Fibromyalgia Pressure Points
When I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia about two years ago, it was because of the pain I had been experiencing. As is my custom I had already looked up my symptoms (OMG thanks be to the Internet). And sure enough my wonderful Doc checked all the pressure spots, successfully creating pain in the majority of them.
We were now at the Fibromyalgia starting gate, so to speak. Currently there are about three major drugs used to treat "Fibro." I tried the first pill for about three months and gave it up due to side effects. The second pill didn't even make it that far, again because of side effects.
As an aside I have already lived with arthritis starting in my thirties, along with severe back pain, Chronic Liver Disease, and Hypothyroidism. I survived these many years with the help of powerful arthritis medication. In 1998 I was diagnosed as having Breast Cancer. Caught early by my annual mammogram, with surgery followed by Radiation Treatments, I have gratefully survived that side road.
Then fairly recently in the scheme of things I had symptoms that showed I was in the early stages of Renal Failure due to all the arthritis pills I had taken. Those pills were immediately stopped.
With that bit of medical history out of the way...
I am currently in about my tenth month of trying Cymbalta. But, I am not a happy camper with how it's working.
By the way, I don't fault my doctor for any of my trials finding the "one" that will work. From what I read almost all Fibro patients have the same problem...some can't even find a doctor that understands how the disease works.
Most of these meds have to be stepped up and down for dosing. I started Cymbalta at 30mg for a few months and then was upped to 60mg. I had some side effects but I was really hoping this would work and the side effects would lessen. A few months later I experienced an increase in my chronic depression so the dosage was upped to 90mg.
At that point the side effects really started to emerge:
• Fatigue
• Insomnia - up all night with A.M. naps
• Increased pain
• Intercostal rib pain, front to back
• Confined to bed for a week due to pain
• Increased "Fibro fog" - confused
• Unable to perform normal mental tasks
• Blisters on skin
• Increased irritability
• Forget how to work computer tasks
• Increased pain in hip
• Body temperature changes hot to cold
• Cough
• Sneezing (yes sneezing is a side effect)
• Forget to do daily tasks
• Blurred Vision
You now probably have a mental picture of me sitting in a wheelchair with my head hanging to one side and my tongue coming out the side of my mouth. Well I do have a bright red scooter I use if I go somewhere. And right now I'm in bed pecking at the keyboard on my iPad2.
The other day I saw my doc. I explained what was happening and that I had dropped my dose back down to 60mg.
And then I told him..."Ya know my brain is my best asset and I don't want to lose it because of the meds. And, with all the things I have going on how do we decide which is Fibro and which Is Cancer?"
That is why I have the above pictures of the Russian Stacking Dolls. Say the littlest doll is how we start out in life and the largest doll is how we are now while the other dolls hold all the other medical problems we've lived through. How do we get through all that and find the source of what is currently the problem?
After I asked my question he began writing orders for different tests. Tests for all sorts of things. And then he referred me to a pain doctor. The test results came back ok except for one which required a change in medicine. And it wasn't for the Fibro.
I wanted to write this blog for all the Fibromyalgia patients world wide. I have learned much from them and hope this helps them look at things a little differently.
Most of the side effects I listed above are true side effects of the medicine. But they are also symptoms of Fibromyalgia. We need to keep in mind that just because it is a symptom of the disease doesn't necessarily mean it is from the disease. Read about the other medical problems you may have. And most importantly, read about the side effects of the medicine you're taking.
And then... read it again.
