Hello everyone out there living with chronic pain. I have been living with chronic pain since 2003 when I was involved in an mva. I have nerve damage in my left leg from the hip down and in the right leg from the knee down. I also have fibromyalgia which developed from the chronic pain so I know how a lot of you out there feel. If you need someone to talk to email me. I understand exactly what you are going through! Best of wishes.
greenweanie
11/ 7/09 12:09am
i am very sorry about what you are going thru, and i have been going thru chronic pain for soooo long now,,, ahhh, but now a diagnosis,, i am in need of of some help roomies,
against my better judgement and the rooms advice, i did try cymbalta,, it was the worst thing that i ever did,,, the effects were too much,,, i promised myself never again,, and when i went back to the rheumo doc, i asked him about nuerontin for the pain, and zoloft for the depression, i was once on both of them at one time yearssssssss ago, and never had an issue, the rheumo doc basicly stated that its possible that the nuerontin and zoloft would work, as he came back with a starter kit for Savella,,,i rust rolled my eyes,,, it is very expensive as well. I am wondering what other combinations of medications F.M. sufferers use,, i am also on fentanyl patch, soma, hydromorphone, also xanax to help me sleep. Any IFORMATION THANKING YOU IN ADVANCED,,,, THANK YOU.............................................LINDA
11/ 9/09 11:00am
hi ! linda..just wanted to tell you i am thinking of you...having a very bad pain day ( drove 600 miles in 2 days...my worst is driving :( and once i can get away from my heating pad and get a couple pain (yeah like they work:(..maeds in me...i will write to you...just wanted tolet u know i was thinking about you 
.....cindi
11/ 9/09 2:05pm
I too was on the Fentanyl patch. When it didn't really do the job pain wise, we increased it until I was on the highest dose I could take. Then one day I sat down and read all the side effects, then went on the computer and researched everything I could find about it. It scared the Hell out of me so bad we backed me down on off of it as fast as possible. Don't mean to scare you, but I think anyone using that patch should sit down and research it and decide if it's right for you. Doctors don't have the time to read about each pill they prescribe. If it's on the list for a certain ailment, the prescribe it. Check things out for yourself! Believe me I do.
11/ 9/09 2:27pm
hi joanna..i , also was on fentanyl patch...none of the drs. i went to wanted to take me off, because the one dr. prescriibed it..finally went to another dr. and said straight out..i want off this patch and if you cannot hellp me, i am wasting my time and yours...she was pretty impressed w/ all the nfo i had on the patch ( you are correct, most drs. do not know much about meds, your pharmisist knows MORE!!!)...so we are going to wean me off..but she wants to prescribe methadone ( now, i have to do more research) for the pain???...kinda confused about that, i thought methadone was for addicts coming off heroin??? ..my ignorance??...certainly do NOT want to go from one bad drug to another!!...but nothing is working for mmy pain...they had me on morphine for 2 months, and i told them i would NOT take it for longer than 2 months, yet another very dependant and i read very hard to stop taking after a long time...so where do we go???...vicodin is like taking advil, for me...i don't know, sometimes i really just think....CAN i LIVE w/out pain meds...but if i still had pain when i was taking morphine??...what the hell is left???...sorry but i just am getting really frutrated w/ all the different pain meds and them not working, then you have to be weaned....its like a viscous (?) cycle...having a very bad pain day, so forgive my frustrations....cindi..
p.s. as scooter said...do not ever take cymbalta..it is a horrible drug and it is a very hard drug to be weaned off...for her ..and myself, anywyay.....
11/10/09 4:49pm
Thank God I have never been on Cymbalta. But, my sister has been for a long time as an anti-depressant. I am on Morphine ER and have been for a while, I also am on Norco ( stronger Vicodin) which is a life saver for me even tho I have break through pain. My doctor explained for me thatt Methodone way before it was usd for recovering addicts was used for pain. Most people don't understand that. I didn't. But I'm willing to try it. It seems to work wonders for the people who are on it. Thanks for writing. Keep in touch. I really don't have anyone to talk to about all this. 
11/11/09 9:38am
good morning joanna, so you heard about methadone used as a pain med??? when the n.p. suggested it, because i want to stop taking the fentanyl patch ( hear too many stories on t.v. about them, my daughters are even calling me, asking me if i saw the commercial, where fentanyl patches have caused death..and yes, i know it was a certain manufacture...but i just don't want to mess w/ this medication, anymore)...any other info about methadone??..i know, you can also become addicted to this also...my brother ( poor guy, he's a painter, fell off a scaffil and crushed his L4 L5 S1, had a surgery and now is having another srgery..in 1 year!)..but anyway he said they prescribed him norco...never heard of it before he mentioned it, but he also said it is stronger than vicodin...because like i said taking a vicodin is like taking an advil...it just is doing nothing for my brakthru....any kind of info you have or know about methadone...i would surely like to hear!..truthfully i think she is giving me methadone, because she is weaning me off fentanyl..and maybe the methadone will help somewhat w/ the withdrawals....damn, i remember if something hurt me and advil didn't work, they would prescribe tylenol 3....wish my pain was that LESS!!!!...hugs...cindi...joanna, write anytime you want. ...kay?
..:):):)
11/11/09 12:36pm
Hi Cindi~ Basically all I asked my pain management Dr. was what you had asked, and that was, I'm not an addict, why would I want Methodone and he told me about the years ago it being used as a pain med first. Everything I've heard about it are positive things like wow it really took the pain away. I think Rush Limbaugh was on it for awhile(?) I am really scared because I saw a Neurologist yesterday for results on an MRI I had recently on my brain to rule out MS, He pretty much ruled that out, but showed me a lot of areas in my brain have abnormallities and don't know what that's about. Now I have to have another MRI with contrast, a CT scan and possibily spinal stick, ( can't remember what it's called). OMG what if I have brain cancer!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so scared!!!!!!
11/14/09 1:42am
oh hon, don't start thinking the worst now..you know what they say stress causes your pain to get worse....dont mean to be so nonchalant about it...just want you to c a l m down....i would probably going where you are going in your head..but lets just wait until you have the tests...one thing at a time, kay??..please let me know how the tests turn out..and if you need to talk, cry, laugh, yell..i'm here...pleasant dreams...sleep, lady, ..kay??...cindi...
1/ 1/10 10:54pm
helo Cindy,
just wanted to check in with you, and see how you are doing,,,,, it was quite a horrible time i had the past 24 hrs,.. i think it was my first flare. I am a newbie still with F.M. ,and it is something i dont think i could everrrrrrrrrrr handle again.. never. I thought i was dying i really did,,and there were times when i welcomed it. there was nothing,, not a damn thing i could do to stop the pain, and i am on heavy duty meds, i had all i could do to get into the shower and once there it was somewhat relieving, i am affraid to look at my back, as i let the hot water pour all over my lower back to soothe the pain. I was feeling pain in places i did not know existed, struck out with the cybalta, savella, and lyrica. tried the neurontin (gabapentin) and when i started falling asleep anywhere my eyes blinked i knew i had to get off it,, i did,, i am not on an anti-depresant yet,and need to be,, now i am taking nothing for the F.M or the depression, will see my primary doc in a week, it was my idea to try the gabapentin. We did do it, well the rhuemo jerk (oops,did i say that),, and it backfired, my primary did not want to put me on antidepressant just yet, as i was starting the gabapentin,, so, hopefully i can start on zoloft or something,, i am so depressed, i am in a rut. and my therapist has been out for a couple of weeks due to the holidays, so i am back to square one,,,,, just pain meds, fentanyl patch. hydromorphone, soma. xanax. Drop me a line when you can, i would love to hear how your doing,,and as always suggestions welcome..
thank you and happy new year to you,,,, LINDA
1/ 1/10 11:07pm
helo Cindy,
just wanted to check in with you, and see how you are doing,,,,, it was quite a horrible time i had the past 24 hrs,.. i think it was my first flare. I am a newbie still with F.M. ,and it is something i dont think i could everrrrrrrrrrr handle again.. never. I thought i was dying i really did,,and there were times when i welcomed it. there was nothing,, not a damn thing i could do to stop the pain, and i am on heavy duty meds, i had all i could do to get into the shower and once there it was somewhat relieving, i am affraid to look at my back, as i let the hot water pour all over my lower back to soothe the pain. I was feeling pain in places i did not know existed, struck out with the cybalta, savella, and lyrica. tried the neurontin (gabapentin) and when i started falling asleep anywhere my eyes blinked i knew i had to get off it,, i did,, i am not on an anti-depresant yet,and need to be,, now i am taking nothing for the F.M or the depression, will see my primary doc in a week, it was my idea to try the gabapentin. We did do it, well the rhuemo jerk (oops,did i say that),, and it backfired, my primary did not want to put me on antidepressant just yet, as i was starting the gabapentin,, so, hopefully i can start on zoloft or something,, i am so depressed, i am in a rut. and my therapist has been out for a couple of weeks due to the holidays, so i am back to square one,,,,, just pain meds, fentanyl patch. hydromorphone, soma. xanax. Drop me a line when you can, i would love to hear how your doing,,and as always suggestions welcome..
thank you and happy new year to you,,,, LINDA
1/ 8/10 2:44pm
hi linda, sorry haven't been able to get in touch w/ you sooner..just having some really bad pain days...."same ol story":)..how are you doing now?...are you still using the fentanyl patches?...how were your holidays?, hope they were good:)..i hardly got thru them, but did and now i am just back to laying in bed most of the time..getting a bit depressed w/ not being able to do anything,,,and w/ this weather...grrrr..it is hard to get out, i went to take a drive a couple weeks ago, and fell on the ice..of course, my spouse was like " are you crazy?"..i was, like yeah, ...staying in this house 24/7..but enuff about me..tell me about your holidays , if you feel you want to...i am wishing you a new year ..of TRYING to be out of as much pain as possible"...write, if you want..kay??...cindi
7/ 4/10 8:51am
Do any of you ever feel like the lonliest ,most MISUNDERSTOOD person in the world?No dr.can find a reason for this hellish foot pain that has gotten progressivly worse over a LONG LONG time.My friends and family(what little I have -I'm unmarried w/ no children)doubt that my pain is really real and now seem to just assume I'm lazy and dull.It takes every bit of gumption and will I can muster to work and just keep fom becoming homeless.This is hell.It's like I have an invisible monster walking around w/ me that NOONE else can see!!!Can't get pain medication because dr's don't seem to believe me .And Lord knows they don't want me to get "hooked on drugs".They'd rather see me commit suicide.And sometimes it seems like the ONLY option.I can't hold on much longer.
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well, hello, there...sorry you have to be on this site, but am glad you found "us"..if ever you need or want to talk...i (have said this many a time)..have a big ol" shoulder..and would like to hear from you!!... also was invovled in a mva..i was walking across the street..and someone did not understand the sign ..STOP!!!!...if ever you would like to talk..i will be here to listen...cindi...
HELLO CINDY,, i personaly can attest (if i spelled that correct) that cindy has a big ole heart,,,,,,,,, and a great shoulder,, hi Cindy,, i did the opposite,,i took the cymbalta,, now i am back to square one,,, hellpppppppppppppppp... Have a good nite,, i have to do that thing thats called "sleep" not quite sure what that means, but gonna try it,
,( i actually tossed in humor on that one lol lol),,,hope everyone has a low pain day,,,,Linda
Hello Cindi and Others, I asked this question before, but noone answered me. I will try again. Have any of you tried or are now on Lyrica? My Dr. put me on it even tho I don't have fibromyalgia. I have had a very badly failed back surgery. He thought Lyrica might help. NOT!
If you ever have occasion to read through their side effects or even just listen to what they say about their own aide. Well of all the side effects I probably have all of thm and thern some. Now I can not get off them. 
Dr. had it all figured ooooout for me how to go off slowly. When I got down to the last couple days with very little left in my system I almost comitted suicide. I am not kidding you. I had deep depression, over whelming feeling to end it all, crying hyestericaly. I wish I could explain this better. Long story short; I would have to go back on them immediately. After trying this twice, I gave up. Can anybody HELP me??????????
hi, am so sorry abo all that you are going thru, w/ this ( i think ) awful drug...i also was prescribed lyrica...the LEAST of my side eefects were MAJOR wieght gain...which in itself is depressing ( i just got down to my normal wieght after slowlyy coming off cymbalta..another AWFUL drug..i think)...i also had suicidal thoughts, a very, very terrible side effect...you must go speak w/ a counselour..or if you think talking to me, will help..i am here to help you...but KEEP in touch!!!!...when you are feeling suicidal, PLEASE write ...or as i said PLEASE try and get in touch w/ a counselor...i don't know what other kind of medication, they can put you on besiides lyrica...but THERE has to be something else, you cannot have these kinds of side effeects!!..write to me, when and if you want...please take good care!!!...cindi
Thank you for your reply. I am also om MorphineER and Norco. Have not seen any side effects with either of those. I have a physciatrist(m.s) who handles some of my meds. right now as on effexorER for depression and need something else because it's not working any more. Have an app't. next weeks about that. So much going on with the news that I likely have MS and am scared to death about that too. When it rains, it pours.
you are a sweetheart
...you know the more i am on here ( sometimes:)..the more i forget about my pai, because i go to OTHER peoples pain and wonder what i would do if i were in thier situation...thanx :)...cindi...
hi linda...just wanted totell you what a sweetheart you are
.....thanks, for the kind words..i just hope i am not teling anybody..wrong things...as i have said many times...i have a big ol' shoulder, whats going on in your life right now???...write if you want:)..cindi