may i reply to "what do you do for the pain?" i wait for the longest i can then take some advils. do this over and again. just the thought that i can take the advils soon helps some. what else can you do without taking opiods? someone please?

Welll...I have some difficulty distinguishing what works for fibro pain, and what works for pain caused by (for instance) those two torn rotator cuffs + surgery. And, does the shoulder pain cause some of the pain in other parts?

I have used ibuprofen, Tylenol, and Tramadol (together) to good effect for the post-surgical pain. Had to drop the ibuprofen recently because of stomach irritation, but got a topical gel with an NSAID in it.

For some of the fibro pain, I get Trigger Point Injections in my glutes, which helps in my sacro-iliac joints and up my back. It’s remarkable that they don’t hurt too much at all, given that a recent ear piercing and acupuncture were terribly painful. They do however use a bit of lidocaine on the needles for the insertions.) I have also gotten them in my shoulder which releases spasms up in my neck. This is via my physiatrist in a pain management practice.

I also am on Gabapentin, which may or may not be helpful; hard to tell for sure. I was slow to ramp up to three pills a day, as the side effects are •not very pleasant, but •wear off fairly soon. Shortly after I began taking them, though, I did have a nice 8 week remission, with relatively few symptoms at all.

When I began to come out of that remission, I stubbornly screamed NOOOOO (in my head) and tried to remain sort of active, moving my big muscles, which does help with fibromyalgia. For those of you who have pain from another source, a lot of fibro fixes won’t apply. It’s just a strange, new game, the rules for which I don’t know! And nobody does.

Hello Peach,

I would mention that NSAIDs (which includes Advil, but Aleve works longer) “layered” with EXTENDED RELIEF Tylenol works much better for pain than either of the two by themselves.

You’d want to ask your doc or your pharmacist whether there is any reason for you not to take these; a few people shouldn’t.

“Layering” is when you are using two eight-hour medicines simultaneously, but actually take them on a staggered schedule.

For instance, take your Aleve, which is an 8 hour, at 8am. Take your Extended Relief Tylenol, which is also 8 hours, at 12 noon. Then, the Aleve at 4pm, and Tylenol again at 8pm.

A couple of links which may help in understanding these:
https://www.healthline.com/health/pain-relief/naproxen-acetaminophen#how-they-work
https://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/naproxen
It is my understanding that pain control is vastly improved when you don’t wait until you can’t stand it...which is tough when we frequently don’t have meds that are working.

I hope this may improve things for you!

Best,
Lynne

thank you lynnb but tylenol does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for the pain which is why i take Advils. at age 80 and my stomach ulcers and gerd seems the green Advils help somewhat. does not take away all the pain but lessens it somewhat. it is wearing me down. i start to cry now, but somehow the crying helps. WILL NOT USE OPIOIDS. if i did i would be an addict now after all these years. putting any weight on the leg increases the pain. this is the fourth month now. it comes and goes taking turns with the both legs, either the foot or the knee i am suffering but not ready to go upstairs just yet. pretty sure i have not been bad enough to go downstairs. but we all could use the heat right now. Hold fast!

sorry to say that Tylenol does absolutely nothing for me for pain. do not know why but that is what it is. so for now with my age and illnesses i need to stick with Advil. but i do appreciate your caring and do thank you. i really want to try marajuanna in an edible form for the pain. will someone please turn up the heat. peachbarbara

Well, (at the risk of being tedious) I feel I ought to mention that Tylenol never did much for me. At all. And if you wish to stick with Advil, and would simply add in the Tylenol, you’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to gain. I was only humoring my doctor and my NP friend by trying it. I couldn’t have been more surprised! Hope you might give it a whirl.

Are you in a medical marijuana state? I am, and had used a CBD tincture under the tongue, but it seemed to cause my heart to race. I have recently used higher THC products in the evening, which helps my pain (hurray!!) and sleep (also hurray!) and which has made a difference in my quality of life in the daytime.

I hope you can try something that will help.

Lynne

Hi @lynneb2110 I have wondered about using marijuana products to help with pain and sleeping. Is your doctor ok with you using marijuana? My doctor does drug testing about every other visit, does your doctor do this as well? What is CBD, part of the plant? Is that what most people use for pain relief? Thanks Lyssia

Be careful with Tylenol and the effects on the liver also.A few years ago they lowered the dosage per day. It is in many products you have no idea about like sleeping aids, cold products. Tylenol doesn't help me but I know some friend where the low dosage does. Best of luck of hope you get relief for you pain.

@peach414144

Never say never! I never thought I'd take opioids, but I know that I'd be in a lot more pain than I am if it weren't for morphine, and Klonopin surely has helped me with anxiety and a mild form of restless leg syndrome. My feet hurt from neuropathy, even with a spinal cord stimulator implant and medications.

Exercise is great but most of it involves walking or putting pressure on my feet. Many of us here are really tired of pain and dealing with it.

Jim

Hi Lyssia,
Yes, I tell my doctors (I’ve got a few, lol) about my mmj use, because, well, it is legal in my state (Massachusetts) and I have a card, but mostly, it’s not a good idea to withhold this info on meds from your healthcare folks. I’m 58 now, and perhaps less concerned about who might judge me. No, no drug testing, but I’m not on prescribed opiates (except postsurgical for both shoulders in the last year). Perhaps I don’t seem high risk for abuse if multiple substances, who knows. And, as most “mainstream” (what a toxic word, anymore) medical folks are prohibited within their practices and insurance coverage from prescribing medical cannabis, many of them ask me many questions about it! What the process is like getting a certification, what it’s like to visit a dispensary, and related questions.

Yes—CBD is one of the chemical components of the cannabis plant, as is THC, but it doesn’t make you high like THC would. It is effective for a lot of people for pain, and has been for me, but may be causing me some other issues. I’ve lately gotten terrific relief from higher THC Indica strains for pain and sleep in the evenings. I still have a lot of residual pain from my November shoulder repair, and I recently had to give up the Advil component of my Advil/Tylenol/Tramadol cocktail, and I have a lot more pain. The various forms of medical cannabis I use are a Godsend. I mean, straight-up pain relief, but merely relaxed, not zonked. Since I got fibromyalgia, I could no longer drink alcohol, which is fine by me, but I notice what a lower impact medical cannabis has on my head and body than either alcohol or opiates.
Also, I do not smoke it, as I have asthma (ughh menopause-onset asthma!) but if I am using the plant material, I vaporize it, which is pretty gentle. Tastes herbal, not vile. Edibles are good, but a pretty expensive way to medicate. Anyone in a medical marijuana state with interest in the subject might consider going in to talk to a mmj specialist doctor, to understand what your options are, and what various kinds might be able to do for you.

Remember, it is a medicine, especially for those of us battling chronic pain, and should be considered and treated as such, with the caution and reverence it deserves.