I was noticing that many of the forum take multiple meds ex: Kellie. Do you take all those meds in one day? Are they low doses?
I have tried all of those meds plus about 20 others (oycontin, methadone,, ketamine,lyrica, etc. etc. individually at high doses. None of them worked Did you start with one and saw that it worked and then added the others? This is confusining to me. I take no pain meds because none have worked. am in chronic pain - full body - FM and RSD. Do you think a combo approach would work? If they don't work separately - does a combo make them more effective?
thanks,
Sydney

Hi Sydney-

I have this posted up in the useful sticky list - but it may be of help to you so I thought i'd post the links here also.
It sounds a bit goofy but I used it for my repetitive strain injury years ago - it did work for me. {just found the link again after cpu crash this summer}
plus there is a free pdf file you can download that tells more about it if your want to try it yourself.
******************************************

It's a site about EFT
http://www.emofree.com
http://www.emofree.com/downloadeftmanual.asp
and
http://www.mercola.com/forms/eftcourse2.htm
********************************
[What is the Emotional Freedom Technique?

The Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, is the psychological acupressure technique I routinely use in my practice and most highly recommend to optimize your emotional health. Although it is still often overlooked, emotional health is absolutely essential to your physical health and healing - no matter how devoted you are to the proper diet and lifestyle, you will not achieve your body's ideal healing and preventative powers if emotional barriers stand in your way.

EFT is very easy to learn, and will help you:

* Remove Negative Emotions
* Reduce Food Cravings
* Reduce or Eliminate Pain
* Implement Positive Goals

EFT is a form of psychological acupressure, based on the same energy meridians used in traditional acupuncture to treat physical and emotional ailments for over five thousand years, but without the invasiveness of needles. Instead, simple tapping with the fingertips is used to input kinetic energy onto specific meridians on the head and chest while you think about your specific problem - whether it is a traumatic event, an addiction, pain, etc. -- and voice positive affirmations.

This combination of tapping the energy meridians and voicing positive affirmation works to clear the "short-circuit" - the emotional block -- from your body's bioenergy system, thus restoring your mind and body's balance, which is essential for optimal health and the healing of physical disease.

Some people are initially wary of these principles that EFT is based on - the electromagnetic energy that flows through the body and regulates our health is only recently becoming recognized in the West. Others are initially taken aback by (and sometimes amused by) the EFT tapping and affirmation methodology, whose basics you will learn here.

But keep in mind that, more than any traditional or alternative method I have used or researched, EFT works. I have witnessed the results in my patients since deciding to use EFT exclusively in June of 2001. The pioneer of EFT, Gary Craig, has seen similar outstanding results since developing EFT over a decade ago (see his website at www.emofree.com). Indeed, because of its very high rate of success, the use of EFT has spread rapidly, and medical practitioners employing EFT can now be found in every corner of the country and world.

This manual will provide an overview on how and where to tap, and the proper affirmation techniques, so that you can begin using EFT immediately to help yourself and others. It will also provide an introduction to some advanced EFT techniques and principles you can employ. If you are interested in taking your EFT knowledge and practice to the next level, please consider my EFT DVD/VHS series or Gary Craig’s EFT series for the incredible benefits that they can provide you..]

Hi,
I was reading your post about meds taken individually not really working and I think you are right. I have got to take several meds in order for them to work well. I take oxycontin for pain, but also zydone for break through pain. Without the zydone I would feel lots of pain daily. I also take the antidepressent Paxil just to keep my mood stable, for high stress makes me feel worse and I don't want that...
anyway, I just wanted to post and tell you what personally works for me.... talk to your doctor about it and see what they say????

Arrow

Hi Sydney
First off i wanna say, that i am very sorry your in chronic pain with no med to help you!!!
I complain because the ultram doesn't do much good for me..However i guess it's better than having nothing.
I have read many times where people such as yourself just dont respond to meds very well sadly!
I vary the dosage on my hormone pills{i know i shouldn't} or sometimes i take the relafen other days i wont.Just because of financial hardship.

The topamax used to work very well for my nerve pain.If i go too low on the dosage i can tell it's still doing me some good.I have just recently developed new problems and i'm afraid to increase any higher- because of side affects!
Trazadone i take when i am having problems sleeping..Which some weeks is often...
I proabaly take the flexeril 3-4 times a week{,if i had to guess}.
Some weeks more often,just depends...
I have muscle spasm flares in my upper back.
The lidoderm patches,well i wear those everyday...
I just started using those this last month.They seem to help ease my buring and a bit of the pain in my left shoulder.
Yet if i overdo it i will wonder if i even put one on that day!
The boniva is a once a month pill for osteoarthritis..or osteoporosis.I forget..LOL
My rhuemy reccomended i take this because of my bone density test turning out not so good last year!

So i do take some of these everyday ...

I didn't start out on this many 3 yrs ago...I just started having ailment after ailment and gradually ended up with a long rx list!
However if i dont take them.Yes i do feel a difference in how i feel.
I am VERY interested in that info that Jo posted and i plan on reading up on that when i am finished here.
Sydney
I hope you can find some relief soon.
I couldn't even imagine going that long with RSD and FM and not having any pain relief..Bless your heart

I take so many meds I had to buy a daily med holder. I take meds 4 times a day so it is needed.
Lidoderm patches
BuSpar
Depakote
Trazodone
Lexapro
Toprol
Dalmane
Robaxin
Metrogel for my rosacea
I also get Depo-Medrol trigger point shots every two weeks in my shoulders and back. So I guess that counts too.
Along with the meds I also take a fibro multivitamin and other suppliments to help with some of my other issues like anemia and constipation. So my day is pretty regimented by those darn little plastic containers.

Just like Wendy, my day is also ruled by plastic med containers. I take so many different meds at so many diofferent times of the day, so I need to med containers so that I won't forget to take anything.

I just did the math, and I take 8 medications for a total of 21 pills per day. Without the daily medication containers I would definately screw something up and forget something.

Hi Sydney,

While it is true that many people use a conventional RX med approach to fibro, and are happy with it, it is also true that many of us use CAM quite successfully.

A recent study found CAM approaches can be as effective for fibro sufferers as conventional meds, even for the most severe cases. I ran across that abstract earlier today & unfortunately didn't save it. Rats! I will try to post it when I find it.

In the meantime, I recommend the books by Jacob Teitelbaum, MD: From Fatigued to Fantastic and Pain Free 1 - 2 - 3. Each of these books will acquaint you with the range of conventional medical, CAM, and self-help treatments that have been found helpful for sufferers of chronic pain. The first book is more oriented to Fibro & CFS only, but the second book also has great nuggets.

I have used CAM & self-help approaches, without conventional meds, to greatly reduce my pain & incapacitation. Haven't used my walker in over a yr. (I am 53 yo). No more bed-bound days. Use my cane only rarely. My constant day to day pain is no longer continuous, and the few hours per day I have it, it's mild. My flares are increasingly rare, and when they do occur, are not nearly as severe. I'm definitely in "notched-down" fibro mode, and I attribute my improvements to CAM & SH. What I've loved about CAM & SH is that I've had very few side effects & none at present. My activity level, endurance & muscle strength are gradually increasing after being on the decline for several years.

I believe that I have been able to discover & address some of the "causes" of my fibro in a very economical manner. While I may have to continue to certain hormone supplements & dietary restrictions lifelong, these have been very economical changes, and for me, it feels better to be making progress on causation, rather than simply treating the pain, which is a symptom of what's wrong.

To each his own ... I'm don't believe in bashing anyone who chooses conventional meds. But for anyone who is hesitating, there's a whole world of options out there, feel free to explore it.

Best wishes.