Meds that currently work for me

For pain I am taking a total of 80 mgs of Methadone. Talk about your red flag meds that get a pharmacist all in a ruffle, this one is a definite. It's considered a level 2 narcotic and a doctor can't place refills on the script tab, so you have to physically get it filled each month. Also if the doctor doesn't actually write - 4 10 mgs tabs twice a day, the pharmacist won't legally be able to fill it. The tabs usually come in 10 and 40 mgs tablets but I've seen cases where they come in 20 mg tablets, it just depends on the pharmacy. If you are directed to take this narcotic then I highly recommend going to CVS. Not only do they treat you like a human being, but they're also willing to call the doctor personally if there is any question about how the script is written and will take the doctors order over the phone in these instances. Also, they are able to legally hold on to a prescription for 14 days so if you get a new script and don't want to hang on to it, these people are great. Also, be aware that if you're taking Vicodin, this drug actually is used to help you get off of vicodin and other addictive narcotics. In my case Vicodin no longer worked at all so I simply just stopped taking it cold turkey without any withdrawal affects.

Prevacid - 30 mgs a day. This helps with taking narcotics which can be tough on your stomach and can cause acid reflux, even a herniated stomach.

Ativan - 3mgs a day. Greatly assists with my dizziness and nausea and helps reduce overall stress. I usually only take it when I'm feeling an overwhelming sense of nausea and after taking it I feel like I can breath again.

Robaxim. 1500 mgs as needed. This helps with muscle spasms and tremors. It also can make you sleepy.

Phenergan - 25 mgs as needed for nausea. I find that 25 mgs works the best and it can also make you a bit drowsy.

Claritin and Rosarim nasal spray. Helps during the allergy seasons when I'm highly susceptible to dizziness and nausea as well as balance issues.

Restoril (Temazepam) 15 - 45 mgs at night as needed for sleep. Unlike normal hypnotics I find this to be to most useful to get me to sleep the fastest and longest. It's also much more cheaper than Lunesta, Sonata, and Ambien and doesn't have a layover effect sometimes noted with sleep medications. Lunesta tends to give me a horrible after taste the next day and Ambien for me is like taking a water pill.

Lisinopril - Assists with high blood pressure that some narcotics can contribute to let alone the life of someone with Fibromyalgia.

So that's basically it. I feel that by telling people about this it gives others the ability to gauge their own regiment with some of my successes. I hope it's helpful.

Right now I take 20mg 3 times a day of Oxycontin, during the cold months I take 40 mg 2x day

I take ultram for breakthrough pain...so basically I take it all day long (of course not exceeding the recomended amount...but seems as though I am always in pain even with the oxy) SO much of the day I suffer.

Plaqunil. for the autoimmune part (it's an antimalarial drug, but immunosupressive)

occassionally xanax...but not on a regular basis, unfortunatly. As I feel I have chronic anxiety, and when I take it I can get through the day without screaming, sweating, and freaking out.

have taken elavil (didn't do much for me), vicodin (more like a water pill at this point, as it's been years that I've taken pain meds....same with regular percocet.

taken cymbalta (highly recomend against it, just google cymbalta withdrawl, it's a hell)

taken lexapro...it gave my constant panic attacks

been on duragesic (fentnyl.) Loved it, it's a patch, but seemed to not stick to my skin to great, and I'd spend an extra $40 a month on special tape, that worked half the time.

I know there's several others. But as anyone in our position knows, nothing really, really helps. I read an article in my friends medical journal saying how docs totally underuse pain meds, for fear of addiction, misuse etc. But the benefits really out weighs this. When they are used properly they can be a real asset to people like us. I just hope all docs got this paper.

It's very depressing to be a 28 year old stay at home mom of 2 toddlers, that are just my world and my heart, and I can't do half the things I want to with them. It's not fair to me, and certainly not fair to them. That's why I pray I have lyme, at least there might be a light at the end of this hellish tunnel. I feel that if I keep going in the same route, I will be in a wheelcair by the time I'm 35.

I also went to some pain managment HACK who gave me facet injections in my sacrum....he flat out lied to me, saying that it was immediate relief and would last a long time....not only did he give me nerve damage, but I was in much more pain afterwards, and never got relief. after he got his money he tells me, well if it works, it will take up to a week, and last for....get thiss.....3 weeks!!!! I almost died! He said my nerves were VERY inflamed, which also leaves me to believe something else is going on. I at least lost him one other patient...spreding the word!!!

Hope this helps a little.

Pain level 6 everyday...that must be really hard? I wonder what your pain level would be with out the oxycontin.

I live in the midwest and am struggling to find a doctor willing to prescribe ANY opioid medication at all. Have you found that doctors are unwilling to prescribe oxycontin?

Thanks!

It took me years to get a dx. When I was about 20 I started having pain in my neck...doc told me I had ddd of cervical spine....gave me vicodin , sent me on my way. She was happy to keep prescribing it...but I wanted other answers. I then went to a chiropractor...then started having HORRIBLE issues with my sacrum. Got pregnant with my first, and felt like my sacrum was splitting in two. He said "that's not normal, we'll look into that after the baby comes" his idea of looking into it was a simple xray. Soon after my right knee swelled 3 times it's size...ruiled out blood clot...told me I was out of shape! I weighed 130, might have been a bit out of shape, but in much better than many people. I then switched docs. After talking to my current doc for 20 mins he dx me with fibro and MCTD (autoimmune, lupus, RA, and scleroderma)....sent me to rheumi. Was put on percocet and vicodin.... We were going on a long car trip and I was nervous of the pain, so he let me try the duragesic patch...LOVED it....woke up for the first time with a pain level of like 2!!!! Problem was though it wouldn't stick to my skin and I was spending $50 a month on special tape that didnt always work...so then I asked about oxy...he said alright to that. Doesn't help as much as the duragesic. Other problem with the duragesic was the off name brands .... the one that I liked, that seemed to work the best, none of the pharmacies carried anymore...so I stuck with the oxy.

But yes, anymore docs are reluctant to prescribe narcotics of any sort. But what gets me....my ex step dad had foot surgery...went to a pain managment doc, who offered him morphine!!! He said, no, he wanted vicodin....(he's addicted to it, he takes a half a pill here and there...if you're in so much damn pain, half a pill isn't gonna do it)....thid doc spent 2 hours with him!!! So I went to this doc when we were driving from ohio to florida a few months ago, wanting a nerve block, becuase I knew I'd never be able to make it in the car that long....I was there for 2 hours, but saw the doc for 3 minutes! He agreed to the injections...I thought it was a nerve block, he never told me much about it, even though I asked lots of questions...if i had time on my side I would have found a new doc....so i get there for the procedure, and find out he's doing facet injections...12 shots into my sacrum...he told me results would be immediate and last a long time....he knicked my nerves, and while I was writhing in pain in recovery he tells me (after he gets his money of course), that it could take up to a week to start working, and last for 3 weeks!!!!! JERK!!!! Then he wanted to send me to a chronic pain clinic....I said alright...then I got the paper work...it was 5 days a week, 8 hiours a day, for 8 weeks!!!!! Tell me one person who has that kind of time to sit in a friggin hot tub!!!! BTW, this is the Cleveland Clinic....I will never see another CC doc in my life...he was my second...I had a CC endo who was a trip too. They don't treat you like a human being....more like a number.

Personally I'm not a fan of pain managment docs, and think you'd be better off finding a specialist ...neuro or something....or even your family doc. Where do you get your oxy now? Can't he or she prescribe it on a regular basis?

one drug I took while pregnant for migranes was called fioricet....it was a miracle drug, within 15 mins of taking it, headahces were gone.

hope that helps you.

My primary care doctor had been prescribing oxycodone with out too much problem for the past 5 or 6 years. But then I made the mistake of seeing the headache specialist affiliated with the clinic and he wrote "avoid opioid medication" on my chart. I have no history of abuse, overuse, I have never touched an illegal substance!...this doctor was just a hardliner no opioid guy. And then my primary care physician told me I needed to find a different doctor because she wouldn't prescribe for me anymore. So then I saw a doctor in the same clinic who also sees my aunt, grandma, uncle. She told me it would be too much work for her to prescribe oxycodone. I saw a nuerologist who told me that drug would kill me and to try a pain clinic. I was seen at a pain clinic who wanted me to do a 12 hr/wk program, I decided against that. I've done tons of physical therapy as well as occupational therapy....at this point all I need is someone with the guts to prescribe. Right now I am dependent on the kindness of urgent care doctors...even then they will only prescribe 10 at a time.

Fioricet worked wonders for my headaches...

I went to a pain mang. doc who wanted me to go to a chronic pain clinic...8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 6 weeks!!! Yeah, I have that kind of time to sit in a friggin hot tub! lol. a lot of docs doin't take pain seriously, and it's a real shame. I wish for those docs to feel how I do just for 1 month, then tell me what they think. Chronic pain is much different than breaking a leg....this pain never goes away. I pretty much have written off pain mang. docs... you would think they'd be the ones to go to, but they are injection happy if you ask me...and with my tinking I have lyme...the steriods are not good for me at all.

If I were you, I would start fresh with a whole new set of docs...don't transfer your files to the new doc...just start fresh and go from there.