Fibromyalgia Support Group
You're not alone in your pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. If you're trying to cope with pain throughout your body, sleep problems, general fatigue, or other common fibromyalgia symptoms, you're in the right place. The community is here for you to talk about therapies and share your challenges.
I went to a pain management doctor and tried a few diff meds like lyrica and topomax, which I had bad reactions to. He just won't give me anything substantial for the pain except for soma and tramadol, which is doing nothing. I'm in so much pain that it's causing me anxiety and I don't feel like I can even be alone. I left a message for the dr today, haven't heard back yet. But I'm so frustrated with these drs. They try a few meds and then tell you to go see another specialist. Pain management is supposed to manage your pain. I don't know what the problem is but I need pain meds like yesterday and I don't know what to do!
I hope you get some relief.
I use methadone because I don't experience the need for any escalation of dose and the dose is long-acting. It can be a dangerous drug (knocks out the breathing and the gag reflex in too high a dose!)
That said, it doesn't address all of my pain. I use hot baths, Bengay, heating pad, ice packs, muscle relaxants and sometimes a Valium type drug, and also, medical marjuana for severe muscle spasms. I have fibro. I also journal and talk about my emotional issues which helps me cope with fibro.
Read up on what are all the possible drugs for fibro and be ready to suggest the ones you would like to try. It can take a long time of trial and error before you find a combination of drugs that helps take the edge off.
Good luck!
I know that sounds hard to swallow, but not everyone who goes there can tolerate the treatments.
Meaning, pain treatment, to my understanding is complex when we sit here on this side of pain, expecting it to be an easy fix, because like our doctors suggest, this is the "one" place *known* for treating pain, right?
Pain management comes in all forms.
From meds, to exercise, to dietary intake, to sleep to the whole kit and caboodle. It's not just a try this or that and then we'll give you what *everyone* knows works.
Even though I refuse to go to a pain clinic, I do trust that they know what they are talking about. They don't want to see a person's body need more and more pain meds. They know how it impacts everything from the body itself to the life that body holds.
They know how hard it is to come off the meds, they know the other struggles.
I do believe they want to help. But they want to do it in the safest way possible...even if that means you are still in pain.
I get the anxiety of pain. I deal with it also. I'm confronted with reoccurring panic attacks from it all. But I also know pain meds don't always work. I know that while they are a safe haven for some, they are not for others.
So my advice to you is work with this doc, establish a working relationship with him/her and find out why they will only stop at tramadol/soma. As for other recommendations (besides meds) Is there some kind of therapy you can do (at home or in a PT clinic), what kind of foods aggravate pain? And trust that all of this will take time.
So many of us have been at where you are and through the recommendations above have found a way to live with fibro/chronic pain. It's a long journey, I won't deny you that, but it is one so very worth it.
And who knows, your doctor might see the worth in prescribing something stronger for you. I hope that you don't see this as me pushing you to suffer more. That not it. I wanted to share with you the "insider info" on how to cope/live with this disorder. I know it sucks when we can't tolerate the meds that are "known" to help fibro patients. I failed miserably at them too.