Experiences with meds prescribed?

[Gnd97]

Hi!

Long back story shortened - I have suffered with pain since 11. I am now 15. Previous prolapsed disc diagnosed at 12 which has now resolved itself. Bulging disc currently in my spine - this is contributing to a small percentage of my back pain. I am currently taking 900mg daily of Gabapentin and cocodamol as and when required.

I suffer with pain/numbness etc constantly throughout my whole body - head to toe. I was diagnosed with Fibro last week by a consultant. Today I had a meds review with my GP following my diagnosis.

He wants to start me on Amitriptyline at night, alongside my current dose of Gabapentin and cocodamol, with view to up my gabapentin dose to 1800mg of gabapentin daily in 1 month.

(I have tried physio, massage, exercise, tens machine, acupuncture etc. during my last 15 years of pain. I am awaiting a referral to a fibro specialised pain clinic, so for now my main focus is on the medication to help me get to that appointment)

Has anyone else been on this concoction of meds? Did you see a difference? Did a particular dosage help? Thank you in advance 😊♥️

 

[sunkacola]

Have you tried experimenting with your diet? You might want to do some of that. I am sorry that you are suffering from this at such a very young age of 15. I have not taken the combination of medications that your doctor is suggesting myself, although it's possible someone else on the forum has. I have taken gabapentin and found it didn't do a thing for me at all. I have also taken amitriptyline and found I couldn't stand the side effects.

The main thing is, though, that medications and other things will always affect individuals differently so while it's interesting to hear the experiences of others and it can be valuable, it is not always predictive of what they will do for you.

My concern is for you to be on so many medications all at once at such a very young age when your body is not even mature yet. Of course I am not a medical professional and in no position to counter what your medical doctor is telling you to do, but I can't help but think that if it were possible for you to find other things that would help in addition it would be good for you.

You say you have tried exercise, but there are thousands of different kinds and levels of exercise, and I would like to encourage you to try many of them before dismissing exercise as a treatment modality. It is necessary to experiment a great deal to find what kind of exercise works best for you, and how often is best, what duration and intensity works best. Everyone, no matter the age or the physical condition, needs exercise to stay healthy. Consistent experimentation is the key to success. it took me several years to reach an understanding of what is beneficial to my body in terms of exercise, and where to draw the lines. And of course, that changes all the time so learning to listen to your body is a big part of that.

Gently and slowly approaching different ways of moving, giving each a good amount of time to see if it helps, will result in your finding out what works for you. Doctors are not the be-all and end-all when it comes to fibromyalgia, and you can do a great deal for yourself if you are willing to put the time and effort and persistence into it.

I know that this is not the answer to your specific question, but I wanted to say all of that just to encourage you to know that you have more power in this situation than you may think.
Hopefully some others can respond to your specific question with their experience.

 

[Gnd97]

Sorry everybody. This should have said “I am now 15 years later” not “I am now 15”

I’m 26!!!!

 

[Judy Jones]

My GP put me on Amitriptyline the best part is I'm asleep in half an hour. I feel much better. The only side effect is very dry mouth (I always carry and sip water) also eat more fiber, fruit and Licorish in case of constipation. I also see Osteopath have dry needling works wonders for me. Good luck.

 

[JayCS]

Hi - my side effects of amitriptyline grew to 8 in 4 months, the +6kg I needed 2 years to lose. So as ever... watch out...

 

[Badger]

Psyllium husk fibre has made a big difference in keeping me regular, before this changes in diet didn't seem to help the constipation with Lyrica.