I am taking Tramadol 4 - 50mg, zormorph, 2 -30mg. amitriptyline 30mg at night, my new doctor has given me duloxetine 30mg a day and said

[Sookie]

to stop taking amitriptyline as duloxetine is a antidepressant. She also wants to gradually stop the tramadol and zormorph as she says they will mess with my head. I am very depressed at the moment, have lots of suicidal thoughts and waiting to see a physicist. Is anyone taking duloxetine? I would like to know if they are better than the amitriptyline which I notice a lot of people are taking.

[Izumi]

I would just like to comment/advise on the Tramadol. My husband was prescribed it for neck pain about 3years ago. It was increased a couple of times but when he wanted more the doctor refused so he turned to the internet. His personality varied between nasty and vicious, desperation (to obtain more) and the man I loved. The periods of normality became shorter and shorter. However, he thankfully has started to reduce his intake although it will take a year to come off Tramadol and I live in fear of him giving up.

[Fibrofoggiest in reply to Izumi]

Hi Mariko, I am sorry that your hubby's experience and consequently yours, has been so bad. To me it rings huge alarm bells, buying meds, especially those which contain opiates, online is a very risky thing, your hubby may be getting anything at all and his behaviour could easily have been being caused by other substances which have got into the drug posing as tramadol. I am pleased he has started to reduce his usage and it would be a very good idea for him to discuss this with his doctor as there are withdrawal plans which he could find helpful through the doctor.

Wishing you both well

Foggy x

[Fibrofoggiest]

Hi sookie, I really think you need to address your concerns again with your doctor. She has said she want you to try and reduce them for a reason, you need to clarify "messing with your head" with her. We here all have had our own experiences with medication and I came off Tramadol quite easily earlier this year. Therefore any comment anyone here gives you is only what they have experienced and it is important for your own safety not to take what others have done as your lead, but to talk it through thoroughly with your doctor. It might be a good idea to have someone with you so that you have another person hearing what she says so that you can talk that over with them after the appointment in case you need to clarify things.

I really wish you well with this

Foggy x

[Sookie]

Hi Fibrofoggiest, I have recently moved, my previous doctor also wanted me off tramadol & zormorph. Both doctors are saying the same thing, they are not the best thing for fibromyalgia. Because I have a history of depression and panic attacks going back 17 years to when my 30 year old son died unexpectedly, the doctors seem to think they must address the depression and the fibromyalgia will not be so bad. I really don't know where to turn to anymore, I am very depressed and making my family very miserable. This new doctor doesn't know anything about me and the old one just had no interest whatsoever in fibromyalgia, she said I need a psychiatrist, which the new doctor has now picked up on. I have also moved, our business went bust, so I now have no friends to talk to. My youngest daughter is in America and had a baby last year, I have only seen her once. I don't like telling her how I feel when she is so far away and can't do anything about it. My son lives nearby and his partner is having a baby in Jan/Feb. and he says he can't stand much more of my misery and it's spoiling the pleasure of their pregnancy but I know he loves me. So all in all I am getting lower by the day and these tablets Duloxetine 30mg I was hoping will help me otherwise I don't know what to do. I already find it hard to get out of bed most days, I not sure whether that is the pain making me depressed or visa verso.

Thanks for your advise. Sookie xx

.

[Mdaisy in reply to Sookie]

You sound at the end of your tether dear Sookie, I understand how you are feeling as I have been there and changed Doctors in the end as one GP said as I entered 'What is wrong with you know Emma?' in a surly manner. You do get so frustrated by the way people living with Fibro are perceived by some. However, there are GP's out there that do listen. so please don't give up.

Here is a link to the FibroAction website about 'Dealing with Doctors' which may help;

fibroaction.org/Articles/Be...

and don't forget you can download and print our factsheets to take with you to the see the GP too if that is any help;

fibroaction.org/Pages/How-I...

FibroAction is one of the organisations that have the Information Standard Certificate (as do the NHS) to ensure that the information we produce is clear, accurate, balanced, evidence-based and up-to-date.

I would consider producing the information factsheets and talking calmly to the GP (please see my other comment below for more info) to agree on the best plan to treat your Fibro & depression.

Apologies for waffling, hope this helps

Sending you strength to keep strong

Emma

[Fibrofoggiest in reply to Sookie]

Oh golly sookie, you really have been through the mill, and you sound so sad, I am so sorry if I came over as flippant, I certainly didn't mean to.

Depression is a horrid thing, which I have battled with for years on and off combined with the fibro, so I do understand how ghastly you must be feeling.

You have had a lot of upheaval, and moving is one of the most stressful things (I have read that in a report) to go through. At the end of the day whether the pain is causing your depression or the other way round, a solution to your needs must be found. I really hope that the Duloxetine helps you, and that combined with coming here for moral support and encouragement may help ease things for you. I too find getting out of bed and getting myself going hard at times, and even more so now with the darker days, but hold on to the fact that there are people here who understand and will support you.......perhaps you might find joining in some of the fun posts might lift your spirits, they certainly did mine back in February when I was extremely depressed and not knowing which way to turn,

Mdaisy has given you lots of useful links, which I really hope can help you, and feel free to pm me any time if you need an ear to listen or a shoulder on which to cry.

Best wishes sookie

Foggy x

[Sookie in reply to Fibrofoggiest]

Thankyou Sookie

[Mdaisy]

Hello Sookie,

I take Duloxetine which is a Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) which I have personally found helps as I couldn't get on with Amitriptyline although it does suit some people with Fibro.

SNRI's help with our Serotonin and Norepinephrine levels which research has reported that these neurotransmitters are low in Fibro, so this is why the medication is said to be effective for Fibro. As you will find in the link below, as Duloxetine is mentioned;

fibroaction.org/Pages/Neuro...

Here is a link for some information about Duloxetine which may be of interest;

patient.co.uk/medicine/dulo...

I believe that the reduction of the Zomorph may be in your best interests in the long run as;

'Research has suggested that opioid medications do not work as efficiently in Fibro patients as in healthy people because of a lack of available opioid receptors in the brain of Fibro patients. According to the EULAR Guidelines for the Management of Fibro, strong opioids - e.g. morphine - are not recommended for Fibro ' (Lindsey Middlemiss, founder of FibroAction 2009) , Reference link below;

fibroaction.org/Pages/Analg...

However, the Tramadol is recommended for Fibro because even though it is an opioid medication it has a Serotonin pathway which increases levels which therefore as reported above when we discussed Duloxetine, helps to increase levels which helps people with Fibro.

'Tramadol is stronger than codeine and enhances serotonergic and adrenergic pathways as well as having an opioid effect' (Dr Rull), Reference link below;

patient.co.uk/doctor/opioid...

I may very well be wrong but the comment by your GP about the recommendation to reduce the medications mentioned may be because of a recently introduced government policy called Reducing Drugs & Misuse and Dependence.

Please see this post from the Andover Fibromyalgia & M.E Chatterbook Group community for more information;

healthunlocked.com/afmcguk/...

Sorry the lengthy reply, hope the information is of interest

Emma

[Ginsing]

Hi Guys I am a Duloxetine take however in the morning as it kept me bouncing around at night. I find it most useful and helps balance me out.

xgins

[Sookie]

Hi Emma, Thank you for all that information, I have had a quick look at the links and it seems like my doctor has my best interest at heart. I will try the duloxetine today, I have another appointment with her next week and hopefully she will let me stay on the tramadol. I have cut them back from 8 a day to 4 a day and today she said try just 3 a day. Thank you again for your help. Sookie

[Taylor68]

Deloxitine yes .Amertriptalin no .the others do mess with your head .Good luck