Sick & tired of being sick & tired

Preliminary dx of fibro last month, I go back to the rheumy tomorrow to get blood work results, but I'm not expecting anything different. No inflammation, mild degenerative disc disease, no rashes.
I had a sudden onset of pain in my wrists late August and it moved into muscles, elbows, knees & feet.

Anyway, last month the rheum started me on gabapentin. One week 100mg 3x a day, then 300mg 2x a day. I'm on day 9 of the elevated dosage and I don't feel any different at all.

Today I'm having a bad day. We won tickets to see ZZ Top on Saturday, but it was just general admission, meaning no seating. I was apprehensive, but decided to try & go instead of staying home feeling sorry for myself. Luckily, a security guard, for some random reason, upgraded us to the reserved seating area and we got to see the show third row from the stage. I was there in the chilly weather from 5-12. I was one huge cramp by the time we left, but it was a great show. Then today my SIL invited everyone over for dinner. Screaming kids, chaos, my 19 month old joining in... I'm worn out. Now everything just hurts & feels bruised. I know i need to learn my boundaries, it's just so hard to come to grips with. I was hopeful the meds would do something, but I feel no different at all. I'm hoping the hydrocodone will take the edge off tonight, I need some relief.

I'm just venting here, I have no insight or real questions. Or maybe I do.... A girl I know told me to ask my doc about elavil or topamax because she had some good results from those. Any opinions?

She said to ask for ambien, flexeril for the stiff days and zeleflex (something like that) for spasms when needed. Right now I rely on klonopin for the anxiousness & it's muscle relaxant qualities when needed, and major days are medicated with 2-3 hydro 5/325's with a benedryl chaser. I seem to have a high tolerance to meds. The impression i got from the rheum is that he is not a fan of narcos, and being without them as a back up scares me, even if they only seem to work 50% of the time. I hope i can also keep my klonopin too.. It can cut my anxiousness but leave me alert enough to work. It's not often but when I need it, it's a blessing. Otherwise, I end up with a stiff jaw from clenching it like yesterday (city traffic kills me).

My friend also recommended vit c, krill oil, probiotics and Epsom salt soaks. I bet ahot tub would do me good... Too bad insurance won't buy me one of those! She said to resist lyrica & cymbalta if I can, she said she just could not work on those two...she was dumb and totally non-functional. I feel that way now:( I still fear losing my job & being useless to my family & daughter.
So sorry for the long post, I just needed to clear my head.

Yes, we are here for you, Sapoho. It is an overwhelming balancing act we go through to find what works for us, and even when we do, our situation keeps changing, so it's never-ending!

We can tell you our stories, but since we all react so differently to things, that can only help so much. It sounds like your doctor may not be the right one - (or maybe s/he is?) It's so important to have a good relationship there, with someone you trust.

I agree with Robin - breathing deeply and relaxing can help, heat can help, going the natural route as much as possible is my preferred way - but unfortunately, I haven't been able to get by without drugs. Someday, I hope to...

I'm actually on several of the same ones you are - Gabapentin (1200 mg at night), Clonopin (.25 at night), Hydrocodone 5/325, 3X. Also Nortriptyline (30 mg at night), which is very similar to Amitriptyline. By the way, my doctor says that Gabapentin and Lyrica are basically the same drug, but G. is a lot cheaper....and what I've read on line pretty much concurs.

Please don't ever feel that your post is too long! That's why we're here...we all help eachother when we post our experiences. It gives us a comparison and new ideas. That's what's so great about this forum.

I hope you got some relief tonight.

Debbie

Oh gosh. I'm so sorry! I know your pain :( I'm going to a specialist tomorrow to hopefully switch off of Cymbalta which worked for awhile, but then actually made me like 10x worse. I'm worried about school because I've had a long flare up which has made me so fatigued that I literally couldn't get up in the mornings. Do you guys experience any sensitivity to sound? Certain sounds trigger a flare up so bad that I feel like I got run over by a semi truck... I'm just wondering if I'm the only one.

It may just be that it's my hands or maybe I'm not using enough. I'm not giving up!

I saw the little plastic thing showing the dosage and I'm not using that much.
The rubber gloves would be a great idea but not practical at work. I'll give that a try at home or in the mornings before work! Thanks!

I just used some of the gel a bit ago - closer to the prescribed amount - & some of my hand pain has eased up. I bet the glove trick will prove to help even more.

I;m trying to get to the TOUGH mind set, but it's a bit difficult right now. No one really understands yet and it's just so difficult to scale back from what I used to do. Even though today was a moderate pain day, I still went with the group to trick or treat with my daughter. I sat out her first Halloween last year because I was sick and really wanted to go this year. I will be paying for that decision for the next day or two I am sure.
I've taken two flexeril (one at 8:30, another at 10) so far and I feel nothing at all. Muscles are still twitching, tight & aching. I may as well have taken a vitamin pill. I have always had a high tolerance to pain killers & relaxers, it really sucks. I'm always afraid if I tell my doc what he prescribes is useless at those doses they'll think I'm just after drugs.