No real help formfibro

[my-2-sisters]

Hi all fibros out ther I was diagnosed when I was 41 I had justnhad my first and only child I am now going on for 60 the only pain relief I have been offered is naproxen it doent even touch the sides im in agony all the time I have been to pain management it helps in some ways but I think I would benefit from more medications .

[clare_hart]

Hi, I am not a doctor so I can only make observations. I don't understand why your GP or Pain doc would not give you medication. These days some doctors are like on the edge about prescribing mild opiates. Jees, my own GP said he'll give them to people who will have pain for the rest of their lives . . . I wonder if he really thinks fibro pain will get better like we could wave a magic wand. Naproxen used to help me but that was before the severity of fibro pain which became worse about 4 years ago. I am now 60.

My doctor gave me hydrochodone for 2 years but now he wants to discontinue it. I found that using naproxen with the vicodin was a pretty good combination, but I can't take NSAIDS anymore because they affect the kidneys if you use them for a long time.The vicodin alone helps a lot but not completely. I use moist heat wraps and hot tubs. I haven't tried tramadol though my pain management doc and I talked about it. I have had a bit less pain in some areas (like the spasms in my hips and lower back pain) since I was started on gabapentin several months ago. It is also used for anxiety.

Some people have gone to aquatic therapy for gentle non-resistant exercise. Other ways to help with pain are things like meditation or visualization, gentle stretching or yoga. Those are just a few tings that may help, but it might be too much to do any exercise. I understand that.

[TheAuthor]

Hi my-2-sisters

I am so sorry to read that you are suffering and struggling in this way. Naproxen is an NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug) and it is usually used to treat inflammatory illnesses such as Osteoarthritis so I do wonder what use it is for Fibro as this is not an inflammatory illness? I know many other members on the forum use Naprxoen and it does give them some relief to their pain. However, we are all unique individuals and therefore what works for one may not necessarily work for another?

I would definitely discuss alternative pain medication with your GP or Medical Specialist as there are plenty of drugs available that you could talk to them about. Many members have two very different kinds of treatment, the first is an out and out pain killer such as Co-Codamol, and then a neural inhibitor such as Gabapentin or Pregabalin.

I want to genuinely wish you all the best of luck with this.

Ken

[marmaris in reply to TheAuthor]

Hello Ken I am interested when you say that Fribro is not inflammatory? Could you explain this please. I am still waiting to see a Rheumatologist and have not been diagnosed yet. I was given Meloxacam and Naproxen and Co-Codamol but must admit did not use the latter two. I am trying to go through it naturally and only take paracetemol if and when required. I have heard so much about the use of these drugs and their side effects, and although I fully understand the pain of myself and others I am afraid to use them.

[Hidden in reply to marmaris]

I can't speak for Ken, but I can tell you that for *most* people, oe of the first blood tests a person complaining of generalised pain gets is a test for arthritic inflammation markers in the blood. With Fibro and, incidentally, AS as well, the inflammatory marker test usually comes back negative, meaning there is no, or very little, arthritic inflammation in the system. It doesn't necessarily mean there is no part of you that is inflamed, it just means that the markers for *arthritic inflammation* aren't in your blood stream.

Hence it is known as a non-inflammatory illness.

[TheAuthor in reply to marmaris]

Hi marmaris

Certain illnesses such as Rheumatoid / Osteoarthritis can be tested using blood tests whereby the doctor checks for what is termed CRP and ESR levels that show up inflammatory measures. However, Fibro does not register using CRP's and / or ESR's as there is no inflammatory element to it:

Taken From NHS Choices - ESR and CRP

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)

In an ESR test, a sample of your red blood cells is placed into a test tube of liquid. The cells are then timed to see how fast they fall to the bottom of the tube (measured in millimetres per hour). If they are sinking faster than usual, you may have an inflammatory condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

C-reactive protein (CRP)

A CRP test can indicate if there is inflammation anywhere in the body by checking how much CRP is present in your blood. CRP is produced by the liver. If there is more CRP than usual, there is inflammation in your body.

I have pasted you the link for this page below:

nhs.uk/Conditions/Rheumatoi...

However, saying all of this, it is noticeable that many members on the forum do have other conditions that run concurrently with their Fibro such as Rheumatoid and /or Osteoarthritis and other arthritic diseases. This may explain why drugs such as Naproxen help some members but not others? I do not really know?

Take care

Ken

[marmaris in reply to TheAuthor]

Many thanks for that information. So sometimes the inflammation may not show up which I guess can make it hard to diagnose sometimes.

[Ginsing]

Hi Pain management is the only answer. I think if you have other illnesses you may get pain relief easier. Go to your Doctor anad request a review - keep a pain diary and hand it to him explain how the quality of life is altered and hopefully you will get some relief!

Best wishes

Ginsing

[Hidden]

Hi my-2-sisters

Welcome to our Friendly Fibro Forum and I hope that you can find the support and advice that you need there is always someone just around the corner who maybe able to help or offer a hug for support during the bad times

I can see that you've already been given some good advice and I agree about Pain Management being the way forward. When combined with the right combination of medications Pain management is worthwhile, it is even without! There are many types of pain management therapies for our physical and mental health issues that we could try if our docs agree

Our Mothersite fibroaction.org contains a wealth of information about Fibromyalgia including printable and downloadable Fact Sheets. The following link takes you directly to the Fibro Fact Sheets and I hope that you find the articles helpful especially the ones regarding 'How is Fibro Treated'.

Fibro Fact Sheets

fibroaction-public.sharepoi...

As you will read there are many kinds of medications and treatments which you could discuss with your doctor, especially if you print off the fact sheets so that you can take them with you to 'show and tell' It is worth a try even if your doc rejects it.

If your doc rejects it and you can't find a fibro bond with them you can always consider changing your doctor to one who is more compassionate to the illness

Wishing you wellness and sending you soft healing fibro fluffie hugs and look forward to seeing you around

xxx sian