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Epiphany

New member
Joined
Jul 8, 2014
Messages
3
Reason
Undiagnosed
Diagnosis
07/2014
Country
US
State
PA
I have basically not felt well for a number of years. I have had ongoing lower back issues (arthritis and degenerative disc disease) for about fifteen years. I have thyroid issues, was hyper then they gave me the radiation to get rid of my thyroid so now I am hypo without medication. The doc seems to struggle with keeping me on a level that keeps my T4 where it should be. I also was diagnosed with anxiety and depression years ago which was changed to bipolar about five years ago. I turned 40 this year.

I have been on Cymbalta for my mental health issues for a number of years but recently had to quit taking it due to the exorbitant cost my new insurance wanted me to pay. I think that perhaps it had been holding off my fibro symptoms. Because I have been off of it for about two months, and I am a wreck. I have never felt this bad in my whole life.

I have the extreme fatigue, the widespread pain, cramping muscles, and flulike feeling on most days. Especially on days following days where I do any sort of sustained activity. It is so discouraging. I want to do things with my family, but I know that I will pay for it the next day. I am at the point now where I am just trying to learn what I can and restructure things so that I can honor what my body will and will not do now.

I do not work, but I do homeschool my son, and I am concerned about being able to maintain a good schedule and routine with him as the new year approaches. My husband has been very supportive and is trying to understand as much as he can. He already does much of the housework, so I am lucky in that regard. I know that I can figure this out, am just overwhelmed and a bit discouraged about it at this point.

Looking forward to learning from everyone here.
 
Hi there, Epiphany! Welcome to the forum! Sorry to hear about your diagnoses, its never easy to come to terms with that, but don't worry, I'm sue you will find a lot useful info over here, just keep checking the old threads for more info. If you have any question please don't hesitate to create your own thread. I hope you find all the info you might need over here!

I'm sure you will find a lot coping tips here, because dealing with the depression that comes from feeling the way we feel on a daily basis isn't easy! But don't worry! There is still is hope, one of the things I do to cope with my depression and anxiety is keeping a private journal where I write how I feel, not on a daily basis, just when I feel I want to get something off my chest, but I don't feel like discussing it with anyone else.
 
Hope you can get back on the Cymbalta, I have found it very helpful. Good luck.
 
I have basically not felt well for a number of years. I have had ongoing lower back issues (arthritis and degenerative disc disease) for about fifteen years. I have thyroid issues, was hyper then they gave me the radiation to get rid of my thyroid so now I am hypo without medication. The doc seems to struggle with keeping me on a level that keeps my T4 where it should be. I also was diagnosed with anxiety and depression years ago which was changed to bipolar about five years ago. I turned 40 this year.

I have been on Cymbalta for my mental health issues for a number of years but recently had to quit taking it due to the exorbitant cost my new insurance wanted me to pay. I think that perhaps it had been holding off my fibro symptoms. Because I have been off of it for about two months, and I am a wreck. I have never felt this bad in my whole life.

I have the extreme fatigue, the widespread pain, cramping muscles, and flulike feeling on most days. Especially on days following days where I do any sort of sustained activity. It is so discouraging. I want to do things with my family, but I know that I will pay for it the next day. I am at the point now where I am just trying to learn what I can and restructure things so that I can honor what my body will and will not do now.

I do not work, but I do homeschool my son, and I am concerned about being able to maintain a good schedule and routine with him as the new year approaches. My husband has been very supportive and is trying to understand as much as he can. He already does much of the housework, so I am lucky in that regard. I know that I can figure this out, am just overwhelmed and a bit discouraged about it at this point.

Looking forward to learning from everyone here.


well Epiphany sorry for your diagnosis but the most important thing is that at least you have now realized the ailment is in your body so that means that you can then begin to embark on the necessary measures to start treating yourself accordingly.
 
Hi, Epiphany.
I'm sorry you are going through this but I understand. I have been having these fibro symptoms since my early 20's and it has gotten progressively worse. I was only recently diagnosed and it all makes sense now. Hang in there.
 
Hello, I was diagnosed in 2008. I had 2 to 3 years of intense difficulty dealing with this and greiving for my this loss. I am happy to say though that there is hope. I am 29 years old, I am on no pain killers anymore, no muscle relaxers, just cymbalta.

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I've been offered cymbalta, but I didn't like the way it made me feel . And I'm on tramadol which apart from reflux I'm doing well on . Even here in the uk meds cost a lot. Every two months it cost me 30 pounds or 60 dollars for u I guess. Does my head in atm I can't afford to buy a 6 month or a year card which is a lot cheaper in the long one ,but 80 pound when your not working just anit gonna happen is it lol.maybe I should start a penny jar.
There are other med Hun so just keep trying , like most of us we have to try a few to get anywhere. I hate the achy flu feeling more then the pain , I have four children and was thinking of home schooling my little girl so I don't have the school runs to do.only worry is will she miss out of friends .
 
It's very unfortunate that they will not cover the cost of the cymbalta. Tramadol is very cheap in generic forms, in MA you can get 120 pills for 15$ at walmart pharmacy. Before I was on my current medications, so before my diagnosis I was put on tramadol, I used 2 to 3 pills a day. It's typically used for acute pain but it is one of the go to medications for fibro, not recommended for long term use as it is a narcotic. It is better to get on a long term medication like Cymbalta or Lyrica but if you cannot afford the cost the tramadol might be what you need to get you through. Once you get an official diagnosis there will be more cards you can play to get the medications you need covered. Work with your doctor see if you can see a specialist as their knowledge will be better respected by the insurance companies. See if there are any generic options or alternatives. OH! I remember now one of the alternatives my doctor spoke about was Elavil (amitriptyline), it's an older anti-depressant it's likely available in generic and as it is older it possibly could be cheaper or even covered by your insurance. It's super tough when insurance companies are putting up huge limitations I am very sorry and I hope you can find an alternative that works for you that you can afford.
 
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