Fibromyalgia pain: Let's connect

As I think I mentioned, I have been basically pain-free and fully functional all the years I remained healthy.
About September 2023, I was diagnosed with inoperable cancer of the pancreas, so everything has changed, and my main treatment is under the direction of an oncologist. The few times I have been able to see my bodyworker, she has helped me feel better. Some is due to "talk therapy," but some is due to her familiarity with my body after all the years spent working on it and knowing which muscles have historically been "tight." Her work to "release" these tight muscles does provide some relief from the discomfort (low level pain) which I experience at the site of the tumor as well as other sites on my body. The effect lasts for a few days (which was typical in my experience pre cancer dx).
It's hard for me to escape concluding that everything is connected, not necessarily in the anatomic relationships taught in the traditional western view of how the body works. My therapist describes the Paul St John method as being based on dermatomes.

Do you alternate Advil and Tylenol ev 4 hrs bc a Dr has told you it’s harmful to take them together, (like Dual Action has them together in one caplet)?

Terri

I am surprised that you are not extremely tired; due to the gabapentin. I can NOT take it during the day; it makes me too sleepy! I had to take mine ONLY at night when I was on it. Good luck!

I’ve always done this for pain. I refuse to take prescription pain meds. I only took them after my cervical fusion for a week. I can’t stomach them both together.
Kat

It does make me tired but mostly later in the day. The morning dose doesn’t bother me as much. It wasn’t helping me enough just at night, unfortunately. And I won’t take controlled pain pills as long as I can avoid them. I have built up a tolerance and do not get as drowsy as I did in the beginning. I honestly hate all these pills but I don’t have a choice. Neurtec is the one that really knocks me out. But it is the only relief I get from migraines.
Best of luck to you all,
Kat

I really wish you the best; and I agree that taking pills is sometimes a bit scary. Like you said; we sometimes have no choice.

I suffer from fibromyalgia and am having a laminectomy and fusion of C4-7. In seeking ways for my neurosurgeon and anesthesiologist, I came across the following article that I thought I would share here. Would appreciate comments and suggestions from anyone else with knowledge about this topic. Thank you, Robin
https://www.fibromyalgiaresources.com/surgery-with-fibromyalgia/

Hello @rbcookson. I noticed your post and wanted to let you know that I've moved it into an existing discussion on fibromyalgia pain that you can now find here:
- Fibromyalgia pain: Let's connect: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/fibromyalgia-pain-28e002/

Members @calimesapeg and @rwinney may be able to join.

Have you had your laminectomy and fusion? If so, how is your pain?

Hi there @rbcookson. Understandably, you have concerns about how having surgery will affect fibromyalgia pain. As the article you attached previously references, fibromyalgia creates heightened sensitization which means you may feel things a little more severe after surgery. I have not had laminectomy or fusion surgery but can share that when I was at the Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Center for chronic central sensitization syndrome (CSS), I learned from Dr Christopher Sletten, that the overall management plan of living with chronic heightened sensitivities are to manage emotional, behavioral and physical health in order to strengthen both mind and body to help control pain. And while having surgery may stir up or intensify symptoms, hopefully the reward outweighs the risk for you. My best advice would be to make sure you have emotional support and distraction from friends and family, make sure you use positive self-talk to help yourself get through challenges. Do you practice diaphragmatic breathing and mindfulness? Music helps me for distraction, and guided imagery...sounds fancy, but it's just me imagining a comforting, peaceful place in my head that I can escape to for a moment. How might you escape?

My laminectomy will be Friday. August 18th.