If I could cope with the pain, I could cope

[acrafty1]

Hi All,

I am new to this forum and fairly new to Fibro too...although in hindsight I have been sufferiing for years - thought I was going mad at one stage, but now I am pleased to know what all my strange symptoms are, but I'm not pleased I have Fibro...anyway...

I really struggle with the pain side of Fibro and I wondered what other people do...currently I am on...

Morphine - tablets (180mg daily) and liquid - for additional help if needed
Paracetamol
Ibuprofen
Amitriptyline
Tramadol

and I also take calcuim and glucosamine

I have a TENS machine that is on more than off and I have tried acupunture, Reiki, heat pads/sprays/creams

but despite all these pain killers and the extra help I am still in constant pain...my GP has sent me to a pain clinic where I waited 7 months for an appointment only to be told there is nothing that they can do for me and they discharged me straight away - my GP and I were both shocked - so now she has referred me to a Rheumatologist (?Spelling) but I am not expecting huge results

I have tried Gabapentine and Lyrica, but only got the side effects and non of the benefits, I have also done the codiene route, but it was not strong enough.

I know I am already addicted to the morphine, but I just don't care anymore, I just want to be able to have a few hours everyday with any pain or with it reduced from 10 out of 10 to around 3 or 4.

I am sick and tied of being sick and tired and I finding Fibro a very hard illness to live with as I am a control freak and this is something I just can't control...I also suffer with severe depression and am on a high dose antidepressant and an underactive thyroid which I take medication for...so, please, can any one offer some hope or advice?

Thanks
C xxx

 

[twiztc]

Apart from the morphine and tramadol we are twins. I'm on codeine but also always in pain.
I tried the lyrica and cymbalta and a few of those others that tend to work well for others and like you side affects galore and no relief.
All I can do right now is stick to what I've got. On the milder days it takes the edge off, bad days... well just don't talk to me! Lol
No matter how bad you feel the best medicine is what you can do yourself. Positive thinking. Doing things that make you feel happy. Yeh I know sometimes that in itself is a tall order, but if you can manage a good giggle on a bad day it does you wonders.

 

[1sweed]

Acrafty1,
Well sounds like you have the medications covered and since I am allergic to most of them anyway, I can't help you there. However, here are a few tips that might help you be able to relax more and sleep better. Find yourself a thick fiber or feather, or foam mattress pad. Lay this on top of your regular mattress. You might need a larger bottom sheet to cover up over the pad and your mattress, but it gives you an extra layer of softness that your body can sink into and relax.

Try using Epson salt (1 cup in warm/ not hot) bath water. Soak a bit and it helps muscles to relax and then you can sleep better. Try to sleep in a dark room with no loud noises. Use a vibrating pad to relax your muscles or go and get gentle massages. Most important is avoid as much stress as possible.

Hope these tips help you a bit. see you around the forum.

 

[bjw323]

Everybody's pain is different,but I can share what has helped me.
My chronic pain started with arthritis in my spine,knees,&hands. I've had 10 levels of my spine fused in 4 surgeries. I've had both knees replaced. They wanted to fuse my sacrum to T-10, but I won't let them. I walk with 2 canes (barely) but at least I'm not in a wheelchair!
Saying all that so you know my pain is considerable. I've been on opiates for a decade. They really don't work on my fibro pain very well though. What has worked well for me is to manage my anxiety, which seems to directly affect my fibro pain. I had an anxiety disorder that was totally out of control. My Dr recommended that I see a behavioral therapist. I wasn't keen on the idea, but am very glad i gave it a try! She told me about mindfulness,which I googled and read about. I also heard a woman on the radio talk about the principle of FEEL,DEAL&HEAL. We all tend to avoid pain,whether it be physical or emotional. That doesn't work well in either case because you end up burying it until it pops up somewhere else in your body or your psyche. So the idea is to allow yourself to experience it - don't fight it - and you will begin to heal from it.
Since I started practicing this, my anxiety disorder has improved by 90%, and my fibro pain has reduced by 70%. I only wish it worked as well with my spine pain. It is excruciating. Still, I have much to be thankful for, and I hope this info will help someone out there.

 

[kmpisces]

I am sorry you suffer so much. I do not use medicine to treat pain but I know it is soooo hard to cope with. I did try medicines in the past. However, they never made much difference and so I opted not to use them very much. It is so hard to explain to people how intense the pain can be.

 

[acrafty1]

Thanks all for the support/tips...I have recently started Reiki session and am loving those...I have suffered with depression for 18 years now and have ben on anti-depressants that long, so I know some of the stress reduction ideas, but its always useful to be reminded on them, thanks...I do have a massage 'seat' thing which I find useless in the sitting position, but haven't tried it on the bed, so thanks for the tip there

My consultant told me that the best way to cope with the Fibro is having a positive attitude, which is fine, but on bad days you want something more than a positive attitude! I am pretty good at staying focused and have a high pain threshold, but again on bad days I need that extra motivation.

Anyway, thanks again for your continued support and I will let you know if I find anything that works