Has Anyone taken pain killers to help with thier Fibro? Which ones have you taken? Which ones work most effectively?

I am aware that pain killers can be addictive but nothing over the counter has worked for me. I've tried everything, creams, heat therapy, cold therapy over the counter pain relievers, massages, physical therapy.

Hon, most people I know with fibro take pain pills, anti-depressants, sleeping pills, nerve pills and muscle relaxers. If we didn't we'd probably go crazy from severe pain and fatigue.
In my opinion, the people that really need pain meds do not get addicted to them. They're bodies my grow used to them and then you need either a higher dose or a different pain med.
Those meds I listed above help us, to some extent, to be able to have a life, of sorts. It's not the life we'd have picked and it has it's limitations but it sure beats living in contstant horrible pain being able to do nothing more than lay down, sit down and go to the bathroom.
I take some of all the above and still need my heating pad or cold packs and still have some really bad days but because of all those meds all my days aren't really bad.
April

April, thank you for your input. :wave: I was wondering if you could tell me which pills have been the most effective in dealing with your fibro pain. I'm going to the doctor in a week and I'm going to ask him about some of these pain killers for myself, but it would be nice to hear how they have actually worked for those of us suffering.

hi chelle,
first let me welcome you to the boards. there are some very special people here, actually they all are!
i have not found a pill that takes the pain of fibromyalgia away. i have tried quite a few. what i found (11 years ago) was that with high doses of vicodin es i was not out of pain, i was just so loopy i did not care. the best thing i have found for the pain is deep breathing, correcting posture, drinking plenty of clean water and always remembering that it will pass. stress is not our friend and thinking it will never end is stress junk food.
i do stretches and exercise every day. everything counts with fibro, so a little stretching or exercise can make a huge change. makes no sense, but i do know when i take time out and stay in bed i am stiffer and acher than if i just putter about doing mostly nothing, just staying in motion.
there are others here who have found relief with meds. i am sure someone will pop in to share what helps them. i do take ambien for sleep, and baclofen, which is a muscle relaxer, for facial pain related to tmj.
peace,
bluelakelady

Hi and welcome!

Back in the beginning of my journey with FMS (2004), my doctor put me on Ultram 50mgs, which helped me. I'm one to not take pain meds consistently, so many times I would be in 10+ pain for days to weeks. My doctors would have to team together and push me to take them more regularly around the clock. Encouraging me that I wouldn't get addicted, and that taking them every 6 hours is best for optimum pain lowering results.

The 'no sleep' issue was addressed with trazodone at first, now I add to that 5htp. When my sleeping becomes less of an issue so does my pain. In the beginning, there were many nights I experienced insomnia and times when sleeping was a major struggle. I would go thru periods where I felt like I spent the whole night not really sleeping but experiencing bizzare dreams.

Now, 2 years of tracking my symptoms, I can say that this issue of sleeping problems is much more under control. Over, the last couple of weeks I have been having odd dreams again. Yesterday when I shared this news with one of my doctors, a FMS and Fatigue specialist, he was very enlightening. It had been documented that patients with cellular infections have these type of dreams. I hadn't been taking my antibiotics, some of the symptoms had started to appear :o Soooo, back onto antibiotics I go!

I've been given NorCo 10/325 for when the pain is not controlled by the Ultram.

I take quite a few supplements that help reduce the pain and other symptoms of FMS and CFS (I have been dx'd with CFIDS, too.) And a natural thyroid hormone for T3/T4, along with another hormone, Cortisol.

Here's an FYI:
If pain medication doesn't help, there may be underlying infections that when treated these following symptoms subside and go away. Swollen lymphnodes, sore throats, low grade fever 99-101, or low temps, pain in or near the joints, muscles and tissues, the all over type of pain including TMJ and facial tissue or muscles aches.

uvm :bouncing:
p.s.: I still don't always take the pain meds, many times its bc I don't need to, the pain's not that bad, and even there are days when I'm pain free. However, I'm glad that I have then around, just in case! :D

Hi candi and welcome.

I am one of those that needs my sleep. I take ambien and baclofen and a benadryl and if I get a good nights sleep I can deal with the rest. I exercise and drink plenty of bottled water and don't eat as healthy as I should, but I do stay away from sugar. I take prednisone for inflammatory joint pain and that is the extent of my medicinal intake except for vitamins. I do use OTC ibuprophen if I need too but try to stay away from it.

By the way I don't recommend prednisone for fibro, I have the inflammatory thing going on and when time is right I will be working on getting off that too.

Good Luck

Glojer

Hi, ABOUT PAIN Pills
I take them and have for more years than I care to think, like 30. I am not addicted. I have friends with Fibro and or RA etc. who take pain pills and I mean strong ones. They couldn't function if they didn't and not because they are addicted. I took Ultram and it helped. Along with it I also took Talwin. I had to quit because I started itching. I take pain pills now and when I had shingles last year for like three mos and kept getting them I thought I would lose it the pain was so bad. My dr. watches the pain pills really close. I also am cautious I stated on another post one thing I have done when in so much pain I get someone else to read the cautions on the insert and then to give them the meds so they can manage them for me. That way I feel a mistake is not likely. I agree if not for the pain pills and the Ambien and the other things I really don't want to think about it. Hope this helps Miss Shoes

Hi :wave: and welcome to the board! I think this is something that most of us have struggled with. I had a heck of a time even getting doctors to give me pain pills for my fibro but finally did find a good doc. It is important to find a good pain management doctor to oversee your condition. My doctors refuse to give me hard narcotics to deal with the pain and instead focus on getting better sleep (I take small doses of remmeron) and a lighter pain pill (ultram). I still have times that my pain is severe but I manage to get through it with just this. I have tried lots of meds for arthritis type pains but none of them worked for me as well as medications that block pain receptors such as Neurontin. The ultram works the best for me without going to a heavy narcotic.

good luck finding a good doctor & getting some releif!

Amanda

I too take Ultram and have for nearly 3 years now. I am not addicted to it and agree, if you really need it for the pain you don't become addicted, you simply require it for the severe pain we go through. Additionally, I take Flexeril, which is something that was given to me when I first came down with this 4years ago. Then it did not work for me, now it helps me with the morning stiffness except on rainy and snow days. For sleep I take trazodone and soon will get off of it due to so much weight gain.

Take care,
Annie :bouncing: :bouncing: :bouncing:

hello, I have FM and suffer horribly with pain to the extent that I had to quit working and my quality of life has been substantially impacted. I decided to share my experience and information regarding painkillers in hopes that it helps others avoid what I had to learn the hard way. If it only helps one person then it is worth it to post my experience.

For my FM and low back sacroilliac pain I was prescribed Vicoden and then Tramadol/Ultram, both were taken long term; had to detox off both. The detox process is hell with very painful withdrawals. Please understand that I never took my medication other than as prescribed by my doctor [(1) 5/500 Vicodin 4x daily]--- never received medication from any source other than my doctor. And yet, I had to detox from both Vicodin and later from Ultram/Tramadol. After the Vicodin I was placed on Ultram/Tramadol with misinformation that it was not addictive; it is very addictive. And, the Ultram/Tramadol withdrawals were actually worse. To learn more from the experience of others just type Vicodin or Ultram withdrawals into your web browser and read. Or simply go to the Addiction/Recovery part of this Board; MUCH is posted there about this subject area. There are basically 2 types of folks posting there; those with illegal recreational painkiller addictions and those with legal painkiller tolerance dependency--all trying to learn the best and safest way to detox from painkillers. For those taking Ultram/Tramadol for more than a year you should know that you may have increased risks of seizures unless you very gradually taper withdraw from the drug when you decide to quit to taking it.

I suffer with excrutiating chronic pain too so I understand. There are no easy answers for us. It is a very difficult personal choice and dilemma that each person has to make themself. Only through personal experience do we learn that painkillers provide time-limited cycle of relief with an ultimate destination of detox withdrawal hell. It can take years to get there, but all who travel the painkiller route will eventually end up there as every painkiller builds tolerance and dependency. Progressing to increased doses or stronger drugs is only a temporary benefit with worsened eventual consequences.

Like some people here who have posted positive results with pain killers, I also initially experienced positive results. Thereafter it gets real ugly. Those who have not yet experienced the complete cycle will understandably feel otherwise as they are still at the stage of receiving positive relief with no idea of what will come later.

First, please understand that addiction has NOTHING to do with whether you have pain or not. I have REAL pain; excrutiating pain that caused me to have quit working. Next, please do not confuse the very distinguishable difference of tolerance dependency and addiction. Both have a murky intersect point of dependency, but thereafter are VERY different. The difference is one's ability to manage your medication AS PRESCRIBED. Tolerance dependency is where a person manages their rx as prescribed, but the drug builds tolerance dependency. Addiction on the otherhand occurs when a person abuses a drug by taking excessive amounts of illegally obtained drugs for medical or recreational use; OR, in the case of legally prescribed RX, does not manage their RX as prescribed---obtaining additional drugs from other sources than one's doctor.

The basic stages of the painkiller cycle are:

1. The effectiveness period which can last several years.

2. Progressive tolerance builds and eventually effectiveness flatlines which creates the need for either early doses, increased doses, or stronger levels.

3. After tolerance builds and effectiveness flatlines, the impact of the drug on the body creates a chemical change in the body. A signal tricks the brain to send the body increased pain signals. As a result, you actually end up experiencing INCREASED pain--- greater than the pain you had to start with. It is a very maddening but chemically predictable outcome.

4. The final stage for all is detox with horrible withdrawals. The only difference among people is how long it takes for the well documented stages of the cycle to occur.

The operative cycle of painkillers makes them an option with risks. The risks are lessened with SHORT TERM or PERIODIC use----and increased with long term or regular use.

Jam thank you for sharing your experience. I am sure it will be helpful to a lot of people.

Glojer

i noticed in your message you said about not being able to work. i am in the same position and i am a single mother of 11 month old twins. i am going to try to apply for SSI but I dont know that I will be able to get it. Is there anything else I can do?

Heather, fortunately when I had to quit working I was able to retire, a year ago. Only in reading some posts here on this Board is when I became aware that FM might be a qualifying disability. Sorry, that I am not able to tell you more.

Heather check the disabilities board, they might have some info for you on SSI.

Glojer

I can't help you with the DDSI but I'm sure there are many here who can. I have not been able to work in a million moons ! I can't imagine being single with twins with this........bless your heart girl.

For pain I take : Traumeel (has helped me more than any single one thing that I can name - do a google search if your interested in reading about it, it's not a script, it homepathy). Then I wouldn't be without MSM and Fish Oil. Then a host of other supplements.

The drugs I take are: Ultram, (4 a day) a zanaflex when I need it, OR SOMA.....I switch between the 2. I take Aciphex and metimucil for the IBS
and a Lorcet for strong breakthrough pain.

I have other meds that I take PRN, but rarely. These above are the one's I couldn't be without.

I hope this helps with some info. :wave:

I have tried them the so called pill for fibro. Oxycodine, Vicodin, Zoloft, Ambien, Elavil etc. The best one is Ultram/Tramadol. Although not as strong a pain killer as the opiates...it seems to have a way of relieving the overall symptoms of Fibro. The problem is after two years of being on them, I am getting used to them where they are not as effective as they use to be.

Hi, :wave:

I know this is an old post but I just had to reply.

Taking pain medications is very different for everyone. What one person can take does not mean the other can or that it will work for them.

I have been on pain medications for 12 years. I did go off of them for a while to see how I would do as far as the pain goes. When I was off of them I could not get out of bed. I could not live any type of life. I tried all the alternative healing methods, well a lot of them, and it did help but I still was unable to join the human race. I was off of them for about 2 months.

Taking LA pain medication has been a God send for me and has helped me get back my life. I am grateful I can take them and not have a problem. There are people out there who can be on medications for long periods of time. What I do is every ten days I take nothing. This helps keep my tolerance level pretty even and I haven't had to change dosage in years. As I get better, I like to think positive, I will choose to discontinue.

OK, that is all I have to say on the subject and is just my humble opinion.

I just got my blood tests back last week on all my organs and everything is ok. THis is important to do if one is going to take pain meds.

Peace and love, Hangin

I agree totally Hangin..............At the end of 10 days, do you go one day or several days without your pain meds ? That's a good idea ! :wave:

Ultram/Tramadol has worked the best for me and I tried everything

The Ultram actually has OPiate properties. I've been on it about 10 years now and I think it's not doing much for me until I give it up for a day or 2 and then I can really tell, even after all this time, that it really does help me with out side affects. I do like having the Lorcet (no more than 1 a day on SOME DAYS) for breakthrough pain however. It can mean the difference in getting dinner or NOT ! :D

I agree totally Hangin..............At the end of 10 days, do you go one day or several days without your pain meds ? That's a good idea ! :wave:

Hi BlessingsGalore, I love your name :wave: You must be a positive person.

I just go one day without them. I heard about doing this from an MD who specializes in addiction. I thought it was a great idea and for me it does work. I can always take some Advil or something of that nature if my pain is bad. If I am in a bad flare I will wait until I am feeling somewhat better before skipping a day. Or if it is out of the question to go without I take less.

I want to add that if you feel you need to, check with your doctor before you skip. This advice is something I got but may not apply to everyone.

Good luck. Take care.

Peace and love, Hangin

In years past my dr put me on high doses of Oxycoton. The doses went up and up but all that it was doing is making my brain slow down. These years I take pain pills only for my TMJ and the eye pain I am experiencing now. I find that a moist heating pad help the muscles relax along with Magnisium. Make sure you are on a good daily vitamin and mineral supplement. I use the heating pad 2 or 3 times a day. It's the kind you put in the micro-wave. Try it. It really helps.

Hi buddy,

I think that moist heat is one of the best pain killers there is. :bouncing:

When I can put it on a specific spot, ie. back, neck, the relief is great. I take a heating pad and wet the little foam thing that comes with it (I always wondered what that was for). After putting it back in the heating pad cover I wrap a towel around it and voila, a moist heat. Most heating pads come with these pieces of thin foam.

Take care.

Peace and love, Hangin

hey heatherbrennan, i was just wondering if you were still around. i am 30yrs old and have been dealing with the whole ssi thing for almost 3yrs now.
i have a 6yr old a 3yr old and i am 33weeks preggo and i am still going through with it.
i have an awesome lawyer who believes in me and is willing to fight for me.
just thought i would offer some advice if you needed it.
robin

Hi buddy,

I think that moist heat is one of the best pain killers there is. :bouncing:

When I can put it on a specific spot, ie. back, neck, the relief is great. I take a heating pad and wet the little foam thing that comes with it (I always wondered what that was for). After putting it back in the heating pad cover I wrap a towel around it and voila, a moist heat. Most heating pads come with these pieces of thin foam.

Take care.

Peace and love, Hangin

I also want to tell you that when I need more heating pads to wrap my body in, I talk what ever size towel I need, dampen it, fold it over a few times, put it in a plastic shopping bag and cover it tight, put it in the Mic and heat until hot enough to touch. I then use the towel for heat and lay a dry towel over it to keep the heat in. It saves money on heating pads and it works. Hope it can help you too.

I use Hydrocodone ( 3 daily), I take one in the morning, one in afternoon, and one in evening. If I didn't, it would be impossible for me to care for my children and husband ( and I have a son with autism so I must be able to care for him).

I also work out three days per week; use heating pad's, and take Klonopin at night for better sleep.

I hope to one day be off these meds but for now, I am thankful to have them so I can lead a somewhat normal life.

I use Hydrocodone ( 3 daily), I take one in the morning, one in afternoon, and one in evening. If I didn't, it would be impossible for me to care for my children and husband ( and I have a son with autism so I must be able to care for him).

I also work out three days per week; use heating pad's, and take Klonopin at night for better sleep.

I hope to one day be off these meds but for now, I am thankful to have them so I can lead a somewhat normal life.

Hi Spriggy: Thanks for the info. Does Hycrocodone stop any of the pain? I am really experiencing alot of pain ALL over. Can you keep in touch? Thanks so much

Wow, wish I could get 3 a day..........but then I'd be a zombie on that I'm so sensitive to it. I can get through with 1 a day for breakthrough pain or to be able to go somewhere or maybe to dinner at night every now and then.
I'm hoping my new Doc will give me at least 1 more a day. They really do
help my pain a lot.

It's the difference between being able to get out and go somewhere or NOT, or whether there is dinner or NOT, or whether I can go out to dinner at night every now and then or NOT, or whether I can get some household chores or something else I need/want to do done or NOT.

I'm hoping he will up mine. You are blessed to have a Doc who understands and gives you adequate meds. Is he a Rheumie, Internal Doc..Pain Doc ?

I'm bout done with RHEUMIES................I'm going to an Internal Doc on Tuesday who promises to get me into a Pain clinic where they are treating with Methadone (which the women rave about).

Pray I'll get the help and relief I need. Thanks for sharing. I'll let ya'll know what happens. :wave:

Thanks guys for your reply. My doc put me on Nurontin. Only 100mg at night. I find no relieve. Wondering if I should even take it. Im on Warafin, which is a blood thinning (actually rat poison if you look it up) and don't want to take to many meds.
I do want the pain to stop or at least let up some. I am having terrible eye pain with servere headaches. I have a thing called Sjogren's and my eyes and mouth are always dry. So my eyes are really my biggest worry. I sit with them closed almost the whole day.
I am only able to be on the pc for a while to check to see if anyone posted anything for me.
Is this pain going to keep up, or does it let go for awhile? I DON'T WANT IT. As all of you can understand.
Thanks again

I like that idea, too Hangin. I slowly started reducing my Lortab and Flexaril, and take about 1/2 or less of my pain meds and do well. I only increase if I flare up. It takes a lot less to get it bearable than it used to when I took full doses. I guess just try whatever works for you!
~Mim :wave:

Another alternative you can use which I love are the electric throws, like a mini electric blanket. I get up in the morning when my pain is so bad, wrap myself up in it like an enchilda Ha!, turn that sucker on high and my heating pad on medium, and it feels so good. Now sometimes I have the ac on and a fan blowing right on me but I love that warm heat.
Just wanted to add, I have fibro, RA, AS and two herniated discs and take pain medication. I actually take less than I did when my RA appeared, but if I didn't have this medication, I simply could not live. I would either go insane with pain or suicidal. I know the long term effects of pain killers, but I also know through extensive research (research is what I use to do in my other life as I call it) that hydrocodone is a safe drug with two side effects, only two, you know when you see those commericials and they go on and on with the side effects? Anyway, they are constipation and dependency or addiction. A recent study of several hundred chronic pain patients taking hydro showed only less than 1/4 of the patients show some addiction tendencies. You can google this and read the outcome. It was very interesting.

my mom takes something.. but i dont kow what its called,

i take tylonal if i get a migrane or a really bad pain somewhere (includeing for mentral cramps) or mortin,or asprin, or IBProphin.

i also find those muscle rub gels work really well <3 its ike.. my best freind :p