Not new to pain, but I need help now!

Hello. I have sever chronic migraines and symptoms that I believe are fibromyalgia. I want to know if you people agree. This is what I'm giving to my RA. Keep in mind I am 19, almost 20.

Symptoms:

-Bad migraines pulsating and pounding coupled with neck pain. This has been progressively getting worse since age 7.
-Extreme lower back pain since age 15-16.
-When I am touched it is extremely sensitive and if pressure is applied to most parts of my body, it has a deep burning pain that's indescribable.
-I have ground down my teeth from clenching them due to pain from every reach, bend, etc. that I have to endure through the day.
-It hurts to sit, I don't get releif when I lay down
-My ribs are constantly sore and I have trouble bending and sitting
-Trouble swallowing sometimes, it feels like my throat is swelled
-I get no sleep at night because of the pain and pressure. I've tried three different matresses each supposed to be more comfortable and I still can't sleep.
-I am tired and fatigued all day because I am never rested.
-It is hard to work and I am losing hours and am afraid of losing my job.
-Tingling in my hands and feet that is very scary, sometimes worse than the actual pain. My limbs sometimes go numb. It is an almost daily occurance.
-Achey constantly. It hurts to do any thing besides lay in bed. Even laying in bed is painful in my hip and shoulders and head.
-Tightness in my head, neck top of back, and shoulders
-Aching joints
-Knees get very tender in the morning and worse throughout the day
-Diarrhea at least twice a week

This is how it effects my life:

-I have serious sleep issues, I'm always exhausted.
-I can't excercise, it's too painful. I used to love to go to the park and walk but I can't anymore.
-I have trouble concentrating at work, because of pain and fatigue and not getting any breaks.
-I wake up and feel like I got hit by a truck.
-I set my alarm and hour early, so I have time to properly wake up and deal with pain before getting out of bed.
-Taking showers causes horrible pain from bending, reaching, and moving a lot. If I take a shower it can make me exhausted for the whole day.
-I get panic attacks from the bad pain and from the tingling feelings in my limbs.
-I want to attend college but can't in this condition.
-I afraid of losing my job because I can't perform in pain.

Medications used in past:
Imitrex Pill/Nasal Spray - Worked well for first six months, lost effectiveness. Still using 100mg dose occasionally.
Voltarin - No effect, tried raising dose three times
Depekote - Bad reaction, gave me double vision
Amerge - No effect, made me feel dizzy
Celebrex - No effect, tried raising dose three times
Inderal - Made migraines much worse
Vistiril - No effect, just drowsiness
Torodol - Made me swell up, had to stop taking.
Maxalt - No effect even at raised doses
Vicodin - Helps for 2-3 hours but gave me a throbbing pain in my lower back.
Axert - Gave me frightening chest and shoulder pain
Lyrica - Gave me hives and peeling skin - I believe I am allergic
Relpax - Had identical effects to axert
Excedrine - Helps for 20-30mins, then get a worse migraine
Zomig - No effect even at raised doses
Relefan - No effect, then caused rash and had to stop use
Naproxen - Very minimal relief. Helps to use in conjunction with other treatments.
Midrin - No effect at high dose
Prednisone - Caused extreme agitation and moodiness worse than headache
Migranal - Caused extreme nausea, tried taking with a meal and was still very ill from it.
Fiorinol - Helped slightly, as much as naproxen.
Corgard - Extreme fatigue and tiredness throughout entire day.
Ativan - Helped at first, but after a month no effect, drowsiness.
Neurontin - No effect, drowsiness
Fexeril - Made me very dizzy had to stop taking it, didn’t help at all.
Elavil - No effect, tried two months of gradual dose raising
Tofranil - Made migraines worse
Cyclobenzaprine - Gave me dizzy spells no effect on migraine.
Tramadol - Didn’t help with pain and made migraines worse.
Percocet - Helped well for four hours with headache and back pain.
Aventil - Worsened migraines
Klonopin - Helps with nausea, no effect on migraine. Helps me sleep when I have bad migraines.
Adapine - Worsened migraines
Cardizem - No effect
Tenormin - Helped slightly, made me fatigued, lost effect after about a month.
Calan - Turned my skin red
Lopressor - Made migraines much worse, worse with higher doses.
Benadryl - Helps with vomiting, still occasionally use.

I've tried holistic, water, yoga, and acupuncture. This has been a problem my entire life but I never wanted to go on narcotic meds but I need to! How do I ask, and what should I expect? Thanks guys.

Emin....brain fog....I forgot to tell you that for the worst of my migraines, I found relief with an opiod nasal spray...Butorphanal...it would Knock them out, but sometimes I would have hallucinations. Lately, I'm more prone to the occular migraines and haven't suffered with the migraine pain for awhile.

Hugs, Robin

Emin, when you see your doc and he looks over the meds you have already tried...more than likely he will give you something that will help you.

Getting the diagnosis is as important as the pain treatment. In the past I would have to go to an ER for treatment because Imitrex was not working for my migraine pain. At the ER, I would be given hypos of Demerol and that did not touch my pain...I only found relief when they gave me the Butorphanal...the opiod nasal spray, I had mentioned.

Migraines can be a symptom of other conditions...it is important to find out exactly what is going on....I had CAT scans and MRI's done to rule out stuff.

Wishing you relief soon! Call a doc...get an appointment made and keep us posted!

hugs, Robin

I am sorry that you are in so much pain and are so frustrated.

I would strongly suggest that when you go to see this new dr, you start off by telling him/her exactly what you said here. Have your list of drugs and reactions and how they worked or didn't (even down to the times that they worked.....20 min relief). Have a list of the symptoms.

Tell them that you know how easy it is to come across to some drs that you are a drug seeker and you do not mean that at all. Explain that you are sick and tired of being sick and in pain. You want to work with him/her if it means changing your diet, taking vitamins, or changing the brand or toilet paper you use if that is what he/she thinks will work.

Explain that you want your life back so that you can work and go to school. That you don't want to be sitting in a drugged stupor. Then ask if they are willing to work with you to find a solution that will help you get back in school.

This will show that you are not some drug seeker and that you are willing to work and get to the root of the problem and hopefully get better.

I have usually had great results when I approach a dr that way. They see that I am not dumb to what is going on with my health, that I am in tune with my body and that I research things before just jumping on a bandwagon. (military drs taught me that you have to be proactive.............. If I did not walk into a paediatric appt with a chart showing temperature charts on my kids and when/how much advil/tylenol I gave them and how it affected their temp, they would send me home with, 'it's a virus'. When they saw the proof of the symptoms I told them, they would go, 'let's get a blood draw'. There has to be an infection somewhere.)


I hope you get the best dr available and that he/she has some really good answers for you to get relief and diagnosis!

I'm hoping that after you talk with this doctor...the doctor understands your pain and can direct you to a specialist that can help. Migraines are often treated by neurologists...I have one along with a rheumy and other specialists.

The bottom line is...you need a diagnosis....and pain relief. Be open as you can with your docs...when your docs know you are proactive in wanting to help yourself they appreciate what you are trying to do. All you can do is be open and honest. A doctor should respect what a patient is going through and help them with pain relief....no one should suffer.

If you find that your doctor is not working for you, you keep looking.
There are good doctors out there...wishing you the best!

Hugs, Robin

I have always been nervous when meeting a new dr. (I finally found a peach that listens and we just love him to death!) Even having a good relationship with my dr, I take a notebook with me to the appt especially if I am having fibro fog or not feeling well so I don't forget to bring up concerns.

I'm sorry about your suffering, and I can't add much to the great advice given here, but I will reiterate that you need a diagnosis.  A diagnosis will go a long way toward determining what treatments and/or drugs will help you. 

I know you are desperate for relief (who wouldn't be?!), but in addition, you need to get to the bottom of whatever this is.  Best of luck to you, and keep us posted!

I am sorry for your pain..I cannot add much more than these ladies..My heart goes out to you.

Kim-lol, I was paying attention

Dragon-lol I love your signature tag

Good luck Emin and keep us posted

Maggie

It's now a week until my appointment, and I'm still really scared that I won't get sufficient pain management. I've been labeled a drug user too many times. Does anyone have any more suggestions?

Thanks