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I'm so tired of pain

God has keep me alive. I'm not in a wheel chair as I should be. I'm mentally retarded or have physical deformities. I have sympathy for the people who suffer and because I know what it feels like to be in pain. I medicate my patients by dr orders in a timely manner. I give strength and hope for those who suffer. God has given me insite. Not to mention a loving family and wisdom. We all learn from experiences in life. If you read the Bible there are people, his chosen people who have been through much more than I. Look at what they did to Jesus. He went through that for my sins. I think I can take a little pain. God gave us drs. I have access to medical treatment. Maybe I will get healed through my neurologist.
 
Besides, God works in mysterious ways :). You sound angry on the inside. Maybe your searching for something in your life. Maybe you feel empty and try to fill the space with things that don't work. If you turn to Christ he will fill that empty void. You can do all things through Christ who give you strength. You don't have to be strong enough.
 
Zoeylynn said:
No I feel it belongs here. Hince The dark side. I'm tired of pain and having to use pain meds. You don't have to comment or read this.
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If you are tired of pain medications, why are you so determined to stay on them and not give your neurologist's suggestions a try? I also suffer from Fibromyalgia, so I know how it works. That temporary relief from the narcotics that your PM prescribes you is just that: temporary. It's good for flare ups that occur infrequently, but it's not something that should be taken as the primary form of relief.

Unfortunately, fibromyalgia is fairly new, and everyone's bodies/minds are different, so it's difficult to find the right prescription that works for you, especially in the beginning. They can take up to a month to really start affecting things (like antidepressants and the like). Of course, I'm not telling you to stick with the Cymbalta, either, as it makes you so physically ill.

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia about a year ago now. My doctor and I have tried at least five different medications for it so far, and are still working on finding the perfect combination. It takes effort, and sometimes it's difficult, but when you find something that works, it's miraculous! The pain will not necessarily be completely gone, but it becomes so much more bearable - it allows you to function again. And if it works at smaller doses, increasing the dose often helps to smother the pain even further. Of course, there are still the flares and things, but that's why having a narcotic or heavier pain medication for temporary relief is good to have - you can take that as needed, as an extra bolster.

But, really, the pain meds are not going to be enough for primary relief. You'll only grow more tolerant, and need more to get the same effects, and that will lead you to becoming what you don't want to be: a pill head. Instead, try and trust your neurologist (I know it's difficult, learning to trust a new doctor and all...) and, really, give the Neurontin (Gabapentin) a try at the very least! It'll take at least a week to notice any difference, and it'll be gradual so it'll be hard to detect when it does start working, but Gabapentin is really one of the most successful medications for relieving pain from fibromyalgia. I, personally, don't take it anymore because it also gave me a bit of vertigo at higher doses (and the lower ones weren't erasing enough of the pain for me to function well) but there are so many success stories tied to it.

If it doesn't seem to work for you, perhaps do some research on or ask your doctor about Lyrica (Pregabalin)? I'm really sorry to hear that you suffer from pain, and that you may have fibromyalgia, but I surely hope things get better for you. Just remember that pain management is just like managing any other illness or disorder - it takes effort on both your part and the doctor's, so try to work together. Don't expect to be given a miracle pill that will work wonders immediately. If you really want to heal and really are tired of using pain meds, you'll also make the effort to try new things to find what works best for you.
 
I can not take a lot of medications. Cymbalta made me really sick. I just now getting over it after just one pill. I can not take Ultram. I can not take any thing stronger that a cup of coffee. I can not drink monsters or red bulls. Asthmas medications mess with me. Neurotin started to make me feel weird. Lyrica is a stronger medication so I won't try that. I do understand about tolerance and stigmas along with pain medications. I'm a nurse and hear other nurse talking mess about patients taking them all the time.

What do you take for fibromyalgia?
 
I'm sorry I missed this post some how. Thank you for your compassion :). I'm doing a lot better now. The pain is less and i just needed to release some thoughts and stress. I know tomm will be a good day.
 
SinisterMuffin said:
If you are tired of pain medications, why are you so determined to stay on them and not give your neurologist's suggestions a try? I also suffer from Fibromyalgia, so I know how it works. That temporary relief from the narcotics that your PM prescribes you is just that: temporary. It's good for flare ups that occur infrequently, but it's not something that should be taken as the primary form of relief.

Unfortunately, fibromyalgia is fairly new, and everyone's bodies/minds are different, so it's difficult to find the right prescription that works for you, especially in the beginning. They can take up to a month to really start affecting things (like antidepressants and the like). Of course, I'm not telling you to stick with the Cymbalta, either, as it makes you so physically ill.

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia about a year ago now. My doctor and I have tried at least five different medications for it so far, and are still working on finding the perfect combination. It takes effort, and sometimes it's difficult, but when you find something that works, it's miraculous! The pain will not necessarily be completely gone, but it becomes so much more bearable - it allows you to function again. And if it works at smaller doses, increasing the dose often helps to smother the pain even further. Of course, there are still the flares and things, but that's why having a narcotic or heavier pain medication for temporary relief is good to have - you can take that as needed, as an extra bolster.

But, really, the pain meds are not going to be enough for primary relief. You'll only grow more tolerant, and need more to get the same effects, and that will lead you to becoming what you don't want to be: a pill head. Instead, try and trust your neurologist (I know it's difficult, learning to trust a new doctor and all...) and, really, give the Neurontin (Gabapentin) a try at the very least! It'll take at least a week to notice any difference, and it'll be gradual so it'll be hard to detect when it does start working, but Gabapentin is really one of the most successful medications for relieving pain from fibromyalgia. I, personally, don't take it anymore because it also gave me a bit of vertigo at higher doses (and the lower ones weren't erasing enough of the pain for me to function well) but there are so many success stories tied to it.

If it doesn't seem to work for you, perhaps do some research on or ask your doctor about Lyrica (Pregabalin)? I'm really sorry to hear that you suffer from pain, and that you may have fibromyalgia, but I surely hope things get better for you. Just remember that pain management is just like managing any other illness or disorder - it takes effort on both your part and the doctor's, so try to work together. Don't expect to be given a miracle pill that will work wonders immediately. If you really want to heal and really are tired of using pain meds, you'll also make the effort to try new things to find what works best for you.
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It's not that I want to take them. I take them for relief. Do they make me feel better yes. They do not give me unwanted side effects no. I just want to live life with out pain. That's all.
 
I can certainly understand not wanting to live with pain. I honestly hope you don't have fibromyalgia... be sure to sit with both your PM and Neurologist to make sure they test every option before coming to a conclusion. Unfortunately, fibromyalgia is a for-life kind of thing, from what seems to be known about it now. But narcotic pain medications are not going to really give you the relief you need. As you said, the relief is very temporary and you have to wait another 6 hours in pain before you can take them to relieve again...

Things like Gabapentin, Pregabalin, and the like will give a more consistent pain relief, so you should really give them a shot if it does turn out to be fibromyalgia for sure.
 
SinisterMuffin said:
I can certainly understand not wanting to live with pain. I honestly hope you don't have fibromyalgia... be sure to sit with both your PM and Neurologist to make sure they test every option before coming to a conclusion. Unfortunately, fibromyalgia is a for-life kind of thing, from what seems to be known about it now. But narcotic pain medications are not going to really give you the relief you need. As you said, the relief is very temporary and you have to wait another 6 hours in pain before you can take them to relieve again...

Things like Gabapentin, Pregabalin, and the like will give a more consistent pain relief, so you should really give them a shot if it does turn out to be fibromyalgia for sure.
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I will give them a try again. I have one patient who was telling me about how she had to stop taking her ALS medications for a test for 3 days. She then resumed her normal doses and it was too much for her. She had adverse reactions. I think maybe I need to start off slower and develope a tolerance to at least neurotin. But will not give Cymbalta another try. I think I can not take SSNRI medications.
 
Definitely don't go with Cymbalta since it caused so much upset - that's honestly the biggest difficulty with me finding the perfect dose/medication, too. There have been some that showed improvement at lower levels, but when the dosages were raised, the side effects began to outweigh the benefits, so we'd have to start back at square one. It's definitely a difficult road, but you'll have us here at bluelight. And, you won't have to stop the narcotics altogether, just not have to rely on them as much. They'll probably help you a lot in the beginning to help reduce the pain before the other medications can start to take effect. When you stop needing to use the narcotics as much, you'll recognize that the new medication is doing its job. :) Of course, just make sure there is no cross-tolerance or negative interactions between the different pills before you use them side by side.
 
Missykins said:
Are you committed to trying a non-narcotic approach? You won't know if the gabapentin works if you're taking narcotics on top of it.
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Well if the OP experiences increased pain relief by adding the gabapentin to the opiate then they will know it does something. There are lot's of meds that are used for fibromyalgia and maybe of them can be added to opiates. Cymbalta is a SNRI much like effexor (venlafaxine) that was found to have some effect on pain mostly pain due to depression i think. Other rugs used for fibromyalgia are tricyclics such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline and doxepin, gabapentin, lyrica and others. They are definitely worth a shot in my opinion.

I have trigeminal neuralgia and the combination of morphine and gabapentin helps quite abit. I could definitely tell that the gabapentin was working when i got it added to the morphine i was on. By itself i don't find gabapentin to work much but some people find it a godsend. Many people find lyrica to work better but not everyone does and it costs a fortune.
 
Okay-- let's try to keep this thread about the pain management issues, and keep the religious discussion to P&S. Some people believe in supernatural stuff, others don't. Period. This isn't the place to discuss it, or prostheletize-- that goes for both sides of the argument.

I've removed a few entries that had gone out of hand. Any further discussion of religion - for or against - in this thread will be removed, and may result in the thread being closed.
 
paranoid android said:
Well if the OP experiences increased pain relief by adding the gabapentin to the opiate then they will know it does something. There are lot's of meds that are used for fibromyalgia and maybe of them can be added to opiates. Cymbalta is a SNRI much like effexor (venlafaxine) that was found to have some effect on pain mostly pain due to depression i think. Other rugs used for fibromyalgia are tricyclics such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline and doxepin, gabapentin, lyrica and others. They are definitely worth a shot in my opinion.

I have trigeminal neuralgia and the combination of morphine and gabapentin helps quite abit. I could definitely tell that the gabapentin was working when i got it added to the morphine i was on. By itself i don't find gabapentin to work much but some people find it a godsend. Many people find lyrica to work better but not everyone does and it costs a fortune.
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Has adding gabapentin allowed you to decrease the amount of opiates you are taking?
 
Hey zoeylynn, seems like you got a lot of weight on your shoulders, and you deserve help to deal with that. When I read your posts i was impressed by your strength carrying on despite your pain, and your belief can indeed be a great source of power.
Fibromyalgia is condition which is hard to treat, so you should consider all options that could possibly give you relief. At first you have found that narcotics ease your pain, and that is absolutely legit. But you should seriously consider the benefit they give you. Do they alleviate the pain in the first place or do they also help you to deal with mental distress? If the second is the case, you should talk about that with your pm and evaluate if it would be helpful to use other coping strategies, because opiates will lose this effect with time. When you have made the decision to use opiates against your pain, it is quite important to use them consequently. You shouldn't have to wait in pain until you get the next dose, but instead get some extended release meds. This will be more convenient, treat your pain better and in many cases reduce the amount you have to take.
Sorry to hear cymbalta wasn't tolerable for you. Especially with serotonergic drugs it is frequent to experience really awful side effects in the first weeks, but this will diminish. Maybe you could try another antidepressant?
I also think that it would be beneficial to see a therapist or counsellor. The pain has caused you a lot of mental distress and when your husband isn't able to understand your situation that doesn't help either. Maybe there are other things in your past that still compromise you today. Mind and body affect each other, so everything that makes you feel better emotionally will also help your pain.
I wish you the best. Get better soon!
 
VanWeyden said:
Hey zoeylynn, seems like you got a lot of weight on your shoulders, and you deserve help to deal with that. When I read your posts i was impressed by your strength carrying on despite your pain, and your belief can indeed be a great source of power.
Fibromyalgia is condition which is hard to treat, so you should consider all options that could possibly give you relief. At first you have found that narcotics ease your pain, and that is absolutely legit. But you should seriously consider the benefit they give you. Do they alleviate the pain in the first place or do they also help you to deal with mental distress? If the second is the case, you should talk about that with your pm and evaluate if it would be helpful to use other coping strategies, because opiates will lose this effect with time. When you have made the decision to use opiates against your pain, it is quite important to use them consequently. You shouldn't have to wait in pain until you get the next dose, but instead get some extended release meds. This will be more convenient, treat your pain better and in many cases reduce the amount you have to take.
Sorry to hear cymbalta wasn't tolerable for you. Especially with serotonergic drugs it is frequent to experience really awful side effects in the first weeks, but this will diminish. Maybe you could try another antidepressant?
I also think that it would be beneficial to see a therapist or counsellor. The pain has caused you a lot of mental distress and when your husband isn't able to understand your situation that doesn't help either. Maybe there are other things in your past that still compromise you today. Mind and body affect each other, so everything that makes you feel better emotionally will also help your pain.
I wish you the best. Get better soon!
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I totally agree with you that mind and body effect each other. I can tell a big difference when I'm stressed and when I happy, it does effect my pain level. I'm more happy than sad usually. Today I talked to my hubbie about pain level and meds and he doesn't like that I use them but he understands. I knows I'm in pain and he does rubb my back every day most of the time and quit giving me looks when I take them in front of him. He is more supportive these days. He loves me a lot and makes it clear he is here for better or worst. I feel our bond is stronger now than it has been in a while.


I think starting the next couple of days I'm going to decrease my dose to help lower my tolerance. I'm not hurting too bad at this present moment. So I'll see how that goes. I think tomm I'll take 1/2 in am and 1/2 tab in afternoon. Wish me luck!

Thank you for caring. I also started talking to my sister. We have a lot of the same things happen to us. It feels good to release some of stress and it feels good to know I'm not alone.
 
Im so weak inside and its been that way ever since i can remember,well at least since i was ten anyway.I honestly feel like im ready to give up completely but i couldnt do it to my partner hes so special to me so i just want to say a huge thankyou for always being there for me.x
 
pammy said:
Im so weak inside and its been that way ever since i can remember,well at least since i was ten anyway.I honestly feel like im ready to give up completely but i couldnt do it to my partner hes so special to me so i just want to say a huge thankyou for always being there for me.x
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Oh don't give up pammy!! Your not as weak as you think you are. You made it this far in life. Try to focus on all the positive thing that you have. Even the smallest ones and build from there. Please PM me if you wanna talk about things. I may not be able to help but I will listen.
 
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