I just joined this site and I am so thankful I did. Even just reading everyone's posts made me feel I'm not alone. I really get the "i'm 40 but feel like 90". I don't want to feel this way anymore. I have chronic headaches... tension I guess the most but leads to migraines. I'm suppose to see a neurologist in July at Vanderbilt and I guess go from there. I would love input from you all as to which direction to go. I just came off Paxil because I just took it while in Nursing School and all the stress with it. But all the pain is still there, from head to my toes. My shoulder blades and neck are unbearable at times. I can take a lot of pain but its to the point where I'm grouchy and I don't do things like I use to do. I've been taking Valium and Fioricet® (Butalbital, Acetaminophen, and Caffeine) and that can give me some relief for a very short while. I've taken Amitriptyline but those class of drugs make my ears ring very loud, so we stopped those in hopes of something else. I started Lyrica last night, 75mg and woke up this morning very dizzy. And I read on here about people taking 600mg a day. How does one function? Right now I'm tired, hurting and can't even think what to do next. Being in nursing.. I sure can't go around dizzy. The valium etc does not make me sleepy at all so I have no problems taking it and functioning. But I just live with the pain until I break and cannot bear it anymore. sigh... like I said... i'm just overwhelmed, hurting all over, and I don't know what to do as the drugs that are for Fibro seem to give me side effects I can't live with either. Any thoughts are appreciated so much!