I am so done!

General
1

Everyone, I am so done with this pain affecting my life and have decided to throw in the towel and live on pain pills. I want a life! And if the pain pills will allow that, I am for it. I take a low dose percocette once a day that gives me 4 to 6 hours of relief and allows me to do normal things like go shopping, get the house cleaned, actually run up and down stairs, even exercise on a treadmill, be able to do things with family and friends, etc.

I am refusing to spend my life laying around moaning. I talked to my doctor and she told me that she is not worried that I will get addicted but that there is the risk of becoming 'dependent'. Well, I am willing to take that risk because it is better than the alternative. My doctor actually checks how many pills I have left when renewing my prescriptions in order to assure herself I am not taking more than I should. They certainly can't cause any worse health problems than all the other drugs I've I had to take under the guise of treating fibro. Have you read all the side effects and warnings for the prescriptions we all have been taking over the years. Scary!

How many times have we been told that there is no cure and barely any successful treatment for fibro. So why keep beating my head against the wall when I can take the unpopular route of taking pain pills that allow me to have a life, albeit it may be a little more dangerous. And maybe even shorten my life. What life??!! I would rather a fewer years where I am happy and able to function normally than live a long life that is full of pain and uselessness.

I am now on Cymbalta and Lyrica which helps a little and I don't want to keep trying different medicines that put me at risk of having strokes, heart attacks, causing the sweats etc. I am tired of the experimenting to see what works. I am so done!

Not prescribing this for anyone else but me. I do test myself often to see if I can go a day or two without the pain pill. Those days I have to lay around moaning and whining! Well, everyone, I guess I am done venting. (For now)

2

It's sure tempting. I was thinking the same thing about Ibuprofin, as it helps with the pain much more than Lyrica does. But I've had stomach ulcers so am not supposed to take the damned Ibuprofin. Plus have to be sure not to overstress the liver with this stuff.

Yes, it's tempting. One question, though. Isn't dependent the same thing as addicted? And if you get addicted, mighten you end up in a worse state? I don't know the answer to that, just playing Devil's advocate.

I surely understand the reasoning behind your idea. There seems to be no happy medium for this cursed illness. I just hope that if you follow this route that you don't become dependent and have more on your plate to deal with.

I agree, the side effects of the drugs we take are concerning, no question about it. And quality of life can really suck.

Can't add anything more to that, other than be careful with yourself.

3

Glad you did get the chance to vent and I know exactly where you are coming from. It’s tiring just being in constant pain, as we all know well. My husband made a joking comment the other week that with the technology now and what’s to come he can live to well over a hundred and all I could think about was that I didn’t want to live that long if it was going to be live of never ending pain. Now grant it I’m never going to do anything to end my own life, especially cause of my little ones, but I really can’t imagine and don’t want to think what it’s going to be like when I’m really old.

4

Based off what the rheumatologist I saw at Cleveland Clinic said, pain pills will never successfully and completely manage fibromyalgia pain. It might ease it up some or take the edge off but it's never going to totally take the pain away (even for the duration of the pill). His explanation was that the way pain pills operate, they are made to function on the normal mechanisms of pain and unfortunately fibromyalgia is not a normal mechanism of pain. This is why (and not necessarily the addiction factor) that it is not common as a one track treatment for the disease. As pain pills are a common treatment for other types of chronic pain.

Now, you must be realistic in realizing that any medication can come with side effects. And the medications FDA indicated for fibromyalgia had to have more than barely successful to be approved. And just because something isn't FDA indicated for fibromyalgia, doesn't mean they don't see success in using it as a treatment, so don't limit yourself to just the 3 that are. Back to side effects, Percocet has the possibility of causing all sorts of heart and circulation issues as well as lung problems. The tylenol in it can cause liver issues/damage. Along with the more common stuff of nausea, vomiting, weakness, etc.

5

Oh how I can relate, I too want to have a bit of peace from the pain which never seems to let up. I am barely walking, I am starting to seeze up so I too take Lyrica and a number of other meds not percoset yet but that will be my next drug.I do wish excercise would help I have tried , but I keep doing very light exercises so that I can keep moving a bit. I am 68 years old and finally they diagnosed me 20 years ago, even though I was told it was in my head.

I feel that I want some quality of life and if meds are the answer then so be it!

6

Oh Jo...

I am so right there with you. I take so may medicines to relieve firbo pain and they just don't cut it. I have been thinking a lot about the fact that I'm only 42 and I am so tired of fighting and being in pain 24 hours a day. It is more than I can take.

I have a rx for Vicodin. When I take my Vicodin, I feel like a "normal" person. I can go to the grocery, clean the house and do whatever I want or need to. However, I am instructed by my doc to not take them everyday. And I don't.

She prescribes me enough per month that I could take them everyday but I don't. I want to earn her trust. Her office can all anytime and want me to bring my bottle in to see how many pills I have. I am 100% willing to do that.

I have also been thinking of marijuana. Wanting to give that a shot maybe....

The difference between addiction and DEPENDENCE is that when you take a med that can cause dependence ( and most meds can regardless weather they are PAIN meds or not) your body will depend on them to do for you what they are supposed to do. If you stop taking that med, you will likely go into withdral symptoms.

Addiction is taking a prescribed med, then starting to take more than is prescribed, usually to get high, that will lead into drug seeking behavior and at that point, some will buy pills off the street. Some will steal to get there pills or run Dr's office scams. THAT IS ADDICTION.

I have been taking Klonopin for 10 years now, Yes my body is addicted to it but I never go and take more than I am prescribed....

I feel so lonely and depressed sometimes. I really don't know what else to do...

I see my Rheum Doc in August and I am going to have a major discussion with her. I just can't live like this because I am not living...

I want to be able to do things with my partner, I want to do things with my friends again. When I want to make plans to do something, that always has to be a Vicodin day!! I so miss fishing....

So, I can totally relate to you and I will speak to my doc about it.....

I am sending you a gentle hug....

Gemm

7

Its Suzy q whispering willow I went to my rheumatilogist yesterday a d he said the same thing because its the nerves causing the problem ive been prescribed naproxen and tramadol well see him in August hell add another one and he ordered 11 bloodtests because ive lost 11 lbs since janurary and the primary isn't sure why it could be my hypothyroid causing it or maybe celiac disease I'm waiting for the lab results I
Seeing one other Dr to rule that area out suzyq

8

Hypothyroid usually causes weight gain. HypERthyroid causes loss. Celiacs could definitely though.

9

THANK YOU for explaning this to me, Willow! I couldn't understand why none of the pain pills ever really touched the pain. Ibuprofin comes the closest, at least as a short-term solution. Everything else is just a lame attempt at covering up this never-ending pain. At least now I know why. Thank you for giving me that insight. I thought it was just me not seeing any real benefit to the pain meds. Guess not.

10

I didn’t know this either until Cleveland. Since it is a problem with the way we perceive pain and the way out nerves work then the normal methods don’t work very well. What all have you tried so far?

11

Tramadol, other NSAIDs, something with codeine, gabapentin, amyltriptiline...Nothing works. What about you?

12

give up processed foods, eat only organic with no preservatives. i went off all of my pain pills because they were affecting my personality, who i was, and i'm more depressed than i was before. i stopped eating the processed foods and now my pain is all but gone! DON'T GIVE IN TO PAIN KILLERS, nothing can really deaden our pain. nut taking the chemicals out of your system works really well for me.

13

Is it possible the excruciating pain is NOT caused strictly by fibromyalgia? For example, there may be other undiagnosed problems adding to the equation. I think it is hard to be 100% sure it is the fibro causing problems.

I feel a lot like Jo - I don’t want to lay around moaning. So if pain medications prescribed by a doctor are the only thing that takes the edge off, and I can live a productive life I am willing to accept the risk.

14

Oh, Sunny, you've got me! I've been around and around with doctors, trying to get a dx for the SI joint pain. One said it was the disk and he wanted to do fusion surgery. 4 other docs were horrified and said, "no way!" One doc said sciatica. Others say fibro. Now pain doc says osteoarthritis... Beats me! I just know it hurts like crud!

All i know is that only Ibuprofin cuts the pain some. Gabapentin did too for the 3-4 times I used it but gave me horrific headaches. Lyrica works a little tiny bit.

I can't argue with anyone for not wanting to lie around in pain. It ruins your life.

15

I feel the same way with my SI Joint and spine issues - so many opinions and so many doctors. So much pain!

I know that only pain medicine helps my SI /spine issues but only NSAIDs (Meloxicam) help my feet and hands.

Nothing helps muscle aches which I’m guessing is fibro. Frustrating!

16

Well so far as pain goes, Lyrica has been fantastic at managing my pain mostly. I still get stuff every now and then (like the pain that made me think I fractured my hand) but nothing pain pill or anything like that helps. Have you ever tried Neurotin? It's a lot like Lyrica. Also, how much Lyrica are you taking? The minimum Fibro therapeutic dose is 300mg a day with the max being 450mg. And I'm assuming you've tried the Cymbalta?

17

I take only 2 meds (I used to be worse when I took several meds) only when I need them. I take the lowest dose of hydrocodone and ambien. I have to take them when I have to work but I try not to take them when I don't work. My husband often begs me to take my pain pill because it's too painful for him to watch me suffer. I would tell anyone who is in as much pain as I am in to take it, too! However, I keep thinking, "Maybe I can get over this without it if I keep meditating and doing stretching...or watch a comedy." Sometimes nothing works and the pain gets worse to the point that I cannot move at all. So, I've learned that I should not try to tough it out too much. Same with sleeping pills. I tried many nights without it, ended up staying awake until 6-7am..

18

Willow, you are right, of course, pain pills are not a 'treatment' for chronic pain. They just 'relieve' the pain. I have never experienced nausea, vomiting and weakness from them so far. As far as the other problems, I am healthy otherwise and have constant check-ups to keep an eye on things. My doctor gives me a low dose that I take when I need to do something - like get to her office, for instance, - and she actually keeps count of how many I am taking and how often I need a prescription filled. So, I am one person who is willing to take the risk because I find that all the other medications are risky too and are not going to treat the pain either - so I might as well be risky with something that is allowing me to live my life normally once in a while. Or else, why bother? (I know I am sounding cynical and careless, but I am just darn mad at this illness).

19

Hi Vicky. You and I are the same age so maybe you can relate to my thoughts on giving up and just taking pain pills. I think it was last year when my 88 year old mother became ill and I had to move her in with me because she cannot walk on her own without a walker. She can walk - she is just 'afraid' to. She is healthier than me! When I began looking at how she sits around all day letting fear keeping her from living her life and how she is wasting away the final years of her life, I started to apply that to me. I figure I have maybe around 10 more years before I go senile, etc. so I decided to take pain pills so I can have a life before my life ends. I don't want to just exist - I want to live.

I am curious - when you say you can barely walk, is it because of the all over pain in your legs or is it pain in your feet? I can barely walk either and it is my feet that are in more pain than the rest of me first thing in the morning. I have to take a pain pill in order to get up and take care of my mother!

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Hi Gemm. So glad you explained the difference between the two. Oh, and thanks for reminding me! My husband suggested a while ago that I should try marijuana and I just shoved that suggestion off. But I am now thinking I just might. Won't hurt. Assuming I can find some!

And I am like you. If I know I have to do something with friends, family, etc. it has to be a Percocette day. It is awful having to plan your life around a pain pill. And I miss fishing too! My husband goes to Quebec for two weeks of fishing every year and of course I can't go because this darn illness. Well, maybe you and I will get back to it someday. Here's hoping.