Will you listen?

I read Lyrica can be difficult to stop due to withdrawal symptoms. How long were you on it and what was your experience when stopping? Did you start taking anything else that helped relieve the Fibro pain?

Obviously I don’t stop taking medications cold turkey if I have a choice. The Lyrica was weaned off gradually, so no, there were no side effects that I remember. The cymbalta did not help and I am on a different antidepressant.

I was on it for several months and always had trouble getting it on time through mail due to the control substance classification. I didn’t have much trouble going off it, I actually felt better. The pain did not return immediately so nothing was needed as a substitute right away. When I got my refill I only took a single dose and had a major reaction. Since then I was prescribed Tramadol to take on a regular basis for a different condition and it helps with the fibromyalgia pain also.

What is your dose on Tramadol and is it well tolerated?

Tramadol is prescribed at 50mg, up to 4x day. I aim to use the least necessary, usually 1x day and 1 at bedtime. The bedtime dose helps me fall asleep without pain and sleep for up to 5 hours. I tolerate it well but avoid driving while taking it.

Lyrica is the only thing that help along with pain meds for major pain. After 20 years I had the facet issues throughout my neck, C67, after nerve block for facet made the fibromyalgia pain significantly reduced pain.

This is what my mri revealed last week. “ C4-C5: Mild facet hypertrophy causing mild narrowing of the right foramen. C5-C6: Diffuse disc bulge. Mild facet operatively. Moderate narrowing of the canal and foramen bilaterally. C6-C7: Mild diffuse disc osteophyte producing mild foraminal and canal narrowing. Partial lumbarization of the upper sacrum. L4-L5: Annular fissure posteriorly. Mild diffuse disc bulge. Facet hypertrophy. Moderate narrowing of the foramen and mild narrowing of the canal. L5-S1: Annular fissure. Asymmetric facet hypertrophy. Disc protrusion favors the left extending from the right of midline into the left foramen. It extends about 2.5 cm transverse and into the canal about 3 mm. The foramen has moderate-to-severe narrowing of the left with mild narrowing on the right and mild-to-moderate overall canal narrowing. The lateral recess on the left is encroached upon moderately.” Then you m told, “Take ibuprofen.” Yet another reason I am done.

Sounds like you are in a lot of pain. I had back surgery in Dec 2009 L5 S1 Buldging disc. My doctor fused my disc together and now my back is worse than it was before I had my surgery.

I think what we are really talking about here is the "quality of the medical profession" today. As a nurse, I have worked with physicians since 1979. They have changed alot, but so has the healthcare system. I, too, have been pushed from doctor to doctor for over 10-years for my Lumbar spinal stenosis. No one could help me, and that stands to say more about the quality, personality and attitude of the physicians themselves. There really are some people who don't have the "personality" to become doctors. Plus they have bad attitudes with patients. I've had my share of that, and actually fired two physicians due to their horrible attitudes and the way they spoke to me.
I don't have an answer for this problem. It would be great if we could "interview" every physician first before we started seeing him/her. But you're right, they do not listen to you and dismiss you very quickly in order to run out of the exam room and into the next one. It's all just a horrible problem we have and don't know how it will ever be resolved.

Good Grief..that is so dismissive and such an under-reaction it is insulting! A respectable orthopedist would give you options. A pain management helped me with injections in my back. I really hope you can get some relief. Ps; the neurologist referred me.