Fibromyalgia - Does anything help relieve severe pain during flares?

I was on 30mg Cymbalta for about 2 years for fibromyalgia when my doctor decided to up the dose to 60mg daily. Within 2 days I was hospitalized with serotonin syndrome. I tried to back off the Cymbalta but each time I skipped a dose I would get nauseous so I continued to take it. A bout a year later I collapsed at home and was taken to the hospital with low blood sodium, another side effect of Cymbalta. This time I absolutely HAD to get off of it. It was miserable but I finally kicked it after 2 weeks. Both those side effects can be fatal (or so I was told). I have had many negative side effects from medication so I am very hesitant to to try anything new.
I also tried medical marijuana with no success. I was told that if I went out of state and got "real" marijuana instead of the weak stuff in Iowa that it would likely help.

Hi
Wow that's scary. Glad you got off it. Well i am noe cyclobenzaprine. I have not taken it for a long time and decided to give it a try, but I can't do it.It makes my tinnitus crazy and my head feels weird. So I went back on my cbd/cbn oil last night hopefully this will work. I did it prior to my bc surgery and radiation and it was OK. I am in canada so it's legal abd I purchase thru a government website. It's all do frustrating trying to find tge proper med

I could not take Lyrica, had to stop after a few days.

All those drugs are terrible for me. I don't have flares, just constant pain so I use rub A535 . Also tylenol 3 helps some.

Thank you so much for your experience with IFR Therapy. I do have access at a gym that has an IFR Sauna. With a heating blanket and hot showers at night plus the IFR Sauna, I am hopeful for a better winter which usually exacerbates my pain to unbearable and disabling.
I am a senior and my medical plan pays for the basic membership at my gym. I pay a little extra per month for access to Hot Yoga, IFR Sauna, Steam Room, Pool, etc.
I did not realize this access would be so valuable. Thank you for suggesting the IFR Sauna. It opened my eyes of hope for a better winter. My gratitude.

Any "Rx or Drug" is toxic to one's entire system including our brains. Popping a pill is an easy solution, but carries with it severe if not deadly side effects. The reality is that Nothing takes all pain away. It is a constant, and with FM flairs, it is a extremely painful ordeal.
All the research I have done points to a combination of 1 or 2 Rx's (the effortless part). I found that keeping prescribed medications kept me from many severe side effects.
As for me, Yoga (can be chair Yoga), Meditation, Heat, Heat, and more Heat (IFR Sauna at my gym)
Daily Stretching, Pool exercises, Walking, Tai Chi, Qi Gong (increases stretching and increases energy) all in moderation so as to not trigger a flair, all are important.
Messages, good nutrition (gluten free because gluten creates fibrin which creates the continuance of pain).
Also, dedicated efforts at Sleep to heal mind, body and soul is important.
I do use 10%menthol, 4-5% Lidocaine cream and Magnesium lotion in combination and it does help with pain after my morning and evening hot shower.
A lot of credit goes to taking our mind off our pain and busying oneself with housework, gardening, art, music, developing spiritual/meditative and positive mindset,and helping others.
Pain control is not easy. We each have to invest time and effort to self-care because we each have other things to do and we Can Overcome this obstacle called chronic pain.
I am wishing all of us FM humans a peaceful, happy and calm inner life as we travel through whatever we have to travel through. Many blessings.

Hi,
Very interesting to hear your side effects. I have had the same but have not tried to stop. Sounds like I need to. Yes I just keep getting new medications added. I am interested hearing what you are doing now for some relief.
Thanks for you post
Good luck to you. Good karma being sent your way for managing your pain.

I have other pain challenges, too. I take either Tylenol or Tylenol Dual in the morning. I apply a lidocaine patch to my outer left thigh where nerve pain radiates down from my lumbar spine. I put an air-activated heat patch on my lower back. I got n epidural two weeks ago and it is starting to help with the pain. I have some level of pain in my whole body. Weather changes and weather extremes bring on fibro flares. I use a cane when I go out. I was diagnosed with fibro in 1991 before it was well-known in the primary care medical profession by my primary care doctor. He referred me to a rheumatoloigist that I still see. We have tried every medication for fibro but I've had negative reaction to all of them. The fibro also magnifies my other pain. I take tizanidine at bed time and sometimes during the day, although it makes me sleepy and I don't drive if I take it. A couple of times a month I resort to half a hydrocodone if the pain is especially bad. I feel much better if I am moderately active. I go to chair yoga and Geri-Fit at the library a couple of times a week. I'm so envious of my friends who are my age who walk 3 to 5 miles a day and go on shopping excursions and lunches.

Hi. I apologize for the delay in responding. My pain specialist has prescribed me 300 mg Gabapentin to take two 3x day. He indicates this should be my maximum dose. Sometimes, not often if the pain becomes intense, I beef it up with ibuprofen, usually 2 100 mg. tabs. It's not clear to me about a problem with tolerance because it hasn't happened to me. I do not have an addictive personality or any predisposition to addiction hence maybe that is why I have no problems with it. And I have been blessed to have no side effects. I hope this helps.

Thank you for the encouragement. This plan has evolved after much experimentation, different physicians' advice, reading, and so on and on and on It is truly unfortunate that people are pretty much on their own in dealing with fibro. I thank God that most of the time I am able to keep it under control.