TraveltoSL

Hi Bilbo,


I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia back in 1995 by a Rheumatologist....So, just wanted to say that you may want to get a second opinion with one before an "official" diangnosis is added to the string of problems that you already have that make that "thick" file...haha....Believe me, mine is also very heavy....UGH....

I have gotten my Fibro under control after learning what triggers my muscle spasms and learning my system and muscles more to manage my good days and bad days and know what can make things worse for me and not do them....LOL.....(The old...."Dr. it hurts when I do this...."ok...so don't do that"....HAHAHA....Took me some years to learn.LOL.......My Dr. personally believed that one of the major factors was that we aren't getting to stage 4 sleep....the restorative and most important sleep to repair our bodies and immune system nightly....I was prescribed Flexeril, which is known to help with both the muscle pain, as well as getting the sleep....

Fast forward to now and 3 major cervical fusions later....I am on two opiates, but that is for my neck pain since lots of Dr.s who treat Fibro feel that those don't particularly work for the trigger points....However, I am also on Robaxin....which for me, is the best skelatal muscle relaxer I have ever been on! It does not make me tired at all and I take 750mg, (one tablet) up to 4 times a day when needed.....It works wonderfully for my Fibro! I also take Ambien when needed at night which helps me get a fantastic, deep, sleep and absolutely helps with pain levels the next day when you get a good night's sleep!

As far as the Ultram goes....I didn't find it particularly helpful for the Fibro or the cervical pain....It is lower strength than the Vicoden that you were taking so did your Dr. say that he is trying to ween you off all narcotics? I understand the tolerance issue since that is just a plain fact of life for us with Chronic Pain...Please read up on the Ultram as that is a medicine that you can come tolerant to very quickly and they recommend the titration be very slow....I am just happy to get a 4-5 on the pain scale and don't believe in, for me, switching or upping my pain meds every few months and just live with the tolerance since I do so many other things to help with my chronic pain like exercise, yoga, pilates, trying to get good sleep, counseling to help with the issues of living with pain and how it has effected my life, along with Cymbalta for the "happiness," issues, healthy eating, vitamins and supplements, and so many other things to help keep my life joyful. This way, I don't have to bother with switching meds all the time and also don't keep going up in strength to leave room for other surgeries or issues that could come up down the road...I am 38....so you never know what's ahead...

Please know that this is just my philosophy and know that everyone is different and don't judge anyone else's plan....I am just a huge proponent of doing lots of other things that sometimes we tend to leave out....especially our mental health, and taking other medicines, besides narcotics, to help with my chronic pain. I would strongly recommend you talking to your Dr. about a muscle relaxer to help with the muscle spasms as well as what seems to be other muscle issues you spoke about in your first posts....This helped me tremendously in that area


Is your Dr. using the Elavil to help with just your sleep or to help with the depression that can come with chronic pain??? Are you seeing a counselor to help talk about the changes that have come with all of this? I know that was a crucial part of my plan and something that I wanted and brought up, for me and it helps so much....just like this board....Just curious and if I am being too nosey with that...just let me know I have no experience with an anti-depressant used for just sleep as I feel that a specific sleep med, like the Ambien I take, seems to work very well for me and my Cymbalta actually keeps me very energetic and have to take that in the AM or else after 1pm if I take it....I'll be up all night!....So, maybe someone else can chime in about using it for that reason....not questioning your Dr.s reason...just don't have personal experience with that before...

I hope that you will take all your responses "lightly" and give the medicine combo the appropriate amount of time to see if it works for you...Just because it didn't work for me, I know it works for a lot of folks! Hopefully it does and give you a good level of pain reduction!!!! Just please realize that you are probably going to build up a tolerance to every medicine you end up taking and it's a personal decision of when, if ever, to stop that roller coaster of switching often and can find something that gives you decent pain relief and then add in other things like lifestyle changes, to help along....

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress....I am going for my 3 month check up from my last surgery and hoping to get a good fusion report!!!!

Blessings,
Ingrid