Im am a fibro sufferer since 1992. After yrs of taking every drug made along with weak narcotics (Percocet, Ultram, Tylenol #3 & 4, I started Oxycontin 240 mgs a day in 1999 and after 3 miserable yrs of side fx I wanted out and ended up in the hospital by ambulance when I quit cold turkey one horrible day. They refused to give me any medical help in the hosp! 2 days of horrorific withdrawel ensued and after telling the pain team that without pain relief I would commit suicide they finally put me on the Fentanyl patch the 100 dose on the third day there. My tolerance had dropped drastically by then and that 100 dose was too high. I went home that day and at night I stopped breathing in my sleep and awoke (thank God) gasping terribly and feeling so horrible. I ripped it off and gradually over a week increased the wearing time till I was using it full time. Then it was fine. This patch is a GOD SEND! NO horrible side fx except constipation (I have to manually disimpact myself-sounds worse than it is-you get used to it, its quick, and not at all messy, you just wear a surgical glove, and it doesnt hurt at all). This is much better than any laxative incl Miralax which is a pain, expensive and still wont permit complete evacuation. Of course it helps if you are active and moving as much as possible. If you are bedridden, things are much worse-dont do it. I did for 2 yrs and muscle wasting and weight loss resulted (115 lbs lost!)along with severe weakness and deconditioning making fibromyalgia much worse. I have not worked since 1992 due to the fibro. In any event, the meds I have used now that really work are: Cymbalta 60 mgs at night, Fentanyl 100 patch, and Lyrica 300 mg a day (150mg 2x a day). I have used it all, done it all and these are the best. Used individually however, and they are useless, Its the 3 used together that work. Getting a dr to prescribe the Fentanyl patch is hard-you have to go to a pain dr, clinic or pain team at a hosp and explain how horrible the pain is in detail, and that your function has been reduced to zero. NSAIDS I clouldnt take any more because my stomach was shot to hell after yrs of use. So whats left really besides narcotics??? They act like you have to pull teeth just to get some relief and have a life. Now my dr of 3 yrs  (I moved alot) told me out of the clear blue that he wants me off the patch!! Never abused it, no early requests etc. I think because Im having gastric bypass soon he says its a new life for me and assumes (wrongly) that my fibro will be cured after a huge weight loss (I weigh 245 now and are 5'7). My goal weight is 150 but I seriously doubt it will have any effect on the fibro and of course major surgery alone can make it worse as the body sees it as a trauma, esp general anesthesia. I should mention I also have out of control type 2 diabetes, high bp, lipids etc. These things should resolve completely but the fibro-highly doubtful!! Its hard to know whether or not I can get by on just the Cymbalta & Lyrica but its VERY doubtful. I've read about 2 new non narcotic pain meds--Neurocet & Neurophen. Im looking into them to replace the Fentanyl patch. But my dr needs to know that after using heavy duty narcotics since 1999, that I need a program and a hosp stay and alot of meds to get me thru the withdrawel which will be ungodly hell no doubt. Im going to insist on being treated by a pain specialist at a hospital. This I fear more than the pain. I have unfortunately found that there are worse things than pain. Withdrawal from LT continuous narcotic pain med use is the worst thing you can imagine. The physic hell, the thrashing on the bed, the whole body feeling tortured is something you cant imagine unless you've lived thru it. I wanted to throw myself out the window and might have if it werent sealed shut. I wanted to die. So you see my dilemma. That was with NO medication given to help me! What bastards those dr's were. I'll close now and send my prayers to others with Fibro and other chronic pain.