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Posted 1/27/2012 11:11 PM (GMT 0)
    I am newly diaganosed. Had to go from one doctor to another. Had neck surgery three weeks ago and still have fibro pain. My neroligest was surprised. He asked what my vitamen D level was. I had it checked last year by two different doctors and they said it was fine. He wants it done again. I go back to him in a month. After surgery I was on pain meds and was without pain for the first time in a year. I asked for more and he said to take tyenol. It don't work. what am I to do?  Another thin is do any of you have hot flashes? I have them severel times a day and night. I would appriciate any advice anyone has.
Posted 1/27/2012 11:20 PM (GMT 0)
Unfortuniatley most doctors feel they shouldn't prescribe narcotic pain medication for fibro, which I think is a bunch of !!! There are some days vicodin is the difference between staying in bed all day or being a functional human being. The best advice I could give you is find a pain management doctor who specializes in fibro and ask for a referrel to go see them. I would love all these doctors who don't take our pain seriously to spend a cold rainy day in our shoes and see what its really like.
Posted 1/27/2012 11:57 PM (GMT 0)
Pain medication for fibro is a tough subject. Dr's have to be careful because there are people like me that become easily dependent on them. I broke my neck and had to have my whole neck fused and fibro set in. The narcotics almost killed me. Then there are people who have no problems taking narcotics on a daily basis. It"s hard for dr's to decide who would become easily dependent. So they try to stay on the safe side writing scripts. Your better off getting a referral to pain management. This way they can easily write narcotics without the DEA all over them. They are still monitored closely by the DEA, but can write scripts with the right paper work. Hopefully you can find some relief from your pain soon. Life is so much better if our pain is under controlled. It's very frustrating for me at times because all my Dr's no my history. I sometimes get in severe pain and I am unable to get narcotics. I have learned other ways to cope with the pain.
Posted 1/28/2012 12:17 AM (GMT 0)
Hi there,

Depending on how many pain killers you were on, and how long you were taking them...those hot flashes might just be because you are going through a withdrawal. I just recently got off of my pain meds (1 vicodin a day for 2 1/2 months) and got major hot flashes day and night for several days...along with coughing, the runs, anxiety and back pain. Oh yeah...and restless legs at night.
Posted 1/28/2012 6:49 AM (GMT 0)
Dear neverthought,
I have extreme sweating upon doing any type of activity! It isn't hot flashes per se for me bc I've had those (plus I take estrogen) & they are totally different; hot flashes feel like u are burning up from inside out while the sweating I get just causes me to be soaked!
I'm sorry @the Dr not understanding the pain. I also have a Lupus-type diagnosis. Have u ever been tested for Auto-immune Disease (an ANA test)? It's an inexpensive test that could be the missing puzzle piece.
Hope u get relief soon! I know if they (Drs) were in pain, they'd certainly get it treated! Oh don't get me started! Soooo annoying! I wish u luck in getting rid of the pain! :)
Posted 1/28/2012 6:57 AM (GMT 0)
Also..when we first moved to ND I was already taking strong narcotics for pain (I'm 1 of the lucky ones that has no dependence issues) & I was told to go to the pain clinic here. The physician immediately told me he did not/would not prescribe an pain meds for Fibromyalgia even though my primary diagnosis is MCTD (Lupus-type) but the ***** didn't even know what that was! I immediately got in to see a Rheumatologist who has taken care of me ever sense (& prescribed my meds) and he called the pain clinic & gave them a big ear-full! I don't know if practice has changed but I pray for Fibro sufferers that it has!
Posted 1/28/2012 11:40 AM (GMT 0)
Good Morning Neverthought! wink

If you don't mind me asking,…..what sort of neck surgery did you have? I myself am looking at it in the near future.

Take care,

SE wink
Posted 1/28/2012 2:17 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you all for your concern. I had anterior fusion of c 5 and c 6. The surgery was a sussess and not to painful. I was only n the hospital over night. I was only on pain meds for about 5 days. I feel great other then the fibro pain. I am off work for about 3 months, so the pain of working isn;t there. I try to keep active, but this time of year theres not much to do. My arms and legs are always sore. Is that normal with fibro? What exatly is a flare? Dose it mean that you hurt more? I do hurt more when I am working. Is this all nomal?
Posted 1/28/2012 2:54 PM (GMT 0)
…I have an appointment on the 14th of Feb, with a surgeon, and I suspect he will want to do a fusion. My problem is in about the same as yours, but includes one more lower as well (c7)

I had a double lumbar fusion done back in March of 2010, and it is considered FBS now. I'm in constant pain from it, and we had a pain pump appointment planned until this latest thing with the cervical popped up!shakehead

Were glad to hear that your fusion turned out well, and I hope mine does too!

Good luck and it was nice to meet you! You are welcome to visit the Chronic Pain Forum anytine! We are just a nice over there! tongue


SE wink
Posted 1/28/2012 5:35 PM (GMT 0)
Neverthought, I'm glad you were pain-free on pain meds but you do have to be careful.  I take extremely low doses of Vicodin (2.5 mg) every six hours just to take the edge off the pain.  I haven't been pain-free in nearly 25 years.  I would have to take too much medication.

 

If you use narcotics, your body can become used to it and then you need more to achieve the same results.  That's why I'm taking just a tiny bit, along with extra strength Tylenol (no more that 4,000 mg a day), malic acid/magnesium supplements, vitamin D3 supplements, and a natural product called Curamin.  This is what keeps me on my feet...but not pain-free.  I just have learned how to be in control of my pain and I still have a wonderful life.

 

Sherrine

Posted 1/29/2012 1:20 AM (GMT 0)
I take baclofin which is a muscle relaxer and meloxicam which is for inflammation, the meloxicam is very hard on your liver so I have tests every 4 months to monitor that, but when I am on it, I don't need my pain pills (hydrocodone) as often, I usually only take one hydrocodone at night, but with the meloxicam I end up taking hydrocodone about 3 times a week. I recently went of the meloxicam just to see if it would make a huge difference, and oh yes, I had severe pain all day long, I still didn't take the hydrocodone any more than once at night, but I suffered big time. My mother was addicted to pain meds, so I am very careful with all meds that I take. I keep trying to "manage" without and finding more natural ways to deal with the fibro. But as my doctor keeps telling me (both my regular and rheumy) I should take the meds that I need in order to feel the best I can. With that said, I also weigh how much good versus how much bad each pill does to my body. This is "my" body, I get to choose what I put into it. Sorry- kind of got off the subject. Just had an ultra sound for my liver to make sure everything was ok, (it was) but they found a cyst on my kidney and did a ct scan. The results- Probably just a blood filled cyst, repeat test in one year. Probably?
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