Need Help [not drug/addiction related] Can Anyone PLEASE Offer Advice on Dealing with Fibromyalgia Attack?

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

Among many other health problems, I have Fibromyalgia. I am never symptom free, but like 80% of the time my symptoms are mild to moderate and while it does affect my day-to-day life, I can deal with it. However, when I have an attack it goes from moderate to unbearable! My current attack started about 9 days ago and is still going strong. I have severe pain in every joint (burning stabbing, pain) and an unbearable aching discomfort in all of my muscles. And I mean there is literally no part of my body that doesn't hurt.

Does anybody know ANYTHING that could help?
In regards to pain meds, I am on Naproxen, Dihydrocodeine and Gabapentin.

 

[n3ophy7e]

How much have you looked in to medicinal marijuana? What are the laws like in the UK for medical THC products?

 

[MsDiz]

Among many other health problems, I have Fibromyalgia. I am never symptom free, but like 80% of the time my symptoms are mild to moderate and while it does affect my day-to-day life, I can deal with it. However, when I have an attack it goes from moderate to unbearable! My current attack started about 9 days ago and is still going strong. I have severe pain in every joint (burning stabbing, pain) and an unbearable aching discomfort in all of my muscles. And I mean there is literally no part of my body that doesn't hurt.

Does anybody know ANYTHING that could help?
In regards to pain meds, I am on Naproxen, Dihydrocodeine and Gabapentin.

It’s horrid dude. I have EDS which is pretty much the same.

I use the cryospa and then the infrared sauna every night when I have a flare up. It does help a lot tbh. I have rub on ibuprofen gel. Rub on cold cream also that helps. Exercise actually helps it surprisingly. I feel much better after a good brisk walk or a run. Of course I’m fucked for a while but it’s a different more manageable pain.

 

[Burnt Offerings]

How much have you looked in to medicinal marijuana? What are the laws like in the UK for medical THC products?

Not good. IIRC they have some conditions like MS etc. that you can be prescribed formulations of THC (like Sativex) but the policies of the UK in regards to cannabis aren't great

That's always been my understanding anyway. Maybe it's changed recently?

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

It’s horrid dude. I have EDS which is pretty much the same.

I use the cryospa and then the infrared sauna every night when I have a flare up. It does help a lot tbh. I have rub on ibuprofen gel. Rub on cold cream also that helps. Exercise actually helps it surprisingly. I feel much better after a good brisk walk or a run. Of course I’m fucked for a while but it’s a different more manageable pain.

Thanks for the advise weirdly, exercise DID help. I can literally only walk and for only very short periods of time, so I've been having a 5min walk up the street and back whenever I've gone out for a cigarette today and I do feel like it's helped. My muscles have more pain but ANYTHING is better than the unbearable ACHING I normally have.
What is an infrared sauna?

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

Not good. IIRC they have some conditions like MS etc. that you can be prescribed formulations of THC (like Sativex) but the policies of the UK in regards to cannabis aren't great

That's always been my understanding anyway. Maybe it's changed recently?

You can only get THC prescribed by a private doctor (meaning it's insanely expensive) and as far as I know. it's generally only prescribed for severe epilepsy and then only when all other epilepsy meds have failed to help. There was a 7 year old boy here who had OVER ONE HUNDRED seizures a day and none of the other meds have worked at all and it was still a MAJOR and LENGTHY legal battle just for a doctor to be able to try him on THC. Oh and that was AFTER his mother came out saying she had been (illegally) giving him lose-dose THC oil and that it had completely cured him.

 

[VerbalTruist]

I rarely advise this... But maybe fuck the medical route and try buying some weed and see how it treats you? My aunt has lupus and was really against the medical marijuana idea. Then her son dosed her with an edible during a particularly bad day and her opinion fundamentally changed. She still lives in an ass backwards state that doesn't have recreational cannabis, but she is ON BOARD medically. Reduced her opiate consumption by 75%. It was a life changer for her. She isn't permastoned either. She eats a very small amount when she's in pain (Like 5mg THC & 10mg CBD, I think.) and after it takes effect she's just... normal again. Went from zonked out on oxy and other stuff to "I'm going to eat a candy, lie down, and I'll be out in an hour."

 

[Nurse Ratched]

I rarely advise this... But maybe fuck the medical route and try buying some weed and see how it treats you? My aunt has lupus and was really against the medical marijuana idea. Then her son dosed her with an edible during a particularly bad day and her opinion fundamentally changed. She still lives in an ass backwards state that doesn't have recreational cannabis, but she is ON BOARD medically. Reduced her opiate consumption by 75%. It was a life changer for her. She isn't permastoned either. She eats a very small amount when she's in pain (Like 5mg THC & 10mg CBD, I think.) and after it takes effect she's just... normal again. Went from zonked out on oxy and other stuff to "I'm going to eat a candy, lie down, and I'll be out in an hour."

Good for her. What a success story !!

 

[n3ophy7e]

I rarely advise this... But maybe fuck the medical route and try buying some weed and see how it treats you? My aunt has lupus and was really against the medical marijuana idea. Then her son dosed her with an edible during a particularly bad day and her opinion fundamentally changed. She still lives in an ass backwards state that doesn't have recreational cannabis, but she is ON BOARD medically. Reduced her opiate consumption by 75%. It was a life changer for her. She isn't permastoned either. She eats a very small amount when she's in pain (Like 5mg THC & 10mg CBD, I think.) and after it takes effect she's just... normal again. Went from zonked out on oxy and other stuff to "I'm going to eat a candy, lie down, and I'll be out in an hour."

I am 100% pro-cannabis. I can't actually use THC because it fucks with my brain chemistry, that's just me and I know that about my brain so I personally avoid any THC products. But I fully appreciate, respect and endorse the use of cannabis for the MANY MANY things it can help! That is a great story about your aunt, thank you for sharing

 

[TripSitterNZ]

my friend has it and she uses weed to help cope and still lives a successful life.

 

[mr peabody]

Among many other health problems, I have Fibromyalgia. I am never symptom free, but like 80% of the time my symptoms are mild to moderate and while it does affect my day-to-day life, I can deal with it. However, when I have an attack it goes from moderate to unbearable! My current attack started about 9 days ago and is still going strong. I have severe pain in every joint (burning stabbing, pain) and an unbearable aching discomfort in all of my muscles. And I mean there is literally no part of my body that doesn't hurt.

Does anybody know ANYTHING that could help?
In regards to pain meds, I am on Naproxen, Dihydrocodeine and Gabapentin.

I gather Fibromyalgia is a inflammatory condition, and I can tell you from long experience, Prednisone is the best anti-inflammatory drug out there. Nothing works as well to stop a severe pain attack.

 

[negrogesic]

Prednisone isn't a good option for this.

Id recommend a switch from gabapentin to pregabalin. And exercise. Which is very effective.

 

[n3ophy7e]

Prednisone isn't a good option for this.

Why is that? (just wanna learn )

 

[negrogesic]

Why is that? (just wanna learn )

Its actually part of a larger conversation about fibromyalgia itself that is both lengthy and perhaps controversial. Fibromyaglia isnt an inflammatory disorder or type of rheumatism (at not one that imaging can determine) so corticosteroids won't make a difference. Fibromyalgia is disorder of exclusion that is made when nothing physically wrong can be found. It's a neuropsychiatric/neuropathic disorder that will inevitably be reclassified in 50 years. In any event prednisone isn't indicated as fibromyalgia doesn't occur in attacks like as seen in rheumatisms.

 

[n3ophy7e]

Its actually part of a larger conversation about fibromyalgia itself that is both lengthy and perhaps controversial. Fibromyaglia isnt an inflammatory disorder or type of rheumatism (at not one that imaging can determine) so corticosteroids won't make a difference. Fibromyalgia is disorder of exclusion that is made when nothing physically wrong can be found. It's a neuropsychiatric/neuropathic disorder that will inevitably be reclassified in 50 years. In any event prednisone isn't indicated as fibromyalgia doesn't occur in attacks like as seen in rheumatisms.

Very interesting, thank you sir

 

[mr peabody]

[B]Fairy of the Flowers[/B] said recently :​

I have fibromyalgia, and when I take Ketamine it makes it better till it wears off and it helps my mental health. Can't get it in UK on presc. Anyway, Ketamine definitely helps fibromyalgia...​

 

[VerbalTruist]

Prednisone might be a good short term option. However, in the long term it probably isn’t the best solution. That is based on my experience with people who have taken prednisone for long periods of time.