So I am very newly diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I don't fully understand my diagnosis. I have started on medication but don't think it has had time to help as it has been less than a week.
From what I understand I will probably never be completely pain free. So how do I know if I should contact my doctor? Not that I am concerned it is something else but I don't want to call every week with a new ache or pain.
To get to my point...I always have pain in my hips. This weekend I have developed what FEELS like pulled muscles from my belly button down to my knees. Every movement hurts. I can't sleep because every slight movement hurts. It literally feels like I have pulled every muscle. I have never really experienced this before. Not like this.
So with fibro, I guess I don't ACTUALLY have pulled muscles, right? So does that mean a muscle relaxer wont help? I am really having a hard time making sense of it all. Should I call the doctor or are new pains something you just ride out? She told me to call if the meds are not working for me but I feel like 3-4 days is not enough time to know.
If I am rambling I am sorry. It is so late and I've had very little sleep.
The following user gives a hug of support to Elmbabies3: lehcarwoman (09-23-2012)
Hi Elmbabies and welcome to the boards...to answer your question it would depend on what the doctor has given you to take...some medicines like lyrica, savella, and cymbalta take up to a month before you feel any difference. Others like regular pain medications will work right away to take away the worst of the pain, but none take away the pain completely. Most will make brain fog worse...If your pain is the same after an acceptable amount of time, depending on the medication(s) you are taking, then you can feel free to notify your doctor if the medication doesn't seem to be working...So if you are on regular pain medications, a few days to a week max, then call your doctor if they don't seem to be working. If you're taking a drug like the ones listed above, I would wait a month to see if it will work or not. Also just a note, if you are having any serious side effects from anything the doctor prescribed, call your doctor right away, don't wait. Great to have you on board...Gentle hugs
Thank you so much for your reply. My doctor started me on nortriptyline- start with 1 daily, can take 2 daily if 1 doesn't work well. I know this is one of the medications that can take a while to work. And then she also gave me ultram to take as needed. These don't seem to work very well on this pain. That's why I was wondering if a muscle relaxer would work for me. I did fall asleep for a couple of hours and when I woke up, my muscles definitely feel a little more loose, thank goodness.
Also if you (or anyone) has info on these drugs, especially the nortriptyline as I have never heard of it, it would be greatly appreciated
Hi Elmbabies3 and welcome to the board,nortriptyline is an anti depressant. It is also used off label for pain relief for cancer pain and arthritis to name a few. I am on amytriptiline which is also an antidepressant and is used off label for fibro patients to help them get into a deeper level of sleep. These medications can take a while to work, try it for a bit longer and see how it goes.
Great to have you on board...Gentle hugs
Osteoarthritis 
