Hi all, I'm new to this site and apologies if this question has already been covered. I'm trying to find a medication that works for me. I've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia about 18 months and think the onset was as a result of having contracted shingles, though cannot be certain. I've been taking prescription strength Co-codamol and Naproxen which seem to take the edge off the pain. However my GP doesn't want me taking Naproxen much longer due to it affecting the lining of the stomach and kidneys.
I've been doing some research on the web(as you do) and have found that Pregabalin is one of the medications suggested. Has anyone any experience of this medicine and if so does it work?
Also read any American article which stated that they think fibromyalgia may be linked to having too many nerves fibres in the palms.
Hi Marty - I'm on pregabalin for my fibro. There are two similar drugs which work to block the pain signals - pregabalin and gabapentin. They tried me on gabapentin first (I think it's cheaper), but it gave me horrible nightmares and hallucinations. Then they tried me on pregabalin and I've been on it ever since.
I must say I'm a person who doesn't like taking many drugs. Pregabalin has some serious side effects (including making you very drowsy and also causing weight gain), so I've kind of compromised with myself as to how much I take. I take just 125mg at night. I find, at that level, it takes the edge off the pain a little, but doesn't stop it completely. It helps me sleep (something I didn't do much before) and I'm still able to work part-time as it doesn't knock me out completely. But I know there are people who take much more than this. I guess if I took more I'd have more pain relief from it, but then I wouldn't be able to function properly and keep working.
It's also a drug which you have to start and build up slowly - otherwise it makes you feel really spaced out. Also, if you're trying to come off it you have to wean down very slowly too.
So there are pros and cons of taking it. I wouldn't want to take any more than I do personally - this low dose works as a good compromise for me.
It will be worth talking to your doctor about trying either gabapentin or pregabalin. Good luck with it!
I sincerely hope that you are feeling as well as you possibly can be today? Welcome to the forum and it is wonderful to make your acquaintance. I have pasted you a link to our mother site FMA UK which hosts loads of useful Fibro information:
I am so genuinely sorry to read that you also have this horrid illness and I want to sincerely wish you all the best of luck with finding some resolution to your pain medication search.
I also take Pregabalin and I agree with CarolineC57, as it does have a lot of side effects and helps increase your weight (or at least it has for me). As we are all different however, you may not experience any such side effects?
My rheumatologist put me on 1,500 mg gabapentin a few months ago. It's a MIRACLE!!! It tones down the pain considerably to the extent that I rarely resort to Percocet anymore. It also helped me to sleep the very first night I took it. Now I'm waking up feeling more refreshed. It was amazing- like I got my first night sleep in years. It also helps with migraine headaches. I also asked my psychiatrist about this med before I started because I'm on so many other meds, I was concerned about adding yet another one. He said it's a very common and rather benign med! My fibro and polymyalgia rheumatica are far better since I started the gabapentin.
Hi there that's a difficult one to answer as we aren't doctors and when they diagnose and prescribe its usually reasons we don't even know about, they do so for. It might be because the kinda pain you tell him about is symptoms of a condition you already have . What you can do is if your not getting any pain relief then tell him and ask are there any medications that can help. I've been a sufferer of pain wide spread intermittently for 3 years now 1- 1/2 of those diagnosed with fibro. Part of living with long term pain is learning to live with it and I don't say this lightly, pain management can be far more beneficial at times . And this means we don't loose our taste buds sense of smell and all those little things that can give us natural pleasure making life a little more bearable. The pain never really gets easier we just grow accustomed to having it . I have been angry with my doctor at times trying to get stronger meds and really I would thank him now as, due to time going along my conditions have worsened and sitting and resting can be far more effective at times. Saying that a recent attack of sciatica opened my eyes to a whole new pain .....wouldn't wish it on anyone accept my nastiest enemies no only joking lol. Wish you well remember what you don't ask your doctor you wont know, this is a long term illness and its your body so good to know if you don't understand . Well I've already probably said enough to get booted from the site, so wishing you as good a day as possible x
Hi I've been on pregablin one for five years, it defiantly helps with my symptoms but at one point my doctor/doctors were always trying to get me off the drug, now they are saying that it's a effective drug and to carry on using it, I'm on the max dose but I haven't had many if any side effects. As to weight gain I haven't found this as I've just lost over five and a half stone over a year and a half. Weight that I did put on was just down to over indulgence,feeling sorry for myself.
Please look at Ashok Gupta's site for an approach which helped me to almost fully recover from fibromyalgia. I tried every tablet etc that I read about but when you start to understand how the hypothalamus affects the body in fibromyalgia cases it makes sense. Als look st Reverse Therapy - I think you can still download he book for free? Been on top if fibrosis symptoms for a number of years now - even after dealing with breast cancer surgery and chemo.
Hi
Welcome
I take co-Codamol 30/500 and Gaberpentin 300 they do take the edge of pain
A friend at Art Class has been started on this, and when they increased her dose she began to feel very spaced out. She's gone back down to the original dose for now.
If your friend feels they need the increased dose, if it's done very slowly (maybe start at a weekend) the spaced out feeling will wear off in about a week. Sometimes sooner.
I have terrible nerve pain 24/7, having Lupus, Firbromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis and this week finally diagnosed with Diabetes.
I was taking steroid but they don't agree with me, then pregablin which thinned my hair and I had weight gain, now I take co-codamol, which does help but takes ages to kick in and as I have these terrible pains all the time, I am trying just to take the painkillers at night. It is a horrible life!
Hi Marty , I recently have changed to pregabalin from gabapentin. I was taking 800mg 3x a day for my fibromyalgia and paracetomol and ibrufen, this was still not stopping the pain from still coming through. My drs then referred me to the pain clinic at my local hospital who changed me on to pregabalin. even thro I still take the ibrufen and paracetomol most mornings , I only take 50mg of pregabalin . I am glad to say that these pregabalin are worth taking .
I'm on a fair bit of pregabalin and it helps. It has been increased a couple of times but being off work and being able to rest more is the main help. I also find swimming and hot bottles a great relief.
I take Pregablin, I have tried loads of different meds over the years & I would say they do help more than anything else I've taken.
I also take Codeine and paracetamol 30/500 for the pain & amitriptyline & quinine. I have put weight on but I think it's a combination of the meds and not being so mobile.
Although I still have times when nothing takes the pain away completely and then, like most of us, look for other alternative like natural remedies and alternative therapies.
As you say, there are drugs that are not always gentle on the stomache so always best to keep an eye on changes there and some drugs do have a coating on then to make them more gentle for the stomache.
Anyway welcome to the site, you will love it. It's lovely to talk to everyone else and knowing they truelly understand how you really feel and what you are going through. Just nice to no you are not alone ☺
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