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Medication
FAQ'S ~
Current
Drug Therapies for FM/CMP by Devin Starlanyl Q: I am in pain, can't sleep, I am not depressed. Why does my doctor insist on putting me on an antidepressant drug? A: First off! Fm is not a mental illness. It is not depression in any form. The depression comes after months, even years of feeling pain and not sleeping when you can not find appropriate medical help. When a doctor prescribes an antidepressant for FM, he is not telling you it is all in your head. Any reputable doctor, who is knowledgeable in FM, will give you these drugs for the purpose of restoring your stage 4 sleep. It is not known why these drugs restore our precious sleep, but they do work for a large segment of the FM population. While there is a subset of FM'ers who suffer from clinical depression, this is not the main symptom to treat for the majority of sufferers. The depression is a result of the condition, not the cause. These drugs allow you to get much needed sleep and then you can move forward on other treatments. Q: My doctor will not prescribe any pain medication, what can I do?
A:
There is no easy answer to this question. If you are in the beginning stages of FM and
have no other conditions to treat, most doctors will not prescribe pain medication.
Instead they will give you meds to aid in sleep. They will advise you on exercise and
therapies available. (Massage, water therapy, stretching) They will tell you about
perpetuating factors you need to remove from your lifestyle. (High stress jobs, repetitive
movement, dietary habits.) Q: My Doctor is willing to give me medication for pain, but I can not afford it and have no insurance. A: There are many agencies that will assist you. In many cases you can get your medications for free or at a low cost. For more information on how to apply for these benefits, go to Free or Low Cost Medication Q: My doctor wants to put me on a drug for seizure disorders, why? A: This, nobody can answer. For some reason, anti seizure drugs like Neurontin are successful in lessening pain levels for FM'ers and improving their sleep patterns. Folks on high doses of this medication report better sleeping habits, less pain, less fibro fog and less fatigue. As of now, the drug is not being billed as an FM medication, but many doctors are prescribing it off label for those with FM, with great successes in many cases. High doses of the drug have been deemed safe and you have to titrate your dose until you find a level that works for you. Some patients are using doses as high as 3,600 mgs. a day and feel great. The main drug under discussion in this category is Neurontin, but many new ones are arriving monthly and work in much the same way. Pregabalin is another, a sister drug to Neurontin. Q: Does Guaifanisen really work for FM? A: If you read all of the main stream, scientific evidence, than no, it does not work. If you talk to the multitudes of people using it for FM, then yes, it does work. Please research this treatment for yourself before you try it. Many people bit the bullet and tried the Guai routine. They report success. It is not an easy program to maintain. You have to watch your diet, you even have to watch what shampoo you use. Any product containing Salicyliates is a no no when using this protocol. For more information on using this protocol, you should subscribe to the Guai group online. An email group of folks who use this treatment, they can answer all of your questions. Here is the information to sign up for the Guai support group.
Guaifenisen
Support list. Subject: (leave blank) In the message put: SUB GUAI-SUPPORT first-name last-name Make sure you use this link or if you type it in make sure you have it in all capitol letters. Q: I am currently taking Elavil to restore my sleep patterns and help with my depression. I am gaining weight even though I have not changed my lifestyle. Could the Elavil be a problem in this area? A: Yes, Elavil, or as it is known under its generic name amitriptyline, is known for causing weight gain in those who use it. There are many new medications in this category of drugs that will give you the same benefit without the weight gain. Q: I use over the counter medications or herbal supplements to aid in my depression or to help me regain my sleep pattern. Is this safe? Is there any interaction I should know about with traditional medication? A: Yes, make sure your care provider is aware of any over the counter medication you may be taking as well as any herbal supplements. Many people take Benadryl to aid in sleep. It works for many folks, but your doctor needs to be aware that you are taking this medication so they do not prescribe any medication that will interact with it. Many people are trying ST. Johns Wort for depression. This herb is not harmless and it will interact with other medications. It can also interrupt your blood flow process, it can actual thin your blood. If you are going to have surgery in the near future, do not use St. Johns wort, or if you do, make your surgeon aware of this fact. As with any medication. Treat Herbs and supplements as drugs. Research them and find out if any supplement can interact with a drug you are taking, or if it thins the blood or will not work if not taken in conjunction with another mineral you may need. To see if any medication you are taking will have a bad interaction with any herbal supplement, please go to this site Medication Checker. Q: I stash away pain medication from friends and family who have had dental procedures or other medical procedures. When I am in a bad place and can not stand the pain anymore, I use them for relief. Is this a bad thing for me to do, can I die or be arrested? A: In a legal sense, yes, it is wrong. The law states that you can not take a drug prescribed to another individual. In a moral sense, it is a sad commentary on our country that so many are in pain and have to rely on outside sources to get relief. We know that we all do this. The pain medication can be a life saver some days. But please, check them out first. Go to a site or find a book that lists drug interactions and make sure that you can safely take this medication. Make sure that a certain medication will not interact with your heart medication, or your diabetes therapy. Think before you swallow. USE THEM WISELY! And think about finding a new doctor that will help you maintain your pain levels.
Medication FAQ'S ~
Current Drug Therapies for FM/CMP by Devin
Starlanyl
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owned by Page Updated:
August 06, 2004 |
