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Pegleg84

Active member
Joined
Mar 8, 2017
Messages
82
Reason
DX FIBRO
Diagnosis
05/2017
Country
CA
State
ON
Hi,
New here. I suspect I likely have Fibro, and my pain has gone from occasional to more or less constant (mostly in my arms and legs). I saw my GP last week, who also agreed it could be fibro, and did offer to start me on drugs right away for the pain. I can't remember if she said Cymbala or Savella, but one of those. I said I'd rather wait until i see the rheumatologist and (hopefully) get a diagnosis.
But due to scheduling conflicts I won't get to see the RA for over a month, and am going on vacation in a few weeks.

Question: Should I take my GP up on her offer and start drugs now? Or (as I think) would it be better to wait for a diagnosis or more expert opinion. If it was a painkiller I could take when things are bad, that would be great, but I'm wary of starting an anti-depressant, having no idea what the side-effects will be like. And if it turns out that I have something other than Fibro, then it could be for nothing.

I am doing as much as I can otherwise to keep the pain down (stretching, vitamins, eating well, trying not to freak out, my sleep has been good), but anti-inflamatories aren't working. I don't do super well on Tylenol. Opioids just knock me out (kills the pain, but I can't function on them) Pain has been moderate but persistent for the past 2 weeks (longer than it's ever been), and I don't know if it'll vanish or get worse. When it's bad, it's bad! I have trouble walking, bad muscle spasms, nausea, brain fog. I've missed some work (and been unproductive at work) because of it.

Any opinions/advice would be welcome.
Thank you!
Peggy
 
Listen to your doc and follow his/her advice. Having said that, I personally see no reason you should wait to take them, as you are feeling pain now. Glad to hear the lesser drugs (i.e. non-Opiates) are helping, but if it is fibro, there is a chance it will progress over time to where your options become limited. This is how my disease symptomology progressed; pain was an on-then-off-again thing at first... I miss those days !
 
I'd also give the medication your GP is willing to prescribe a go. Talk to your doctor about possible side-effects, make sure you keep an open eye, keep a pain journal to see how the meds work. You can then show this to the RA and it can help with the diagnosis/pain control management.

enjoy your holiday!
 
Thanks for the advice, guys.
I'll see if my doc can squeeze me in this week. I'll have 3 weeks before our trip, so should hopefully have enough time to tell if it's helping or if the side effects are too much to handle.
Anti-inflammatories are NOT helping the fibro pain (does seem to help actual sore/tight muscle pain somewhat).
Also, I currently have a massive canker sore under my tongue, which is extremely painful, with added tightness/ache along the side of my neck that's giving me a headache... yey Monday...
Thanks!
 
Speaking for myself, I would not take any medication unless it's needed. Every medication has side affects and in some way will be hard on the liver and kidneys. Therefore, always weigh out the benefit/risk ratio. Chances are, which ever med you elect to take will not give the desired effect you want for your vacation. Cymbalta and Savella usually take a few weeks before the patient starts to feel any benefits (that's if it works. FM symptoms do not always respond). The fact that your GP suggested a specialist is evidence he/she is not confident on an exact diagnosis. If you can muscle through with what you are already doing then wait. The specialist may decide on a more effective medication which may involve weaning off the Cymbalta or Savella prior to taking the new med. This is just my thought.
 
Be very careful with being a guinea pig

How exactly would taking prescribed meds be experimental (i.e. guinea piggish) ? If one suffers from a given symptom then taking something that might/should/will be helpful is not a bad idea, is it ?
 
personally if the opiates work i would try a mild one for bad days..in the uk we have otc codeine with paracetamol which i think you call tylenol.... or slightly stronger prescription strength...you can always take just 1 or half a pill .....but we are all different i hate antidepressants and they dont help me just make me feel ill.

Then you could discuss longer term pain management with the rheumy..i promise if the pain gets real bad you wont care about feeling zonk out you will be desperate for relief.

Good luck ..we all have differing opinions..i hate pain meds too and took me years to give in to something and nothing works so far for me.
 
personally if the opiates work i would try a mild one for bad days..in the uk we have otc codeine with paracetamol which i think you call tylenol.... or slightly stronger prescription strength...you can always take just 1 or half a pill .....but we are all different i hate antidepressants and they dont help me just make me feel ill.

Then you could discuss longer term pain management with the rheumy..i promise if the pain gets real bad you wont care about feeling zonk out you will be desperate for relief.

Good luck ..we all have differing opinions..i hate pain meds too and took me years to give in to something and nothing works effectively so far for me.
 
How exactly would taking prescribed meds be experimental (i.e. guinea piggish) ? If one suffers from a given symptom then taking something that might/should/will be helpful is not a bad idea, is it ?




First off any drug you are given the first time is on an experimental basis. Hence why I said guinea pig. You have no way of knowing what effects any drugs are going to have the first time you take it
 
How exactly would taking prescribed meds be experimental (i.e. guinea piggish) ? If one suffers from a given symptom then taking something that might/should/will be helpful is not a bad idea, is it ?

Certain drugs can makes symptoms even worse and seeing that you are from the UK, I wish you the best of luck with what those Dr write
 
From personal experience I would say to give the meds a go to see if they give you any relief. My GP started me on meds before seeing my rheumatologist and just started me on a small dose then my rheumatologist increased it before I had a diagnosis and again once fibro was confirmed. It's completely your choice though, if you're really not sure then maybe you should hold off on taking anything.
 
I would have taken my doc up on her offer then and there if I wasn't very wary of starting new drugs, especially any that need to be taken regularly rather than on an as-needed basis. I've been feeling very worried and scared and desperate the past couple weeks. Constant (non-gut-related) pain is a new thing for me and it's kind of scary.

BUT! It's not debilitating, and it definitely gets worse the more I pay attention to it, so I made a decision yesterday: stop worrying! Stop giving my minor pains the attention they crave and they won't feel as nasty. So far so good. Amazing how sometimes you have to remind yourself that half of how we feel pain is how we think about it. I still know it's there, but just not amplifying it.

Also, the side effects list for Cymbalta/Savella do not appeal to me at all! Me and strong drugs don't get along well, and I don't expect this would be any different.

So, no drugs for now. I'm going to focus on dealing with it on my own first. After I've seen the rheumatologist, he'll have a better idea of a treatment plan.
In the meantime: breathe. Eat well. Get some exercise. Focus on what I'm doing, not on the pain, and hope it doesn't get worse for a while

Thanks again for your advice!
 
. It seems you put some good thought into your decision Pegleg84. You are right about the side affects of Cymbalta and Savella. Why put yourself through that when other treatment plans can be implemented that do not make one miserable.
 
I would strongly suggest that you see a psychiatrist and endocrinologist. Certain medications can aggravate symptoms causing the pain to be even worse. I would have to know what all labs have been done to rule out the obvious issues. Many hormonal imbalance can do just what fibromyalgia symptoms consist of. Be very careful with what you take. If you ever had a substance abuse problem or domestic violence relationship, those cause symptoms identical to fibro. PTSD and traumatic brain injury does too.
 
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