Skip to the not too distant past. Me + Cymbalta = floopy (or that's what my husband lovingly referred to it as...) couldn't focus, couldn't think clearly, crashed the front of my car into a giant stationary pillar in a parking garage... you know... floopy. ;) So I told my Rheum that I just couldn't deal with it and that it didn't help the pain anyway.
Cut to a few days off Cymbalta... holy moley, maybe it was helping with the pain... because now it's back, with a vengeance... and it has spread :(
I read a post somewhere the other day that described fibro pain as this: a sunburn under your skin with spikes in it poking out through your skin, which is also sunburned and then an elephant sitting on top of it. Well, I'd say that sums it up. Maybe add setting it on fire somewhere in there too. I mean I have a few different types of fibro pain, but I think that pain that radiates out from my bones is the worst. I used to only get it in my legs once or twice a week. And now we're up to every day, sometimes several times a day and it's not just my legs but also my arms. I sure hope the Rheum is up for calling in some vicodan refills because that's the only thing that even remotely takes the edge off. Fun stuff...
Oh and speaking of the Rheum, I saw him on Monday, and since I revoked the use of Cymbalta, he wants to put me on Lyrica... my mind immediately goes to Lyrica = weight gain, and lots of it. (or so I have read) I mean, I really can't afford to gain another ounce, and since I can't work out because of my ankle *music stops* oh yes- to top all of this other fun stuff off, I twisted my ankle, walked on it for 6 weeks because I figured it was just fibro pain and not really injured, before I let anyone convince me to go to the doctor about it... which resulted in a fracture of my leg bone, a bruise inside of my ankle bone (which is a surprisingly serious deal) and a completely torn ligament. Ohhh fffffuuuuudge... so I have to wear a boot that goes all the way to my knee (my husband has deemed me "Robo-Wife" and loves to sing the Robo-Cop theme whenever I enter a room), an ankle brace under the boot, walk with a cane... well not really supposed to even walk... and see a physical therapist. And they tell we this might take upwards of a year to heal.
YEEHAW! The fun never stops...(like the picture? That's the picture from the website of the boot maker. Suuurreee.... I'd like to see a guy with a broken whatever that requires the use of a boot get out of that hammock. Ha!)
*music starts back up again* where was I? Oh yes, Lyrica. So as much as I don't want to take it and am completely paranoid about gaining more weight, I'm still trying it. I started it Monday. I'm not feeling any better as far as pain episodes yet, though I will say that it has helped with the sleeping problem. (you know, the whole waking up a million times throughout the night thing...) Though it's reeeeeaaaallly hard to get up in the am.
I really loathe the fact that I have to trade one set of problems for another. I mean, really- either be in horrible pain or be floopy; pain or gain lots of weight. The pain really gets to me, but I'm not sure if it's worth not being able to function, or gaining more weight. If it even works... It's not like the Cymbalta was even making me pain free.
Ah, fibro. <3
Anyway, that's it for now. I'll keep you posted on how the Lyrica does. Tah Tah!
I didn't have that problem with Cymbalta, but my mom did! Savella was the worst for me (I have a post about all my Savella side effects on my blog). Lyrica never helped, Neurontin is so much better (and insurance companies don't balk at Neurontin). Good luck and keep us posted!
ReplyDelete