Have you found anything to successfully treat fibromyalgia pain?

Posted by gail4 @gail4, Sep 18, 2021

I am looking for answers to what anyone has found to successfully treat my pain from fibromyalgia. Getting desperate.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Fibromyalgia Support Group.

@bunky44

hello llcc880~
so sorry to hear of your trials....pain sucks and fibro pain can be so very illusive as well as debilitating...my heart goes out to all that suffer from this . My dear husband had fibro for 20+ years...the only thing that helped him was to be on a protocol of Amitriptyline...he took in am and pm...also did oxy when the pain was too much to deal with. He never got addicted to the oxy. ..but it certainly did assist in holding back the severe symptoms..when needed. Emotions, we found was a great indicator of how his day would be. Staying grateful and of assistance to others was his way of getting out of his own pain, in helping others.. I hope this helps you all.

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Hi bunky44, can you tell me the amytriptyline protocol, please? I am prescribed 10 mg for nighttime to help sleep but I don't think it is sufficient and I haven't thought about it for daytime use. I took this drug back in the 1970s under its name elavil. It was for pain which we now know as FM. I also take 1 mg. ativan at bedtime and sometimes another one in middle of night when I am feeling distressed from pain that gives a nocturnal panic attack. Thanks for any response.

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To all with questions regarding what worked for FM pain as well as ancillary benefits... my husband took Amitriptyline...He has since passed from PD/LBD......He was taking 50mg (red round pill) 2 x a day..and that kept the pain management and other FM issues at bay..most of the time. He also took 1/2 of a 750 mg. Hydrocodone if needed.....for pain.
Good Rx has this generic medication for a very low price....

I also just found an interesting website called The Fibro Clinic (on Harley Street, London) Harley Street has been known for the best medical care in the country.....info@londonpainclinic.com

So much has been learned about FM...and ways of treating it in the most holistic manners..as it's rather a lifelong malady one has to live with, so why not find the least toxic way?.....

I wish you all the best day and night you can achieve...stay grateful and focused on being of assistance to others...no matter how small an action...you will feel better for it.

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I had in 2019 woke up with a sore throat and then started having tightness of my neck head and shoulders along with bi lateral upper and lower extremity numbness I was getting daily cramping of my muscles.
Seen multiple doctors from neurologist, neuromuscular pain management the list goes on and on.
2020 developed Covid 19 and when on a ventilator . The pain went away because the Mayo Clinic said it shut down my pain centers under the coma and rebooted.
Well I get flare ups now. I am having a bad one which I am on a steroid take Valium and pain meds. I do Accupuncture physical therapy and a person trainer and I dont know what else to do.
The issue is I am preparing for knee surgery but now I dont know what to do. Just do it with al this other stuff going on.
No idea but this is truly hurting me

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@faithjc01

I had in 2019 woke up with a sore throat and then started having tightness of my neck head and shoulders along with bi lateral upper and lower extremity numbness I was getting daily cramping of my muscles.
Seen multiple doctors from neurologist, neuromuscular pain management the list goes on and on.
2020 developed Covid 19 and when on a ventilator . The pain went away because the Mayo Clinic said it shut down my pain centers under the coma and rebooted.
Well I get flare ups now. I am having a bad one which I am on a steroid take Valium and pain meds. I do Accupuncture physical therapy and a person trainer and I dont know what else to do.
The issue is I am preparing for knee surgery but now I dont know what to do. Just do it with al this other stuff going on.
No idea but this is truly hurting me

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Oh and let me add I was never diagnosed with anything. They thought Lymes no test came up positive.
I do have DJD all over my spine.
Is that a possibility? I have no idea and I Just want to be better.

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@marye2

I scheduled my own, also. I did shop for physical therapy as it is important for them to take you from where you are. Most of the program was stretching, while lying down, yoga/isometrics, pilates. It required limited standing or cardio. I just got over covid, so not sure how that exercise would affect cardio, but it certainly "fixed" my sciatica and restless legs and built up my core. I have neck and lower back degeneration and hypermobility (Elers-Danlos light).

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I received a notification from this thread and wanted to post an update.

I had several weeks back in early 2022 of numbness tingling and weakness that subsided. The MRI showed a lot of severe foraminal stenosis at multiple cervical levels, and less severe in thoracic. I moved and got a new doc whom I saw in 12/22, who miraculousky got another C-spine MRI approved 8 months after the 1st. Findings did not correlate with the ENG/NCV. He disagreed entirely with the neurologist re fibro and avoiding movements that "would paralyze me " (aka, nocebic language). New doc agreed with me that absence of radicular pain does not mean absence of radiculopathy. It is stunning that the other docs didn't know that.

So, I continued doing some of the exercises I was doing in PT and slowly added my own to get back into better shape. It's been a slow journey but I'm beginning to get my strength back without triggering symptoms.

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My primary care physician is recommending cognitive behavioral therapy. I will begin on the 17th. Anyone else trying this? I am tired of trying medication that either doesn’t work or has side effects that aren’t good for me. E.

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There is medication specifically for fibromyalgia. See a physician or better yet see a rheumatologist who specializes in fibromyalgia.

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@elmay

My primary care physician is recommending cognitive behavioral therapy. I will begin on the 17th. Anyone else trying this? I am tired of trying medication that either doesn’t work or has side effects that aren’t good for me. E.

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Hi. That's been recommended long time ago. Insurance doesn't cover it for me. I'm not sure it's the answer either. Acupuncture helps immensely but it's out of pocket.

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@orlanda

There is medication specifically for fibromyalgia. See a physician or better yet see a rheumatologist who specializes in fibromyalgia.

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From Mayo's web site:
"
Pain relievers. Over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve, others) may be helpful. Opioid medications are not recommended, because they can lead to significant side effects and dependence and will worsen the pain over time.

Antidepressants. Duloxetine (Cymbalta) and milnacipran (Savella) may help ease the pain and fatigue associated with fibromyalgia. Your doctor may prescribe amitriptyline or the muscle relaxant cyclobenzaprine to help promote sleep.

Anti-seizure drugs. Medications designed to treat epilepsy are often useful in reducing certain types of pain. Gabapentin (Neurontin) is sometimes helpful in reducing fibromyalgia symptoms, while pregabalin (Lyrica) was the first drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat fibromyalgia.
"

I personally have taken Duloxetine for at least 10 years and have taken cyclobenzaprine and pregabalin in the past, but I still have pain issues and occasional times when the pain level greatly escalates for a week. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen were not helpful for me. Now trying naproxen.
I've not found a pain killer (OTC or prescription) that works for FM for me.

As usual, your experience will vary.

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@bunky44

hello llcc880~
so sorry to hear of your trials....pain sucks and fibro pain can be so very illusive as well as debilitating...my heart goes out to all that suffer from this . My dear husband had fibro for 20+ years...the only thing that helped him was to be on a protocol of Amitriptyline...he took in am and pm...also did oxy when the pain was too much to deal with. He never got addicted to the oxy. ..but it certainly did assist in holding back the severe symptoms..when needed. Emotions, we found was a great indicator of how his day would be. Staying grateful and of assistance to others was his way of getting out of his own pain, in helping others.. I hope this helps you all.

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Hi, I was diagnosed by a rheumatologist 7 years ago with arthritis and fibromyalgia. Classic case looking at my history…6 years ago I had a synovial cyst removed from L5….10 months later unbearable pain that yoga and ibuprofen couldn’t relieve. MRI showed a tumor: lymphoma. 6 months of chemotherapy really did a tune on me. Now the neuropathy.
We’ve tried all the prescriptions mentioned above and I’m taking the highest dosage. Latest MRI shows that after 5 years, I’m cancer free but my lumbar vertebrae is collapsing and the discs are bulging.
Pain management starts first thing in the morning and continues until I medicate to sleep. I just know that I have to keep on moving or I could be bedridden. Not gonna happen! Thank you for this website!

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