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Fibromyalgia
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Posted 7/15/2012 8:59 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all

Ive just been diagnosed with FMS after seeing the second Rheumy this year.  He rx'd Gabapentin 300 mg per night but i think it takes 2 to 3 weeks to kick in.  So patience shalt be.  Im also taking Tramadol 50 - 100 mg daily which helps for few hours each dose.

As for my backache, the x-ray taken shows only slight degeneration of lower spine and nothin alarming at this point of time.  So if there's nothin wrong with the bones or disc, what else is causing the debilitating pain?

Do all Fibro sufferers have lower back problems?  Pain that comes when at rest, after sitting or standing still for some time, back can't straighten after bending over for a while?

Any input is much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Posted 7/15/2012 9:32 AM (GMT 0)
Went for PT 2 days ago and the therapist reported the results of the x-ray to me.  Appt with the Rheumy in 5 weeks' time.
Posted 7/15/2012 12:00 PM (GMT 0)
Did your rheumy do any blood work to check for inflammatory illnesses?  My back was killing me.  It was difficult for me to breathe and I couldn't get comfortable, no matter what positions.  The back pain was waking me and keeping me awake all night.  You can have this with fibo but there can be other causes too. 

 

Ibuprofen helped but shouldn't have helped that much since fibro isn't an inflammatory illness.  The x-rays showed that my spine was fine....so far....but the blood work showed very high rates of inflammation.  Coupled with my symptoms, I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis.  This affects the entire spine, including the neck.  If you only have the intense pain in the low back, maybe  you have sacroilitis.  I'm not a doctor and am just guessing but I do know I've most likely had ankylosing spondylitis for years...according to my rheumy...so this had been missed all these years!

 

I was put on a muscle relaxer called Robaxin and that has helped me sooooo much! 

 

Sherrine

Posted 7/15/2012 12:01 PM (GMT 0)
Oh that sounds typical of fibromyalgia. I hope that the tramadol and gabapentin work for you. Have you checked out "fibro 101" yet? It is the first thread on the forum. Please read there, I know it will be helpful information for you...

Take care, keep posting. I just got up so am not awake yet. I hope that you have a good day...

Back pain is typical. I have it mostly in the neck and shoulders at this point.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 7/15/2012 1:34 PM (GMT 0)
My back was horrible before meds. I used to wake up feeling like I had slept on a pull out couch and that bar was in my back all night! My shoulders and neck, my lower back, and if I bend down to brush my teeth especially on a bad day standing up is painful.

I still have these on meds but they aren't as bad everyday as they were.
Once your body adjusts to the meds you should have it a little less, and some days a lot less.
I take 150 mg of savella a day, 100 mg tramadol a day, 10 mg muscle relaxers as needed (but this past week started taking one in am and one pm and had more relief), 100 mg magnesium a day, and 25 mg DHEA a day
Posted 7/15/2012 2:13 PM (GMT 0)
The first Rheumy did a load of tests to rule out auto immune diseases and told me there's nothin wrong with me but just muscle aches.  That's why i look up another Rheumy who examined me and diagnosed FMS.  He sent me for PT and hope it can help my back.

Its so unfortunate of me to be allergic to Tylenol and NSAIDs so the only pain med i can take is Tramadol.  It helps sometimes.  Still searchin for the right med to treat my fibro pain though and shall see if this new doc can help.

Is sacroilitis an inflammatory disease too?

Posted 7/16/2012 1:35 AM (GMT 0)
Anything that ends in "itis" is an inflamation.
Posted 7/16/2012 1:53 AM (GMT 0)
I agree with the others. Low back pain is indicative of fibro, however it can also signal a plethora of other issues. If you've been fully checked for other issues, I'd say FMS would be the cause. My back burns like fire 24/7 in the hip/kidney area. In my situation, it is simply fibro and not another disease or condition.

I take gabipenten sometimes too. It took a few weeks to "kick in" when I started it because I started at a low dose and gradually moved up. It upsets my tummy, so my rheumy has me on a minimal daily dose and I can increase it if I feel a flair coming on. That way it stays in my system, and when I kick up the dose it works right away. Not suggesting anyone do that without consulting the doctor firs, those were just MY instructions my rheumy gave me. :)

I feel (part) of your pain with being allergic to some meds. I'm allergic to nsaid's but I am not allergic to tylenol based products. Thankfully, there seems to be more options for people like you who are allergic to both types.

Hopefully you can get relief! I feel for you!!

~Kristie
Posted 7/16/2012 4:15 AM (GMT 0)
People respond to meds differently so how much people need can vary considerably. That said 300mg once a day seems a pretty low dose. In my experience gabapentin works immediately if the dose is right. I've just gone back on it. The dr at the pain clinic has prescribed 300mg 3 times a day working up to 1,200mg 3 times a day over the next couple of weeks. I'm not going to increase it to 1,200mg x 3, that's a bit over the flipping top imo. The side effects could debilitate me as much as Fibro does lol.

I get terrible lower back pain. Doing exercises to strengthen my core muscles helps. As does not playing freecell obsessively for an hour or 2 and not changing position often enough! How sad am I?

I've discovered gabapentin doesn't help with every type of pain unfortunately. E.g. my foot pain which almost has me in tears some days is just as bad and I'm up to 2,400mg of gabapentin a day plus I take 100mg tramadol, ibuprofen and panadol (tyenol) every 8 hours. I hope it does the trick for your back pain tho. Keep us posted.

Meg
Posted 7/16/2012 7:48 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you so much for all your replies.

I agree that it will take time for Gabapentin to kick in and will consult my doc if he can increase the dose and get a patch or gel.  It also doesn't help for my wrist and shoulders tendinitis pain.  Anyway, i don't feel it workin as i take before bedtime and the first thing i feel when i wake up is the worse backache and depressing fatigue.

Unlike the typical who await the whole work week for the weekends to arrive, im one who dread most, so i hate weekends.  Time to be stress-free, work-free so be a couch potato but what i will enjoy is more pain and that's what i pay for rest.  How sad cry

The therapist said doin the stretching exercises she taught me can help with the backache.  Meg, do you think there's much improvement and will it relapse once stop? 

Posted 7/16/2012 2:17 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all

Ive got a new pain today.  Ribs from the side to the  back feels like my bra is tight but its not.  Now i recall when i had pain on my mid back, which comes and goes.  So now i understand that its all fibro paim on the ribs from front to the back.

What meds have worked so far for pain on rib muscles?

Posted 7/17/2012 4:03 AM (GMT 0)
Much improvement in back pain from doing exercises to strengthen core?
Posted 7/17/2012 6:19 AM (GMT 0)
Dori- it will take time to find that right med for you. It took me many years to come up with the right treatment plan for me. Sometimes I think I got it perfected and all of sudden my feet get pulled under me. Lol I finally got the pain under controlled with a med called subutex. It's long acting and it's not for everybody. You will see we all have different meds and reactions to them. The best thing we have going here is the wonderful support system. I have learned so much here that I have been able to share with my dr. all what I have learned. I hope you can get your pain under controlled. Heat is my biggest friend when coming to pain, especially around the ribs and back.
Posted 7/17/2012 1:38 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks.

Subutex isn't a narcotic?  Its under strict control in my country and have never heard patients with chronic pain have rx for this med.  Ive a friend who has Crohn's and she's been given Oxycontin by Pain Management.  If my Rheumy refer me to Pain docs, maybe there will be better managment for my pain.  Meanwhile, i'd wait for Gabapentin to take effect.

After all, its only one day at a time.

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