What to take for fibro pain?

Since NSAIDS are out for me as an RnYer,  I can no longer take the meds I took sporadically before to manage the pain when it got bad...am really hurting all over now and can't go to pool to swim as it has been drained for emergency repairs until the Fall....I found daily 30 minutes of aquafit exercises kept me limber and relatively painfree as I lose weight, and didn't need to supplement with something for the pain.  Unfortunately, the generalized pain  and stiffness is back, can't find a comfy way to sit, stand or lie, so what do I do?

I would suggest you contact your PCP and see about some kind of pain medication you can take. There are a couple of new pain meds out that are supposed to help alot Cymbalta and Lyrica. I haven't tried the Cymbalta but the Lyrica worked really well altho thee was some weight gain, not alot but a few pounds. I take a narcotic pain med for severe arthritis in my back so I just went back to that as the Lyrica didn't do anything for that. I figured why take 2 pain meds when one would do. The Lyrica did work really well and fairly fast, within a week I was basically pain free, just make sure they give you a big enough dose. Good luck, we all deserve to be pain free.

Thank you for answering...I am leery of taking antidepressants as was on Amitriptyline before bedtime to sleep through pain, and even on 10mg ( was allowed 30 up to 50mgs) I was lobotomized until about 11 am every morning and in a fog...there was stubborn weight gain, not much but enough to concern me and was probably more due to general lethargy from the medication, also got sudden blurry vision and my opthalmologist said eyes were healthy  and she suspected the Amitriptyline as it can be an unwanted side-effect...I stopped as was looking for good excuses to do so, and have had no vision problems ever since....feel more peppy and not in a morning fog anymore and my GP was surprised even 10mg (1 tablet) could do so much to turn me into a zombie...it's okay when on vacation and can sleep a lot, but not when earning my living, driving  or wanting to be energized.  Previous meds for stress many years ago prior to WLS like Ativan, produced the same "tired and draggy " effect....Forgot to mention, I also have disc degeneration, spinal stenosis and bone spurs into spinal nerve bundle....things are going to get worse as I age and I would hate to have to take regular meds such as opiates with a dependancy being created. Was looking for one-time "here and there" pain medication at this stage...My surgeon said after about 3 years he felt I would be able to use NSAIDS again but wisely... I even use DICLOFENAC suppositories (NSAID anti-inflammatory suppository  to bypass direct contact with pouch and small intestine) on an as needed basis now, and I have a prescription for that  from my GP to use if desperate  but try not to use more than once a month.......it really works for my pain, but am trying to be good and not use NSAIDS in any shape or form in the first year post-op....unless absolutely desperate!. Wanted to know what other WLSers are using other than anti-depressants...(.which seem to be the preferred method for Fibro treatment in North America, but do a number on my energy and cognitive/visual sharpness in return for pain management).  Thanks again for posting, I appreciate your input.  I had read of both Lyrica ,and more recently Cymbalta being approved and we are of course bombarded by ads on tv so no missing the news.

I know what you mean with the amytriptaline, a doc gave me that once and it was horrible. Just like you I was foggy and loopy! Lord know I'm loopy enough when I'm normal. I haven't seemed to have any problems with my oxycodone meds. I take the smallest dose 5 mg, 4x a day (have for a couple of years now) and am perfectly fine. No foggies or brain fuzz, I even drive and am perfectly alert, just no pain. My doc believes life is to be lived not endured and as long as I'm responsible with the meds he has no problem giving them to me. I have to get a new Rx every month so he does monitor how much I use. With all the back problems you have you would certainly qualify for some stronger pain meds, but I guess that is up to you. Personally I feel there is a difference between being addicted and using a pain med for relief. I'm dependent on several drugs for my health like warfarin, without it I'd be dead so I guess it just depends on how much pain you are willing to live with, I've spent too many years living in pain and just won't do it anymore. If it means I'm using drugs till the day I die then so be it. My only other suggestion would be to see a rheumatologist if you haven't already since they deal with fibro as well as arthritic issues. Otherwise I'm out of bright ideas and all I can say is I truely do feel your pain. Best of luck!

Thank you ,was looking to see what other fibro sufferers use, especially RnYers...

I suggest looking in to a expert that deals with pain. I go to a pain specialist. My pcp said he is not that qualifed to deal with pain issues. I glad he admits it. I have been to a pain specialist for 2.5 years and has worked wonders with me beside my ostopathic manipluations of my trigger points every 2 weeks. Winter time is so painful I have to double my pain medication per my pain specialist. I tried cymbalta and it did not work. I also tried the  L one and did not work. I can't take non inflams because of RNy and now I am A ERny  which is a extension. My stomack is very sensitive.

Thank you and I will look into it...normally with 30 minutes low impact exercises in the pool daily I am limber and amazingly have little or no pain or stiffness , just a bit in the morning from sleeping on my very forgiving Tempur mattress...but since I am not getting the water exercises as the pool in my condo bldg has been drained for repairs not yet even started ( I think this will go on until Xmas), I need to have my pain attended to in the meantime.  I have an apt with my GP in a few days and will ask her for a referral for pain management. Thank you for the suggestion...

What about joining the YMCA, That is what my Aunt did back in Michigan for the winter time. I knoe my my is a fish. She is in the pool atleast 2 times a day. I hard a hard time getting in and out of our condo pool across the stree. But I just got discharged from the hospital yeasterdat afternoon. For my extension from my old gastric bypass. It takes me a month or to to heal my wounds. My Surgeon says you can usually go in the pool 3 weeks after surgery as the wound heals up. The beds were so un comfotable I would rather sleep in a sleeping bag. You get more support drom that. It was about a 3 inch thick matterus at most. My tailbone and back bones and to be kaying on a pillow or I would cry. The surgery pain was nothing compared to fibro pain. I ached wrist to writst foot to foot. My trigger points in my neck were huge/ I had to constantly rub my neck. I could not even get in or out of bed due to 2 big peices of metal sticking out of the bed each side. You should see the bruises on my thighs, back of calfs. What a mess. I am to tired to spell correctly tonight. Ask to go to a fibromyaglia specialist and a pain specialst. They both help together. I would also check and call the nearest Doctor of ostopathy College. Not a MD college. I don't think my DO friends would know anyone in Ca. Dawn

Dawn

Thank you for the suggestion re the Y pool, but I have already looked/been there, and it is totally disgusting.  I am looking at another city pool, will try out this week as it has been totally renovated and is clean, but "everyone" is going there because of this and it is crowded all the time I hear....! (I just need a solution until my year-round condo pool on the rooftop is back in operation)....As to fibro specialist, I have a musculo-skeletal specialist who deals with fibro and arthritis and lupus and rheumatoid arthiritis patients, she is very good, and does accupuncture as well...sometimes accupuncture helps, other times not at all. I also undergo TENS with accupuncture as that sometimes helps....Thanks for your suggestions, and as for your own trials and tribulations good luck with your revision!  My surgeon told me   that about 4 in 1000 RnY surgeries actually benefit from a distal rather than the standard proximal approach, but generally you only know after the surgerty is done!!!  And he said 1 in a 1000 Rnyers with a BMI below 50 should actualyl be getting a DS for greater malabsorption and weight loss, but again only something you know after the standard proximal Rny is done....He won't do revisions until 3 years out from surgery, and he said in my case it would have to go to DS, but frankly because of my age (63) I am not keen for more self pay WLS at age 66, so will console myself with whatever I manage to lose and hope I lose at least another 50-80 lbs...But I am interested to hear you got an "extension" to your RnY, making it a distal RnY?  How exciting for you, I really hope this works for you and that you get your pain under control....Good Luck 

Here's what I do ( I also have a bad neck and back; neck natural  curve goes opposite way, bone on bone, bone spurs and arthritis in the neck; back L4 and L5 have tears in them are bulging and L5 is slipped way out of place, severe arthritis as with the neck; chronic migraine headaches)  I go to the YMCA 2x a week to do their joints in motion class (for arthritis and fibro) in their heated pool.  I notice a difference on my "good" days; but it helps keep me loosened up.  I also go to a chiropractor that specializes in fibro, I use lidoderm patches as needed (can use up to 3 at a time) brings a teensy tiny bit of relief on a "bad" day and better relief on a "good" day, I also use Roll on Activon as needed,  I am on 150mg of Lyrica 2x a day, 300mg of Wellbutrin a day, I take flexiril 10mg 3x a day, and then: 1 Ultracet every 6 hours 1-2 Vicodin every 6 hours 1/2 to 1 whole Percocet for above and beyond pain ( when baseline meds aren't enough; for flare ups) This is what works for me my doctor and I have found that if I consistently take the Ultracet and Vicodin it helps to keep the pain under control and then like I said the percocet is for break through pain-flare ups.  These pain meds are more for my neck and back than the fibro.  For me the joints in motion class and the Lyrica and Wellbutrin work fabulously for the fibor.  I am concerned for the weight gain from the Lyrica and if continues to rise over next month my doc and I agreed we would stop the Lyrica.  I don't go through major surgery and work this hard to gain weight back because of a medicine. I hope this helps or gives you some ideas of things to try?!?!  Any questions you can always shoot me a message! Best of Luck! Jill