I hurt everyday too, especially in certain spots that are always hurting me, my chest, neck, arms.

I am the same as you!





Gentle hugs

My pain energy levels got better with Cymbalta, and the pain was lessened best with Lyrica for me. Tramadol did nothing for me. These meds have made a huge difference in my life. They don't take away my brain fog, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, but at least I can get out of bed and out of the house. I still have flares where I can't do anything and can't get out of the bed or the couch but these meds have made it so much better. It seemed like I used to live in a perpetual flare, and now they come in and make it worse and then they go and I can at least half of what I used to be for awhile.

Hey there -

A flare, for me, means the pain extends into my upper back, shoulders, and neck. In the meantime, the lower-half of me is about 10 times worse. This lasts for about 2-10 days. BEFORE it happens, I end up sweating myself out of the bed and within 12 hours, BOOM - the intensity starts and moves up to the "upper half". I'm SO tired as-is I really cannot say if I'm more tired than normal but chances are I am. Then I'll wake up sweating out the bed again, 2-10 days later, and it's gone as quick as it came. I'm also "loopier" than normal LOL :):)

Bear in mind this is not the ONLY things that constitute a flare; I believe generally having more pain can qualify. More fatigue could as well.

If I find I am taking more of the BT meds and/or the extended isn't lasting as long, I tend to wonder if one is about to hit or if it is just going to be 'one of those days'.

One last question though: WHY are you taking 10 lortabs at a time? I do not dispute you needing them however that is a TON of acetaminophen at once, not including how much more you're taking come the next dose!!!! REALLY CONCERNED on that one darlin!! :):)

Take it easy,
Niko

thanks again everyone, and to clear it up i don't take lortabs 10 at a time, i mean lortab, 10 mg every four hours, i am a retired nurse so i write everything in short form, i would be dead if i took that many at a time,

I hurt daily in some way- the more I do to manage it the more it is like aches, soreness, and tenderness. However, with all that I still cannot manage the "flares" when my body just will not cooperate and the pain gets very intense.

Hi dear girl, I do hurt all the time. As gknees states, I also consider a flare (and I'm new to all this) as days or over a week, when I am considerably worse, so that I am perhaps limping and groaning, my finger joints hurt, or usually worst my knees and/or hips. It frightens me, and I am going to ask my doc on Monday if it can kill me. I know it's not supposed to be degenerative, but I often feel it must be. I'm on oxygen now at night, due to a sleep disorder I did not have before, I think I'm getting arthritis now in my thumbs and fingers that I did not have before this year, and many many other symptoms. I read and read about it, I over-focus on it, and am trying to get back on track with my desire to make art, and live! Sometimes I just think I am dying and get way off schedule, don't eat right ever! It seems pointless. I feel guilty for using pain control although I should not as I cannot function without that aid, and it only takes care of the pain symptom, at least well enough to stand life. When I feel better I become deluded, think I'm well and the fibro has left me. I do that over and over without learning that it's a delusion! I believe the pain pills with the undiscernible euphoria that comes with them, and my bi-polar stuff encourages this delusion. I hate regimentation and always have. I was on 8 #10 hydrocodone daily for quite awhile; all last summer and fall (I was diagnosed last June) but moved to oxycontin with an oxycodone rescue finally as I need a time release to get me through the night. I was dangerously short of sleep after 2.5 years of sleep deprivation. Perhaps the fibro was already coming on, I don't know. I am also mildly or med. bi polar 2 with chronic and severe PTSD. I have two docs, and the one in the city I am from is a neuropsycho-pharmacologist of renown. My doc up home had taken me off the rescue because she fears addiction. Like the Lortabs, oxycodone doesn't last long enough, so of course you end up waiting to take more, and that is an unhealthy situation. With the time release I just take it twice a day, and my city doc just upped it to 80 mgs a day rather than 60. He just gave me dilaudid for rescue, it is also potentially addicting, but he hopes will not make me as sleepy as oxycodone. I have only used it today and yesterday so I will see and report to him on Monday before returning home. I hurt somewhere all the time. I used to have a very high pain threshold, but no more. My pain wanders, and it has changed since June. Back then, at first, it attacked my toes and twisted them, and gave me calf cramps that were unlike any I had ever felt, and terrible hand pain so that I could not shake a hand, however lightly. My two dogs could not brush against my jeans.This last week, driving 300 miles to the city of my birth, my knees began to hurt touching my jeans, I had no rescue med. and it took me all week to have that subside so that it is not all day! I suspect the disorder changes neuronal pathways, partly because most folks report that life is easier after the first year. I don't know that yet. Time mag. just did a special issue devoted to pain, please spread the word. My doc had me pick it up, and it's the March 7, 2011 Special Double Health Issue. It has cutting edge pain control articles in it, some not available to us yet. Fibromyalgia and back pain, and arthritis are named as three of the biggest chronic pain issues that folks try to live with. It is supportive of pain control and asks that pain be considered a disease in itself when it becomes chronic. It's not an easy read, but an important magzaine to own. On the cover are these words in red, UNDERSTANDING PAIN. Tonight perhaps I should not be writing as I feel like crying, it seems so hopeless that al of life becomes dim. I am not usually like this, but it comes with the pain, and so I think no one should be in a lot of pain all the time as for me it changes my personality and my outlook, and I bet that is true of everyone. No one should be in pain like this all the time. As much as I fear the pain meds, I fear what the pain would do to me more!! Get better pain meds, Jerrysgirl! I'm sorry I got a bit off track, I do tend to wander as I have ADD and I think divergently.. of many things at the same time. You can feel a lot better. I usually do, and I am very happy 85% of the time, I really am.

thanks for all your replies, i went to the doc yesterday, my rhuemy, she diagnosed me with psoritic artheritis, and of course the fibro, so she has put me on arava, and hopefully there will be some help, to this awful life i have, thanks to everyone for their input.

You are definately NOT alone! I hurt all of the time. Just some days are worse than others. I always have pain somewhere in my body. It gets really bad if I overdo it, like, oh...going grocery shopping! It is terrible and I don't want to go with narcotics because I build a tolerance really fast, so I'm still trying to find meds that work. Anyway I got off the subject, imagine that, just find peace in knowing that you are not alone.

Hi I am new to the group. It is so nice not to feel alone. I have pain all the time but some days are better than others. I was taking Darvocet and now it is off the market. I have allergies to codine, percocet, viodin. I am now trying Ryzolt. I was taking Lyrica but now taking Savella. My pulse rate is high now, 107-127. Is anyone else having this problem? I also have arthritis everywhere, spine, knees, hips, shoulders. I do have a hard time with this kind of life. But thank God for living. Please suggestion, info, comments are all welcome. Have a great day.

Hi JerrysGirl, Yes...with me it is the same I hurt every second of every day and when i have what they call a flare I am down for the entire day sometimes 3 or 4 it does feel like your going to die..I hate those days.... So it is normal for me I thought the same way you did for years. I have had fibro for 6 years now too. I can not tolerate any drugs so it is much worse I can not find any relief except for muscle relaxers on the very bad days. I also have arthritis all over now and sjogrens syndrome too so none of this helps at all either. Things that have helped me at least have been: flexeril, TENS unit, accupunture, heating pad and daily Warm water pool at the gym............ I do wish you a wonderful day today and always::))

hi i do have pain everyday so much so that i worry that my drs and myself wouldn't know if there was anything life threatening wrong with me a i feel as if im having a heart attact most days with the chest pains ans pains in my arms, also i sometimes feel asif im having a stroke because my face droops and my arm and leg hurts and goes numb and weaker, my family think im making it all up so yes i feel im going crazy to.
hope you have more good days than bad xxx

Thank you for posting this. I have wondered this too! I mean, I'm in pain all of the time! Ocassionaly I will have A DAY or TWO where I feel I can actually do a load of laundry and go to work without crying, but it's a rare one. It's hard for me to keep a job. I am in so much pain I question how I will keep living through this and I'm only 30! The pain for me has been most of my life but not like this until about 2 years ago. That's when it went in to full blast. I have no idea how to cope. I need a good Dr! Mine retired. I'm in NJ too. Where are you? I tried Savella and that was a no-go, but I do want to try Cymbalta after reading this thread.

Yes I have pain everyday and I have just come to realize that I will be forever!! I'm having hard time accepting this! :(