Pain Management And Depakote
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I have suffered chronic pain from miserably failed back surgery and also have fibromyalgia. I have been in PM since 1994 and had to scratch my way through the medicine cabinet along with submitting to a kazillion different tests, therapy, the works. I wear 100mcg fentanyl patches, take 10/325 Norco for breakthrough pain, 6 mg tizanidine four times a day, 100mg trazadone at bed and bupropion 150 SR twice a day. I also suffer depression when my pain goes uncontrolled. I cannot take Cymbalta, Lyrics, gabapentin, desipramine, and SSRIs do NOTHING for me. I have had an rx for Lorazepam three times a day for as long as I can remember, but hate them! Have a script for 90 I filled in January and it's barely touched. I only take one when I am about to burst or my last nerve is standing on end with no relief anywhere else. I had gallbladder surgery two years ago and grease and dairy tear my stomach up! It seems like my pain is getting so bad I cannot control it. I read an article about people with fibro being notoriously low on magnesium. A study on 60 women given 300 mg of magnesium and 10 mg of amtriptyline gave every patient excellent relief. It also listed the symptoms of magnesium deficiency. I have every symptom! I cannot sleep! My muscles in my body are so tense in my jaw, neck, shoulders etc that I hear constant thumping in my ears! I stay sick on my stomach an often have to throw up expectedly. Even my eyes are tense causing this loud thumping and pain is awful! I saw my PM today. I told him about study and asked if I could replace lorazepam with amtriptyline and mag like in study. He informed me he's never heard of the study and since I can't take gabapentin, desipramine, I cannot take amtriptyline. The only way I have been able to fall asleep the last two nights was by taking lorazepam and I told him so. He put me on Depakote and took away the lorazepam completely! I have nothing for depression and anxiety and to relax me so the thumping goes away! My question is has anyone had positive results with Depakote? Doc says I didn't take it long enough years ago and he's giving it to me for mood swings. No mood swings if my pain is managed! He says Depakote is a bipolar med, but I am not bi polar. I am really tired of drs. telling me what is going to work, when I have already taken the drug with zero results. Of course I was a zombie for a while when first starting Depakote. This is bad for me because my hubby had a stroke two yrs ago and our 16 yr grandson lives with us. He and hubby have multiple Dr appointments each month and I am the only driver now! Told my PM and all he said was wait until weekend to start depakote so hopefully I will be Ok come Monday! Anyone have any positive input on Depakote and anxiety and depression? Anyone have any input on amtriptyline and whether it is in the same line as gabapentin? I took amtriptyline years ago, but didn't feel it helped my depression. Gabapentin, desipramine, Cymbalta, and Lyrica all make me shake uncontrollably. Thanks in advance! BTW, we are rural and pain clinics treating with narcotics are no where near us or I'd look for more compassionate pm. All who treat with narcotics are over an hour away in one direction! I am at his mercy and he knows it. Seems like everytime I find promising studies he disregards them. I belong to several fibro support groups and we constantly share new info and hope! When I told him Turmeric Curcumin Complex helps my inflammation, he just shrugged. I have history of ulcers and cannot take ibuprofen. 800 mg was a blessing! Cannot understand why, when a Dr finds he has a patient who wants pain relief whether it come by opioids or natural, he cannot recognize I am not a doper and I truly just want pain relief!

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Hi, your journey is not dissimilar to mine and many. What must be remembered by you and your dr is that unless he has a Bachelors in herbal med he/she can't advise you on aspects like turmeric. I find most dr's are phobic about opioids or prescribe to haphazardly despite great websites for dr's on opioids conversion rates for balancing slow release and breakthrough pain control. Pain is subjective to the sufferer and chronic suffering makes me feel depressed, hey wouldn't. But opioids are cns depressants so your ability to fire neurons slows due to them. This is were natural medicines can assist as cells have needs in cns in higher demand. Magnesium is a neuromuscular coordinator and relieves spasms in muscles helps energy production also in crew cycle making you feel more alive. Definite in long term chronic stresses on nervous system, it helps with anxiety worry and chronic fatigue, cellular correction is healthier than throwing another antidepressant med in the stew pot your wonderful body has to change and adapt more severe deseverely to, as they alter nerve firings by modulating the nervous system and taking over normal regulation. They affect then hormones immune system cells such as enkephalines which also make you feel good. But in short your dr isn't going to prescribe wholistically as they have become more sellers of pharmaceuticals then understanding physiology of the body and what approaches at cellular levels feeds nerves such as also silica and calcium fluoride ( calcium reorganized in the body) as bone is the major source for calcium reg for clotting to muscle movement. Find a good experienced naturopath who understands pain meds and can prescribe herbs minerals and homoeopathic remedies well and you will be gaining vital force again in all areas of your body that morphine etc pain killers rob. I'm on jurnista and endone diazepam with serious disc and nerve compression so I can say I've walked the journey and had a barrage of antidepressants that have nearly killed me because of the stigma dr's hold against the opposition like naturopaths etc. And when you're in pain constant it's tiring to battle them. Take heart and hope, this is good news, do some research to websites research Co enzyme q10 turmeric st Mary's thistle for the liver and herbs like black cohosh, hops to skullcap for example feed the nerves and sooth them with diets that have antioxidants large doses of vitamin c help back spasms and connective tissue rejuvenation. Seach out a good naturopath and get them to give report to dr so the control is yours again and less your dr's I find important get to rest my body and mind and feel prevention of burn and bust is important to prevent infections and assist long term health strategy . As a person with a dip herb med, actually Bach applied science natural med 24 yrs experience and lecturer in the subjects in this degree.And a nurse prior a good balance of both pain relief with opioids and nutrition and liver and digestive function helps and only diet and natures assistance helps. Hippocrates said let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food, 400 bc, so basis of health is in giving the body what it needs to cope with meds as well as rejuvenation of healthy tissues. Hope this helps chronic pain sufferer s shall post more advice as my research on my journey reveals helpful advice. All best.

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I also can't take any of the tryciclics, have been on Depakote, Neurontin and now Topriamate. Seems to me none of it works and my doctor thinks the Topriamate may be causing short term memory loss. I've been on opiates since my early 30's, so at 56 I shudder to think what will happen in a few more years. Especially with the pharmacies dictating our opiates!

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Have you made a list of all the medications, modalities and treatments that do not and have not worked for you? I have made a list and it includes over 65 things (at a cost out of pocket after good Blue Cross/Blue Shield and destroying a marriage of my soulmate and I after 20 years).

I too have found docs too willing to remove drugs that work for you. I have "chronic intractable failed neck pain syndrome (status post cervical fusion C5-C6) with chronic daily headaches complicated by a migraine disorder (3-5x wk). I also have fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, joint hypermobility presumed ehlers danlos, overactive/irritable bladder, reflux, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and a dilated common bile duct (no stones/no tumor), exercise induced and cold induced asthma, etc. I have found nothing helps the fibro other than opioids and excellent physical craniosacral hands-on therapy plus careful exercise & stretching. I also take a lot of supplements including magnesium and Tumeric.

Finding a doctor who wants to treat a complex patient who requires opioids titrated to effect as well as addressing the side effects from then said opioids (for me, migraines & opioids cause nausea most....everyone is different with what their side effects might mean.

Heaven help us!

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I am very sorry that you're so miserable! No one should ever have to suffer.

As to not being able to take the Amitriptyline, it's because it's in the same class as the Desipramine that you couldn't take. They are both tricyclic antidepressants.

As to the natural things, such as Turmeric with Curcumin, your doctor isn't allowed to make claims about them, unless it's something that's absolutely proven. His shrug was most likely to say that he doesn't know, since it isn't proven, but if it helps you, there's likely no harm in taking it. He can really only prescribe and go by information that is proven and approved.

If you think you're low in magnesium, that is something else you can most likely try on your own, as long as your doctor hasn't said there's any problem with you taking it.

Depakote is actually classified by the FDA as an anticonvulsant that can help with bipolar disorder, migraine headaches and other mood disorders, so it may help you. Its typical side effects may possibly include nausea, dizziness, weight gain, irritability and dry mouth.

Does anyone else have any ideas or advice that might help?

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