Interesting thoughts, Emily. I did feel the ramp up to the full dosage was shocking to my system. It's the possibility of ever getting OFF the meds that concerns me most.

Hi Emily. I have read that those of us with fibro are more chemically sensitive and that we respond to changes in barometric pressure and PMS or hormonal fluctuations very strongly. The reason why we are so sensitive is due to low serotonin and norepinephrine in our brains. This would explain why lower doses of prescriptions tend to work best.

I am hyper sensitive too many things. when the weather changes, If its sunny and cold auto headache.
I have a hard time with any meds. My rhumey finally realized that if she wants to give me a med. she has to start my on the lowest dose.

I have not experienced the chemical sensitivity that some people talk about and have not had any bad reactions to any of the medications I have been put on, though I do feel I am on too many meds for my age, I am only 26. My dosages were increased about once a month until I am at about as high as they can go with it and not change the medications.

Mrspencer, as long as I have fibro (the rest of my life) and the meds work, I am not coming off

Jerushah, young people, in general, tend to be hardier. I am MUCH OLDER THAN YOU

What worries me is that people with fibro may be suffering unnecessarily because this or that medicine didn't work for them and maybe it is because they were prescribed doses that were too high.

Hmmm. Too high a dose? Maybe that's why I can't take anything lately without horrible side effects. After having to stop Cymbalta, which I loved, I took effexor (made me grind my teeth - still doing that), then went to Wellbutrin, which made me dizzy, nauseated and suicidal. I'm not on any kind of anti-depressant now. I'm still depressed, but it's better than wanting to kill myself and crying all the time. The older I get, the worse the symptoms get, the more unusual conditions I begin having. All that stuff about fibro not being progressive? Sorry, for me it definitely is and everything seems to be coming on faster.
The one dosage method that seems to work better for me than anything is a patch. I have trouble absorbing stuff that I might be flooded with, yet not getting to the problem, just causing side effects.

I could be wrong, but what I think MrSpencer meant was that you try a drug for 1 to 3 months or more, that is what my dr wants me to do before deciding to stop, then I decide it has stopped working, doesn't work or can no longer handle the side effects, and want to come off just to find that I are dependent on it.

I want off the low dose Trazodone I am on, and every time I try, I get depressed...and it continually gets worse to the point of depression that I don't want to live any more. I was never this depressed ever in my life. Trazodone is doing that to me. So I start back on it. Overwhelming depression goes away.

This is what scares me every time my dr wants me to try a new drug. My dr.'s info doesn't tell him this will happen to me, and even if it did, he would still want me to try it.

I am in the same camp as MrSpencer.

And I totally agree that doctors prescribe us dosages too high. I am very chemically sensitive.

I have multiple chemical sensitivities and have major issues with medication. I have had some huge fights with doctors about my list. I keep it on my computer and print it out every time I see a doctor.

What works for the general population may or may not work for me. I treat all medication like poison until proven otherwise. I have had medication reworked into smaller doseages using a compound pharmacy. I generally listen to my gut which is rarely wrong. If I have a bad feeling about a medication that I am usually proven right.

With me, less is more. Take care.

I agree on low doses. Actually it was my Psychiatrist and Naturopath who explained it to me. Our immune system is overwhelmed by pain so there fore chemicals can be a problem, so can certain supplements that target the brain and go through the liver.

It was funny they both explained me this way. My liver works fine just slow, so as things go through the liver they may stay there and get dumped in a large amount causing the side effects.

Solution=smaller amounts almost homeopathic. I do not take any antidepressants now, when I did it was 20mil of Cymbalta, 5mil of citalopram, and so goes on.

I actually had a Dr. laugh at my low does of meds once, needless to say I realized she was not the one for me.

A dose of Milk Thistle at night to help the liver clean itself helps.