combination of Tylenol and Advil to ease the pain.
Most days are okay - but there are others that I hurt so much that I want to curl up in a ball and cry... but I don't, of course. Appreciate the good days and make it through the bad.
God Bless all of you who are living with this horrible illness, as you all know, it's very difficult to garner any sympathy or even belief that you're ill when there are no outward signs of being ill. People think you're crazy or a hypocondriac. But we know the real deal so screw all those who haven't got a clue! Good luck to all and I wish you some comfort and pain free time. Doreen :)
I love doing whatever he needs - including shaving him, cutting the nails, washing, feeding, etc. I feel I have no right to complain when there are SO many other people in the world who are so much worse than my son and me. Smiling releases endorphins into the brain and whether you mean the smile or not, it works, and soon you are feeling better. So try to smile, or better yet,laugh. After all, life is pretty funny when you think about it! :)
I have tried all sorts of meds most that I have seen listed here and none with satisfying results. Some seemed to help for awhile and then quit working. I was diagnosed 3 years ago but now realize that I was sick for years before I had a Dx.
I finally was sent to a pain clinic where a doc tried a Fentanyl patch...and this has been a life saver for me. I have only read one post here from someone using a patch..and that surprised me since this was the only thing that has been really helpful to me.
The other thing that helped me was warm water therapy. I had PT in a pool and then kept it up by joining the YMCA that has a heated pool.
I'd love to live somewhere warm and dry with "high pressure" systems as the norm. I really hurt when the barometric pressure drops...ouch.
Thanks for posting ...remember that when it is awfully bad it will get better....but then ( boo hiss...) when it is good it will get worse. Live one day at a time. Praise God and trust Him with your health.
The psychiatrist I'm seeing, he's working on multiple psychological problems I have. I've had insomnia for as long as I can remember, probably since the early 80s and that was two years after my Mum died in '79.
I've been on too many anti-depressants/anxiolytics to list here. I've tried Ativan for years, to help me sleep, but about a year ago, it gave me acid reflux.
Then my psychiatrist suggested IMOVANE and it seems to help me sleep along with...two tabs of RIVOTRIL.
I do have fibromyalgia but not to the degree that you have. My pain is mostly from osteoarthritis, the worst area, being my lower back.
You have SO MUCH going on, I feel bad for you.
I have the type of OA that affects how I sit. I have to sit BACK in a computer chair. If I lean forward, I can experience nausea and because I have a type of sciatica (piriformis syndrome...the nerve goes THROUGH the piriformis muscle instead of UNDER it,) I may feel numbness from my lowewr back down to my right foot.
Unlike you, I can't have surgery; if I did, I'd probably be paralyzed and end up in a wheelchair, so...I soldier on.
I have, over the months - 2010 - been in so much pain, that I just wanted to go to sleep and not wake up. Psychologically, the pain wear on a person and I've been health-related depressed for a loooonnnnnggggg time!
That's it for now Mindy. Hope to hear back from you.
You're from the States, me...I'm from Canada.
We have this site in commmon. :^))
It has been 16 years of the pain Dr. and a psychiatrist to get me where I am today. I am 69 years old, female. I don't encourage anyone to take Oxycontin as it is very addictable. I do not take it everyday but my Dr. said I need to take it every 12 hours so I get the full benefit. I realize what the Dr. means but I am not going to get addicted to it. God bless all of you that have these problems. Get your depression under control!!! My daughter passed away recently and Lexapro was my life savior. Keep going on the path to getting as pain free as you can. Just be CAREFUL. I wish you all the very best. Don't give up!!!!
I am now going to attempt Yoga Tai Chi for exercise and see how that goes. I tried aquacises but I have a bad knee so that blew that - took much walking in water. Today is a Vicodin and moist heat day for my neck and shoulders - oh what fun.
Today is a bad day as was the last 2 days. Today it is snowing. I was in Florida last week and I had very little pain. I live in Colorado and now know that high altitude affects my pain (makes it worse) and so does the barametric pressure (weather). If the barametric pressure is going down the pain is worse (follow this by looking in the newspaper for the BP and chart this with your pain). Low altitude and warm temperatures are better for me.
I have three daughters; one daugher has RA, one has FM, and the other probably has RA yet to be diagnosed (swollen hands). My brother has RA, my mother has OA and my father had bursitis. These diseases are genetic in some way. They all relate to the barametric pressure as I do.
I worked for 30 years, recently retired and started my own business and now work part time. I keep going and stay active despite what is going on. FM takes a toll on my husband - he gets depressed about my need for rest and simply cannot comprehend what the pain feels like. He knows other men who have wives with FM so he at least has an outlet to discuss things from his point of view. By the way, my husband broke his neck (5th and 6th verterbraes) in the car accident and has no lasting pain or paralysis. I guess I wasn't that lucky - if you call that luck.
Good luck to all of you with FM and my advice is keep up your own research - it just may one day lead you to something that really works.
I also have dysthymia, a low-grade, yr-round depression, reactive depression (my physical health limitations, including loss of independence, clinical depression, seasonal affective disorder, social anxiety disorder, general anxiety disorder, OCD, probably PTSD... & multiple phobias as well as pyschological problems. I firmly believe that my physical problems would be MUCH easier to deal with, without ALL the about mental/emotional & psychological health issues.
I take Cipralex for depresssion/OCD/anxiety; Rivotril to stop my mind from racing and it makes me only slightly drowsy. I just tried CYMBALTA for pain & depression. After less than six days, had to stop due to chronic side effects, redness/itchiness. Now back on Cipralex. For pain, I have a product for arthritis but it makes me drowsy to the point of wanting to sleep. Because I suffer insomnia (anxiety) I take IMOVANE. The product mentioned above, DOES relax my back muscles but I can't help BUT fall asleep. I take Rivotril, once in the a.m. and once for mid-afternoon, then again at 10 p.m. at night
I know there people a LOT worses of than I am...but that doesn't help me and what I'm going through. I've been in such overwhelming pain in the past, that I wanted to go to sleep and not wake up.
My name is "outtasteam"!!
!)Physical therapy w/ and excellent physical therapist. A poor PT can make things worse, esp if you have someone who keeps pushing you to do more, more, more.
2)Pace yourself!!! I may have a relatively good day today, but if I try to do too much, I may go downhill tomorrow.
3)Find a good therapist. Esp if you are dealing w/ a lot of stress or people who don't believe you a sick. It can make a world of difference to know there is someone who can really hear you.
4) Learn how to de-stress. Meditation can be extremely helpful. Yoga helps you get in touch w/ the places in your body that are esp tense and helps you learn to relax your muscles. Very good for gently stretching out tight or stiff muscles.It's really is helpful!
5) I take gabapentin (3 times a day), zanaflex( ususally at nite, it makes me v drowsy), and tramadol w/ tylenol (twice a day). i've tried quite a few other meds, but that seems the best combo for me. I don't tolerate a lot of the antidepressant-type meds v well.
6) A hot bath often seems to help quite a bit, and I've done therapy in a heated pool, too. Really feels good, but I also suffer from vassodepressor syncope (drops of blood pressure) caused by exercise, heat, etc, so I have to be v careful NOT to over-do.
7) I have a bit of energy in the a.m., and I plan my activities accordingly. Cooking, cleaning, appointments, etc.
8) If you are having a bad day, rest!! as much as possible. Do some v gentle stretching to ease pain. I stiffen up when I am resting, and must gently loosen up frequently or the pain becomes worse.
9) Watch what you eat. Red meat esp can raise your inflamation levels and make the pain worse. Eat small, frequent meals, esp fruit and veggies. Omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil) and the spice turmeric are supposed to reduce inflammation levels.You will notice a difference in how you feel over time. WE all want pain relief, now if at all possible. But all we have is time and w/ a very healthy diet and gentle stretching exercise, you should notice a difference.
10)Pray. Find your spirituality, wherever your faith leads you. It does make a difference in how you yourself and the world.
My Husband thinks that I am ADDICTED,and wants me to try herbal supplements,and go to another doctor.I think this is gonna end up with me in a world of hurt,that he doen't understand .
anybody else in this type of situation.Will herbal remedies work?
PEOPLE, COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS! We have medicine, we have food, we have shelter, we have family, we have freedom, WE ARE BLESSED!!!!
Love and very gentle hugs (sometimes a hug brings tears to my eyes tho' I love them all the same) to you all!!!!
Shosho
My pain, IS IN MY head, I take Paxil & Lerica 1 50ml in afternoon. Pail,seritonin
reuptake, & Lerica is the the norephnefron
together block the pain recepters.So these med.come together to block Pain IN OUR HEADs
The Lerica I ads. I hate because they give
People the idea that pain alone if FMS Pts
only problem.
What about LBS,chronic fatque,Fibro-fog,
loss of concentration. Sleep problems. I was a Health care Proffessional.Thank you.
My doctor told me the first time he told me that I had Fm. to keep a postive mind and do not play for symathic and that has been the best med that I can take.
Anyway, this is what I have, not who I am. I'm a mother, grandmother, friend. I play in my garden when able, go to church, join in group activities, work out at Curves, stretch to maintain flexibility and balance. Also, do crafts. FB is great to keep tabs on my 5 grandchildren (all teens). Husbands are usually not sympathic - mostly because they want all the attention. Tell your husbands to 'get over yourself'. Just keep doing what you ladies are doing. Finding a great Dr. isn't easy, but keep trying. Love to all, God Bless.
Please keep us up to date. I am on medication due to an accident in January of 2005. I presently take hydrocodone and lyrica along with cholesterol and BP meds. I was prescribed lyrica due to nerve damage.
I also have Lyme's Disease which I believe flares up at times. I may also have fibro. I haven't been officially diagnosed with it but have the symptoms.
My pain management doctor wants me to join a gym in the fall. For now she is happy that I am doing yard work. I have to join a gym that has a pool and a stationary bike as lifting weights would have to be done lightly.
Hope you are doing better!
Bob
*Cymbalta 60 mg x 1 (morning) for pain
*Etodolac 600 mg ER x 2(in morning)for pain
*Lyrica 75 mg (1 morning & night)for pain
*Trazodone 100 mg (bedtime)trouble sleeping
It was five years ago I finally admitted to myself I was hurting even worse--every day--than I had been with my inflamed gall bladder. To make matters worse, the pain spiked each day at about 1:00, just as my worst class came in--I was teaching hormone-crazed 8th graders. I hung in for four more years and finally had to quit. And that hurts.
After being diagnosed and prescribed for, I started falling asleep every time I sat down, even if that was behind the wheel of a car. Scary stuff. And my brain had disappeared. I couldn't think straight or remember the name of anything. Not good for a teacher. I finally went back to my neurologist, who took me off almost everything but Lyrica, upping the dose to eight a day. I stayed awake now, but the mental confusion was even worse. I had to experiment until I found I could take two a day and still think. It seems like it's not doing any good, but if I forget to take it, I suddenly discover it was doing loads of good!
Add in ulcerative colitis and arthritis to the witches' brew, and you can see what a jolly good time I'm having. Still, I can manage to do most of what I want, and I praise God for that.
My pcp is wonderful and has know me for years. She really listens to my problems. I have had 8 surgeries in 4 years. I had carpal tunnel surgery though the pain was in my thumbs. I really had CMJ joint arthritis but my first doctor wouldn't operate saying I was too young. (I was 50). Went to second dr and he wouldn't even touch my thumb base because it was so swollen saying I needed the surgery right away. So I had it done on both thumbs 1 year apart. (1 year healing time) I have tendonitis running from the base of my thumbs up the inside of my arm and he gives me a cortisone shot each year in both. I have arthritis in my wrists so when I use my cane I hurt my wrists from the pressure I use on the cane. I got stuck in a movie theater the other day. Had to do what I call my Dad's rock and roll to get out of the seat. And public bathrooms are a disaster. Because of my knees I can't get up. My husband found a tolilevator which goes under your toliet and raises it 5". We had been looking for handicap toliets but they weren't high enough. A friend on FB from Canada takes shark cartilidge because she can't afford Celebrex. I will start taking it this week. I also take Vitamins D, B-12, C, Calcium and fish oil pills.
My hands are very weak along with my wrists, I can't even lift a gallon of milk. I am no longer the person I once was and I hate it, but am dealing with it. My husband is wonderful about doing everything around the house. I do do some things, but usually suffer after. I've found I can only go to one store, if I do more, I'm really done. My youngest son (23) doesn't get it. I can't open those stupid bottles of medicine plus I can't read the directions even with my glases on. And I'm afraid because of the fibro fog I am doing things and forgetting that I've done them. I am currently looking for cleaning products I bought and can't find. LOL, what to do? Have to laugh or I'll cry.
of my T-10 & T-11 vertebrae. I started having problems when I was young. I am hoping with the new medications and how I take them will make my life a lil bit more like it used to be, I was always a active person. But in the past 2 years it has gotten much worse.
I too have FM and migraines. I am a RN (45yrs) and let me tell you...even when you have a lot of contacts within the medical field, it is hard not to feel like a drug seeker.
As I read all of your comments, I feel as though you know how I feel with my daily chronic pain....Thank you!!
I wish I could find a doc (in Dallas) willing to treat me with something bedside zoloft! I do take Mobic and tramadol for mild to mod. pain..with some relief but, I think if the severe pain was under control... and you only took pain meds when you really needed it...depression would not be so much an issue?? Pain is depressing?? I, like so many people,I just drag myself out of bed in the morning and put a fake smile on my face, and go to work. I am a nurse and love taking care of other people...maybe one day someone will take the time to take care of all of us with FM :)
I know if I did'nt believe in God above I could never have gotten this far!!!
I have a great supportive DR who I'snt shy to try new drugs or to send me to new specalist, getting to the reasion of my post.
This knew Dr is trying very new way of treating FIBRO this is what he has in store for me.
First thing first, presently my medication is as follow:
For my migrains: topiramate ( anti sezier)200x2
naprox 500x2
cymbalta 60x2
amitriptyline 150mg
oxy when needed
On my first visit he was shocked to see how much meds i was on and was concerned about my CFS. When I had my sleep study done it showed that i do not get my stage 4 sleep, it showed i had over 200 awakinings, that is my healing sleep and with out that how can i feel good, so that day he added cesamet 0.5mg small dose but lowed my amitrip 25mg so far so good.
Then he ordered ultersoud on all my joints, he said that do to being in pain for so many years and left untreated, my shoulders have rounded and my head has moved forward it's like 3in off. (Something like that)
He is going to start Botox Injections first on my forehead to control my Migrains
and hopefully get me off the topiramate. Then Injections in the shoulders to help pull them back to give the joints a rest and hopefully reduce the pain in the neck and shoulder area, these Injections last about 3 months, his goal is to Botox all the joints so we can reduce my medication. He also talked about a procedure called Platelet-rich plasma therapy for my lower back and kidney pain. You can Google this, there is too much info for me to write about, it sounds promising, but like everything ealse i try not to get my hops up too high, but at this stage of the game I'm willing to try anything. He also has me seeing a Naturopathic and the chiropractor, he has also did a complete blood work up, so time will tell, I go on Monday to see the Naturopathic and the chiro and do the blood work. Once that is done, those assesments will be forward to Dr Ko and we start treatment, I'll update my progress if anybody is interested.
Maybe my treatment can provide help, even if it is only one person, to know I can prov
ide some pain reduction would be amazing!
Tammy
The doctors say I do not FM. I was told a pinch never or they just don’t know.
Then I went to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC. They did an MRI – CT SCAN – XRAYS. They said that the fluid level in my upper back to my neck has diminished and my Vertebrates are smashing each other and the nerves are touching each other.
That is the reason for my pain, and that surgery would take my pain away.
They even explain how the surgery would be done; they would be going thru the front of my neck.
First they were going to do surgery, then they change there minds on one woman’s words, she is not even a doctor She works for the Neurology Surgeon.
This nurse. Sat down and showed me the pictures of the damage in my back that was in July it took 4 months and several emails and phone calls later, she called and said that they were not doing surgery, and that she never told me they would.
I requested a change of hospital hoping that, the doctors there would do the surgery and fix me. I would be happy if only 20 to 30% of my pain went away.
They sent me to Bethesda Naval in Maryland. The doctor there sent me to therapy and
Pain Management, they gave me 8 trigger shots of Novocain in my back and arm that didn’t work, so they tried acupuncture they put 5 needles in each of my ear , they were beautiful to look at and painful to lay on or answer the phone. The little needle fell out in a week and I am still in pain.
Oh I was also given Lyrica, people run from this drug I gain 35 from 2/15/10 to 4/18/10
It put the weight on me so fast it didn't make any sense. It helped a little not much.
I hurt so bad that all I can do is go to work and go home and take pain pills to easy the.
The President of my company has walk by my desk and I would be asleep because, I would take a Gabapentin, this is the latest of pain meds I am on.
I am always in so much pain I have to sit up in my bed to roll over, I sleep with 8 pillows 3 to elevate my head and the others to prop up my arms, because I am in so much pain my arms hurt so bad that I can not even pull the cover over my self because my arms get so weak.
I have no life; I can’t go any where for long because of the pain I am in all the time.
Sometimes I think death is easer, but I have a family and would not do that to them.
So I struggle everyday to get up and keep going.
,
http://www.getwellhealth.com/cindas-interview/. Sending you best wishes for your improving health, Cinda Crawford
About a year ago (before being diagnosed), I started doing bioidentical hormones and it helped me over the past year. I do the Sottopelle pellets (all natural plant based) Testosterone with a little Estrogen) where they are injected it in the hip so the hormones are absorbed naturally as your body needs them. I started out where I had to go every 3 months, the doctor tries to gradually spread it out to 4 months and then 6 months. I do feel this has helped a lot. I once did have to cancel an appointment and wait until a month later and that's when I felt the FM really kick in and hit me hard. As long as I don't go to long and let my body tell me it's time for more testosterone, I am feeling ok - still have pain but not the horrible joint pains and fatique I experienced the past 2 months. I've noticed that after getting my hormones inserted, it took me about 3-4 weeks before it started to kick in.
I'm still new to researching FM, but I do think this has helped me a lot. It is worth the research. The main office is in AZ I believe, but there are many doctors around the US that now administer it. My doctor is out of north Dallas but comes to Temple, TX to work with all the Austin crowd.
http://www.sottopelletherapy.com/hrtTestimonials.html
PS - anyone you know going through menopause, they should really look in to this as well. Seen many lives changed with this.
Bless us all - good luck.
of the letters could have been written by me. I was not diagnosed with FM until after being rearended when I was 72. I realized, I had this since 1954...or earlier..only on one ever diagnosed it then.
Now I have a reoccurance of other symptons that are putting me aat risk for a heart attack. I am going on 77 and will have more cardiac tests on Mar. 1. I will not be able to do the regular stress test. I have been depressed off and on all my life and hid it. I also wished to die many times..now I do not wish to. I fear that I may have created a self-fullfilling phropecy.ugh Mose everyone seems to be aware and are taking reasonible care of themselves. To me that is the key..I have ignored all health challenges for the most part.
..Blessings to all...namaste mlb
lol-
I have to pull teeth to get Vicodin from my doc in N.C. He thinks I'm going to sell it I suppose..... NOT- I need it myself and only use it when pain is soooo bad. Have Ortho Arthritis in knees, toes and fingers along with Fibromyalgia. Also have it in neck and lower spine. Take Cymbalta 120 a day, Nexium, Wellbuterin as well as Ativan as needed. Recently went off both sleep meds and have since lost over 30 lbs. and have to accept 2-3 days of no sleep until I do sleep. I'm okay with that as am not working. Was given disability 2 years ago for Fibromyalgia and PTSD. Am getting Psycotherapy once a week and when I can afford it Chiropractic care once a week. Those 2 help in their own way. I seek out shows on the comedy channel as often as I can. Have to laugh and exercise when I hurt but know it's all for the best. Am looking forward to moving back to my state where I can get warm water therapy for my knees when they are replaced.
I am not a medical doctor. I have a doctorate in educational leadership, which gave me the opportunity to learn how to research. I have researched FM and drugs and supplements. A good web site to visit is lifebeyondpain.com, which will recommend supplements that help.
I took Cymbalta for over 2 years before I stopped. There are many severe side effects with Cymbalta: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or feeling impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or having thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself. There are also drugs that should not be taken with Cymbalta that the FDA does not list on their web site (http://www.drugs.com/cymbalta.html)lists them.
I strongly recommend that each of you use the reliable web site drugs.com to research the side effects of each drug being taken. I also recommend that you make a 1-page medical history (on the computer). If you do not have access to a computer, ask a friend or your son or daughter to do it for you. At the top, type in your personal info and medical insurance. List your surgeries, major illnesses, etc., and the date. At the bottom, list the drugs and supplements you take, their amount and how often taken.
Remember your doctors work for you. You may have to search for one who helps you. You may have to use doctors in different specialties, which I do. That is why your medical history is so important. Your doctors will be impressed by it and will take you more seriously.
May God bless you and guide you.
Judy
I have had FM since 1997, so have found what works well for me. I admit I do very little exercise, as I am active during the day doing chores (in limited stages), watch my grandson, walk in the mall or stores, or work in the garden. Sounds like things a lot of you can't do....well, me either....but I say "I have Fibro, but it DOESN'T have me"....it's my only option. A positive outlook far outweighs the bad I face every single day....and I HURT A LOT!
My med list includes tramadol 2x a day, Celebrex 200mg. once a day, cyclobenzaprine, Clonazapam, Lunesta and Nexium...all once a day. In addition, I take calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamins A,B,C, and D, fish oil, Lidoderm patches (applied to the skin for 12 hour periods), and HEAT! Do not use cold packs....they are not the right routine for fibro patients.
My insurance gives me 60 visits per year for physical therapy. I use them Jan-Mar and Oct-Dec as those are the cold months in Ohio.
I found a place that really works with me one on one, and actually does massage where I need it, gives ultrasound, and the most wonderful part...an aquabed...nothing is more wonderfully relaxing than laying on a bed of warm water while the roller balls move up and down underneath the bedding to massage the body. See if you can find a place that has these treatments....they are priceless and have saved me!
I pray all of you out there will find what helps you the most. It has taken me a long time to "get there"....my doctor is a leading specialist who actually HAS Fibro, so he understands what I tell him. He has written more than 10 books.....his name is Dr. Mark Pellegrino. I also read a book called "Women living with Fibromyalgia", don't know the author....got it out of the library, and it really was "my story" if you will......I actually used that one for my family to understand what I am dealing with.
Many blessing to all of you. The Lord has been my salvation. Without prayer, I think I would have gone crazy by now, or been dead. DON'T give up on yourself! If you don't feel you are getting the best care, MOVE ON!!!! God bless!!!
the US. I went for a complimentary visit last week and what they say sounds good but I cannot shake the feeling that these clinics are not what they say they are. I really want them to be. But.......... I would appreciate hearing about anyone else's experiences.
Sounds like possibly you could have a disability discrimination on your hands. If the other office close to you has a division with the same work and the boss is unwilling to change your location, however, if there is no opening that is a different story. Is it possible to talk to someone at the location close to you to see if there is someone willing to swap with you? You may want to talk to a disability rights attorney.
Now my job is telling me that they only have to accomodate me at work not my commute. UM HI! If I cannot get to the 75 mile worksite due to back and neck pain what am i suppose to do? PLEASE HELP ME!
Stan
chronic fatique syndrome, restless leg syndrome,acid reflux, and some nerve damage in my hands & feet. I also have severe migrane headaches that last for days. My pc doctor is trying me on several different drugs now. I take Cymbalta, provigial,arthrotec,plaquenil,skelaxin,nexiumklonopin, ultram, and I still have been in extreme pain. Especially during cold and rainy weather. I cannot ride for very long distances. If I overdo I am sick for 2 or 3 days or longer. I catch colds, sinus problems, mouth uclers on frequent basis which the ent doctor told me was due to a condition called stomachtitus. He said due to the necropenia I cannot fight off infections because my immune system also is very low. I have tried all types of physical therapies, also pilates, accupressure, and water exercises. None of these seem to help. I have also had injections for the pain in my back. I am primarily affected by back and leg pain. Some days I cannot get up and down without help or pulling up on something. I am now having problems with my insurance company not wanting to pay for my meds and my copays have all gone up when I have to go to the doctor. My rheumatologists is doing all he can think of to help me. I have a hematologist that has been looking for answers to help me in my problems of pain and the ulcers that keep recurring in my mouth. The doctors tell me I have to learn to deal better with stress because that is what causes all of the flare ups in my fm,lupus,stomachtitus, low white blood counts
etc. I have family who are not supportive at all. One of my sisters tells me I should quit taking all that meds I take too meds that is what is wrong with me. I told her I would trade bodies with her any day. I too had to retire from a job I had been working at for 30+ years. I too feel isolated because none of my former friends even call me or come to see me. I also have had a lot of stress in this past year. I lost my mother, 2 of my aunts, my uncle, my brother-in-law, and 2 cousins to death all in a time span of less than 7 months. How do deal with stress with all of this going on? I hope none of you have to go thru what I have these past 3 years.
I have Fibromyalgia - and it shows up in my legs - there is constant pain - but once a month and it never fails - for a week or so, the pain becomes magnified 2 or 3 times over-
and my energy levels go from: "Yes I can do everything and all at once too," to "I can't do one more thing, or I will fall asleep standing up!" My mood goes to somewhere between, "Don't bother me, talk to me, just leave me alone, and I really don't care!"
This is hormone related, cause ever since I had my hysterectomy, I have been unable to feel "normal" or have regular energy flow and not feel pain
I take Cymbalta but only then. I also take Trazodone, and Effexor and Tylenol -
Fibromyalgia is an awful condition - and I really wish more research was being done and more option were being given and that my Insurance would cover Chiro. appts, and other alternative options for help. Now, my biggest help comes from my faith in God, who has guided me so far, and I am grateful for that blessing - because it and He and a wonderful family keep me going! Feeling supported and appreciated and understood is very important for this condition, and I pray that all my fibro friends would experience that!
I know there are many programs for Chronic Pain patients. I don't know what this website's policy is about sharing specific ones, but I don't think it could hurt to share something that works. There were people from all over the country in the program when I was there. It is the Cleveland Clinic Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program. Check them out.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Savella - ask your Dr about it!
I did try Aqua therapy ( physical therapy done in heated water, about 91 degrees F) on the advice of my PCP. I had been having so many flare ups of FM that I had to try something. I am amazed at the difference since I have started this. I have more energy, less pain, ( it's not gone but better!)and more mobility than I've had in years. I was able to work up from 20 minutes to 60 minutes of exercise. But my insurance will only pay for so many sessions so when they run out I'm back to square one. The public pools in my area aren't heated and with the RA and OA, I can't exercise in cold water. Occasionally the schools will have open swim night and they are heated but it isn't often enough to help. I can do a few exercises in a hot tub but the heat has to be turned way down to avoid overheating. Does anyone have any other ideas of how I can continue my water exercises that I haven't thought of? Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!
I had been in an accident on the way to high school with my best friend and her parents. Older car no seat belts then and we were in the back seat we got rear ended and we both he to go to have neck treatments and the doctor said then I would have trouble later for the rest of my life. I was only 16 then. I have been in another rear-ender with my hubby in 1989 which broke both our seats and threw us in the back seat. Last treatment to my neck (2008) was to heat the nerves endings so they shrink in the 2, 3, 4 vertebras so the pain and the headaches would stop. My shoulder pain, frozen shoulder treatments twice 2004 right, 2005 left shots and therapy. Just had a doctor do the push teat and I have all sensitive points except one she confirm FM finally I know a name to my pain which travels my body and comes and goes. Feet for years sharp pains one doctor said I had neuropathy no diabetic problems been tested for that every year.
Well I just unloaded said it all, thank you again for listening too.
Jean I'm not sure if what I've experienced is the same as what you are describing. Occasionally I'll have what I call a flare. I will suffer so much pain that I can't even lie in bed and I toss and turn even more than usual trying to find a comfortable position. I'll experience a fever and then I'll have a sunburn-like burn on an area of my body, usually on one side, usually on my hip, thigh and buttocks. The burn will be painful just like a bad sunburn. I'll be achy for days afterward. And yes doctors think I'm crazy when I tell them about it.
The Drs think I'm crazy when I tell them about it. I have heard that maybe this is a
B12 vitamin defiency. Any comments on this
is welcome. LJS
To those out there in pain I totally understand.We just have to hang in there
What does not kill us makes stronger even though it hurts ,mostly it has hurt the ones I love the most. My story started at childhood and it has continued to the present. The way I have dealt with this illness is thru exercise ,walking even when I cant walk I use a walking cane . I take meds of course but some are either to strong or allergic to it . The most thing that has helped me the most is warm water exercise.
Try it if all possable it helps you relax
and even sleep better and its a lot cheaper then drugs.... Peace to you all !!!
This is a great space! Thanks to Arthritis Foundation.
The tears of joy and laughter are actually *chemically different* from the tears of anger and sadness. Now that IS something to think about, huh? I learned this from my favorite physician, my dear husband Roy.
And while I'm here again, I'd like to give you all (especially our newbies) The Three Books You Really Need (IMHO), Personally, I look at them as the "FibroBible in Three Volumes" and to date, I haven't found any better as these for a core library. If you find a really good book to add to these, do let me know, please?
My "FibroBible":
1. Dr. Norman Cousins "Anatomy of an Illness"
Amazon has it used for under $5.00 and new for $11.16
This is the wonderful book that I spoke of before and the one which will teach you how to really use laughter as healing medicine. He discusses other things as well, but simply laughing tops them all.
2. Dr. Devin Starlanyl "Fibromyalgia & Chronic Myofascial Pain- A Survival Manual"
Amazon has it used for $5.99 and up and new is $14.93. You want the Second Edition.
If this is all new to you, Starlanyl's book is going to be of extreme help is answering so many questions. I've gotten three physicians to actually buy it for themselves as well as replaced four copies that I'd given to friends with FMS (and my own doctor! In the early days, neither one of us knew much and this book really helped us both.) IMHO this is the real 'bible' of FMS.
Groundbreaking when it was first published, it covers just about everything: identifying all the tender points everywhere, all the symptoms, including the goofy ones which are hard to explain to someone else, identifying tender points,coping emotionally and the physical effects emotions play upon us... learning to work from the negative to the positive affirmations, even how your own living space is arranged re the impact of your environment, dealing with crises without feeling like running away yourself ...lots and lots of good and useful stuff you hadn't even thought of!
A quick quote that I'm sure will sound disgustingly familiar to us all:
" 'At some time in their lives,everyone has had allergies, post-nasal drip,swollen glands, runny nose, sore throat, stiff neck, morning stiffness...' and so forth. These doctors are missing the point entirely." Oh, how true!
No sufferer of FMS can do without this book. (my unprejudiced opinion, of course)
3. Jacob Teitelbaum "From Fatigued to Fantastic" Get the Third Edition on this one.
Amazon again, used is from $7.95 and brand spanking new it's $10.37
Teitelbaum leads you through a true healing path. From the Amazon review: "This new, completely updated third edition incorporates the latest advances in science and technology to help alleviate the baffling, often dismissed symptoms associated with severe, almost unrelenting fatigue." A extremely helpful book on coping with the kind of fatigue we suffer with.
If you have all three, you've got some formidable stuff to work with and to help you develop an individual program that has a real chance of working. YOU are putting it together, not some guy in the health club. Use Amazon and get all three used for under 20 bucks and in paperback. If you have one, "Fatigued to Fantastic" is available on Kindle as well.
That's it and now I promise, I'll shut up for a good long while!
Laugh and love,
Megan
Hello everyone, My name is Megan. My little fun list includes FM, OA, Osteoporosis, and some kind of generalised neuropathy that won't allow for knee surgery, or at least that's what the 3 ortho surgeons I consulted with told me LOL! Frankly, I think it all came about from hitting a tree at about 30mph when I was a kid, but that's another story.
First of all, I have to say how much I admire every single one of you for hanging in there with these debilitating, and let's face it, very irritating, disorders. For so many of us, simply trying to GET a DX over all too many years has been a struggle. Add the current attitude of "Wow, you want PAIN medication??? Yup, you're a druggie, I just KNOW it!" Well, I asy "Yay for us!!!" because we refuse to give in to these idiots who play that little game.
For those of us who can get away with using just Vicodin, you're lucky. But the Tylenol that it's paired with is where the danger lies as Tylenol is what attacks the liver. Be careful with what your total Tylenol load is, ok? I was up to 22 tabs a day of the stuff and my doctor flipped but it was due to the Tylenol load much more than the opiate. Now, with that said....
Quite a few years ago I read a book by a doctor named Norman Cousins. Can't recall the book's title, but I never forgot the lessons within it. Cousins was a firm believer in laughter as a positive healing force in coping with any kind of illness, right down to the ubiquitous common cold. He wrote this now well-known tome (so why can't I remember the title? Hmmm... fibrofog??) Aha! Checked him out in Wiki and here's what the entry is... the book title btw, was "Anatomy of an Illness". If you haven't read it, give it a go, worthwhile. OK, the Wiki entry...(this is not the entire thing, go read that on your own)
"Cousins also served as Adjunct Professor of Medical Humanities for the School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he did research on the biochemistry of human emotions, which he long believed were the key to human beings’ success in fighting illness. It was a belief he maintained even as he battled heart disease, which he fought both by taking massive doses of Vitamin C and, according to him, by training himself to laugh. ... Late in life Cousins was diagnosed with a form of arthritis then called Marie-Strumpell's disease (ankylosing spondylitis), although this diagnosis is currently in doubt and it has been suggested that Cousins may actually have had reactive arthritis. His struggle with this illness is detailed in the book and movie "Anatomy of an Illness". (Ahhh, cool, I'm gonna find the film!)
Told that he had little chance of surviving, Cousins developed a recovery program incorporating megadoses of Vitamin C, along with a positive attitude, love, faith, hope, and laughter induced by Marx Brothers films. "I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep," he reported. "When the pain-killing effect of the laughter wore off, we would switch on the motion picture projector again and not infrequently, it would lead to another pain-free interval."
Hmmm... certainly something to think about, isn't it? Here this guy has heart disease that's literally killing him and he thinks laughing a lot is going to fix it? Well, it did.
Now, if you read back through this or through any website that has a good message board dealing with all our stuff here, how often does anyone ever mention any of the *emotional aspects* of their healing? Rare as proverbial hen's teeth, believe me!
Right now one of my very best and closest friends is in the terminal stages of lung cancer, now in her liver as well. She was diagnosed one month ago yesterday. Her decision to not go through all the chemo nightmare is a sound one in my mind. She is terminal and she knows it. So does her partner of 17 years. Her chosen method of healing? Laughter. She has asked every single friend she has to please "Just keep me laughin', girlfren'!" And we all are doing our best to do just that for this lovely woman, getting her to laugh her ass off every single day she has.
Cousins hit it right dead on. Laughter does help one heal. Think about this because in its simplicity, there is a profoundness that is really rather incredible. Laughter heals.
Even for me dear friend, laughter is reducing her pain daily, and that has a lot to say for it, doesn't it?
When one is laughing, there is no room for self-pity or sorrow. Laughter does not allow pain to sit beside it. Real heart-felt laughter gets those little good guys, the endorphins, hopping and hooting and making us feel gooooood! Considering that each and every one of us carries around our own little natural supply of painkilling dope, why not learn to use it and use it well?
Laughter reduces stress, helps fortify the immune system, allows one to sleep better AND more soundly, and has the additional side benefit of giving everyone around you a happy person to be with. And it's free! Can be used at any time and anywhere.
Ok, getting serious now... obviously laughter alone is not going to be the be-all and cure-all. It IS an excellent adjunct to whatever your routine therapy may be, and you may even find that after a while, you'll experience a reduction in your pain. That's just what has happened to me.
I was diagnosed with FM and the nerve thing in June of 1993. I've been through every kind of painkilling drug (usually in way over the top amounts that drove my doctor nuts, like 6-8 tabs of Oxycontin and the aforementioned 22 tabs of Vicodin (wow..)in a day... think that was what had him sending me to a totally worthless pain clinic but more on that in a minute...)and all of the stress reducers and the sleep inducers and the "I'm going nuts" reducers, etc. I had my very own pharmacy! And for the next nine years I lived in hell. Trying anything and everything to reduce the pain and get some kind of sleep. At one point I wouldn't have cared if I had to sleep in my garbage can, just gimme a few hours, pleeeeeeze?
Of course we all know what life is like when you're living at a constant 6-8 on the good ol' 1-10 pain scale... whatever that is, it is NOT living. My little daily dose had something like 16 pills and one horrible liquid shit that I don't remember what that was for. Yeah, I'm livin' now...... I knew I had to do something and no doctor was going to give me what I needed but then I didn't know then what it was, either!
But, I was very lucky in having this wonderful MD (retired now, if he wasn't I send all of you to him) who did not laugh at me, who did believe me and who did support me in anything I wanted to try. I'd just read Cousins' book so you know that's was the route I wanted to try, just see what happened. Took some time, in particular for me to REALLY believe in what I was doing!
It worked. And has been working ever since. My only pain med is methadone (which, btw, is an excellent pain med with little to no side effects at all) If you tolerate it, you may want to try methadone for yourself. And I take premarin for the night sweats and vitamins, that's it. Hmmm... thinking about it, which is worse? Pain or hot flashes? Are they the same thing???? Laughing through a hot flash is a pretty rough haul, but doable!
Every day I laugh. And every day I find the joy in simply being alive and all my senses about me. I can walk. I can talk. I can hear and see and feel. How thankful I am for these things! I live in a country which lets me decide what I wish. If you don't believe this, go abroad. And I am so thankful for the little things in life which bring a smile to my face!
So what are you thankful for? What are all those things in your own lives that bring smiles to your faces? How often do you laugh out loud? Oh, and one more thing? I also live by the motto "Don't give up, and don't give in." That also has gotten me through a lot of bad stuff. But most of all, laughter IS the best medicine. Think about that! LOL!!!
Thanks for your patience in reading this much longer than I thought it would be message!
Megan
Speak with Kindness
Walk in Beauty
Give with Grace
Love with Laughter
Know the Rapture of Life
For This Moment is Forever
After reading all the notes I felt a little better about things. I have Fibromyalgia also it took them years to figure out what I had. I
would get so frustrated because I felt that no one believed me; I was making everything up
I was going to the hospital once a week for shots. Then when the medicine came available
they put me on Cymbalta and a pain med which is good for nothing. I also take meds. for stress,depression,acid reflux, arthritis in my back and knees. My neck is what bothers me the most. It hurts to get up in the am because the bottom of my feet hurt, there are times when i can barely walk. I don't eat because everytime I eat I have to run to the bath room. They pains are terrible--I have IBS. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I could eat and be able to keep it in my stomach for awhile? I don't eat but
gain weight from the meds. i never sleep.
To: fgg@gmail.com I would like to hear from you. I have no one that understands what I go threw every day.
Thanks to everyone who reads this.
And exercise. No matter how you do it, do it. You will be glad you did and keep your core muscles strong. When you get my age and have been thru multiple surgeries, you will be glad you had your body in good shape.
I have Systemic Lupus with nephritis (35 years), Fibromyalgia, osteoporois, osteoarthritis, 2 hip replacements (both have been revised) and two back surgeries.
I have been going on now for about seven years of suffering,it brings meto tears half the time. I cant wait to gion the suport group that they have, just to talk to someone who uderstands.
Thanks for listening
Been There
Colettte
It is hard enough to not be taken as a nutcase by the general public because they can't "see" my disease - without having to deal with a doctor who knows better but is afraid to give me what will help - and an insurance company that wants me to take the medications they decide I need rather than the medications that work.
Wow. I feel better. It was nice to stumble in here and find others who are struggling like me and who understand just what FM is all about. Thanks for listening.
I think if you can't get any relief from the new meds for FM, then go back to the true pain killers like Methadone.
The group's address is as follows:
http:://thefibromylgiagroupgals.ning.com
or email me at: fgg@gmail.com for more information.
Join us.
Thanks,
Boyd
I am currently taking a liquid supplement that I will not comment on at this time since I've been on it for only two months. A lady with very severe symptoms tells me that she came off all her fibro meds after about 6 months. The jury is still out as far as I'm concerned --- what works for one person does not necessarily work for another . . . whether it's meds or supplements, exercise, or whatever ... this condition requires a "keep on trying", "mixing and matching" until the fit works --- at to some degree !
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