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.

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different medications

Laurie222
Laurie222

Hi All, 


I'm new to this venue but so far, I really like it; the comments are very helpful and uplifting. 


My question is that my pain is increasing and so my medication does not seem to be helping as much (for fibromyalgia). I take tramadol and cymbalta and I've had to add tylenol to each dose otherwise I'm hurting and cannot accomplish daily tasks. I'm wondering if anyone has tried savella or amitriptyline for FM pain and if so, can give me some feedback. I've read a little about both and the amitriptyline is supposed to help sciatica pain, which I have, so I'm leading in that direction. 


Thanks! 

twinmomab
twinmomab
I didn't have a good experience with either medicine and they never helped with my pain. From what I've heard from others Savella helps for a very short period of time and then just stops. It's like our bodies get use to it, and it's not really a pain reliever med, but they say it's supposed to help. I didn't like amitriptyline. It leans more on depression and sleep med, and to me didn't help at all for pain. But I think I have heard others say it has helped some. It might be worth a try. I find heat helps me the most and I also have Lupus so I'm doing MTX injections once a week. It's the only med that isn't a pain reliever that has provided some relief, but I think mainly in my joints. Probably not fibro related at all. Sorry if not very helpful, I hope others can provide more experience and guidance. Good luck and let me know what you decide. I hope you get more relief.
Shakota6
Shakota6
Sorry the meds aren't cutting the pain. Just a reminder: be careful about Tylenol. Don't exceed the daily recommended dosage because of risk of liver damage.

I use muscle relaxants (Baclofen, tizanidine) and they help me, but everyone is different. My advice would be to try each new drug for a week or two, allowing your body to get over the shock of side effects, and see if one of them helps. I used trazodone 25 mg for sleep and have for years and it still helps me to fall and stay asleep. Wishing you the best.
Laurie222
Laurie222
I mention the increased Tylenol use to all my doctors and none have a problem with the amount... but heaven forbid they give me something stronger!
Every comment is helpful. I'll see what the pain PA has to say when I see him next week. He's going to ask about my blood sugar levels and then if I've been going to physical therapy. I can't afford the PT right now.
Fantod
Fantod
I've used Savella and Amitriptyline. Savella worked really well for me but it also made me hysterical. I cried over anything and everything. I couldn't handle the emotional roller coaster and ended up stopping it.

Amitriptyline is often used for the sleep issues associated with Fibromyalgia. It can make you very groggy even after using it for awhile. I stopped it too because I switched to an OTC for sleep that worked just as well. And, no hangover effect in the morning.

I also want to comment on your Tylenol usage. If it helps, then you have some sort of inflammatory issue in addition to Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia causes nerve pain which usually d I especially not respond to Tyle or Alleve etc. And, you do need to be careful about using it.

If I were you, I'd lean more towards trying a muscle relaxer in addition to what you take now. Good luck and take care.
Fantod
Fantod
Gabapentin is another option. I use it with Cymbalta and have had pretty good results.
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