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Posted 8/3/2008 5:24 AM (GMT 0)
hi everyone i finally got my meds changed i was on 1200mg of neurontin 3x a day but that was not touching my pain so now my rheummy put me on tramadol it seems to help much better but she wants me to continue the flexeril but i don't like the way i feel when i wake up i told her about itbut she said to still take it . i work for rite aid in the distrubution warehouse and have to be in work by 6 am taking flexeril makes it hard .i don't know if you can collect ssi for fibromyalgia and degeneritive disc disease if any one knows let me know i find it hard to drive sometimes
Posted 8/3/2008 1:34 PM (GMT 0)

merfy5 said...
hi everyone i finally got my meds changed i was on 1200mg of neurontin 3x a day but that was not touching my pain so now my rheummy put me on tramadol it seems to help much better but she wants me to continue the flexeril but i don't like the way i feel when i wake up i told her about itbut she said to still take it . i work for rite aid in the distrubution warehouse and have to be in work by 6 am taking flexeril makes it hard .i don't know if you can collect ssi for fibromyalgia and degeneritive disc disease if any one knows let me know i find it hard to drive sometimes

Hi Merfy5.  I'm almost too sleepy to answer this post.  I overdid it again yesterday nono .  I know that some people cannot work at all with fibro and some are on ssi but I don't know the criteria for it or the process to go about getting it.  Somewhere I read about how to get help with that--it may even have been on this forum but I can't remeber.  What time do you take the flexeril and how many mg?  I take 10 mg at night but I take it pretty early in the evening so it is not so difficult to wake up.  However, the hour you have to get up is just not natural.  That's just wrong! :-)   I can't even imagine.  There are other things you can take during the day to boost your energy too.  I would try taking the flexeril earlier so that it wears off by morning.  Good luck.

Holly

Posted 8/3/2008 1:42 PM (GMT 0)
Merfy5,

This probably is not good advice but when I was taking flexeril (same dose) I had the same problem and my children were little then, I cut the pills in half. I had relief from my muscle spasms without the hangover from the flexeril. I was desperate because I needed to be awake during the day and I needed relief from the pain and my doctor just wasn't listening to me. Like I said, I'm not sure that cutting them in half is a good plan but it did work for me.

I hope you find relief soon!

Meggie
Posted 8/3/2008 2:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Merfy and welcome to our family. Holly and Meggie both have some good advice on the flexeril. The only pills you can't cut is slow release ones as far as I know. I do it all the time, especially when starting a new med.

 

We are all so different when it comes to meds, the tramadol doesn't seem to do anything for me.

 

What side affects have you had from the neurontin???

 

Read the fibro 101 thread, second thread on first page. There is a great deal of info in it.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 8/3/2008 3:39 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Merfy5,

I worked until I wasn't able to stand up any longer. I would get sooo exhausted, then the room would spin,and I would become so nauseous (break out in a cold sweat) that I had to sit down. I was diagnosed in 1993 and I managed to work until 2002 by taking far too many pain meds. I even took a 6 week break from work hoping that would help. It didn't.

I am on ss disability because of my fibro. I have no other diagnosis. The hardest part about applying for disability is that you have to go 6 months without income and then it takes almost another 6 months until you see any money. If you are like I was, there is nothing else you can do. I was denied the first time and had to have a hearing, the hearing includes an occupational therapist who asks you if you could do various things. It is not bad at all. If I would have known, I could have saved myself a couple of miserable years!

 

Bev

Posted 8/3/2008 3:40 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Merfy, and welcome!  I'm so glad you joined us! 

 

I tried Tramadol and it put me to sleep immediately so I don't take it.  I'm glad it is working for you.  Maybe you could rearrange your meds and take them at different times and  you might not be so sleepy.  You should talk to your doctor about it.  He/she may be able to help you.

 

Sherrine

Posted 8/3/2008 4:42 PM (GMT 0)
 

Sherrine,

 

I too take tramadol for pain. It is not working very well right now...but I am not ready to take the trip to opioid land again and I am told that there is nothing else stronger than tramadol to take. It's funny, when I take my tramadol, I must not take it after 4pm or else I can't sleep at night.

 

Nothing about this disease makes sense. Do you ever think that this may be the way each of our individual bodies react to stress? I know when I have a flare, I can't get past it until I sort out what stressed me out to cause the flare, then I meditate until I get past it and my mind is strong again.

 

Today I feel like I am teetering on the edge of having a flare. I feel weak, even my voice seems weak. I am mildly nauseous and my whole body feels like it is on fire. Every muscle is burning. I have had 5 good weeks. I hate when the good ends and it is back to this xxxx we live with. I do tend to value and enjoy the good health days that I have now-I don't take them for granted anymore!

 

I think that I am going to meditate and relax today. Maybe I can avoid this flare.

 

 

Bev

Posted 8/3/2008 4:59 PM (GMT 0)
Bev, I don't take narcotics.  I'm taking malic acid/magnesium supplements and they have really helped me.  I still have pain but it's managable using ibuprofen (with food) and Tylenol.  I'm not having to take as much as I did before the malic acid.  Check out the thread about it.  It may be worth it to try that.  Check with your doctor or pharmacist first.  There shouldn't be any interactions, since both malic acid and magnesium are found in the foods we eat...just not at the levels the supplements have.

 

Hope you can fend off a flare!

 

Sherrine

Posted 8/3/2008 6:17 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Merfy,

I found a site that is about crohns, but has a lot of information about fibromyalgia and getting disability, You might want to check it out. The site is www.wearecrohns.com  and I think that it might be of help to you.

hugs, Karen...
Posted 8/3/2008 11:56 PM (GMT 0)
 

Sherrine,

 

In fact I have read your post about malic acid/magnesium several times and have wanted to ask you some questions, but usually many people are trying to get your attention. The worst part about my fibro has been the devastating nausea. I was able to work with pain as long as I had medication. The nausea just floors me. It will hit me without warning. I'll be so dizzy that I cannot stand...sometimes I'll sleep for days.

There is a point to this, I'm not looking for pity. Right now I take Cymbalta,Lyrica,Tramadol,& Xanax. I feel as good as I have felt for 15 years...but the pain is there constantly, but I am afraid to add anything new because then I might be nauseus again. Should I take the chance? Should I just be content with the improvement that I have had or try to feel even better when it all might make me feel worse? I don't know anymore.

I did rest all afternoon and meditated. Sometimes the meditation helps most of all. yeah

Bev 

Posted 8/4/2008 6:34 AM (GMT 0)
Bev- I am glad you are doing better and I can understand your frustration/fear about the nausea returning. This is not something that I deal with frequently, but when I encounter it, it hits me hard and bad things happen as a result. Has your doc ever prescribed Zofran [Ondansetron]- it is a med for nausea and vomiting, used with chemo or flu, things that may bring bad nausea. I have some on hand for emergencies, when one hits I begin on it right away. Look it up, give it some thought, and perhaps talk with your doc about this and the flexeril- others have suggested taking that at an earlier time. Good luck, I hope you work all this out and feel much better soon! Great idea about meditating- good for you!
Peace!
Posted 8/4/2008 2:09 PM (GMT 0)
Bev, I found it interesting what you said about stress and sorting things out until you find the stressor. I do a lot of self analysis and had a thread on it a while back. I go through every aspect of my life til I hit on what I'm stressing about. Stress causes us pain and anxiety. I can not handle stress like I use to and it affects my whole body.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 8/4/2008 5:02 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Bev!  I looked up both malic acid and magnesium and neither had nausea as a side affect.  Why don't you talk to your doctor and pharmacist to make sure there would be no interaction with your medication.  I did that before I started taking the supplements.  My doctor thought I would be wasting my time and money.  I asked him, point blank, if it could hurt me.  He rolled his eyes and said it wouldn't.  So I gave it a try and it has helped me and my doctor was wrong.

 

If you decide to try it, start out very slowly.  See if it affects you negatively.  As you know, you have to work up to the dosage that will give you help.  Just do it slowly.  Remember, malic acid and magnesium is found in food and you eat it every day....just not as much.  So, it just might not bother you at all.

 

By the way, don't ever hesitate to ask me anything.  You can ask me here or email me.  Just click on the little envelope under my name on the left of the post.  I check my email every day (unless I'm on a vacation) and respond whenever necessary.  I'm here to help you.  Have a good day! 

 

Sherrine

Posted 8/4/2008 6:12 PM (GMT 0)
Bev, since last Oct I have had a horrible time w/ nausea, basically everyday. My pcp gave me one prescription and it helped to a degree but I felt it was getting more severe. She finally gave me Reglan and it has been wonderful. I usually chew mint gum or drink ginger tea to see if that will help, but if not, I bring out the big guns (Reglan) and it works quickly for me. I get dizzy, sweaty, yuk! I need to lay down fast. Maybe you could ask your dr. about that, it may help you. Hope something does.  God bless.  Alice.

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