Wellness

[Mishell5]

On 7/23/2014 Mama Mia said:

On 7/22/2014 addiegal said: Madisson, I was on 2700 mg. gabapentin for a couple or so years...I did get some side effects that were troubling but when I weaned off the neuropathy I'd had was gone! And I was on Lexapro along with the gabapentin and the tapering off the Lexapro was the hardest of all! So, don't give up, just give yourself time between tapers to adjust.

This troubles me, as I am on both Lexapro and gabapentin, 2400 mg a day. The thing is, I had chemo, 12 sessions, last year, and got neuropathy, which I still have, supposedly from the chemo. I wonder if I started cutting down on the gabapentin, it would help with it? I can't go off Lexapro, for sure.

Any advice or comments would be appreciated.

mm

mm.. Hi. I have no advice but I wanted to let you know that my husband had chemo and a stem cell transplant a little over a year ago. He has such bad neuropathy in his feet. He is on Lyrica which helps but does in no way take away all the pain and discomfort. I was put on Lyrica for my Fibro and I got off of it since it caused me to have muscle tightness and pain in my legs....something I really didn't need more of (pain that is). What is Lexapro and is it helping you with the fibro pain? TIA!

Michelle

[Mishell5]

On 7/23/2014 Windycity said:

Thanks to so many of you that have responded to my earlier post and took time to write to me. Please know how grateful I am.

Liz, I am so very sorry for your situation. You most certainly would benefit from the unconditional love that a sweet dog could offer to you. There are other groups - "Canine Companions for Independence" is one that comes up in my mind. There are so many shelter and rescue groups as well - however, those sweet souls have not been worked with to be considered as medically trained pups. My last 4 dogs have been rescue dogs, 3 Labs and my current smaller guy, a flat-coated retriever mix. I am still working (in a University office - my faculty and students are fabulous), and my Teddy goes to doggie day care during the day. Another genius enterprise!

I am so sorry for those of you that are dealing with such negativity and lack of support from family and "friends". Since I have no family (but did grow up with fibro and arthritis all around) my friends have become family and most of them I have been close to for 30-40 years. Almost as good as canines, they too offer me unconditional love and support. I cherish them in my darkest and foggiest moments. Again, thank you!

PS: I was on Fentanyl patches earlier this year. Perhaps some of you have tried them. I had to pick up the Rx from my MD's office, go to CVS, show my driver's license, and show it again when I picked them up. This could not be called in. Opioid med and considered very powerful. I tried the patches for about 2.5 months. They did not help me one bit. Finally I contacted my MD and told her I wanted to go off of them and back on what I was taking before. Fine with her and she added another capsule of Lyrica instead which totals 2 in the AM and 2 in the PM.

I am so glad the Lyrica is working for you. I does help my husband with his neuropathy (from chemo had had about a year ago...and a stem cell transplant). It is not a miracle drug for him, but it takes the edge off. It didn't work for me.

Michelle

[Mishell5]

On 7/22/2014 violann said: I was diagnosed about 8 years ago, and the ladies who participated in that long ago fibro group here were an enormous help to me. I say thank you to every one of them, and if any are still posting here I hope you are feeling the best possible that you can. I have been very VERY lucky. Because I've lost a lot of weight, I'm much more mobile than I was, and keeping yourself moving, no matter how little, really is important. Please keep this post going, and when it gets too long, start another.

violann.. talking to other people who "get it" does help. It sounds like you are feeling much better. That is awesome.

Michelle

[Madisson]

Okiebug, the Tai Chai sounds great. I am looking for a modified Tai Chi too. It is a newer one called Tai Chi for osteoporosis. If I can't find it, I may take the one you are doing. I've heard too that it is an awesome type of exercise. Happy that you are pleased with it. Thanks for bringing it up.

Addiegal, you bring up a good point...the Gabapentin is supposed to reduce the pain of neuropathy. Glad it is helping you. I will probably be working my way back up to 2700 mg. Right now I'm doing fine on 1800 mg, although yesterday I did notice a little increased pain, probably due to cutting back on the Cymbalta. I was doing a lot of very active things though yesterday, so that probably contributed to it.

GrandmaR, welcome to the thread! Ask your doctor to preauthorize the Effexor XR with your insurance company. They usually honor special requests like this when other drugs are not helping. He needs to mentioned what else you have tried and that they have not helped...but I'm sure he already knows this, as these special authorizations are done fairly commonly.

Windycity, wow... I'm surprised the fentanyl patch didn't help you. That is pretty powerful stuff, but that just goes to show the pain involved in fibromyalgia. Happy to hear that you are doing better on the Lyrica now.

Mama Mia, I really would not cut down on the Gabapentin if I were you. It is usually prescribed for neuropathy. Maybe instead of the Lexapro, one of the drugs approved for fibromyalgia would give you more relief...like Cymbalta, Lyrica, or Savella. Talk to a physical rehab doc who specializes in pain. Good luck!

Mishell, I know what you mean about early appointments! I usually try to schedule them for afternoon because I am too stiff and sore in the morning (and a little groggy from my night meds). I am up very early this morning though as my mother has a 9:00 am appointment...ugh! BTW, I have a dentist appointment this afternoon too. I'm happy that our fibro thread is doing so well.

Well, busy day ahead and still working like crazy trying to prepare for company coming next Tuesday. DH is so laid back about it..."The house looks fine...let everyone make their own beds when they get here!" Men!

[okiebug]

Madisson, the Tai Chi I take is taught at the local senior citizen's center. It's called Tai Chi for Balance, developed by the Center for Aging and the CDC. Instructors have to be certified. Some of the community centers at the city parks have similar programs, also the YMCA.

[addiegal]

On 7/23/2014 Mishell5 said:

Hi Everyone! There has been a lot of activity here. I am going to read through everything.

Madisson, I did see that you had some stuff happen all at once...that is the way it is right? Everything at once. I am going to try the exercises before I get of bed. I have the dentist tomorrow late morning and I am already dreading getting ready to go. I just have to be fitted with a night guard (my old one broke), and I am not afraid of the dentist. It is just so hard to deal with anything early, unless I have Advil in me. And I am really not supposed to take Advil with my IBS, GERD.

addiegal...can I ask you what side effects you had with Gabapentin. I was on it a long time ago, and really am thinking of revisiting it. Thanks!

OK...going to read all the posts I missed.

Michelle

I am sure weight gain happened but the most troubling was r*ctal bleeding. Think it is very rare to have this...If you haven't seen any problem I wouldn't worry...it can be a real help to those with pain and neuropathy. The neuropathy I had was set off first by niacin for cholesterol and even though this cleared up on neurontin I had a flu shot which made me react oddly and the final straw was a pneumonia vaccination. The neuropathy was horrible, it burned like being rubbed with hot pepper! Just like the burning I got with niacin...my BP would skyrocket when these episodes occured. The neurontin did allow me to heal and I now do not have the neuropathy. But I do not take flu or other vaccines.

[sneef]

On 7/22/2014 addiegal said: Sneef, that is a troubling side effect...does it help the fibro? I would hate going around sweating.

honestly for awhile it helped when I was titrating my dosage but when I got to the dose that I was suppose to stay at and take 2x a day the sweating is ridiculous I have been on it since August, so enough is enough.

[sneef]

On 7/23/2014 Mishell5 said:

On 7/23/2014 Windycity said:

<em>Thanks to so many of you that have responded to my earlier post and took time to write to me. Please know how grateful I am.</em>

<em>Liz, I am so very sorry for your situation. You most certainly would benefit from the unconditional love that a sweet dog could offer to you. There are other groups - "Canine Companions for Independence" is one that comes up in my mind. There are so many shelter and rescue groups as well - however, those sweet souls have not been worked with to be considered as medically trained pups. My last 4 dogs have been rescue dogs, 3 Labs and my current smaller guy, a flat-coated retriever mix. I am still working (in a University office - my faculty and students are fabulous), and my Teddy goes to doggie day care during the day. Another genius enterprise!</em>

<em>I am so sorry for those of you that are dealing with such negativity and lack of support from family and "friends". Since I have no family (but did grow up with fibro and arthritis all around) my friends have become family and most of them I have been close to for 30-40 years. Almost as good as canines, they too offer me unconditional love and support. I cherish them in my darkest and foggiest moments. Again, thank you!</em>

<em>PS: I was on Fentanyl patches earlier this year. Perhaps some of you have tried them. I had to pick up the Rx from my MD's office, go to CVS, show my driver's license, and show it again when I picked them up. This could not be called in. Opioid med and considered very powerful. I tried the patches for about 2.5 months. They did not help me one bit. Finally I contacted my MD and told her I wanted to go off of them and back on what I was taking before. Fine with her and she added another capsule of Lyrica instead which totals 2 in the AM and 2 in the PM.<br /> <br /></em>

I am so glad the Lyrica is working for you. I does help my husband with his neuropathy (from chemo had had about a year ago...and a stem cell transplant). It is not a miracle drug for him, but it takes the edge off. It didn't work for me.

Michelle

I am so glad the Lyrica is working for you, I loved it until I gained so much weight from it. The Fentanyl patch is guarded closely as there are people out there that are stealing them and they are chopping them up and huffing them, which is really sad. Noticed the fentanyl patch is very ineffective if a person is skinny or lacks a higher BMI as the body doesn't absorb.

[Mama Mia]

On 7/23/2014 Mishell5 said:

On 7/23/2014 Mama Mia said:

On 7/22/2014 addiegal said: Madisson, I was on 2700 mg. gabapentin for a couple or so years...I did get some side effects that were troubling but when I weaned off the neuropathy I'd had was gone! And I was on Lexapro along with the gabapentin and the tapering off the Lexapro was the hardest of all! So, don't give up, just give yourself time between tapers to adjust.

This troubles me, as I am on both Lexapro and gabapentin, 2400 mg a day. The thing is, I had chemo, 12 sessions, last year, and got neuropathy, which I still have, supposedly from the chemo. I wonder if I started cutting down on the gabapentin, it would help with it? I can't go off Lexapro, for sure.

Any advice or comments would be appreciated.

mm

mm.. Hi. I have no advice but I wanted to let you know that my husband had chemo and a stem cell transplant a little over a year ago. He has such bad neuropathy in his feet. He is on Lyrica which helps but does in no way take away all the pain and discomfort. I was put on Lyrica for my Fibro and I got off of it since it caused me to have muscle tightness and pain in my legs....something I really didn't need more of (pain that is). What is Lexapro and is it helping you with the fibro pain? TIA!

Michelle

Hi Michelle, Lexapro is for anxiety and depression, before that I was on Paxil. As far as helping me, well, I better explain, I don't have fibro, but am beginning to wonder if I do. I was diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica about five years ago, that is when I started gabapentin for that pain. I may go to a rheumotologist soon, and see.

mm

[sneef]

On 7/22/2014 Mishell5 said:

Hi to all...I was out in the sun today and had some pool time. It sometimes knocks me out, but today it was really rejuvinating. Moving in water is easier and I actually get some exercise.

Madisson.. I have been on Prozac for so long, I really hope that if I can off of it that my breast side goes down. That would be incredible. I wonder if it matters how long you have been on the drug. And, I am so going to discuss the gabapentin with my Dr. I hope we both have the desired effects of getting off the antidepressants. I wonder if my night sweats are related to the Prozac or just another symptom of the Fibro.

Idora Liz... I totally agree with Madisson about getting a kitty. They really do take care of themselves. I was so ignorant when it came to how amazing cats are until we got our baby. My kids were young at the time and I was really afraid of cats. I grew up with dogs. She is my baby. She and my now adult kids grew up together. She is so social and loves being with the family. All that stuff about them being aloof is just so not true. The cuddles and love and sweetness is the best. So maybe that would work for you. Just feeding and the litter...that's it in terms of physical commitment on your part.

If anyone has any suggestions on how to function in the morning (I am in tears from the discomfort) I would really appreciate it.

I hope everyone had a good day!

Michelle

I do therapy in bed, I set my alarm for 30 minutes and I lay on my back and twist my hips and legs side to side, pull up in the fetal position and hold that position as long as I can. My therapist wanted me to get on the floor but in the morning my back hurts so bad and there are times I have to have my husband pull me out as I feel like a board. I also take my pain medication 15 minutes before I start my therapy.