just when i thought things were going halfway decent, i woke up yesterday in so much pain, thought it would somewhat lessen during the day, but not the case. I think im having a flareup and EVERY INCH of my body is hurting so very bad. The pain pills (hydrocodone plus soma) arent even touching it. I started to take the breakthru pain meds, ultram, but, NOT WORKING!!

Have taken warm baths till i look like a prune. Just wondering what others do when nothing seems to work, and the day doesnt just STOP for you. I guess im just venting and plain tired of hurting every single hour of the day.

Sorry, but, i'll vent just once for this flareup, lol dont want to sound like im looking for sympathy or pity,,just some, advice.

Love and hugs
Jen

Hey Jen,

I can't offer any real help, but I can offer my empathy.. I've been miserable since last Friday.. It's almost been a week now and it's getting harder and harder for me to stay positive..

The only advice I guess I can give is to get plenty of rest, drink plenty of water and stretch if you can.. My problems are allergy related (my allergies tend to make me flare), so I've been chugging vitamin C, drinking cranberry juice, taking benadryl and cough syrup to try to loosen up the yuck that's inside me.. We put in a new air conditioning unit last Thursday & I've been suffering ever since..

It's been raining way too much in Indiana lately, so the mold count inside and outside is horribly high (not to mention the havoc that the ever changing weather has on my body).. I'm just tired and venting too.. I don't mean to steal your thunder.. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wink.gif If it's any consolation, my meds aren't doing a thing to help me either.. I've been contemplating taking a muscle relaxer, but I'm on so much benadryl that it probably wouldn't be safe..

Anyway, I hope we both feel better soon..
((((((((((Jen))))))))))
Those were extra gentle, featherlike hugs, by the way.. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Take Care,
Melanie

Hey {{{{{{{{{Melanie}}}}}}}}}}}}

Thanks hon for replying. I know , the weather isnt helping any here either. Funny, huh, when youre in a flare up, it seems the fatigue gets must worse. I honestly understand exactly what you mean about trying to stay positive when your body is hurting so bad it cant even stand to be touched. Naa hon, youre not stealing my thunder lol. I was just venting, guess we need that every so often, at least i do.

Hang in there yourself sweetie, i keep telling myself, THIS TOO SHALL PASS. ok so i dont always believe myself but hey its a positive mantra lol. I just keep saying it over and over again. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif
Hope your flareup comes to an end soon hon. Please take care of yourself.

and thanks for the HUGS lol,
love and hugs,
Jen http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

I have taken Xanax, (alprazolam) 1/2 pill, about 2.5 mg when my flare was taking it's toll....and when my fibro brain fog was at it's worst. I used it only when I felt so terrible. 30 pills lasted me for over 6 months. My doctor has refilled them for anxiety attacks when driving in mountainous areas.....seems that is a new development in the past 4 years.
It really puts a stop to the flare, (for me.) It is addictive only when you use it daily or need more mg to do the job. Xanax is the only thing that stopped the total body pain on some days for me. I heard that Buspar helps also but it didn't help me.

Relaxing those muscles with Xanax worked differently than Soma, Norflex, or Flexeril. I found I only needed it on my very worst flares, otherwise Norflex helped. I never took both at the same time though. Some doctors are reluctant to prescribe Xanex.
Wish I could be more helpful. MistyMisty

Hey {{{{{{Misty}}}}}}}

Xanax , hm ive never been prescribed that before. I have an appt coming up with the doc , and i will bring it up to her. Soma used to work pretty good on me, but i think your body builds tolerance to meds, then , it just doesnt work as it first did.

Happened with the lortab, thats why its two weeks on lortab, then two weeks on propoxy. I may just have to switch to something other than soma, maybe the combination will work better with xanax. Thanks for letting me know about it hon.
Hope you are having a pain free day sweetie.
Love and hugs,
Jen

Hey Jen,

I'm actually on Xanax.. I take 0.25mg three times a day and although it's helped with my fibromyalgia related anxiety (which was crippling before I started taking it), it doesn't guarantee that I won't have a flare.. I also take 75mg of Ketoprofen (Orudis) twice a day & have muscle relaxers (Parafon Forte) that I have, but never take.. I filled the muscle relaxer prescription last November & have only taken 15 of them since then (and I only took those because I fell down the stairs and broke my tailbone two days after my rheumatologist appointment & was in a horrendous amount of pain)..

Of course, I never take more Xanax than what I've been prescribed and 2.5mg would probably be enough to knock me out for a day or two, but I'm not sure how it would work on a "take as needed" basis.. It's not a pain pill, it's an anti-anxiety medication that works with the central nervous system.. I haven't built up a tolerance to it yet either (and it doesn't make me feel drugged, just helps me feel like a normal human being), but I will have to taper off slowly when my rheumatologist thinks I've been on it long enough..

I think your doctor might have a bigger problem prescribing it to you if you ask for it specifically because it does have an addictive nature (but how many drugs that we FMS sufferers are prescribed don't fall into that category?).. I guess that it would depend on your doc's personal opinions about fibromyalgia and medications..

Anyway, I hope you're feeling a better today.. I'm slowly, but surely, starting to feel a little more human.. It's a good thing too because a week is way too long to be miserable in my humble little opinion.. It's hard to run a business when you feel like something that someone just scraped off the bottom of their shoe.. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wink.gif

Gentle Hugs,
Melanie

Hey Melanie,

My heart really goes out to people who have this disease and still have to go out and work. I had an antique and gift shop with my sis and we had to give it up after two years, cause i couldnt handle it anymore. I feel a bit better today, laid out in the sun for a while and it felt like a huge heating pad was all over me. Stopped raining for today so that might have helped with the pain as well.
I will bring xanax up to my doc and ask her what she thinks, its not like i cant get hooked on any of those others meds i take lol, so whats one more if it works. But we'll see what she wants to do.
Have a great weekend Melanie,
Love and hugs,
Jen

SORRY, SORRY, SORRY, I read the mg on my prescription wrong for Xanax. It is 0.5 mg and I take only 1/2 of that!!! Forgive me?? You must have caught that Melanie....thanks. I don't want to give improper information. I feel so bad about this. MistyMisty

[This message has been edited by MistyMisty (edited 06-21-2003).]

Hey MistyMisty,

I'm actually really glad that you clarified that.. I was wondering how fiesty you were if you could handle that much Xanax.. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wink.gif

I know I probably shouldn't be taking it on a daily basis because it's so addictive, but my rheumatologist seemed to think that it was the best thing for me since I spoke to him about my anxiety problems and told him that I'd rather not be on an anti-depressant if I didn't have to be.. The ones I tried always seemed to make me feel worse..

I have major panic/anxiety attacks though.. Part of it is due to the fibromyalgia & part is due to the fact that I had a case of viral labyrinthitis that did some permanent damage to my middle ear (which might have, in part, caused the fibromyalgia).. I get really dizzy at times & the dizziness leads to panic attacks & anxiety which cause the fibromyalgia to act up, etc.. It's an ugly cycle..

The Xanax has been a real godsend.. The quality of my life has improved at least 75%, so addictive or not, I'm glad I'm taking it.. It was really tough for me to admit my anxiety problems to my rheumatologist, but he was super understanding about the whole thing.. I just figured that the only way I was going to get help was by admitting that I needed help (which is, perhaps, the hardest part)..

Anyway, enough rambling for one afternoon.. I hope everyone is doing well today!

Take Care,
Melanie

You know, its a wonder how doctors can expect us to not have anxiety attacks or be depressed with this illness. I mean come on now, when youre in pain 24/7, its almost IMPOSSIBLE not to have anxiety attacks or depression at times.

I know this is awful to say, but IF, just IF they could be in our shoes for a day, and feel the pain, i bet they wouldnt think twice about handing out pain meds and anti anxiety pills.

Hope you gals have a great great weekend sweeties.
Love and hugs,
Jen

Hey Jen,

I think we all wish that on some level (especially when it comes to the more insensitive doctors out there).. I'm not sure if it was local or national news, but I saw something on television the other day about a cancer doctor who became a cancer patient & it totally changed his medical outlook on everything..

Maybe there should be some sort of prerequisite for becoming a doctor.. They should either have personal experience in the field they want to specialize in or be required to pass some sort of empathy test before they can become a doctor.. I know it's farfetched, but if they're going to take an oath to help people, they need to adhere to it.. I think a lot of the doctors I've seen skipped the hippocratic oath and took some sort of lesser known hypocritical oath instead.. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wink.gif

Hope your weekend is going well!

Gentle Hugs,
Melanie

I wasn't going to do this because I'm not sure how creative I'm feeling this morning, but I think it'll be funny and we could all use a laugh..

The Hippocratic Oath:

You do solemnly swear, each by whatever he or she holds most sacred

That you will be loyal to the Profession of Medicine and just and generous to its members

That you will lead your lives and practice your art in uprightness and honor

That into whatsoever house you shall enter, it shall be for the good of the sick to the utmost of your power, your holding yourselves far aloof from wrong, from corruption, from the tempting of others to vice

That you will exercise your art solely for the cure of your patients, and will give no drug, perform no operation, for a criminal purpose, even if solicited, far less suggest it

That whatsoever you shall see or hear of the lives of men or women which is not fitting to be spoken, you will keep inviolably secret

These things do you swear. Let each bow the head in sign of acquiescence

And now, if you will be true to this, your oath, may prosperity and good repute be ever yours; the opposite, if you shall prove yourselves forsworn.

The Hypocritical Oath (by Creeping Crud):

You do solemnly swear, on the almighty dollar

That you will be loyal to the Profession of Medicine and just and generous to its members unless it serves your purpose not to

That you will lead your lives and practice your art in uprightness and honor when it's convenient for you

That into whatsoever house you shall enter, it shall be for the good of the sick to the utmost of your power, your holding yourselves far aloof from wrong, from corruption, from the tempting of others to vice which doesn't really apply because doctors don't make house calls anymore, so you can feel free to ignore this entire section

That you will exercise your art solely for the cure of your patients unless they take up way too much of your time, and will give no drug, perform no operation, for a criminal purpose, even if solicited, far less suggest it unless your patient has an insurance company to overbill or offers to pay cash for your criminal services

That whatsoever you shall see or hear of the lives of men or women which is not fitting to be spoken, you will keep inviolably secret until you get drunk after work and start feeling the urge to laugh at the weak with all of your buddies

These things do you swear. Let each bow the head in sign of acquiescence or just chuckle softly to yourself when you think about all the money you'll be making soon

And now, if you will be true to this, your oath, may prosperity and good repute be ever yours; the opposite, if you shall prove yourselves forsworn in other words, you can do whatever you want, just don't get caught.

------------------------

I know it could probably use some tweaking, but in my defense, it's early.. Have any better suggestions, ladies? Let me know if you do..

Take Care,
Melanie

[This message has been edited by Creeping Crud (edited 06-22-2003).]

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{MELANIE}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

ROFLOL!!!!

Ohhhhhh i needed that laugh this morning hon!!
that is great and sooooooooooooooo TRUE!. Its all about money for them NOTHING ELSE! Thanks for the laugh sweetie, wish i could stay longer reading the boards this morning but, am moving my neice in with hubby and me, shes 21. Broke up with her live in boyfriend and needed somewhere to go. Need to help clean an entire closet out for her clothes and start throwing junk out that i no longer need. But the junk im gonna go thru all this week , unfortunately all THAT is now occupying my living room ha ha. Tis ok,tho, im glad to help out, and shes an angel so im going to enjoy having her here. She goes to school and works as a pharmacy tech . Shes studying to be a pharmacist. Well let me get going, theres alot of stuff to get done before she moves in her clothes. Her bed is already in here .
Have a great sunday sweetie, talk to you later
love and hugs,
Jen