I've been in chronic pain for years. I have fibromyalgia. It will settle in one area and give me a hard time for months and then ease up. I go through periods of time where I feel very well. Then another area will be affected. Over time, my feet, hands, hips, knees, ankles, shoulders, neck, and even my sternum bone have all been the problem of the day and each has come and gone. I have reoccurent heal spurs, plantar faciitis, and I can't tolerate anything that's too repetitious.
That said, I do well to ignore as much as possible. I keep busy, stretch or exercise the problem areas carefully, take advil or allieve sparingly and meditate when possible. I REFUSE to do anything that will keep me from being the best I can be for the children in my life. I have never drank a drop of alcohol in my life. But lately I have this reoccurent thought that I wish I could take a nip or so from something.
Is there a good pain medication that is non-narchotic that REALLY works?
There are no pain medications that come without side effects. I would suggest going over your various options with your doctor, so that you can learn all of the options available, and find out the risks/benefits/side effects of each. A pharmacist may also have good information for you, since all they do is drugs!
Good luck!
I can't help with the pain medication, none of them are safe when taken every day on a regular basis. My friend Mari Skelly wrote a book on fibromyalgia, each chapter details a form of healing and/or therapy that different patients have used with success. I don't remember the name but if you google fm and her name I'm sure you can find it. I personally know a lot of people who do well with regular chiropractic care and also biofeedback therapy. Good luck!
I dealt with fibromyalgia for 4 1/2 years following a severe car accident, and my heart goes out to you. I had the best success with Ultracet (non-narcotic, doesn't make you feel funny) and Lyrica (does cause weight gain and sleepiness though). I also got lidocaine injections once a month which helped as well. I would strongly recommend trying acupuncture if you're open-minded! For me, getting pregnant "cured" me...I have not had any problems since having my baby, and he is 9 1/2 months old now.
Hi there,
I don't have Fibromyalgia, but I do live with chronic pain -- I have arthritis in my SI joint and 4 discs in my lower back are blown out. I was taking Darvocet which is a non-opiate, but still a narcotic. We have a family friend with fibromyalgia that ended up quitting his current job and finding something less stressful, his was made worse by stress - MUCH worse.
I found some interesting reading about Ginger root and taking it as a natural supplement. It's a natural anti-inflammatory and has a slew of other benefits. I read an article on the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1665874.stm (so not some junk website, or vitamin site). Since Fibromyalgia makes you more sensitive to pain, if you believe any of your pain is nerve/inflammation related you might try taking ginger root for a month and see if it helps you.
Just thought I would share what I found. Sorry to hear you're in pain - I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
