I have had Fibro for 14 years and coped as well as I can. I was started on Amytriptilene and was moved to Gabapentin a few years ago. This was all fine and along with Tramadol occasionally I coped. In January my husband decided to leave us and I have had to take on the full running of the house again and bring up my 14 year old girl. SHe helps as she can but is obviously at school alot of the time. I am really struggling now and dont know how to cope. I have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis and peripheral neuropathy and am having a flare due to doing more around the home. I find the Gabapentin helps me sleep but nothing helps the pain. The tramadol just make me feel as though I am from another planet so I dont care about the pain whilst taking them but I can only take two of those a day due to them knocking me out. I need a painkiller that will not pset my stomach but will prove effective in allowing me to get up and do more. Can anybody suggest anything as my Dr just says take more paracetamol! I need to make an appointment anyway as for some reason my WHite cell count is too high and has been for years and my blood pressure is too high, shock!!
I would be grateful for any advice before I go see my Dr.
Wishing you all a relatively pain free day,
Angie
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angie64
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Hi Angie, really your doctor is the best person to speak to about this,, but if you feel you are getting nowhere with him I would ask him to refer you to a pain management team, or even ask to speak with another doctor in the practice , you are always entitled to a second opinion !
We all cope with meds and pain differently so what suits me won't necessarily help you, but there are different meds out there that could be an option for you.
Pregabalin may be better for you than Gabapentin - it's the same family of drugs but you need less of it, so liver function tends to be better. It costs more so your GP may be reluctant. Duloxetine is used for Fibromyalgia pain relief at pain clinics. Look it up on the NHS website. An anti inflammatory drug might benefit you too.
Hi Angie I take gabapentin and tramadol 2 at a time as well. I also take 2 ibuprofen along with the tramadol this helps with the pain, possibly because it is an anti inflammatory. Hope this helps.
I am so sorry you have had a rough time since your recent break up , have you considered that stress may be a factor as well as the increased household duties. I would consider finding a form of relaxation that suits you which may help you to deal with stress and this may help to reduce flares. Here is some information about 'dealing with flares' & the a HealthUnlocked post about the common 'boom and bust cycle' which may be of interest;
I sincerely hope you find an easier way to cope hopefully using a combined approach to dealing with Fibro from the information above. I would consider speaking to your GP about a medication review and the possibility of a Serotonin-Norephinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) from the information given maybe. all the links can be downloaded and then you can eaily print the factsheet so you can take with you to the GP;
Don't forget we are here if you need to chat and I would also consider looking for an independent support group near you too, as this may provide a little extra support. Here is a link to our Support Group listings should you wish to take a look;
The trouble with fibro darling is there is no effective pain relief. Having had fibro for over 25 years I can safely say I have run the gauntlet and managed to come out of the other side. Fibro is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, no one can measure the level of the imbalance which means they cannot judge how much medication or what type will do the trick. Your pain may in fact score a ten, but as far as the brain is concerned it scores a thousand, becuase it cannot realise when the pain is minor or severe, so the most mild pain according to the fibro brain is OFF the scales.
I am on Gabapentin, fluoxitine and tramadol at the rate of 6 per day, 2 per day & 8 per day, in that order, also paracetamol if required. But I must add that this is not just for Fibro as I have other things going on as well, Over time I have gone past the zombie state so I cope okay most of the time. But at times it does not matter how much pain relief you take for fibro NOTHING on this god given earth eases it.
Hi Angie, I'm sorry to hear what an awful time you've been having. As someone else said different meds work for different people. I'm on Gabapentin, Zomorph, morphine sulphate, agomelatine and metazapine and paracetamol which keeps my pain down some of the time but it's almost impossible to be pain free with fibro. it's really about finding the best combination for you! Do you have a pain clinic in your area? I have and they've been brilliant and more understanding than gps can be. I wish you good luck! take care
Thank you to you all for replying, I appreciate being painfree is an impossibility with our conditions lol! Still I am grateful for the advice and the time taken to reply to my post. A special thank you to moonstonebright whose advice I think I will take as we do have a pain clinic at our local hospital and I remember my rheumy saying I could be referred there at any time but completely forgot that until moonstonebright reminded me, that's Fibro for you!!.. I will book an appointment with my Dr today and see if I can get referred to my pain clinic. Perhaps they will be able to suggest something new that I can try.
I tried them all.. I now on fentanyl patches at 75 mg.. And oral morphine when required,, I use paracetamol and ibuprofen to,, and though the pain is not completely away finds this the best for me xx
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