This vicious cycle of crazy ass pain and taking pain medication is never-ending. I often wonder what would happen if I stop taking my pain meds, but the fear of that excruciating pain is just too much to handle. Yes, I am one of the folks taking prescription meds. I am not taking narcotics on a daily basis, I was taking Darvocet and I have yet to find a replacement for that damn drug. I never took it daily, but it did help take the edge off on those days when the pain was at level 10+. Now I have nothing.
I have hated this process to get to where I am at, but at the very least, I know what to do and my doctors are willing to work with me. They don’t look at me like I am crazy and Kaiser believes in chronic pain and Fibromyalgia and has a program to work with you. That does not mean that it’s easy to figure out the meds, it’s absolutely not easy. I have a fundamental problem with putting this crap in my body. I don’t believe the long-term effects are clear and honestly, it’s scary. I’m watching TV and seeing these lawsuits going on and the meds they are advertising class action suits for? I am on today or have been on in the past! Seriously? It’s not cool! What do I do? I can’t afford the natural path, it’s just not in my current budget. I did try it, and it is a nice way to go. I believe in it, I support it – I just can’t afford it. I wish that it was part of my medical benefit, that would make a big difference.
Even though I have been taking some of these meds for over a year, I still read the papers every single time I renew the prescriptions. Topiramate has the same side effects as Fibromyalgia! This is crazy to me. I think about this a lot. I believe the meds are helping me, but sometimes I have to wonder if the meds are also introducing their own issues. Foggy brain seriously sucks! Is the Topiramate helping or hindering?
If you read my last blog, you know Kaiser ran out of one of my meds. I didn’t end up getting that scrip for 2 weeks. Well, by the time I picked it up I had pretty much become used to not taking it. I decided to go without it. That medication was initially introduced for pain and to help me sleep at night. After being off the medication for two weeks, I believe my pain and sleep is the same as it was while I was on the medication. That was a great “pro” for Kaiser running out of the med, at least I was able to determine I don’t want to take it anymore. One less pharmaceutical in my body.
One of the other meds I am taking is Cymbalta. I am a believer of this med. I have chronic depression and this has definitely worked for me. If I have to choose between being in pain or being depressed, I’ll take pain. I have had depression for much longer than I have had FMS and it is a kind of pain that is unbearable for me and those around me. To be at my lowest point in depression and my highest level of pain and to have to choose between fixing one of those? Wow. That would not be cool. Both are so unbearable.
So… back to Darvocet. I have been having a lot of flares in the last six months. Darvocet was very helpful to me when it was available. Since it has been removed from the market, and for good reason, I have not been able to find anything that works. I have tried Vicodin – this less than mildly takes the pain away, so it doesn’t really feel like it’s worth it. Tylenol with Codein – this does less than zero, feels like I am taking a placebo. The only other alternative my Dr. could offer was Methadone. Hmmmm, at this point I pretty much am not really feelin’ that drug. It just feels wrong, I don’t know. Anything else interacts with the stuff I already take. Very frustrating. Especially with the number of flares I have been having. I need your advice Fibromites and fellow chronic pain mates!!
Well, that’s all I’m thinking about today, thanks for stopping by! I could really use your comments on this one, I would love to hear how you are coping on your meds.
Stay cool!
Tamiko
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- To those who are family and friends of Fibromites (myfoggybrain.wordpress.com)
my foggy brain 
Oh Tamiko, I’m sorry you are having a hard time. I know how you feel about taking meds and not wanting to put stuff in your body. I passed that point. I also agree that if I could afford the natural path, that it would work, but since I can’t, I take a narcotic. When I first decided to go on one, it took several months after that for me to actually take the medication. Finally, I told the doc I was ready. He gave me methadone and it freaked me out. I thought that was only for heroin addiction. I was very wrong. It is the number one pain medication used at Duke University. Well, it was a miracle in taking away pain, but I could not function on the lowest dose. The doc said I had to try it first, because it is so cheap. I had 23 negative side-effects written down after my ten day trial of it. Mostly, I was spaced out. Since I couldn’t handle that drug, then he put me on Oxycontin. That freaked me out too, but I have learned a lot about it. If people don’t abuse or misuse it, it is an excellent drug. Most people I know take oxycodone, but my understanding is that med is for acute pain, and the other is timed released. It works for me, most of the time. I do get sleepy, but not all the time. I can’t say I regret having gone on it. I’ve had to go up on the dose by five mg a day only once in about four years now. So I’m on a low dose. I can’t stand the thought of living with the pain. I’m not sure I could. I really think my body would just… I don’t know. I don’t know what would happen.
I hope you find some medication to help without over medicating you. If I was in a place where it is legal, I would try to get a prescription for Cannabis. Also, GW makes a spray form called Sativex. It is good for nerve pain they say, and you know that is hard to treat.
Good luck to you. I hope you find some relief. Give your sweet doggie a kiss, and yourself a hug…
Peace.
Nobody wants to live in pain and hydrocodone is what can effortlessly get them rid of pain and help leading a smooth life. This drug has been incessantly providing relief from pain and helping in getting off frustrating nagging cough. Cough attacks people mostly during winters and there are people or situation which brings this frustrating cough into being. It corrodes the mood and stands as a bar to execute any work in peace.
Leonardo Vargas
FindRxOnline blog
Hey Tamiko, I feel the pain in your voice, I am sorry that you are hurting co much. When I am in that much pain,visualization helps me. In the past few years I have gone through alot of family issues and husband issues, past abuse issue along with my CFS/fibro. I am a child of God and I know and can feel Him when things are bad. I picture myself( since I have to have something I know to visualize it I use a picture of a stone greek persons hand) in this persons hand. I believe that God has us in His palm when we are in trouble. So I picture God holding me and that is my safe place where I can be in pain and its ok. He knows how much pain I am in and its ok. I am still hurting but my Heavenly Father is cradling me and loving on me.I can relax and it helps. I hope this helps you my friend.
CFS destroyed my life, Constant fog. I’m in the brain fog right now, like I NEED to sleep, although I’ve been in bed all day :( Lyrica just gave me massive headaches…… Someday………
Hope you are feeling better today. Have you heard of Privigel? My dr. said that “normal peoples brains turn on in the am and turn off in the pm. cfs people have their brains in the middle all the time.isn’t that so good. It makes so much sense. Provigel wakes your brain up without stimulants. Love it. Very expensive though. I have good ins. I pay $27.00 for 3 months and the ins. co. pays $1700.00, crazy! You know it doesnot cost that much. It sounds like you are depressed. Yea I know , ya brush your teeth and need a nap, been there done that. Do you take meds for depression? Cymbalta is good, I take 120 mgs a day. Its good for pain also. Ask your dr. for a sleeping pill if you have to. Hope this helps, try prayer it helps most of all. God is always good, Peace, Tammy
Well, low dose naltrexone is the most sensible thing to try if you have fibromyalgia. It can help depression, too. There are many good meds with very little side effects (in fibromyalgia studies LDN has been as well tolerated as placebo!) but sadly doctors don’t use them. Besides LDN, another really forgotten group of meds are the nootropics, which can work marvellously for brainfog yet are impressively well tolerated.
As far as anticonvulsants go, levetiracetam is by far the best tolerated and works for pain, sleep, etc, yet doctors still mostly prescribe Lyrica, which isn’t tolerated nearly as well.
Thank you for your feedback! I appreciate you taking the time to provide that information. I have not heard of Levetiracetam, I am going to look into that.
Tamiko