Please Help With Med Info For Fatigue W/ Fibro - Fibromyalgia Message Board

azmom4 · 11-21-2008, 12:47 AM

I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and was hoping to get some information about the medications people use and how it helps them. I was on Wellbutrin and Paxil and was doing pretty good but I still had the pain problem so my doc switched me to Cymbalta. I have not had near as much pain but have been very tired. I have only been on it for two weeks and it was raining for the first week so I don't know if it will get better or not but I wanted to hear from some of you on here about your experiences. My mom also has Fibro and she just got Lyrica to try. I've been reading about all the different medications but I can't seem to find enough information about the ones that help with fatigue and pain or the meds you can take together that one helps with fatigue and other helps with pain. I have been so tired and have a 4 yr old to take care of, which I currently can't! Please help anyone. Thanks in advance.

Jenn4508 · 11-21-2008, 11:15 AM

Azmom4 - I am sorry that you are having such a horrible time right now. It makes it even harder that you have a 4yo to take care of also... Different meds work for different folks and I am sure you will find that out soon enough. Cymbalta is supposed to decrease pain by 30%, at least that is what I was told by both my psychiatrist and pain management doc. My shrink prescribed it but it did nothing for me. I was taken off of it. I have been on many meds and it is truly a seek and find path you will experience. Besides the fibro, chronic fatigue, gastro issues, I also suffer with migraines, skin issues, hypermobility, asthma, some scoliosis, severe anxiety and BiPolar 1 which is still not under control and am in a severe mixed state which I have been in for over a year. You will find that some meds will work for a while and then poof, they stop working and you will be looking for something else to work.

You have to be your own best advocate... I don't mean to sound cruel but at least you have your mom who is in this with you together. Meaning, she to has this and can understand exactly what you are going through.

Do you mind if I ask what type of doctor is treating your fibro. You can come here to vent or just ask questions. We are all here for you... Just let us know how we can help... Jenn

rosebuddy · 11-21-2008, 12:59 PM

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Originally Posted by azmom4

I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and was hoping to get some information about the medications people use and how it helps them. I was on Wellbutrin and Paxil and was doing pretty good but I still had the pain problem so my doc switched me to Cymbalta.

Two of my friends that do not have fibro took cymbalta and said it made them very tired. They tried it for 6 weeks and had to stop taking it because they were so tired they could barely work. I am on wellbutrin, couldn't tolerate cymbalta due to urinary retention.

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I have not had near as much pain but have been very tired.

when you lay your little one down for a nap take one too. pace yourself. ask someone to kick in and and do phyical activities with him.

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I have only been on it for two weeks and it was raining for the first week so I don't know if it will get better or not but I wanted to hear from some of you on here about your experiences. My mom also has Fibro and she just got Lyrica to try. I've been reading about all the different medications but I can't seem to find enough information about the ones that help with fatigue

L-tyrosene 1500 mg. in the morning, sublingual b12 and a b complex, good whole food vitamins

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and pain

magesium and malic acid helped me alot with the pain. i also have meds that i take as needed for pain listed below.

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or the meds you can take together that one helps with fatigue and other helps with pain. I have been so tired and have a 4 yr old to take care of, which I currently can't! Please help anyone. Thanks in advance.

Neurontin for when my skin "burns" but makes me kind of spacey
percocet from my pain mgmt doc
flexeril, muscle relaxer that i take at night and helps me sleep too
tramadol (ultram)

I highly recommend the book Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain by Devin Starlanyl. I don't know what i would have done without this book. It saved my sanity. The author was an ER doc and has fibromyalgia. I have read a lot about fibro, and there are many books and websites that contain misinformation and /or leave out the chronic myofascial pain piece altogether.

You will also find lots of valuable information on this board. I hope that you feel better soon. I would ask your doc if you can d/c the cymbalta to see if it is causing the fatigue. Just my opinion. take care and keep posting to let us know how you're doing.

DeBeachSiren · 11-22-2008, 02:51 AM

Hi,

I feel not as tired when my pain is under control.

I use elavil for depression, soma for inflamation and muscle relaxer, ambien to sleep. I find if I take the 1st 2 a half hour before the ambien that I sleep better.

I also have nerve blocks, ablations and a stimulator to help with the pain and it does work.

I do have morphine and vicodin for when the pain is too great, but I use this rarely as opiates upset my stomach really bad, even with nausea medication. I also have flexeril for when my muscle spasms get too bad and the soma isn't helping.

Cymbalta made me gain 40 pounds and suicidal and Lyrica made me hurt worse.

My thoughts are with you having a little one to take care of. Best of luck.

DeBeachSiren

Jenn4508 · 11-22-2008, 12:03 PM

Azmom4 - As you see, even with these posters, their med regimen is totally different and what works for 1, may not work for the other. I will now give you a list of mine so you can see how differently everyone's med list can be. However, remember, that different sufferers sometimes have added illnesses also. It does not however, make one fibromite suffer more than another. As one fibromite sufferer to another, we all have our different lives that make it hard, you being that you have a 4 year old to chase around. Others have added illnessed and whatever else may be going on in their lives that they may have to deal with... Anyways, here is my list

For fibro, Lorcet - Pain killer, Robaxin - Muscle Relaxer, Neurotin - for the burning/tingling feeling, Mobic - anti-inflammatory, Trigger Point Injections every 28 days, sooner if needed, they contain lidocaine and benzodine, I get between 6-10 injections. For the IBS, divirticulosis, gastritis, I take Hyoscyamine Sul, Protonix, Polyethylene Glycol, Miralax and Benefiber, For the asthma I take Advair, for the migraines I take Topamax. For the BiPolar 1 I take Lamictal and Seroquel, for the anxiety I take Xanax and for the energy issues related to the fibro I take Ritalin. I also take fish oil, a multivitamin and an aspirin 81 mg each day due to TIA strokes I suffered 2 1/2 years ago.

Does it keep me out of pain, no? Does it come close, no? It use to keep me at about a 3 or 4... Now I stay at a 6 or 7. I no longer work and filed for SSD in 11/06. I was denied and am now waiting for a hearing with the judge. My therapist filled out a mental health evaluation stating there was no way I could work and so did my pain management doc. Go figure.

I really don't know what to do. But that's enough of that. These are the meds that I am on. Just thought I would let you know.

Please let us know what is going on with you. Jenn