I am beginning to lose my mind over this pain.

[Maraya1969]

It is not that it is excruciating but it is bad enough that I keep taking Darvocett and I'm afraid of getting addicted to it. I am up now because I tried to sleep but I had shooting pains in my neck an shoulders.

I have some sort of degenerated disks in my neck and maybe bulging ones. I am afraid to ask for a copy of the MRI because I had a fight over the bill and refused to pay my portion of it.

Sometimes I feel like every muscle in my body aches. And sometimes it is just the joints.

Is there anywhere else to look besides Fibromiagia, (my dx besides the neck thing)? I know I was brutal on myself as a young person. I thought I was invisible and wore my wounds like badges of honor. Stoooopid.

I also do NOT want to take the immuno - suppressant drugs that they give to people with arthritis.

[WestHoustonDem]

1. Have you tried Glucosamine/chondroitin?

A lot of people have had good luck with that. My fibro went into remission when I got my Crohn's disease under control. Unfortunately that required the immuno suppressant type drugs you mention.

Go ahead and ask for the MRI anyway. The worst that could happen is that they turn you down. Then you can send them a note by certified mail informing them that if they refuse to release your MRI to you, they will hear from your attorney. If you have an attorney, cc them on the letter. If you don't, cc a fictitious attorney on the letter.

[Maraya1969]

4. The stuff I have here is just Glucosamine and it does help. Sometimes

I forget to take it. When the vet was treating my dog for arthritis he told me that what I have now is the same thing he takes. Do you think the chondrointin is very important?

[WestHoustonDem]

7. I've heard it helps though I've never used it. I'm guessing it's worth

a try.

[Chalco]

2. My husband had the same thing.

He did everything. Finally, acupuncture did the trick. He found a fabulous one who did acupuncture and massage. Started out once a week, then went to every 2 weeks then once a month. It took several months but he is pain free now.

[flamingyouth]

3. I'm so sorry for all the pain you're in

I have similar neck problems (three discs) and sometimes the pain is just awful. Acupuncture has given me some relief. I cleaned up my diet, started drinking a lot more water, stopped drinking so much soda pop, eat a lot more fruits and veggies, etc., and I think that's helped me a bit. But I still have pain, and it still keeps me up at night at times too. It seems to go through cycles.

I think that MRI film should be part of your medical record - you should just ask for it. Send them a letter, then get another opinion.

Good luck to you and keep us posted. :pals:

[Maraya1969]

5. I have to say that this strange neck traction thing makes my neck feel

good but I don't want to use it too much without a doctor saying it is a good thing. One guy told me that his doctor told him not to wear one of those neck braces for too long because it would make him muscles weak. Who the heck knows.

http://www.necktraction.us/

[flamingyouth]

6. That's different from my traction device.

My PT told me to use it for no more than 10-15 minutes three times a day and that, yes, you can overdo both traction and the soft neck collar. I wear my collar a lot at night especially, when my head feels like a 5,000-lb. bowling ball trying to balance on a toothpick after walking around all day.

I'm actually off for a PT appointment right now... :hi:

[Warpy]

8. Well, you brought up several issues

First is that you're taking Darvocet. If you're getting good relief from it and you aren't exceeding the prescribed dose, then the risk of addiction is minimal. If you exceed the dose, you're in danger of burning out your liver from the Tylenol in that medication: don't do it. Darvocet is a short acting synthetic narcotic analgesic.

What happens to people who take long acting or around the clock pain medication is dependence, not addiction. Dependence means that if they stop the drug suddenly, they will experience physical withdrawal symptoms. What differentiates it from addiction is that people who are dependent again take the prescribed dose and no more. Addicts are compelled to keep taking more and more of the drug, no matter how stoned they already are. When they stop the drug suddenly, they get the physical symptoms combined with intense craving.

If you have been diagnosed with arthritis along with the fibro, talk to your doc about anti inflammatory medications along with the immunosuppressants. It's better than being in agony and certainly better than losing functional joints. Also talk to him about something to help you sleep. That can be something like Benadryl or other drugs used to help fibro patients sleep like Trazodone, Elavil, and other antidepressants.

I've been on a stable dose of Tylenol with codeine for 15 years. I'm neither dependent nor addicted, but I get cranky and don't manage to do much around the house when I'm in pain. It's the difference between funcioning well and barely functioning.

I hope this has answered some of your concerns. Your doc is your best resource in this case and can tell if you're running into any trouble with pain meds.

[mopinko]

9. fibro hallmark- pain killers make it worse

i was really nearly incapacitated by fibro before my dx. i took one pain killer after another. now i am taking neurontin, which is an anti-epileptic drug, that is good for certain types of pain. also taking a muscle relaxant. feeling really good lately. appropriate exercise is also very helpful. yoga has helped a lot also.

[Warpy]

10. Tylenol #3 is the difference between functioning

and being barely functional, at all. It works very well for me. I would advise most people to discuss this carefully with their doctors. If they're sitting around staring at a wall like I was, maybe they NEED pain control.

Fibro is a complex disease that requires complex treatment, both drug and non drug. Yoga is a great suggestion. I discovered it about 25 years ago and it made a big difference. So is getting adequate sleep at night, something that generally requires medication for fibro patients. Again, your doc is your best guide for that.