Pain medication?

I am a long time sufferer of FMS. The only way I could cope in the beginning (early 2000s) was with pain meds. Eventually, the dose had to be increased to the maximum dose per day of narcotics! (I had children and had to work also.) After a breast cancer diagnosis in 2004, I was finally able to stop working outside my home but still needed all my pain meds and sometimes even a cane. Fast forward to 2011: my husband needed a liver transplant and we lived in another city for 8 months. I began walking on a beach, in the winter, but it started helping. My diet changed because I was no longer cooking for my family but mainly for myself because my husband's appetite was poor! In the meantime I began cutting back on my pain meds. Read "Eat to Live" by Dr, Joel Furham and gave it a 6 week trial. Felt so much better and lost weight! Cut back more on pain meds! Finally, went to my gp to ask about coming off them completely; I had weened myself down to less than half of my Rx. He was encouraging and prescribed Cymbalta. I suffered through some withdrawals but I am now narcotic free for 2 months! Christmas Eve day is the worst I have had since stopping the meds. Flu like aches all over all day which also grains my energy! It rained heavily here that day and the day before so I know that was a contributing factor but I think I really need to clean up my diet some more, I have not been eating like I should because it is not easy but it does work for me!

There is also a supplement I started in November that seems to help a good bit. I take vitamins, try to avoid things that cause inflammation and try to get a good massage a couple of times a month!

I would love to hear how others deal with their flare ups!

I walk my dog twice a day every day come rain or shine. I find when Im stiff it really helps me . Nothing helps a lot with the flu like ache I get. I'm only on two tramadol a day now .and when I stopped them for a few weeks, I was great of a while then a few days later the flu like ache came back so I no it wasn't the tramadol .

whatever gets you through the day. I take vicodin at bedtime and sometimes during the day when the pain become unbearable. Once the pain is somewhat under control, I can be productive for a short period of time. My primary care doesn't like to give me the meds, but knows that I am in pain. I also take cymbalta (which I'm not sure if it's working), doxepin, and ENBREL for arthritis. I've had this for about 10 years. Am 65 yrs old, had a knee replacement August, 2014 and hip replacement, sept 2012. My legs seem like they vibrate at times, weird feeling, feet hurt. Mostly from knee to my feet. both legs.

I'm also on Cymbalta. I don't know if it's doing anything or not either. I'm on Piroxicam for arthritis. I take vicodin when I'm in significant pain. I always hurt. I know my doc doesn't like giving me mine either, but I've had the same prescription for the past 5 years or so. It helps. I also get daily headaches and migraines. I had a heart attack in October 2013. I was 49 at the time. Since then, they won't give me migraine meds because they are vasal constrictors. So now my neurologist is trying different med combos. The one I'm on now he wants me to take vicodin with it. He says it works better. I have had a really hard time (more than normal) sleeping lately. I've had increased pain at night and my body is almost fidgety so I toss and turn, so much so that my covers come apart from their tuck. Not sure what that is about. I start to wonder...."Is this another symptom I need to deal with?" My feet ache, my legs hurt sometimes, but the fidgety feeling is driving me bonkers. My fitbit tells me I've only slept 1 1/2 - 3 hours in a 13-15 hour period of time! I can usually predict the amount before I even look.

As I have been the many withdrawals. Going thru one now with gabby. One flair up of pain is worse than the withdrawal reaction.(not as painful). I just passed out from it 2 days ago.
Reason for my withdrawal: needed monthly refill. The gabby is a 3 month supply. I had about 8 date left in my bottle. I went to website,paid for med.it said delivery will arrive in 5-7 days. After 5 days I receive a recorded message saying to call pharmacy. My GP refused the refill request. I called GP
And he said after 2 years of him refilling this,that he wanted my neurologist to take the meds over. I advised I'm how long it would take to get meds and I now don't have enough pills to make it.he and his PA didn't care call neurologist. So l called neurologist n had to leave a message for him. At this point I'm out of pills. I wait 2days I don't hear from doctor. I call back on Friday and have to leave message again,no call.
So now im out of meds for 6 days.Monday am I call neurologist again having withdrawal all weekend. Doctor calls my wife back at 3pm Monday. Tells her that he won't refill that pain mgt needs to do that and increase dose!(current dose 3600mg a day.) Now I'm passing out from no MED's. I call pain mgt doctor who we love. She says the GP needs to continue the refill. I call GP, he says I reffed you to the neurologist and he has to refill don't call back about this any more.(its not a right to see a doctor it's a privilege). I called neurologist and advised that I m having withdrawal and no one is refilling. He said I referred you to pain mgt. I font want to piss on anyone's shoes. Get with pain mgt right away. I told pain mgt and she said I will take the gabby but your taking to much. Cut me back to 1800mg. Still no meds I n mail and passing out. She gives me a prescription for only The gralease (time release gabby) my cost out of pocket for one month is $354. I have now been off meds for 10 days before I got med yesterday. I've had 14 straight days and night's of level 7/8 pain due to a pissing contest between doctors. And I'm at half dose. Mail med still not here.
The meds work! The withdrawal sucks! Please let take meds and order refills early as you can.as you can see 8 days bergore may not be enough to Cover you through a doctor pissing contest!

Cemetryme, that sounds awful! WTH?! So far I've had good relations with all of my physicians/specialists. I don't think I'm on anything that has withdrawal. I don't know. Good luck! I hope you get this mess straightened out soon. I'd certainly be looking at finding a new physician. That's just unacceptable!

Thanks for caring. I almost went down yesterday after leaving the grocery store.this was due to the metal shelving. I have the gralease and today I'm going to get subsys. I'm hoping things can get better by end of weekend. hang in there, stay well. BTW I did get a new GP.

i agree with the others. Pain medication for my fibro doesn't even cut it. I want to try some muscle relaxers to help with the muscle pain. I also have rheumatoid as well. I just heard about this gel that may help. It's called Pernaton gel. I looked online it costs $22. But I must suggest that you ask your doctor first. I will be asking my doc on Monday, if this Storm in the Northeast hits us hard. Just getting over Juno and now Linus is on it's way. Good luck...



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terbaer said:

I'm also on Cymbalta. I don't know if it's doing anything or not either. I'm on Piroxicam for arthritis. I take vicodin when I'm in significant pain. I always hurt. I know my doc doesn't like giving me mine either, but I've had the same prescription for the past 5 years or so. It helps. I also get daily headaches and migraines. I had a heart attack in October 2013. I was 49 at the time. Since then, they won't give me migraine meds because they are vasal constrictors. So now my neurologist is trying different med combos. The one I'm on now he wants me to take vicodin with it. He says it works better. I have had a really hard time (more than normal) sleeping lately. I've had increased pain at night and my body is almost fidgety so I toss and turn, so much so that my covers come apart from their tuck. Not sure what that is about. I start to wonder...."Is this another symptom I need to deal with?" My feet ache, my legs hurt sometimes, but the fidgety feeling is driving me bonkers. My fitbit tells me I've only slept 1 1/2 - 3 hours in a 13-15 hour period of time! I can usually predict the amount before I even look.

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After reading all these posts, most have had difficulty with their Drs prescribing strong pain meds. My Rheumatologist told me that it is a "quality of life" issue because I was always in pain. I go to the VA, as I am 100 pct disabled. Due to new regs regarding pain killers, some primary care are reluctant to prescribe, but will with other Drs endorsement. I was on percocet for my knee replacement, then on vicodin. Stress makes it worse. I have pain up and down my spine, shoulders, neck, ringing in ears, which brings on fatigue. I try to stand it as long as I can, but pop the pills because it helps. My advice to those who are having problem with their primary care, when you are in pain, call an amabulance and go to E.R. I'd do this everytime I had a flareup if you're not getting any relief. Someone should hear you. Good luck and God Bless to all!

Sorry terbaer to read that you are having problems with getting the medication you need some doctors just don't care about this illness they should try living with this condition it can be hell on earth for some of us good luck

I take percocet for my horrible pain in my legs and arms and back. Sometimes I wake up and feel like something crushed my whole body and when I try to walk I take baby steps the pain is sooo bad. But I only take the percocet when the pain is this bad which is most of the time I have flareups. I have a flare up like every week or two. So I don't constantly take the percocet. I take Lyrica to help with it also. So I'm not addicted and hopefully I won't get addicted because I try to just bear the pain until I can't anymore then I I take it. But then I suffer with really bad anxiety attacks from anything I take that is strong, because of my mechanical mitral valve in my heart. So then I have to deal with the anxiety attack too if I have to take the percocet.