Hey Jo! Just wanted to chime in here as a vote for marijuana. I used to use it recreationally once or twice a month, and realized that I would do things while high that I can't normally do (sit through a whole movie without squirming in pain, walk to kwik trip and back for snacks, have way better sex partly because of the high, and partly because of the ability to move better, etc.) and started actually experimenting with it by smoking on nights when I was in a lot of pain to see how it worked. While it doesn't kill my migraines, it helps *immensely* with my fibro pain. It turns the intense pain into just intense *sensation*...kind of like how you can eat something really cold and get a brain freeze, but the marijuana lets you experience the really cold sensation *without* the pain of the brain freeze...
It's truly been amazing, and I'm fully planning on moving to a state that has legalized medical marijuana.
All that having been said, I never smoke between getting up and going to work, and I never do things like babysit or medicate my cats or important, responsible things like that when high.
If you have the chance to try it, I say go for it, and see if it works. It's just a less industrialized form of all the prescription medications I'm on, and it's more pleasurable than all those shitty side effects from the prescipts...*and*, it helps with nausea! Bonus!
Hi Carliec: I live in Ontario also - Windsor. Since I did mention the Cymbalta sweating to you, I don't want to disillusion - you but I had the darn sweats all winter too!
Which is even worse because having people see you sweating in minus degree weather just adds to the weird thoughts they have about us fibros! Best wishes. Jo
Just putting it out there. Had an appt with my doc. Asked for some pain meds to take as needed since I also found out I har a herniated disc. He wrote them but said to take them as sparingly as possible as pain meds lower your threshold for pain and that is the opposite of what you want for fibro patients.
Oh, that's interesting, Willow! Maybe that's why people complain that they work less and less well after a while.
Seems like there is no real solution to the pain.
I have to say, after going through a flare last week and again today, I totally get where Jo's coming from. Pain-free. Just some days that are pain-free. Clean, clear sleep. No pain....siiiiiiiigh.
I can see that. My big fear is that if I have to have any kind of surgery, it will be important to tell surgeon that I have been taking pain pills. I think that is what my doctor was trying to warn be about - that I may have to be given stronger anesthetic to put me out. Does it never end?!!?
I take pain meds (vicodin) as I cannot take Lyrica and have had a horrendous reaction to an SNRI (had to be hospitalized) in the past, so Cymbalta is also not an option for me. I see a (chronic) pain specialist for this every few months, and I think he is on the pain medicine advocacy board, etc...
I naturally have a resistance with anesthetics; my mom & brother do as well, so for me it is a hereditary thing I suppose. I have had it for as long as I can recall. I had to tell the surgeon who took my wisdom teeth out not 2 years ago about this issue and they gave me extra anesthetic; I had no problems but understand your concerns.
I'm sure the surgeon has had many patients on opiate/opiate-type painkillers in the past; I would imagine/hope he would be very skilled in monitoring dosage on the anesthetic in relation to your dose in this matter! If it makes you feel more comfortable, simply come right out & ask the surgeon what his past experience with this sort of situation is--I surely wouldn't hesitate to ask that question!!
Keep your chin up, we do the best we can, and for me I have found the best 'me' is the one who is NOT miserable in almost unbearable pain -- that is one of the biggest reasons I chose to see the pain specialist and knew he was on board with pain medicine to begin with.
My Dr told me on Friday that she actually believes any kind of pain meds actually can make the pain worse?!? And that now I have to stop taking the 5/325mg of vicoden that I only take 3 times a day. I started cymcalta and she increased my Gabapentin to 900mg per day and adding 300 in two weeks. I’m not sure Whsts the best method. I informed her of my opinion and did get a referral to a pain management clinic. I’m much like you and completely over it