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Any advice on lower chronic pain of fibromyalgia?

Has anyone found any over the counter products to be really useful in lowering the agonizing pain of fibromyalgia? I used to get percocet, soma, and samples of cymbalta for the pain, but a false negative drug made my provider think I wasn't taking my medications and she all but accused me of selling my medications, which I've never, ever done. I was turned down for the spinal stimulator and the only pain management doctor here does not believe in any narcotics for fibromyalgia; even though I have osteoarthrits, and other issues also adding to the pain. After 15 years of narcotics working great on the pain, these new medications I'm on now, like Lyrica, Ultram and Arthotec don't lower the pain enough and are very costly. I had a friend with like problems tell me he "makes" his own pain medication from the opium poppies he grows discretetly. His Dr. gives him Lortab and Soma, but it isn't strong enough when the pain really flares up and he told me this "home grown" has given him almost complete freedom from the really bad pain and only has to take a portion the size of a BB shot ( dried liquid from the poppy head rolled into a small ball in his hands ). I'm very reluctant to try this, as its illegal here and while my tolerance to narcotics is high after being on them from 1991 to 2006, I'd be weary of taking something like this, even if it were legal here. I use heat packs, a cuddleewe mattress topper, massagers, do my stretching exercises and everything I know to do and still live in so much pain its hard to do almost everything I need to do. I've tried some vitamins and supplements with limited sucess, but maybe some of you know of something I can try ( chiropractic didn't help either ). Thanks, Inspectorgadget1956


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I'll search, while you Cool wait.

Here are treatment recommendations from the Mayo Clinic.  I hope something in the list helps to alleviate your pain.

Fibromyalgia

 

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Treatment

In general, treatment for fibromyalgia includes both medication and self-care. The emphasis is on minimizing symptoms and improving general health.

Medications
Medications can help reduce the pain of fibromyalgia and improve sleep. Common choices include:

  • Analgesics. Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) may ease the pain and stiffness caused by fibromyalgia. However, its effectiveness varies. Tramadol (Ultram) is a prescription pain reliever that may be taken with or without acetaminophen. Your doctor may recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) — such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or naproxen sodium (Anaprox, Aleve) — in conjunction with other medications. NSAIDs haven't proved to be effective in managing the pain in fibromyalgia when taken by themselves.

  • Antidepressants. Your doctor may prescribe antidepressant medications such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline (Pamelor) or doxepin (Sinequan) to help promote sleep. Fluoxetine (Prozac) in combination with amitriptyline has also been found effective. Sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil) may help if you're experiencing depression.
    Some evidence exists for a newer class of antidepressants known as serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors or dual uptake inhibitors, which regulate two brain chemicals that may transmit pain signals. Studies have found that duloxetine (Cymbalta) may help control pain better than placebo in people with fibromyalgia. Small trials of venlafaxine (Effexor) suggest the same, though more study is needed to confirm these findings.
  • Muscle relaxants. Taking the medication cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) at bedtime may help treat muscle pain and spasms. Muscle relaxants are generally limited to short-term use.
  • Pregabalin (Lyrica). Pregabalin may reduce pain and improve function in people with fibromyalgia. Pregabalin, an anti-seizure medication that's also used to treat some types of pain, is the first drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat fibromyalgia. Studies show pregabalin reduced signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia in some people. In one study, about half of the participants taking the highest doses of the drug reported at least a 30 percent improvement. Side effects of pregabalin include dizziness, sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, blurred vision, weight gain, dry mouth, and swelling in the hands and feet.

Prescription sleeping pills, such as zolpidem (Ambien), may provide short-term benefits for some people with fibromyalgia, but doctors usually advise against long-term use of these drugs. These medications tend to work for only a short time, after which your body becomes resistant to their effects. Ultimately, using sleeping pills tends to create even more sleeping problems in many people.

Benzodiazepines may help relax muscles and promote sleep, but doctors often avoid these drugs in treating fibromyalgia. Benzodiazepines can become habit-forming, and they haven't been shown to provide long-term benefits.

Doctors don't usually recommend narcotics for treating fibromyalgia because of the potential for dependence and addiction. Corticosteroids, such as prednisone, haven't been shown to be effective in treating fibromyalgia.

Cognitive behavior therapy
Cognitive behavior therapy seeks to strengthen your belief in your abilities and teaches you methods for dealing with stressful situations. Therapy is provided through individual counseling, classes, and with tapes, CDs or DVDs, and may help you manage your fibromyalgia.

Treatment programs
Programs that combine a variety of treatments may be effective in improving your symptoms, including relieving pain. These interdisciplinary programs can combine relaxation techniques, biofeedback and receiving information about chronic pain. There isn't one combination that works best for everybody. Your doctor can create a program based on what works best for you.

 

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Visit The Inquiring Eye at http://www.theinquiringeye.com

Little Known Fact: The poppy seeds in the supermarket spice aisle grow to produce opium poppies. Grow them and save the pods for tea. Takes the edge off.

 

I too have it and this is what I do to become pain free AND SYMPTOM FREE. 

First understand that Fibromyalgia is a name which means widespread symptoms of unknown origin.  In other words, the medical profession has no idea what is causing it but symptoms are consistent from patient to patient.

I was found to have lethal levels of yeast {candida} in my blood causing widespread symptoms typical of Fibromyalgia. A book called "The Yeast Connection" offers a "self test" to help you determine if yeast is part of your problem. If you are a woman, it is highly likely that it's a problem for you.  You can do a Candida cleanse from a health food store. My levels were so high that I took an Rx (Sporanox) for 3 months and improved symptoms by 75%.

Now for the pain. If you go to ProCapsLabs dot com, they have a product called Glucosamine and Chondroitin.  Since the pain is typically associated with barometric pressure changes, the best help is with arthritis/rheumatic treatments. Start with 4 pills a day as recommended.  It only took 2 weeks for this product to totally turn things around for me. The products they have are far superior to others on the market because there are no additives whatsoever in any supplements so there is a far higher rate of absorption.  Since I started taking these supplements, I now have no pain - unless, of course, I forget to take them  :<)))

Last but not least, get proper sleep!!!  Your body can't heal itself if it is deprived of sleep!!!  I hope this helps.. God Speed my friend!!

 
1 helpful answer

I have found the answer to my degenerating spine. Like you I have suffered year after year. My answer is Mila. It costs me less then $2.00 a day to take one scoop in my favorite juice. Or I can cook with it. I swear by Mila. You have to go online to order it a package at the time. http://terrelanep.lifemax.net 

Mila is not  medicine!

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