Finally! A diagnosis!

I've been in pain for so long, I'm almost glad to have the diagnosis! At least now my doctor will treat me instead of just the various symptoms. I know it seems that I'm happy that I have fibro, but I'm not. It's just good to have someone who will listen and treat me for this!

Will your PCP continue to give you the lortabs for long term use? Many PCP's won't give narcotics other than for acute issues. I think lortabs are a narcotic, let me know if I'm wrong. If not, you may need to start looking for a PM doctor in the future. Just a heads up.

Glad to hear you finally got a diagnosis, knowing something is better than the unknown.

Tammy,
I agree it is a relief to get a diagnosis and at least you and your doctors have something to work with! And although we have a fibro forum on HW, many members (including some of our moderators!) post on both forums, so I hope you won't leave us, too! At least not completely!

I take neurontin - 400mg, 4X/day. I don't know how it will be for you, but for me I had to work my way up slowly. My neurologist initially had me starting at 300mg/day for 3 days, then doubling that for 3 days, and then 300mg/3X a day within a week. No way did that work out for me! There can be some initial side effects of the neurontin for some, but many will smooth out over time. If my cousin, who's a pharmacist, hadn't helped me out I would have been out of it from the neurontin! I actually had to ask my doctor for the 100 mg tablets for awhile, and I went up that slowly. So I just want you to know you have lots of choices on how to start on that med, and don't be suprised if you have some tiredness and a few other side effects. I also got some blurry vision, but it went away after a few weeks. If it turns out your doctor is moving you up too much too fast, just ask if you can ease into the dose more.

That being said, although I know neurontin has taken some edge off my mental clarity, I also know if I'm late on a dose becaues the numbness and tingling in my feet just screams at me!

I hope this doesn't scare you - not meant to - just to let you know you have options on how to ease into the neurontin. And it can be a very helpful medication!

Let us know how it goes!

Hugs,

PaLady

J'smomma,
I'm glad that you found out what you are dealing with, I don't work well in the dark and at least with it out there you know how to fight. That being said...I'm sorry you have to deal with fibro and hope everything they are doing will help. Take care I care.

Tammy,

I has to be such a relief to at least know what you are fighting. Now with a great doc you can work on how to life your life with quality and dignity.

Keep us posted!
Chutz

punchfit,

It's nice to meet you! Hello to you as well!

My doctor says that the pain in my back/shoulders/neck are attributed to the Fibro. It's all in the muscles and has been very painful. I've only been taking the narcotic meds (Lortab) since I was diagnosed yesterday. It seemed to help a bit last night When I was trying to get to sleep, but I kept waking up every couple of hours for no reason. The med seems to make me more awake. I've taken this med in the past but didn't know it was the same one. I knew that Vicodin kept me awake, and now that I know Lortab is the same thing (thank you straydog for that info) I will be more careful to not take it close to bedtime.



Thanks for all your replies! Have a great day!

Tammy

Apparently there is no specific test to diagnose Fibro. What I did was print out a pain journal (you can find a link to one on the Fibro 101 thread) and filled it out for the 2 weeks before my appt. I had to give a number 1-10 for how severe the pain was, where it was located, what I was doing when the pain started, what meds I took for it, and how many hours I had slept that night. I also made a list of my symptoms, as well as a list of ways the pain affected my life. It helps the doctor to know what you can no longer do because of the pain. So after she read through all that, she did the tender point test on me. She just pressed on various parts of my body and asked if it hurt. Some places did, some didn't. Then she said that since I had just had a full blood work done 3 weeks ago, she didn't need to do one again. Basically after ruling out everything else, and that I was tender to the touch in those Fibro points, she diagnosed me with Fibro.

You said that your doctor attributes everything to DDD and such. Does you back only hurt in the middle, on the spine? Or are you having muscle pain on the sides? There's no way that muscle pain can be attributed to diseases of the spine! Is your neck pain and shoulder pain on the bone, or the muscles? If it's the muscles, I would specifically tell your doctor that. If he still says it's the DDD and other things, ask him how that's possible. I would keep asking questions until you get some answers.

I took the Neurontin for the first time last night, and it made me VERY sleepy. I hope that I can build some sort of tolerance to it since I will have to start taking it during the day in a couple of weeks. I haven't noticed any difference in the pain yet, but I'm sure it will take more than one dose to take effect.

You may want to ask your doctor for an x-ray to rule out bone spurs and that may be what's causing your problems. If it's not, then at least you know! Diagnosing Fibro, from what I've gathered, is basically ruling out all other things, because if it's not those other things, it must be Fibro! That's what I've been told anyway.

I wish you luck in finding out what's going on with you! Thanks for your response to my thread! If you want to talk more, my email addy is on my profile.

Tammy

That's what I'm worried about PAlady, I have a 2 year old here at home that I'm responsible for all day while my DH works. It won't work for me to be really sleepy during the day. So I may have to talk to my doctor about going slower than she has originally prescribed. I'm supposed to take 300mg at night for 7 days, then 600mgs (1 pill twice daily) for 7 days, the 900mgs (1 pill 3x daily) from then on until I see her again in 6 weeks. That seems too quick to me, but I'll have to see how it goes. Thanks again for the heads up on this!

Tammy

Jadensmommy

So sorry to read you have Fibro. But like you said you thought that was it was and finally have a name for it.  I have had it now for 10 yrs and still have not accepted it yet.  It is complicated bizarre condition to have to live with. 

It sounds like you have a good doctor.  It takes a while to find the right meds for the different symtoms you have then guess what the symptom change a bit.  Like I said weird things.

Lately with this current flare I have been experiencing more fatigue and dizziness than before.

I hope you many painfree days ahead of you and esp to enjoy with your child.

Gentle Hugs

Rhonda

Jag,
I have the similar side effects which I think are mostly from the neurontin. I know I'm just not mentally as sharp as I once was. I can be from time to time, in spurts, but not consistently. That's something I grieve, but like you I find the neurontin very helpful and needed.

PaLady

Tried Lyrica but it caused such vivid scary nightmares that even my husband wanted me off it.

Tammy,
That's a good idea. I always started increased doses right before the weekend, too. That way I could just stay home and get used to it a bit.

It's a drug you've got to be patient with, IMHO - at least that's been my experience. But nonetheless it does help my symtoms significantly.

PaLady