I have fibromyalgia but want to get off the drugs dont know how to deal with pain without the drugs

[rkjohn1985]

hello
I am in a terrible mess.  I have fibromyalgia and i take pain medication to control the pain but i have become addicted to the drugs.  I dont want to take the meds anymore because i take more than i should and i hate it.  when i try to quit taking the meds i have to deal with the withdrawls plus the extreme pain of the fibro.  I dont know what to do. Can anybody please give me some advice.  I am desperate. Thank you so much

[worried878]

Oh....hydrocodone is a narcotic..unfortunately..it was my DOC as well...it is also a controlled substance as well....with hydros u can get refills...with oxycodone/percocets etc..u have to get a new scrip every month here...Many of my patients are on much stronger drugs than hydro..but it can still be a bumber to get off of

[worried878]

I did not say my pain was vague..to me the dx is vague...i also feel that people think of this disease as if the person is a hypochondriac or sumpin...my dr feels it is a very real disease..but many do not accept it as a true diagnosis...and I hope that I do not have it to be honest with u

I am also gonna try acupunture..funny it was mentioned cos a co-worker gave me the number of a good one today..he said it worked as well as a chiropractor or better for him...i have been using chiropractic for years and it gives me relief..doesnt cure my pain problem but makes it tolereable..i really want to stay with natural types of pain relief..yoga, chiropractic, ice and heat, massage...and acupunture would fit right in....try to avoid as many toxins as i can cos i do know it aggravates my condition when it builds up in the tissues...lots of water..good reminder and i gotta keep up with my water intake cos i can sure forget my water if i dont focus on it....great advice

[Mystic214]

I feel yer pain bro/sis.  I too have fms and cfs and its an abomination.  Im sorry worried, but if youve got it you KNOW it.  !Nothin vague, but it cant be seen on an xray.  Well they can scan a persons brain for all kinds of stuff but they cant see our pain and therefore we have none.  Vague, pleaseI am a female and it started in the Military when I hurt my back doin grunge work in btween duty stations.  I have trie just abbout everything twice.  Thats not all, being called a liar for the first 20 didn't help.  then there was the "your fms cannot have been caused by trauma", for a while. I cant even stand hot showers, skin too sensitive and Im in the beginning of detox from Hydocodone, because it stopped working.  Thats a controlled substance, not a narc if im right.  I have no life because of fms and im an addict subhuman if im pain free, well probably would be if i had ever been pain free.  RKJohn what are you dealing with personally?  I have some ideas for myself after I detox from this worthless ****, maybe I can help.  Im a 49 yr old proud to be native american female, U.S.N. Vet

[HelpinUtah]

I also have fibromyalgia and I am limited to the types of medications I can take.  Tylenol by itself does nothing for me.  So, I was prescribed Lortab for the chronic pain and eventually ended up with an addiction and now I'm clean from that drug!  Lyrica did not work for me - made me very sick.  I have found that for me, I try to control my pain with diet, exercise, drinking plenty of water, and occasionally I do have to take a darvocet.  I also found that taking magnesium every day has helped tremendously.  I found in reading a natural healing book that magnesium, St. John's Wort or 5-HTP really help with the pain as well.  When I told my doctor it had worked for me in the past she started telling her patients and it has helped many people.  I cannot take the St. John's anymore because I'm on Wellbutrin.  I do have flare ups from time to time, but I usually just work through the pain and increase my water intake.  Very seldom will I take anything stronger than tyleonol.  

I have found that my pain was increased after I had been on the Lortab for so long.  It stopped working anyway!  

I agree that massage can help too!  Someone else mentioned using a TENS unit.  I have not tried one yet.  But, hear they work.

I know that fibro flare ups are horrible, but the alternative of being addicted to the narcotics is much worse.  Even taking the darvocet occasionally, I have to remind myself that I have an addictive personality and be extremely careful.  

I agree that muscle relaxants can help some as well as Ibuprofen or even aspirin if you can take those types of medications.

There are alternatives out there.  I've also heard that acupuncture works for the chronic pain as well.

Anyway, these are just some ideas.  I think you'd be much better off the narcotics on a regular basis.  It won't stop the flare ups, but I think, like me, you'll feel better in the long run!

Good luck!!!

Hugs,
Janet

[worried878]

I have been diagnosed with fibro as well...dont really like that dx as it is vague and to me..it has always seemed like a dx they give someone when they just dont know what is wrong..I do know that narcotics are not recommended for fibromyalgia pain..the toxins etc from narcotics can make fibromyalgia even worse...Nuerontin and lyrica are the drugs of choice for this condition with nuerontin being the safer of the 2 and less side effects as well...if u r not on one of these drugs then it is definitely worth a try and the nuerontin helps me alot..i tried lyrica and also cymbalta but did not do well with either drug..i work full time and lyrica caused me to be droggy..my pain is associated with my spine, so i receive triggerpoint injections and facet blocks  when needed...i aso take an anti-inflammatory as well....muscle relaxers rarely but the do help with the tightness that can be associated with pain...ice does wonders for my pain..as my left shoulder swells...my cheeks also ache at times and swell/have alot of sinus issues and have had sinus surgery...my doctor told me that many fibro pts also have sinus problems as well which i did not know...i also have a fusion in my neck and my body is rejecting it/a mistake that i wish i could take back
yoga is also a great pain reliever for me...i invested in an infrared sauna and i love it..also have an infrared heating pad as well..every gadget u can think of is in my home..a shiatzu massaged helps me alot and also to save money on massage///i respond well to massage but can not afford it..i do know that alcohol and caffeine aggravate fibromyalgia
What therapies have u tried other than narcotics?

[mtgoat911]

there is a lady who wrote a guide, 12steps to living with fybro. just google this and the information should come up
i wrote my own step study workbook using her information as a guide, i did this when i was going through  chemo, i have not made copies or anything like that, it was just something to get me through illness, i also have a journal on staying clean through injury, or illness, you can take a look at that and see if it helps
out of all the stuff i have been through clean, custody issues, legle, work, family, i think ilness has been the big one for me