Medication Free after being newly diagnosed (Amitriptyline, Gabapentin)

[DJS]

Hi all, or my 2nd post. I'm newly diagnosed. I've tried Amitriptyline and had side effects and had to stop as bad side effects I've been prescribed Gabapentin ( excuse spellings) but seem the same with side effects, I'm really sensitive to medication.

Just wondering if anyone out there manages their fibro meds free? Any advice? I just can't seem to take any medication.
Also wanted to ask does anyone have tummy symptoms with fibro? Not just IBS but digestion problems? Just wondering if its something else as been suffering with digestive reflux problems.

Thanks in advance guys

 

[G79]

Hello, I too had amitriptyline however I stopped taking it, it just makes me feel even more fatigued, so I don't take anything for pain. As for stomach issues, yes abdomen is always aching or in pain. As digestive issues acid reflux far as I'm aware can be a common symptom, I have it and my mother who was diagnosed fibro 20+ years ago suffers with it.

 

[cookiebaker]

a lot of people manage fibro with no meds. And for advice, i would suggest sunkacola's pinned post - advice for managing fibro

and yes, a lot of us also deal with tummy/digestive problems as well... but as you will find here, we always suggest getting new symptoms checked out to make sure there is not something else going on - dont just assume it is related to the fibro. It might be, but it might also be something else that is easily treated.

 

[MNP]

Hi DJS,
I wanted to respond to you even though I am not medication free just in case any of my meds or supplements might help you.

I take Cymbalta(have taken for 10 years)…I am not sure it helps (I prob should taper off it and see)but I do not have ANY side effects from it. I also take a prescription potassium supplement because I am chronically low in potassium.

I take a prebiotic and a probiotic for gut health…I have IBS and occasional reflux/heartburn.

I take a powdered vitamin supplement by Reliv and CBD liquid at night along with 5 mg of melatonin. I also drink camomile tea and have a beer or glass of wine sometimes because it relaxes my muscles for a bit.

Oh! I also drink a lot of water.

Two of my docs are asking me to try Lyrica. So far I have not done that! I have read that it does help some people with pain but that there are lots of side effects!

There are several people on this forum that seem to manage their fibro really well without prescription meds. JayCS comes to mind immediately. I am sure they will post with their thoughts on your questions. They are angels!

I wish you the best as you figure out what works for you. I am so glad you are reaching out to find some non medication options for managing your fibro! Way to go!

 

[MNP]

ooooops!
I am new to this forum and I just realized I don’t think we are allowed to put product names on here! Ugh! So sorry!

 

[sunkacola]

Just wondering if anyone out there manages their fibro meds free?? Any advice? I just can't seem to take any medication.


Thanks in advance guys

Yes, you can manage fibromyalgia without medication....or at least, without taking medication every day. Of course, everyone is different, but many can and do. I only take medication on the days when it is really bad, which sometimes is not even once a week. Please check out the post below and let me know if you have questions.

My advice for managing fibromyalgia (especially for newcomers)

I am not a doctor or anything, just a person who has lived with fibromyalgia for several years now and has done a lot of research and trial and error experimentation. What follows is just basics. There are a lot of variations. You will find your own versions of everything I say, as this is not a...

www.fibromyalgiaforums.org

 

[sunkacola]

ooooops!
I am new to this forum and I just realized I don’t think we are allowed to put product names on here! Ugh! So sorry!

You are allowed to put product names. What is not allowed is to push or repeatedly recommend any one product, which is viewed as spam selling. And links to anything outside the forum are also not allowed. Your saying what medications you take, or took, and the effects y ou got is completely OK.

 

[sweetkamie20]

Hello! I'm super sensitive to meds so I haven't taken anything for fibro. I seem to manage pretty well. It's probably mostly because when I'm getting fatigued, I rest. Resting, pausing whenever you start to get bogged down could be a big win for you.

However, I also use a parasympathetic system homeopathic supplement when I get flare ups. I use saline solution for my nose when I start getting a sinus infection. (For some reason sinus infections are completely synonymous with flare ups for me.) And, hmmmm, what else? I use lithium oretate to settle over stimulation, I use alfalfa powder for a myriad of its benefits. I feel like there's something really helpful I'm forgetting

Hmmmm if I think of something I'll repost

 

[JayCS]

Any advice? I just can't seem to take any medication. .... digestive reflux problems.

Oh, there's 100s of things that can be suggested/tried...., stay on!
Main starting point is identifying & prioritizing our main symptoms, one good starting point is sleep.
The 5 "treatment" areas are mental, physical, diet, triggers and supps (if not meds), and each has loads to try.

Good you can see the difference between reflux = stomach acid problems and IBS = gut problems.
But essentially in my experience it helps much better to identify and eliminate triggers rather than try treatments (meds or supps), although eliminating a lot may be a bit risky for deficiencies.
Triggers for reflux (which varies as GERD / heartburn / stomach burning) are mainly foods, meds, but sometimes supps (e.g. anti-inflammatory spices, minty etc.), environmental (minty smells or even too tight clothes around the waist, altho that's more gut than stomach I spose).
We have to find out if we have too much (most & me hyperacidic) or too little (= hypoacidic), as the symptoms can be very similar. And ayurveda says it's dryness, not enough "water" in our system, but drinking water is a trigger in my case.

 

[sweetkamie20]

But essentially in my experience it helps much better to identify and eliminate triggers rather than try treatments (meds or supps)

The more I read you say things along the lines of focus on alleviating the symptoms/not triggering symptoms the more I remember that accurate diagnoses are not always essential to getting better. Accurate treatment is always essential though...mkay, hoorah my profound revelation for today

 

[sunkacola]

Adding in here that triggers also include triggers for generalized or specific pain as well as for other symptoms.

The #1 trigger to exacerbate any and everything if you have fibromyalgia is STRESS. Stress of any kind. This means mental, emotional, physical, or any other form of stress.

Eating unhealthy food is stress on the body. Overdoing it is stressful, worrying or being anxious, being around toxic people, having a negative approach or being angry, self-pitying, or resentful are all stressful.

It's sometimes difficult to deal with the fact that so many things are expected of you when you have fibromyalgia and you feel so bad you don't feel capable of anything at all.

You need to have a healthy attitude, eat well, get exercise, keep your life as stress free as possible remember your supplements if you are taking any, get enough sleep and so many other things....and do all this when you are tired and in pain and maybe don't even have any support. It's hard. Very hard. Which Is why I always say that those of us who are doing our best to do everything we can to take care of ourselves are far stronger than other people can imagine.

For every day that you manage your fibromyalgia the best you can by doing and thinking healthy things, you should get a daily medal. Gold star. Don't forget to give yourself a lot of credit for getting through the days and living your life as best you can.

 

[DJS]

Thanks so much for your reply, helps so much

 

[DJS]

Thankyou so much it all seems trial and error a real learning process
Thanks for your info
Such a great support on here

 

[JayCS]

I wrote this a week ago, was thinking of trashing it, because I felt it wasn't contributing anything new and couldn't get my head round how to improve it....
Now coming back to the thread in the wake of you DJS, the draft is appearing again out of the blue...
Still feel the same - Post it or not? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Oh, I dunno! it seems a waste of time for people who know me to read it, but it seems a waste of the time I took to not post it.... So here it is, unedited, and as always: ignore at your pleasure....

accurate diagnoses are not always essential to getting better. Accurate treatment is always essential though

Yeah - House MD etc. makes it look as if finding the cause is 90% of the job. And it isn't unimportant, agreed.
It also so often appears pretty nice and clear cut (oh, as long as it isn't FM, ME/CFS, MCAS, autoimmune stuff and all the co-morbidities etc....teehee...).
Treatments may generally be getting more and more "accurate" ... but for us?
It's so many small increments: many things, very small probabilities, combinations, doses need to start low and go slow, whatever we try, and studies are only helping us by finding that there is no good evidence for meds to help us, whilst diets, physical and mental treatments and some supps have quite a lot of evidence to be generally hepful, but not specifically for fibro etc. (e.g. magnesium malate is one of the few supps specifically for fibro, and B-vitamins - B12 - and D3 follow generally from nerve, muscles, pain and energy problems; but for many of us, like me, they do nothing tangible, apart from keep the levels up.)

 

[Forgetmenot]

Hi and welcome as said alot already yes u can .I've been on tramadol and gabby for years now,I've now with the help of the Dr trying to come off tramadol. Now imndownbto 2 pills every morning. I do suffer alot without the afternoon meds,but feel like most of these pills do very little.Now until I'm off completely I can't say if I will regret this or not.But I'm going to give it a good try.im sick of pills keeping me on my feet.weather in the end il end up but on them is yet to be seen.as for side effects they do pass,but it take time for the body to get used to them.x