Fibromyalgia And Lyrica (Page 2)
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I was recently put on Lyrica for severe Fibromyalgia pain. It is a nice change from the narcotic pain medications I have been taking but the pain is still intense. Have any other FMS patients seen results from Lyrica?

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Karel makes a very good point and in turn has good advice in her post. Sometimes you have to stop worrying about what is going to happen in the future if/when you have to stop taking something and you just have to worry about what it is going to do for you now and how well it works to help you now.

Our bodies can become dependent on anything we take in regularly for a long period of time, from your morning cup of coffee, to that glass of milk with dinner and if you stop any of it abruptly, you will suffer some symptoms as your body readjusts to not constanly having that substance anymore.

The really tremendous withdrawals that are life threatening only happen to those who are on tremendously high doses of meds, or abusing them so they are taking a high dose, the symptoms you suffer from stopping a normal dose is nothing compared to that, and most often your doctor will have you taper off anyway, to negate most of the problems.

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Dear Stephanie, I have been successfully on Klonopin for years. It works great. I do get a very good night sleep from it and personally I am not worried about withdrawing from it because I am living for today and not worrying about tomorrow. First things first!, ANY benzodiapepam is horrendous to withdraw off of, Valium, Ativan, any of them. You can find something wrong with every thing if you look hard enough. I listen to my dr and trust him implicitly. I am an RN and have seen different drugs work differently on different people as well. I think what it all comes down to is what does it do for you? and does it make you feel better? Karel

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I posted the original question about Lyrica and fibromyalgia. I was very pleased to see so many responses. My doctor took me off Lyrica and I am now taking Darvocet, Elivil and Klonopin. The Darvocet and Elivil really do help but throught research, I have found that Klonopin has more risks than benefits. Alot of doctors do not tell you the risks of medications when they prescribe them. In my research I found that people that have taken Klonopin for long periods of time have to be under close watch when they stop taking it. The withdrawls from Klonopin can be FATAL. My doctor said it would help my muscles relax and help me to achieve a good not sleep, but it is generally prescribed for people with severe panic disorder. I like to think my doctor knows best but I have now decided that I will not take any medication I have been prescribed without researching it and its side effects. Thanks for all the advice!
Stephanie

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Juls,
May i ask what narcotics you are getting off of? I hope to do the same very soon, but I am afraid. Did you experience any other withdrawel symptoms other than increased pain?

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I have just been prescribed Lyrica and I have fibromyalgia, Behcet's Disease with arthritis and a resulting healing back fracture (T7) from many years of high doses of Prednisone (no longer) and have some osteoporosis and I am 45 years old. I take other meds and have also been prescribed Cymbalta. Right this minute, however, I am in the end stages of getting off narcotics (finally) and am having so much pain. I live in Kansas and the weather here has recently changed to very cold, wet and windy!!! BOOOOO!!! I have not started the Lyrica yet but was reading the comments and welcome any and all comments!!!

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I have had fibermyagia for yrs, and I have several other health problems and I have noropthany in my feet and I have had high doses of the lycia and It doesn't do a thing and if you feel it helps you then by all means use it. I personally don't see any differances. Good Luck.

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ecided to do some research and here is a fantastic article, explaining the theory of changing barometric presssure and increased pain for all interested. Enjoy,Karel M

For Chronic Pain Sufferers, Change, Not Weather, May Hurt
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By JANE E. BRODY
Published: June 7, 1995
BEFORE you decide to take your arthritis to Arizona, consider these surprising new findings about the influence of weather and climate on chronic pain: Patients living in the relatively warm, dry climate of San Diego reported a greater sensitivity to changes in the weather than those who had to cope with the cold and damp conditions of Boston or Worcester, Mass.

A better bet than any of those three cities for chronic pain sufferers seeking relief from the vagaries of weather might be warm and moist Nashville. In a study of the four cities, chronic pain patients living in Nashville reported that they were least likely to be affected by changes in the weather.

The study, by Dr. Robert N. Jamison and colleagues at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, involved a questionnaire survey of 558 chronic pain patients in the four cities. The findings were published in the current issue of the journal Pain. In an interview, Dr. Jamison, a clinical psychologist, said they revealed that weather affects pain no matter where people live.

The findings suggest that our bodies adjust to the local climate, and when changes occur in that climate, we react to them with an increase in pain, he said.

Dr. Jamison explained: If you spend two weeks in Florida sipping pina coladas, you may feel a lot less pain than you did shoveling snow at home in Boston. But if you move to Florida and your body gets used to that warm climate, when the temperature drops you may hurt just as much as you did when the weather changed in Boston.

Thus a spell of wet weather in normally dry San Diego might be more disruptive to pain sufferers than the year-round dampness of Nashville, whose residents become accustomed to wet conditions. Such a finding counters the common notion that warm, dry climates are best for people in pain.

The researchers were also surprised to find that younger patients -- the survey involved people 18 to 85 years old -- reported the greatest sensitivity to weather changes. Patients with arthritis were also highly sensitive.

The researchers conducted the four-city survey to examine more closely the longstanding belief that patients with chronic pain -- arthritis, headache, backache and the like -- are sensitive to weather changes and can often predict those changes as much as a day ahead based on an increase in pain. The researchers sought to determine if weather-induced changes in pain sensitivity varied with climate. They especially looked at whether those who live in cold, damp climates suffer the worst weather-related effects, and what characteristics define patients who are most sensitive to weather changes.

Although the survey showed, as pain patients know all too well, that cold, damp weather is perceived to have the greatest effect on pain, pain is more likely to be affected by a change to cold, damp weather than a steady climate of it. Two-thirds of the patients said weather changes affected their pain, and of those, slightly more than half said their pain was affected even before the weather changed.

The real culprit may be a change in barometric pressure, since patients are most likely to report an increase in pain in advance of weather changes, Dr. Jamison said. The barometric pressure typically falls before the onset of wet weather, and, he suggested, when the outside pressure falls, body tissues -- tendons, ligaments, muscles and bones -- may readjust by expanding to varying degrees and, in doing so, can trigger the sensitized nerves that send out pain signals.

He likened the phenomenon to the old wet-dry barometers made of stretched leather. When the atmosphere is dry, the leather shortens, but when conditions get damp, it lengthens. Moisture also affects how the body changes, Dr. Jamison said. He explained that changes in atmospheric moisture could ignite inflamed joints, as in arthritis, or trigger pain signals in the area of a surgical scar.

The psychologist said he is now planning a study to monitor the physiological changes that occur in response to weather changes. Pain patients who participate will be hooked up to instruments that can assess such responses as tissue swelling when the barometric pressure falls.

Meanwhile, those trying to limit the effects of weather on their aches and pains might be best off staying home in the climate their bodies are used to and using various strategies designed to minimize pain and bestow a greater sense of control over it. Dr. Jamison said those strategies include learning to pace activities, using distraction and relaxation techniques and realizing that pain will fluctuate.

If you wake up in the morning in pain, you know you will have a bad day, so don't try to do as much, learn to say no more often, Dr. Jamison suggested.

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Very welcome. Yes, it really does make sense if you think about it. My husband and I were just talking about it yesterday, the weather here in PA has been unable to make up its mind, and we have both been feeling it.

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Thanks Verwon, it makes perfect sense. Karel

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I asked my doctor about this once so she explained why and how it happens, and showed me studies as well as referring to me some sites that explain this type of thing.

It actually has to do with your blood pressure in relation to the barometric pressue of the weather. Higher pressure, or sudden changes in temp, cause your blood pressure to increase, in turn this moves pain killing chemicals, such as Dopamine, through your body much faster than the normal rate on a regular day that has stayed at the same temp and pressure for awhile, so it is gone too fast, leaving your pain to sore.

The increased pressure in your blood vessels also means they swell swightly, not to a dangerous point, but enough to put pressure on nerve endings and when you have an area of your body that is already aggravated and those nerves are zinging, it just makes it even worse.

Some people suffer the same effect at night when they try to lay down and go to sleep, because lying down and the metabolic changes for sleep also cause changes in your blood pressure.

In tropical areas, such as Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and others, the pressure systems during their ordinary weather patterns, don't fluctuate as much as in areas that have more severe seasonal changes, so your pain is eased their, because your blood pressure isn't as effect and forced to rise as much or as often.

Remember in the old days, when Docs used to tell people to move to a warm, dry climate for their health? Well that was an early response to this same type of activity, research hadn't explained the phenomenon yet, but they knew people in warm, dry areas, and areas where the weather didn't fluctuate as severely between temps, didn't suffer as bad as those in areas where the climate undergoes significant changes.

When I was younger, I first notice a phenomenon of change whenever I had toothaches, sudden changes in the weather would make it throb and ache worse, and whenever I tried to lay down and sleep at night, it did the same thing.

So when I got older and my spinal condition deteriorated, I began to notice the same type of effect and got curious about it.

So, I hope that explains it some for you.

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Oh Yeah! Before its going to rain or snow my pain is definately worse I think it has to do with the change in barometric pressure. Its strange how on Long Island where I live, (30 to 40 minutes from the shore) the weather changes affect me but when I am on an Island, ie: Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, I feel good on the water immediately and when it rains it doesn't affect me there. C'mon somone who knows about weather changes, please explain the differences. Sincerly, Karel

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I have been on Lyrica/Cymbalta combo for about a year. I recently stopped the Cymbalta myself. (too expensive) but I am starting to have more pain. I am wondering if it is related to that. The Lyrica was a wonder drug for my fibro. I still have flare-ups, but have yet to be on any narcotics. I find that I am having more pain lately, i'm trying to attribute it to the bad weather, but have never related the two before. Does anyone else have more pain with rainy/yucky weather?? Thanks

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I was originally on Nuerontin, for 4 years...then found out about weight gain and other side affects. I asked to be put on other medications and I was put on Topomax. My dosage of Topomax was 25mgx2 (with allowance to take more if necessary). Due to the Stup-a-max affect I didnt want to take a lot. My sister and father both take Topamax and I have seen the problems they had with mental acuity. I am not as bright as them, so I didnt want to have Topamax affect what brain function I do have. I still found a lot of memory loss and difficulty in learning new processes. My new doctor is taking me off of topamax and trying the Lyrica/cymbalta combo. She also suggested working parttime or not working....would be nice. But I dont see any way to do that without disability. Oh well.

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Jennifer---I am not having any physical problems with cymbalta, and the pain in my back, legs and arms is much better. On my first day or two of taking the combo of Lyrica/Cymbalta I had problems with balance and driving skills (my reaction times are slow--much like driving drunk). However, those are getting better as I am gettin used to taking the medication. My husband says I talk like I am strung out on drugs and I need to talk faster (especially at night)....but I think that is just his own impatient with my chronic illness. I tell him to get over it as I am on drugs and he just has to be more patient. Two weeks after taking Lyrica/cymbalta and I cleaned house--vaccuumed, did laundry, made the bed, made dinner and cleaned the kitchen....I can usually do one of these tasks and my energy is gone and I am in too much pain to do much else the rest of the day. At this time the side effects I am experiencing are worth it.

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Karel, I also had swelling in the legs so I had stopped the Neurontin for about a year and it didn't help. I just felt worse. I finally found a diuretic that reduced the swelling and I am back on Neurontin. I had never heard that about Lyrica, that it affects the memory. Mine is terrible, but I assume because I'm on Methadone. Maybe now that I'm off the Lyrica, it will get a little better. Thanks.

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To Jennifer: I had swelling of the legs on Neurontin in addition to an increase in my Blood pressure so I could never stay on the Neurontin. I have swelling in my Rt hand once in a while and I attribute it to the Lyrica. What bothers me the most os my dimished recall when I increase the dosage of the Lyrica. I have weight gain as well. Karel

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Susan, are you having any side effects from the Cymbalta? My doctor and I have discussed using it, but he was having some patients complain of jerking limbs, which I already have. I'm just afraid it will get worse. I'd be interested in hearing if anyone did have this side effect from Cymbalta and if it goes away after awhile. I have heard such good things about Cymbalta for fibromyalgia.

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My doctor just put me on Lyrica and Cymbalta for fibro and nerve pain from 3 back surgeries and insomnia, anxiety. The pain has demenished already, compared to other treatments but the switch has been difficult. Mentally, I am not as quick to respond and I am hoping this will go away in a week or two. This has been after 2 weeks of taking this combination. I feel better than I have in six years.

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What Shirley said was interesting because i have now developed intermittent numbness in my hands and feet, but i believe it started after i stopped taking Lyrica and restarted the Neurontin. i don't think it's a side of effect of Neurontin, but perhaps just a progression of the disease???

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Shirley you might want to talk to a doctor about trying Neurontin, it has very, very few side effects and many people with nerve pain have very good luck with it alleviating their pain.

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