Chronic Myofascial Pain Myofascial Pain Syndrome Community Group
This group is for people who have Myofascial Pain Syndrome- anyone with a diagnosis of MPS is welcome to join. Our mandate is to provide support, information, and friendship to people with MPS.
In 2005, while I was living in Atlanta, I was put on Cymbalta 60 mg. Within 3 months I started with lesions and pustules on my lower back and buttocks which would not heal no matter what I used. I figured they were “bedsores” because they would not heal or they were caused by my ice pack I lived on daily that had sprung a leak.
I went to my firsts (#1) dermatologist-diagnosis folliculitis and RX’d antibiotic and Finacea Cream. The medicine made no difference. A year later, thinking Derm #1 did not have a clue I went to Derm #2: same diagnosis and same medical treatment! Same out come!
I asked my spinal surgeon, my pain management doctor and my physical therapist if they had ever seen such a thing and all said NO with perplexing looks on their faces. My PT gave me the name of another dermatologist (#3) who was over 70 y.o. and worked at the CDC most of his career.
When he looked at it he stated “I have never seen such a thing” Now that was scary! He did a swab and it came back “FLORA”. He compounded a medication, being on Medicare, I could not afford the whole RX so the pharmacist gave me a portion and it started to heal but as soon as the meds were done I was back to square one-with a vengeance now.
Fast forward to 2011 and I move back “home” to New England because my physical condition was getting worse and wanted to be near family. My mother was aware of my back lesions and felt bad. Now, on Thanksgiving Day I broke my ankle leaving my brother’s house. When they removed the first cast I will be damn the doctor said “What are these”…it was the lesions on my back now on my extremities. OMG, right???
My Mom’s cousin came to visit, his wife is a nurse, she looked at it and was just OMG what is that. He, the cousin, states put VICKS on it. The only thing in my medicine chest I did not try. After six weeks of applying VICKS 2 times a day it went away on my back! Could not believe it. I was still in cast so could not get to that area.
Now, the cast comes off and my leg is covered with the lesions and pustules! And, it’s now showing on other leg…then both lower arms!!!! I tried VICKS to no avail. Must have built up antibody or something. So I go to see a doctor who is from the Philippines’, thinking perhaps it’s a fungus from dirt and he was from a jungle area and perhaps seen it before. He had treated me when I was in rehab with broken ankle. He was not happy I told him this happened under cast while at Rehab and quickly gave me some antibiotics to get rid of me. He did say he had seen it before and the cause was “playing in the dirt” which made sense as I did lots of gardening while in the South.
My new PCP here in N.E. performed 2 diff punch biopsies which came back inconclusive: possible lichen planus or lichen striation. RX'd with steroid cream- no help.
Along the way, my new doc here, decided to send me to a new “shrink” this summer-of course I showed him the lesions and he had no answer. He told me CYMBALTA was a crap medicine and wanted to wean me off of it. Okay, as you wish. So….as I go down from 60mg to 50mg to 40mg to 30mg to 20mg to 10mg (which is hellish, no lie) the LESIONS START TO DISAPPEAR! At 10mg and the start of my new antidepressant NO MORE LESIONS!!!!
I know this is a bit of a long story but if you have lesions and pustules, both concave and convex in nature, with no physical feel to them (i.e. itch) and have tried everything and are on CYMBALTA you are ALLERGIC and must get off of it immediately!!!!
Do not go thru the 7 years of hell I went thru. I hope this helps you or perhaps someone you know who is suffering such as I have suffered. I am now left with major scars all over my extremities and my lower back and buttocks. This is small price to pay to have no more of the stuff growing on me!
I went to my firsts (#1) dermatologist-diagnosis folliculitis and RX’d antibiotic and Finacea Cream. The medicine made no difference. A year later, thinking Derm #1 did not have a clue I went to Derm #2: same diagnosis and same medical treatment! Same out come!
I asked my spinal surgeon, my pain management doctor and my physical therapist if they had ever seen such a thing and all said NO with perplexing looks on their faces. My PT gave me the name of another dermatologist (#3) who was over 70 y.o. and worked at the CDC most of his career.
When he looked at it he stated “I have never seen such a thing” Now that was scary! He did a swab and it came back “FLORA”. He compounded a medication, being on Medicare, I could not afford the whole RX so the pharmacist gave me a portion and it started to heal but as soon as the meds were done I was back to square one-with a vengeance now.
Fast forward to 2011 and I move back “home” to New England because my physical condition was getting worse and wanted to be near family. My mother was aware of my back lesions and felt bad. Now, on Thanksgiving Day I broke my ankle leaving my brother’s house. When they removed the first cast I will be damn the doctor said “What are these”…it was the lesions on my back now on my extremities. OMG, right???
My Mom’s cousin came to visit, his wife is a nurse, she looked at it and was just OMG what is that. He, the cousin, states put VICKS on it. The only thing in my medicine chest I did not try. After six weeks of applying VICKS 2 times a day it went away on my back! Could not believe it. I was still in cast so could not get to that area.
Now, the cast comes off and my leg is covered with the lesions and pustules! And, it’s now showing on other leg…then both lower arms!!!! I tried VICKS to no avail. Must have built up antibody or something. So I go to see a doctor who is from the Philippines’, thinking perhaps it’s a fungus from dirt and he was from a jungle area and perhaps seen it before. He had treated me when I was in rehab with broken ankle. He was not happy I told him this happened under cast while at Rehab and quickly gave me some antibiotics to get rid of me. He did say he had seen it before and the cause was “playing in the dirt” which made sense as I did lots of gardening while in the South.
My new PCP here in N.E. performed 2 diff punch biopsies which came back inconclusive: possible lichen planus or lichen striation. RX'd with steroid cream- no help.
Along the way, my new doc here, decided to send me to a new “shrink” this summer-of course I showed him the lesions and he had no answer. He told me CYMBALTA was a crap medicine and wanted to wean me off of it. Okay, as you wish. So….as I go down from 60mg to 50mg to 40mg to 30mg to 20mg to 10mg (which is hellish, no lie) the LESIONS START TO DISAPPEAR! At 10mg and the start of my new antidepressant NO MORE LESIONS!!!!
I know this is a bit of a long story but if you have lesions and pustules, both concave and convex in nature, with no physical feel to them (i.e. itch) and have tried everything and are on CYMBALTA you are ALLERGIC and must get off of it immediately!!!!
Do not go thru the 7 years of hell I went thru. I hope this helps you or perhaps someone you know who is suffering such as I have suffered. I am now left with major scars all over my extremities and my lower back and buttocks. This is small price to pay to have no more of the stuff growing on me!
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