Does anyone else just see red when the Lyrica commercials come on?? "For several weeks, I had this deep, unexplained pain." How about *years*? How about decades?? "I saw my doctor and he prescribed Lyrica." How about after seeing several doctors who don't believe you? Doctors who think fibro is a figment of your imagination or who think you just want drugs? And then the fact that it makes people think Lyrica is a magic cure for fibro. It can work for some people, heck, it worked for me. What I'm on now is better, but it did help me at one time. But I can't even tell you guys how many people, upon finding out I have fibro, ask me if I've tried Lyrica.

Anyway. These commercials just make me rage and I don't know anyone in real life who gets it, so I had to rant a bit.

Also, mods, if this isn't ok, I'll delete it!

Hello! I've got a question for you guys. Currently, I'm insured through my job, which I had before I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I'm trying to leave my current job to work from home. Leaving my job means I lose my insurance (I am aware of COBRA, but would prefer to have permanent insurance). I applied for individual insurance from my current provider, and was denied because of the fibro and Lyrica. I've been told that Lyrica will most likely be excluded from any insurance policy I can get. Also, I cannot afford the $208 a month for Lyrica without insurance.

So. The question: what other medications are there out there that help fibro? Am I stuck getting off Lyrica and dealing with fibro without any medications? I'm planning on talking to my doctor as well, but thought it would be good to go in with some ideas and information. I would so appreciate any advice or information.

Thanks guys!!

Hello everyone!

I can't quite remember if I ever posted here before, but I do lurk quite often and read all the posts. Instead of venting or talking about a bad day, I have come with good news! My mother's first book, I Have CFS But I Don't Look Sick has just come out!

There are a lot of CFS books out there that talk about diets, medicine regimens, exercises to give you more energy, herbal supplements, ect., but this book is the first of its kind that we know of. It discusses, in depth, what a CFS sufferer goes through on a daily basis without holding anything back. It's a short read, under 100 pages, but that doesn't mean it's short on insight or emotion. My mother wanted it to be short enough for a CFS reader to read comfortably without straining, but detailed enough where she could tell her story and it could be enjoyed by normal, everyday people.

My mother is entering her 24th year of suffering with CFS. She is 44 years old, has raised two children, dealt with a husband that sided with the doctors and assumed it was "all in her head", and sorrowfully witnessed her two children develop CFS as teenagers. I am one of those children, and much to both me and my mother's horror, in October of 2009 I also developed Fibromyalgia. So not only does this book talk about her life, but it also talks about mine. From the time I dropped out of the marching band due to symptoms in highschool, to cutting back on days at work, until I finally had to medically withdraw from the college of my dreams to become completely disabled and homebound. I just turned 23 years old last month, and my brother is 19.

Without giving too much away, there is a short synopsis on all the things the book talks about. If you're interested in purchasing it, you can find it here on Amazon.

If you have any questions, please feel free to post them here!

Just wanted to thank you all for your advice on the Cymbalta and give you an update. I'm on my 3rd day of 30mg/day coupled with 25mg/day of Lyrica (which I'm going off of), and I'm feeling pretty good.

On the first day, I had some problems with nausea and lightheadedness, but those wore off pretty quickly. I've also noticed that my appetite has gone, but that isn't that bad! (I'm trying to lose weight anyway, and this helps me manage.) The biggest issue has been with sleep--I'm really tired when I shouldn't be then have insomnia when I should, but I'm hoping I'll adjust and that'll go away pretty soon.

Nothing in particular to report pain-wise. I don't feel quite as good as I did on the Lyrica, but I'm willing to trade some of the comfort I got with Lyrica for the depression and weight gain that came along with that to (hopefully) go away.

Alright y'all...

So I've decided recently that I want to go off of Lyrica. It has helped a lot with the pain but I think it may have been the cause of my weight gain and depression. I'm sensitive to medications, so am just on 25mg 2x a day, which worked PERFECTLY for pain control for about 6-7 months and for the last 5-6 has worked fairly well, with occasional fibro pain.

I've seen three docs about my fibro: the one who diagnosed me originally when I was 17 (and put me on a vitamin regime that worked really well while I was in Los Angeles, where it's sunny); the one who I see at my college in Minnesota (who put me on Lyrica); the one who I saw today, who replaced the doc who diagnosed me when she retired.

The new doc suggested that I try Cymbalta and said she has patients who are very happy with it. I wasn't overly familiar with it, so decided to go ahead. She gave me 6 weeks worth of samples, with the intention of me taking 30mg a day for the first 2 weeks (while tapering off of the Lyrica) and then going to 60mg.

I read up on Cymbalta, though...and now I'm mildly terrified. I'm not sure if I want to try it, based on the scary stories of withdrawal and adjustment. I'm a college student and am going back to class on Jan 3rd, and am afraid that I won't have adjusted by then (or that I'll have decided not to take it by then and will have to go off of it while class is going on). I'm not sure what to think. I'm tempted to wait and talk to the doctor who prescribed me the Lyrica, because I've completely psyched myself out about the Cymbalta. On the other hand, I want to try it and see how I feel with it after a couple of days while I'm still on break and am not doing much, but at the same time I'm afraid of side effects dripping onto my schoolwork.

I know everyone's reactions to medication are different, but I've heard so many scary things about Cymbalta. I have no idea what to do.

edit: Thanks guys. This made me feel a lot better about it and I just took my first pill (30mg). Let's see what happens.

Because some of you might find them helpful.

Quick intro: Female, 26, eastern coast of VA. Problems really started the beginning of college (Summer 2003) as I returned from my brief attempt at the summer indoc training at the US Naval Academy. I assumed my problems came from way over doing it in training both before and during the Navy training. It was neither - it was a combination of the fibro and some physical irregularities that messed up my running stride, etc. I spent most of my undergrad (fall 2003 through spring 2007) in physical therapy and from there, started going into regular maintenance functioning therapy, I guess you could call it. Mostly just meeting my chiropractor and trying to live a normal-ish life while I still had a good safety net in place. I was treated very, very successfully for several years with Lyrica. Only side effects were a little daytime sleepiness, but it was very reasonable for the benefits I was getting and I could cope. I added Tramadol as needed for bad days, and we ended up adding trileptal (seizure med) for headaches we thought were trigeminal neuralgia based on the symptoms at the time. Everything was stable through the two years of grad school, which meant I could finish up my course work by spring 2009 without leaning on the school-supplied assistance much, although it saved my ass several times. Especially the days there was just no way I could drag my body together enough to finish the last portion of my paper.

Summer 2009, Moved to a new place, started a new job. Migraines kicked in overtime, and although still not showing completely typical migraine symptoms (no light or sound sensitivity, they last for 3-4 days, none of the meds so far have worked, almost always triggered by weather changes), and I've been bouncing to neurologist to neurologist to get them treated. Around the same time, I was looking for a long term doctor for treatment of the fibro. My primary care doc has been continuing my prescriptions, but he really wasn't happy about it since he didn't understand any of what was going on and didn't know where I fell on any dosage levels or anything.

The new doctor is a neurologist (so he can also treat the migraines in conjunction with the fibro) through a center for pain management. He is working out BRILLIANTLY for me so far. He treats me with respect, believes me, and draws me out with enough teasing that I feel like he sees me as a person and not just some weird combination of complaints. He trusts me to try a couple of different things and let him know what worked, if anything. Before, I'd have ONE migraine med, and if it didn't work, I'd just want to die for 3 days. Now, I can try 2 or 3 things, and then if none of those work, I can just knock myself on my ass with painkillers.

He suggested trying Cymbalta instead of Lyrica to see if a) it would help with daytime sleepiness and b) it would help with the migraines (topamax not doing much for me, so that would fade out as well). I'm finishing up my first week of Lyrica at 100mg/day instead of 150mg/day and I'm mostly ok, except for some pretty minor aches and pains. I've tried this before without the background of the Cymbalta (worked up to 60mg, where I currently am) and I'd never be functioning this well after this long with this low a dose of the Lyrica.

I'm hoping that once these drugs reach an equilibrium state, my sleep patterns will start going back to something resembling normal. I'm tired of weird dreams all the time, and being told that I make weird noises like I'm trying to talk to someone without really opening my mouth, or that I'm reaching up in the air for things without getting up from bed...

But I am so, so, so grateful for my boss and my coworkers. They are so helpful and understanding. I'm not officially registered anywhere as handicapped or anything. I just slide through by working my hardest and being upfront about my needs. Which are generally not too bad. Just need doctor's appointment time and occasional sick days, sick days that I'm trying my damnedest to get shorter and further between...

Anyway, please let me know if this helps you, touches a nerve, or if you have anything to chime in that might be of use to someone going through a major change like me.

Thanks, all who take the time to read this!

Warning: mini-rant time. ;-)

My fibro has been flaring up the past few months, the worst it's been in about a decade, so I finally got a referral to a rheumatologist. Of course, being the NHS, I had to wait a few months, but I'm not so bad off that it's critical, and my rant isn't about NHS wait times, since they're much better than they used to be.

Anyway, I finally had my appointment this Monday, and I'm going to get to go on Lyrica, though I have to wait until he sends a letter to my GP and make an appointment with him. But it won't be as long a wait as for the appointment, so I should be in on it within the next few weeks. I'm nervous about weight gain and other side effects but am hopeful it will help.

Of course, the doctor had to check out all the tender points, as that's the way they still diagnose it in the UK. All of them hurt, not surprisingly.

Unfortunately, this has made the flare-up that was starting to go away come back, especially in my chest and shoulders. Ugh. I'm not mad at the doctor - he was really good overall, and he actually believes in fibro, yay. I just didn't need this pain right now.

I was supposed to play 2 gigs the end of this month with my husband's band, one in Lithuania and the other in Germany. I'm a violinist, and of course with a flare-up in my shoulders and neck, I can't play, so I've had to cancel. This is the second time I've had to cancel gigs this year, and it's really pissing me off. It's not my day job, though it is my husband, but it's something I really like to do, and it's more than just a hobby. Fortunately, my husband understands (he gets knee and back pain), but I still feel like I'm letting him, the rest of the band and the fans down.

I realise I'm lucky - I can still work and I know I'm not as sick as some people - but it's still upsetting and annoying. I'm scared to make any plans, as who knows how I will feel in the future, and I haven't been this bad in years. I'm still not at my worst, so hopefully the Lyrica will help, but I still had to get this off my chest somewhere that people will understand.

Thinking of what you ask? Everything...and it's really starting to get on my last nerve.

I have always been very proficient at speaking and writing. I seem to have a knack for knowing exactly what to say, and when, and say it differently than everyone else. It's not something I asked to be good at, but people tell me all the time that I have "a special gift" when it comes to those two things. Words have always flowed effortlessly from my mouth, or my mind, and I guess I just always expected it to be so. I mean, it's like driving right? Once you learn how to do it well, you theoretically should continue to do it well unless you chose not to.

Lately, I have noticed a significant change when it comes to speaking and writing. I always proofread everything I write, whether it be chapters to a story, poetry, or even these submissions. Usually I correct spelling, and grammar occasionally, but recently I've been correcting everything.

When I reread my things, some sentences I write just don't make sense. Things that I should not be making mistakes with. For instance, changing tenses. You know, like past (I went) and present (I'm going). I can understand how newbies would make this mistake, in a paragraph or chapter. However, I seem to even be screwing this up even when it comes to sentences.

Other times, I can't even tell you what I did to make a sentence sound or feel wrong. It's just, totally unlike me, and I am very distressed about it. It has to be pretty evident if I'm beginning to notice it.

I'm terrified that this is a worsening of the "brain fog" symptom that comes with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and/or Fibromyalgia. I don't really mind if I walk into the kitchen and forget why I went there, or forget what I'm talking about mid-sentence occasionally...but forgetting something like this is just, devastating. I've spent my entire life in school learning this. What if it is "brain fog" and it just continually gets worse as time goes on? Will I even be coherent in 5 years? Writing is everything to me. Otherwise how will I be able to talk to you guys and comment? How will I be able to continue working on my novel?

I guess it could also be the new medicine I'm on. They just increased my dose again a couple of days ago...so maybe I just need to adjust and get used to it? I didn't notice this "thinking problem" until after I started Lyrica, so maybe the drug is affecting my brain somehow? I just don't know what to do. I don't know if I can live with a side effect like this!

Do any of you experience this symptom? Could it just be the Lyrica?

Those of you who are taking Lyrica...do you ever get muscle twitches? I'll just be sitting there and my arm will jerk, or my leg will twitch. Before I started taking it, I might of had a muscle twitch every once in a great while, but now I am having them several times a day and they are big enough for me to really notice. It's really annoying when I'm trying to draw. X(

Anyway, I don't believe I had this problem until I started taking Lyrica. Is this a normal side effect? Does anyone else experience this?

Hey everyone!
My name is Sarah and I am 21 years old. I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in April of 2008 and Fibromyalgia in October 2009. I have been bed-bound since February of this year, had to withdraw from college, and am currently filing for disability. They have denied me once, but I appealed it, and I haven't heard back from them yet.

So now that you have a little background, I have a lot of questions. You all seem to be extremely knowledgeable people, so I hope maybe you'll be able to answer them :) I'll try to speak as well as I can, but forgive me if some things don't make sense. I'm having horrible brain fog today.

1. I was diagnosed with CFS a long time ago, but is it possible that I just have Fibro? Could it have just been "blooming" so to say, disguised as CFS, until this year?

2. My doctor put me on Lyrica a month ago. For the first week, it worked wonderfully! I felt almost normal! And then all of a sudden, it just stopped working, so my doctor decided to increase my dosage. Is there a reason why this happened?

3. I know one of the main side-effects of Lyrica is weight gain, and I feel as though I may be gaining some weight. Is there any way I can combat this without exercising? I'm already eating like a bird. Do I have to chose between being thin and in pain, and fat and pain-free?

4. Sometimes I am so tired I cannot get up. Other days I feel like an insomniac and I can't sleep. Today I slept for 20 hours, and I think after this post I am going back to bed. Is this a symptom of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or do people with Fibro suffer from this as well? Could it just be the pain making me tired?

5. I have never been interested in sex, at all. I feel like my libido is negative. My disinterest in sex has caused me more than one breakup. Is this also a symptom of Fibromyalgia? If so, how can I combat it?

6. Because I am so young, my doctor will not prescribe me pain killers or muscle relaxers. Over the counter pain medicines like Tylenol, Motrin, Advil, Bayer, ect. ect., do not even touch my pain. The only thing that seems to work is when my dad lends me half of one of his Vicodin (he has a rod in his back).

So how do I get relief? I already lay on a full body heating pad all day long, do stretches, go to the Chiropractor when my family can afford it, and have my family members rub out my sore muscles. What do I try? Drugs, alcohol, do I turn to the black market?

7. Starting January 1st, I will no longer be on my parents' health insurance. This terrifies me, since I need medical care so often. I know you get insured (at least I think you do) through Disability, but it doesn't look like they are moving very quickly regarding my case. What do I do? Do I get private insurance? What insurance company will accept me with my pre-existing expensive condition? How ill I get the medicine I need everyday?

I know I had other questions...but alas, I have forgotten them. It makes me so mad when that happens. I hope you guys have some answers for me though, and I hope I didn't ask too much. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families, and that you're up to par today.

<3