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  • 21 Little Things Partners Have Done for Their Loved Ones With Chronic Illness

    Sometimes all it takes is a simple gesture from someone you love to help you feel a little bit better.

    We asked people who live with chronic illnesses to share one (seemingly) small thing their partner has done for them that touched their hearts.

    This is what they had to say:

    1. “[My partner] reminds me daily I am wanted and needed and not just a burden.” — Ally Small

    2. “I often feel bad that I can’t do ‘normal couple things’ with him like walking or standing much, going out when our friends do or even holding hands properly, so we often struggle to find ‘things to do other than just hanging around (which is lovely in its own right). One day he suggested we could go to the local nature preserve and he could wheel me around. He didn’t suggest we go for a walk (which would either make me feel bad because I would have to tell him I can’t walk that much or we would both know that ‘walking’ really meant ‘rolling’) but actually used the proper wording. He didn’t know how much that simple syntax meant to me until a few weeks later. It was at that moment I realized that he just ‘got it and understood me more than either of us thought. It was the perfect example of automatic acceptance.” — Katie Taaffe

    3. “My husband is a research scientist. We were together 11 years before I got my diagnosis. When we finally had a name for what plagues me (severe rheumatoid arthritis) he read all of the medical literature available and [now] attends all of my medical visits including exams but doesn’t say a word unless I ask him for his opinion. I once joked he was more of an expert about my illness than I was and he dropped what he was doing, wrapped me in a hug, and said, ‘You’re my hero. I’m just your biggest fan.’” — Joy Hanford

    4. “My boyfriend came home from the marines when I was admitted for fistulas, and he slept on the floor the whole week so he could be with me in the hospital.” — Grace Shockey

    5. “My boyfriend has been my partner for going on seven years and caretaker for four years. He gets my medication for me every night. He brings juice and keeps track of all of my different pills for different nights.” — Katelyn Burd

    6. “My partner does little things every day. He helps me keep my dignity by not [making me] have to ask for help when I need it most but am too stubborn to ask.” — Emma-Jayne Tucker

    7. “I have ulcerative colitis so spend a lot of time in the bathroom. My husband wanted to give me something I could put all around the house to look at and feel better and know he’s there for me when I’m not feeling well. He bought a dozen little jars with a piece of chalkboard on the front. He wrote our initials on the chalk and put a folded-up copy of the lyrics to our wedding song inside each bottle. There is now a bottle in every bathroom, the kitchen, and all the bedrooms. It makes me smile every time.” — Heather Hecht

    8. “My husband comes to every appointment with me to get a better understanding of how my illness really affects me. When he knows I’m nervous, he says something to make me laugh, and when he can tell I’m scared, he reaches out to hold my hand. His little gestures touch my heart every time.” — Rebecca Lalk

    9. “I live with multiple sclerosis, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). My [husband] goes to work long before I wake. Before he leaves he often texts me links to funny or cute animal videos on YouTube to cheer me up in case I am wakened by a nightmare or an anxiety episode. It feels like his proactive strategy for keeping me laughing when I often want to cry.” — Shannon Gardner

    10. “He calls me every day on his lunch break. If he knows I am having a rough day (or he just senses it) he will either text or call me at least every hour.” — Shelly Jones

    11. “I suffer from chronic migraines, and at times I live in my dark, cold bedroom for days at a time. My husband of 19 years has done numerous little things that have touched my heart during my attacks, however, the one I love the most is when he climbs in bed and holds me. He doesn’t ask me how I am feeling because he already knows, he doesn’t try to fix my pain because unfortunately he cannot… he is simply there, loving me unconditionally.” — Robyn Eastwood

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    12. “We’d been walking for a while, and he realized by the end of the walk I was starting to lean on him. I try my best not to most of the time, but I just didn’t realize it that night. When he felt me putting my weight on him, he asked if I was OK. I brushed it off, but he could tell I was really hurting. He picked me up. I vigorously protested because I was so embarrassed. I never wanted him to see my weakness. Not only did he accept me, but he didn’t look at me any differently. Not even for a second. He carried on the conversation we were having and carried me all the way home.” — Destin Shyann

    13. “He told me, while I was mid-migraine, that he was not leaving. He said, ‘I need to make sure you are going to be OK.’” — Kristin Marie Kaskeski

    14. “When I was hospitalized for the first time my husband packed me a picnic tea party complete with a teapot, my best teacups, and even a pretty tablecloth. We also wrote letters to each other every day and exchanged them at night during visiting hours. He’s also done really hard things for me too. Like when I would call him on the first night of my hospitalizations begging for him to take me home, weeping, and he would say he loves me but no, it breaks his heart, but I have to do this. Through all of this, he’s my hero.” — Claire Nieuwoudt

    15. “I recently had one very good day where I had managed to shower, dry my hair, get dressed, and put on makeup. I joked, ‘I’m pretending to be a normal person today.’ He wrapped his arms around me, kissed me on the forehead, and said, ‘Just be a normal you.’ It told me he accepted me for who I am, illness and all.” — Jen Keating

    16. “He lets me ask for help. He knows it makes me feel bad if he swoops in every time I struggle to open something or pick something up. He’s there when I need him, but he lets me make that call and that means so much.” — Emily Matejic Souders

    17. “He gave up school and a fantastic job to be my 24/7 caregiver — riding out each seizure with me, carrying me to the bathroom, bathing me, taking me to each appointment, etc. He’s given up everything to fight for me.” — Melody Hitzeroth

    18. “[My partner] washes my hair and ties my shoes when I don’t have the energy. I have multiple sclerosis (MS) and am seven months pregnant. Small things add up.” — Jordann Chitty

    19. “He will just hold me. Any time I am symptomatic he will just hold me and it’s enough to help improve my mood and make everything seem tolerable and manageable. I don’t know if I would be doing as well as I am without him.” — Hallie Ervin

    20. “[My partner will] ignore it, but not me. I’ll be doubled over, and she’ll ask if I’m good, and if I say, ‘Yes just dealing,’ she’ll leave it at that. She won’t hover or get in my way. She just keeps on about her business, still talking and interacting as much as she sees I can stand.” — Loretta Woods

    21. “He believed me and helped fight for answers.” — Jennifer Peterson

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    References:

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  • Jeff Sessions Says People Should ‘Tough It Out’ and Take Aspirin Instead of Opioids

    U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently shared his idea for solving the opioid crisis: aspirin, sleep, and less marijuana.

    Speaking at an event in Tampa on Tuesday to celebrate Ronald Regan’s birthday, Sessions said his goal for 2018 is to see a greater decline in the number of opioids prescribed (he said last year there was a 7 percent decline).

    “We think doctors are just prescribing too many. Sometimes you just need two Bufferin or something and go to bed,” Sessions said. “These pills become so addictive.”

    Bufferin is an over-the-counter aspirin with an antacid. Sessions said according to the Drug Enforcement Agency, a “huge percentage” of heroin addiction starts with opioid prescriptions.

    “That may be an exaggerated number, they had it as high as 80 percent. We think a lot of this is starting with marijuana and other drugs too,” Sessions said. “But we’ll see what the facts show, but we need to reduce the prescription abuse and hopefully reduce the addiction that’s out there.

    On Wednesday, Sessions doubled down on his previous remarks during a speech to Tampa law enforcement.

    “I am operating on the assumption that this country prescribes too many opioids. People need to take some aspirin sometimes and tough it out a little bit,” Sessions said, then cited White House Chief of Staff John Kelly as someone who refused to take painkillers after surgery on his hand. “You can get through these things.”

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    Sessions’ remarks were met with criticism from the chronic pain community, who explained that pain relief isn’t always as simple as “taking aspirin and going to bed.”

    AS I’M ONE OF THOSE CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS, COMPLEX REGIONAL PAIN SYNDROME (CRPS), ALLOW ME TO ADDRESS THE OBVIOUSLY IGNORANT AG, WHO HAS NO IDEA WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT!

    CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS ARE SOME OF THE TOUGHEST PEOPLE THAT YOU WILL EVER ENCOUNTER…

    LITTLE JEFF SESSIONS HAD OBVIOUSLY NEVER BEEN IN CHRONIC PAIN. LET HIM LIVE A WEEK WITH WHAT I ENDURE DAY IN AND DAY OUT. HE’LL BE SINGING A DIFFERENT TUNE. HE SHOULD LEGALIZE MARIJUANA FOR PEOPLE IN CHRONIC PAIN SO THEY CAN WEAN OFF OF OPIODS.

    I MAY NOT PLAY A DOCTOR ON TV, BUT I AM A REAL ONE, AND I THINK
    JEFF SESSIONS IS THE WORST MAN IN AMERICA TO BE GIVING MEDICAL ADVICE OR CREATING HEALTH CARE

    Sessions’ comments are at odds with data on opioid use and addiction. The opioid crisis claimed approximately 63,000 lives in 2016, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. However, synthetic opioids like fentanyl caused about a third of these deaths — which have increased 88 percent per year since 2013. Heroin caused about a fourth, and prescription opioids caused 23 percent, down from 26 percent in 2009.

    Studies show the majority of people prescribed opioids do not become addicted (only between 1 and 12 percent develop an addiction). And a 2017 study found that 51.9 percent of people entering treatment for opioid use disorder started with prescription opioids, which is down from 84.7 percent in 2005. Among those, research has found that 75 percent of all opioid misuse starts with medication not prescribed to them.

    Research has also suggested that marijuana is correlated with lower opioid use. Studies have found that states with legal marijuana dispensaries have fewer opioid deaths and that chronic pain patients who use marijuana use fewer opioids.

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    References:

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  • Exploring Ways To Treat Pain Without Addiction As U.S. Opioid Crisis Worsens

    Addiction to opioids often begins in the doctor’s office. These drugs are typically the only option to manage pain after an operation or in patients with serious injuries. They’re also frequently prescribed to patients with chronic pain, and it’s these patients who are most at risk for opioid addiction.

    Ted Price is an associate professor of neuroscience at the University of Texas at Dallas. His work focuses on the molecular mechanisms that cause pain to persist even after the injury that triggered it has healed.

    What he and his colleagues have discovered is that a buildup of a particular substance between neurons plays a major role in our experience of ongoing pain. That new understanding could help lead to a new treatment for chronic pain that leaves addictive drugs out of the equation altogether.

    On KERA’s Think, he talks about the future of chronic pain research — and what it might mean for the U.S. opioid crisis, which claimed more than 50,000 American lives in 2016.

    The signals behind chronic pain

    Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists at least three to six months beyond the period of normal healing, according to NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

    It can go beyond acute feelings of pain. Chronic pain can result in a host of problems including cognitive disorders, clinical depression, and hair loss. The NIH reports about 11 percent of American adults to suffer from this condition.

    “For many, it’s very disturbing. Even when they’re not doing anything, they’ll feel this stabbing or burning pain coming from the limb,” Price says. “Normally, pain is a danger signal to the brain that something’s wrong, but when they look, nothing looks wrong.”

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    When we feel pain, nerve cells called “nociceptors” are activated and send that signal to the brain. When working normally, this process is helpful: It tells you that you’re hurt and you need to protect yourself. After a severe injury or surgery, nociceptors fire frequently and are meant to stop once you’ve healed.

    But in the roughly 30 percent of patients who develop chronic pain, nerve cells rewire themselves before healing, which can cause them to fire at random, months after the injury is gone.

    Price’s research focuses on this “rewiring” process, called “neuroplasticity.” It’s the idea that the nervous system can “rewire” itself throughout our lives to help us adapt to our surroundings.

    “We were originally looking at how brains learn. We had this idea that pain is a learning phenomenon, too. Synaptic plasticity, or the cellular process of learning, is common to things that are beneficial and things that aren’t.”

    There are some really complex genetic factors at play,” Price says, “but it really is a plasticity disease.”

    Opioids, tolerance and chronic pain

    Chronic pain, like opioid abuse, is often stigmatized. Price argues it’s not as important to try and quantify pain as it is to treat it more effectively. Chronic pain often affects every aspect of people’s lives. In that sense, the chronic pain epidemic and the opioid crises are one and the same.

    “There’s no question that opioids are effective for acute pain,” Price says, “but the issue that we have right now is that the drugs that we have to treat chronic pain don’t work very well and the drugs that are efficacious are incredibly dangerous.”

    While opioids are still often necessary after surgeries, Price says there’s evidence that they may actually increase the likelihood of chronic pain after surgery.

    “We need to have better, non-addictive therapeutics that are not only going to treat acute pain but also prevent the development of chronic pain,” he says. “When you take a drug more frequently over time, it requires a larger dose to achieve the same efficacy. This will actually happen in almost everyone taking opioids.”

    Tolerance is most problematic when people begin taking opioids again after a period without, Price says. Many chronic pain patients experience pain after a long period following surgery. They may take what used to be their normal dose of opioids. In many cases, this dose is enough to induce an overdose, as they may have lost their tolerance, he says.

    The leap from the lab to the pharmacy

    There is no cure yet. But Price says that science is very mature.

    The leap from preliminary research to clinical trials is difficult to navigate for many scientists, especially those in an academic setting. So Price, and many researchers like him, are starting their own companies to try and bring their research into realization on their own.

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    “If … there is one thing I try to convey to [my colleagues] … there really isn’t anybody else who is going to be quite as passionate about [turning] your ideas into medications as you are. […] It’s a steep learning curve … but it’s very exciting and extraordinarily rewarding.”

    I would argue [we’re] completely failing in trying to treat this,” Price says. “There are some interesting treatments [for migraines] which may be approved by the FDA this year, but we need to see successes like this across the board.”

    Price stresses the need to conduct clinical trials as early as safely possible so researchers don’t waste time on disproved hypotheses and patients can get treatments sooner. Price points to McGill University, in Montreal, as a good example. He attributes the success of the Canadian university to its emphasis on collaboration between basic science researchers and clinical trial labs.

    Treating chronic pain takes a multimodal approach, Price says. Treatments should go beyond painkillers and other medications; for example, exercise, whenever possible, can help dramatically. Managing pain, much like managing an epidemic, requires creativity and collaboration.

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

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    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

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  • Which Type of Kratom is Good for Sleep and Fibromyalgia?

    Fibromyalgia is a condition known as the widespread and state with debilitating pain.

    It results in a negative impact on an individual’s energy levels along with adverse effects on comfortable sleep.

    It is easy to appreciate the fact that why people suffering from fibromyalgia opt for all the possible treatments which might help them relieve extreme pain along with the sadness associated with it.

    Many individuals have been attracted to kratom strains for treating fibromyalgia, but do your complete research about whether it is true that kratom helps in treating fibromyalgia or not.

    However, kratom is a safe and effective option for many people. Many physical issues occur due to fibromyalgia so consume the kratom strains for addressing the different symptoms associated with fibromyalgia.

    Fibromyalgia is a medical condition that has symptoms such as muscle pain and lingering pain all over the body.

    The pain has an association with fatigue, lack of sleep, memory, and mood issues. According to scientific studies, fibromyalgia results in heightened pain feelings affecting the manner in which the brain deals with these pain signals.

    Usually, people face fibromyalgia after some surgery, infection, or physical trauma. The ratio is high in women when compared to men all over the world.

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    What is Kratom?

    Kratom also termed Mitragyna Speciosa belongs to the coffee family. It is found in Southeast Asia.

    The leaves of the kratom tree have beneficial alkaloids which serve several medicinal purposes.

    The natives have been using kratom for thousands of years for medical treatment. The kratom leaves are said to enhance energy levels, relieve pain, and uplift mood.

    Kratom strains for treating fibromyalgia patients is helpful?

    A resident of Florida named Tammy Hartman said that consumption of kratom helped her get rid of fibromyalgia pain and also helped her remove the grogginess which her prescription medicines had caused.

    However, kratom has legality issues in most of the states as high doses of kratom make you high or stoned.

    The kratom leaves have a unique alkaloid named mitragynine which binds with the mu-opioid receptors similarly to morphine.

    It is the reason which tells us that why kratom helps in relieving pain associated with fibromyalgia.

    This alkaloid termed mitragynine helps as a muscle relaxant and an anti-inflammatory agent as well.

    Kratom also has a serotonergic activity that helps in treating depression, boosts up energy, and manages the opioid pain and sleepiness that is reported to occur because of the kappa-opioid and adrenergic receptor activity.

    The alkaloids in kratom leaves bind with the pain receptors all over the human body, allowing you to relieve pain from fibromyalgia.

    Kratom is considered the cost-effective, efficient, practical, and fast method for reducing pain and discomfort linked with fibromyalgia.

    Kratom leads to varying effects on different individuals, depending on how they use it, which strains are used, the quantity of kratom, some kratom strains, and others.

    Consumption of kratom helps in relieving dizziness, nausea, feelings of sedation and euphoria, reduction in anxiety, depression, pain, increase in metabolic rates and energy levels.

    It was concluded from the research that if you overdose with kratom, it does not result in respiratory depression like other pharmaceutical drugs example morphine.

    It indicates that patients suffering from fibromyalgia can efficiently utilize kratom in their daily lives for the analgesic properties of kratom.

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    Which Kratom strains for treating fibromyalgia are best?

    Kratom has multiple strains available. However, if you want to purchase one you need to pay close attention to that kratom strain.

    Kratom is categorized into three main types such as a white vein, red vein, and green vein.

    Some users claim that if you stack multiple kratom strains, you will end up achieving the analgesic effect, especially for fibromyalgia patients.

    It is also recommended that the combination of red and green strains make a perfect mixture for patients suffering from fibromyalgia.

    Fibromyalgia can be treated with kratom strains due to their analgesic effects.

    The white and red veins of kratom strains can be used in the stack by blending them for enhanced stimulant and muscle relaxant effects. It provides a stronger cure for relieving pain.

    If you are seeking to sleep well and relieve pain then use Red vein strains and Maeng Da kratom in combination.

    The kratom strains such as Red Bali have shown to be useful for relieving the dull pain or feelings of discomfort associated with fibromyalgia.

    The best kratom strains are found in Indonesia. They have a great blend of alkaloids that help in sedation and pain management against fibromyalgia.

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

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    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

    Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store

  • Chronic pain patients need services beyond just opioids: B.C. advocate

    Chronic pain patients need services beyond just opioids: B.C. advocate

    People who live with chronic pain need options beyond prescription opioids, and it’s up to the British Columbia government to provide more services such as physiotherapy, says the head of a group that supports patients and their families.

    “There has really been a lack of any appropriate response to chronic pain in our province and in our country,” said Maria Hudspith, executive director of Pain BC, the only non-profit society in Canada to bring together clinical experts and policy-makers to work on chronic pain management initiatives.

    Besides painkillers, patients must have access to physical therapy and psychological support but wait for lists stretch from one to three years at the few specialized pain clinics in the province, she said.

    “We’ve seen this overreliance on the prescription pad as the only tool in the toolbox,” Hudspith said. “Some people may become dependent on the medication in order to function and some of those people may become addicted.”

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    One in five people in B.C. lives with pain that can be relentless and crippling but she said some communities have no specialized healthcare providers for patients who need intervention after an injury or surgery, for example.

    A lack of dedicated pain services means patients make more doctors visits and may require more surgeries, resulting in high healthcare costs and poor quality of life, Hudspith said.

    “There’s a growing recognition that this is a huge problem that is really, in any way, at the root of a lot of issues that we’re seeing.”

    Hudspith said Pain BC has been in discussions with the provincial government to expand services.

    Neither the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions nor the Health Ministry could provide any information when the provincial government was contacted for comment.

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

    Click here to Contact us Directly on Inbox

    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

    Click here to Visit Fibromyalgia Store

  • FDA Warns About Dangers of Epidural Steroid Injections for Back Pain

    The Food and Drug Administration has just issued what’s called a “Medwatch Alert” warning that Epidural steroid injections or “ESIs” for back and neck pain can be extremely dangerous. The alert says: “Injection of corticosteroids into the epidural space of the spine may result in rare but serious adverse events, including loss of vision, stroke, paralysis, and death.”

    Epidural steroid injections – and catastrophic injuries from them – were the subject of my debut investigation for The Dr. Oz Show almost exactly a year ago. The epidural space is an area between the spinal cord and the bony structure of the spine.

    Our investigation revealed that the steroids – called corticosteroids – used for epidural injections are not even FDA approved for this purpose and yet ESIs are done nearly 9 million times a year, according to an analysis by Dr. Laxmaiah Manchikanti.

    In addition to informing the public via its Medwatch Alert, the FDA said, “We are requiring the addition of a warning to the drug labels of injectable corticosteroids to describe these risks.”  Injectable corticosteroids include methylprednisolone, hydrocortisone, triamcinolone, betamethasone, and dexamethasone.

    The new warning will be a more prominent reminder to doctors that injecting steroids into the epidural space, just outside the spinal cord, has risks. But the warning failed to list all of the possible adverse reactions. Those reactions are named in the fine print of current drug labels, and include: “arachnoiditis, bowel/bladder dysfunction, headache, meningitis, paraparesis/paraplegia, seizures, sensory disturbances.”

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    In 2009, the FDA convened a group to study the safety of some types of epidural steroid injections. In its new notice, the FDA said that the group’s recommendations still are not ready and will be released when they are.

    Dennis Capolongo of the EDNC, a group that has been campaigning against epidural steroid injections for years, called the FDA’s new warning “bittersweet” because it did not go further.  Capolongo wants the FDA to go beyond telling doctors that injecting steroids into the epidural space COULD have severe side effects and instead state that they MUST NOT do it.

    In February of this year, Australian and New Zealand health authorities came out with exactly that stronger language, stating that steroids like this, “MUST NOT be used by the intrathecal, epidural, intravenous or any other unspecified routes.” The South African government issued similar warnings, according to Capolongo.

    Since the FDA is still actively studying these procedures, it will be interesting to see if the agency takes any further steps. If and when it does, you can bet I’ll pass the information along.

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

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    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

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    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

    Fibromyalgia Stores

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  • Abuse on the rise of prescription medicine gabapentin, known as ‘Johnnys’

    If you aren’t on this medication, chances are you know someone who is. It’s used to treat everything from pain to mood disorders and can be just what the doctor ordered for many.

    But now, there is mounting research uncovering misuse of and even a black market for this popular prescription.

    We’re talking about gabapentin. It’s approved for some types of seizures and nerve pain.

    Doctors also use it off-label to treat everything from insomnia to migraines to anxiety. Sixty-four million prescriptions of it were sold in the U.S. in 2016, up more than 60% from four years earlier.

    The thing is, experts, say there is growing evidence it’s being abused, too. It’s even being sold on the streets under the name “Johnnys.”

    Dr. Joseph Insler, an addiction psychiatrist, says he’s seeing it all too often.

    “Sometimes, I’ve even experienced patients ask me for their “Johnnys” and then they’ll, maybe, catch themselves and say, ‘No, no, no. I mean gabapentin’,” he says.

    Why is this prescription being misused?

    “I think that some individuals may say that they use it to get high, and others may say they use it and get a drowsy effect. So, we’re talking about the euphoria versus sedation, “ says Rachel Vickers Smith, Ph.D.

    Dr. Vickers Smith wrote her dissertation on gabapentin abuse when studying drug abusers in Appalachia.

    “We found a nearly 3000 percent increase from 2008 to about 2014 in individuals reporting gabapentin abuse for the purposes of getting high,” she says.

    We wanted to see for ourselves, so we searched online. We easily found people talking about taking “Johnnys”, or gabapentin, to get high. There were also threads of people trying to spread awareness about the abuse.

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    Experts say gabapentin is typically misused by substance abusers who mix it with other drugs.

    But, Dr. Insler says it’s also possible for people with legitimate prescriptions to misuse, too.

    He says, “If somebody’s taking excessively high doses or needing early refills” or if their mood changes, family members or clinicians should see these signs as red flags.

    A growing body of research shows the problem of abuse, especially among substance abusers is clear.  But some experts also worry about the number of prescriptions being handed out.

    A recent New England Journal of Medicine letter warned that “clinicians who are desperate for alternatives to opioids” are “increasingly prescribing gabapentin” and that “evidence suggests that some patients misuse, abuse or divert gabapentin.”

    Dr. Rachel Vickers Smith says, “ I think that’s why it’s really important to get out the message,” about abuse, in general.

    Gabapentin is not a controlled substance or scheduled drug on the Federal level.

    We reached out to several government agencies. There was little information on potential abuse although the National Institute on Drug Abuse pointed us to existing research and the DEA says it is beginning to receive calls.

    Dr. Vickers Smith says, “ I don’t think that gabapentin abuse is on the CDC, DEA’s, NIDA’s radar, in part because we had this opioid epidemic.”

    All experts we talked to stress that this is NOT the next opioid epidemic, but they believe gabapentin abuse is something to watch closely and believe more research is needed.

    We contacted two of the manufacturers of gabapentin, including Pfizer, which told us,  “Gabapentin is an important treatment option for their approved indications”.

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    For More Information Related to Fibromyalgia Visit below sites:

    References:

    Fibromyalgia Contact Us Directly

    Click here to Contact us Directly on Inbox

    Official Fibromyalgia Blogs

    Click here to Get the latest Chronic illness Updates

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  • Duloxetine (Cymbalta) Side Effects & Withdrawal. Must Read You Just Cannot Ignore

    We have received so many complaints about duloxetine side effects that we have lost count. Far more disturbing is the number of people who tell us how hard it is to discontinue this drug.

    Decades ago doctors might have told patients taking a drug like Cymbalta that if they experienced anxiety, irritability, or strange sensations after stopping the drug, it was probably their underlying psychological problem returning. Now we know it is withdrawal from the medicine.

    The History of Cymbalta:

    Cymbalta was originally approved by the FDA in 2004 for the treatment of major depression. It is officially an SNRI-type antidepressant. In doctorspeak, that means it is a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor and is somewhat similar to other antidepressants such as Effexor (venlafaxine) and Pristiq (desvenlafaxine).

    The FDA also approved Cymbalta to treat nerve pain associated with diabetes in 2004. In 2007 the drug got a green light for anxiety and in 2008 the FDA agreed that it could ease the discomfort associated with fibromyalgia. It was also approved to treat musculoskeletal pain associated with arthritis and lower back pain in 2010.

    In other words, there was a drug that could relieve your blues and your aches and pains. And the drug company that makes Cymbalta (Lilly) has been aggressively marketing it as a good way to deal with chronic low back pain and osteoarthritis. Perhaps you have seen the commercials on TV promoting the pain-relieving power of the drug with the slogan “Cymbalta can help.” It sounds almost too good to be true.

    Ah…and there is the rub. Although there is a long list of serious side effects mentioned during the commercial, the video images seem quite reassuring and trump the scary message the FDA requires for this medication. So, let’s set the record straight. Here, without visual interference, are a list of potential complications associated with this medication.

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    Cymbalta (Duloxetine) Side Effects

    • Nausea, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea, decreased appetite, vomiting
    • Dry mouth
    • Insomnia, anxiety, tremor
    • Dizziness, fatigue, sleepiness
    • Sweating, hot flashes
    • Blurred vision
    • Headache
    • Sexual dysfunction, lowered libido, erection difficulties, lack of orgasm
    • Liver damage
    • Serious skin reactions, rash, hives (requires immediate MD assistance!)
    • Glaucoma
    • Irregular heart rhythms
    • Bleeding problems
    • Blood pressure problems
    • Interaction with other drugs (leading to serotonin syndrome among other reactions)
    • Pneumonia
    • Seizures
    • Depressed mood, suicidal thoughts and behavior, suicide

    Such a long list of side effects makes your eyes glaze over after the top 3 or 4. That is why we have included stories from real people so you can better understand what these complications feel like.

    Stopping Cymbalta:

    Even though such side effects are scary, there is another problem with Cymbalta. When people try to stop taking this drug they frequently report unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. An organization (QuarterWatch) that monitors the FDA’s database of serious adverse drug events has noted that:

    “We observed a signal for serious drug withdrawal symptoms associated with duloxetine (CYMBALTA), a widely used antidepressant that is also approved to treat arthritis and back pain, anxiety, and fibromyalgia. In the first quarter of 2012, the FDA received 48 case reports of drug withdrawal identifying duloxetine as the suspect drug. They described a wide spectrum of withdrawal effects that began when the patients stopped the drug, including blackouts, suicidal thoughts, tremors, and nausea. Several cases involved hospitalization.

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    Probing deeper into the scientific record for duloxetine we found that withdrawal symptoms were reported in 44-50% of patients abruptly discontinuing duloxetine at the end of clinical studies for depression, and more than half of this total did not resolve within a week or two. In addition, we identified a serious breakdown at both the FDA and the manufacturer, Eli Lilly, and Company, in providing adequate warnings and instructions about how to manage this common adverse effect.”

    Doctors have taken to calling this “discontinuation syndrome.” These clinical words do not do justice to what it is like to stop antidepressants like Cymbalta, Effexor(venlafaxine), Paxil (paroxetine), Pristiq (desvenlafaxine), or Zoloft (sertraline) suddenly.

    Sudden Withdrawal Symptoms

    Again, a list of symptoms does not do this problem justice. Below you will read some stories from people who have posted their comments to this website. We would love to hear your story, positive or negative. Share your experience with Cymbalta or any other antidepressant below.

    Should you wish to learn more about dealing with depression through some other strategies, we offer our Guide to Dealing with Depression. You will also find a whole chapter on prescribing mistakes doctors make when treating depression and fibromyalgia in our book, Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.

    Cymbalta Withdrawal Stories from Readers

    – D.G. shares a tragic story:

    “My lovely, young daughter-in law, who was about to celebrate her 29th birthday, was prescribed Cymbalta, Klonopin, and Ambien and has committed suicide.
    “She told her physician and her therapist that she’d had thoughts of suicide but no one took her seriously. She suffered from depression, as well as an eating disorder, and had very low body weight. She also used alcohol.
    “Please remind your readers of the potentially disastrous effects these chemicals can cause when taken carelessly or in combination with alcohol.”

    This from – P.J.:
    “I have been on Prozac over the last 20 years off and on and it finally stopped working. The last time I took it about 2 years ago I was taking the generic from Barr – the blue and white capsule. I was feeling as if I were in the deepest dark hole there ever was.

    “My doctor put me on Cymbalta from which I had a lot of side effects such as palpitations, feeling constant dread, panic attacks, sweats, lightheadedness, and a general feeling of not being well.

    “She added Abilify which put me over the edge. I was in the worst depression I have ever been in. Finally, after living like this for several months, I asked to be put back on Prozac. I was taking the generic from Sandoz. When the prescription ran out I ended up on the big blue and white capsules from Barr.

    “Over the last couple of weeks, it has been constant crying spells, arguing with everyone, and feeling pretty low. I talked to my doctor and she wrote the prescription for Sandoz only generic. The blue and white capsules are like taking a placebo. My doctor said she had had other patients who complained of the same thing and she had to write prescriptions for a certain generic or name brand.”

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    – R.P. says:
    “I took Cymbalta for 3 days and thought I’d go nuts. I’m off it now and refuse to try any other drug like this. My main complaint was extreme hot flashes that estrogen wouldn’t help. I thought I’d be given Prozac but was given Cymbalta instead. It was a rough 3 days and I stopped it last night. I am extremely tired yet cannot sleep at night. I think I was sweating even worse and my legs started feeling like I had Lyme disease again. And to be honest, within those 3 days of taking it, I didn’t contemplate suicide, but I had this crappy attitude of “who would care?”
    – Nancy relates how hard it was to get off Cymbalta:
    “It took me 18 months to get off Cymbalta, with no doctor’s help. I can hardly believe that doctors have no exit strategy for this dangerous drug. I had to find this out on my own from reading and as soon as I weaned off that – about a month, the tinnitus that had occurred decreased almost completely. No doctor told me this.”
    — J.K. shares a parent perspective:
    “My daughter experienced severe side effects when trying to come off Cymbalta – she had nausea, vomiting, lost peripheral vision for 24-48 hours, had to shake, etc. This was while she was doing a clinical in a hospital for college. Had she known she would have stayed on it until after clinical. I called the manufacturer and they acted like there were no such side effects from withdrawal.

    “She too took apart the capsules and it took a while, but finally she is free from that drug. I think it is a crime that the manufacturers don’t publish more detailed information concerning withdrawal. They could even make money selling a one-month or two-month step-down prescription so individuals aren’t taking the capsules apart themselves.”
    – P.C. Tells what it is like to switch around from one drug to another:
    “I just turned 52 today. I went on a very low dose of Zoloft about 8 years ago to treat generalized anxiety disorder. It really did help for a long time. I recently have been pretty depressed (however I can cover it up really well) and my psychiatrist switched me to Effexor which was terrible for me. Now I’m trying Cymbalta which has not done anything either except make me feel more anxious and headachy and weird.”

    “I am a registered nurse and I do not understand what the long-term effects of these meds are and I am concerned. I really want to get off and see what I can do naturally for myself.”
    – K.T. tells what it is like to try to stop Cymbalta:
    “Getting off Cymbalta is challenging but not impossible. I, too, experienced light-headedness, dizziness, and “brain zaps.” I described it as being able to “hear my eyes move.” It sounded like the light sabers on Star Wars. Very strange and disconcerting.

    “The key is to do it very very slowly. Take the capsules apart and begin by removing 5 or 10 of the tiny balls inside. Do this for a week or so, then slowly increase the amount you remove each week or two as you can tolerate it.

    “Your doctor will probably be no help at all. Mine wasn’t. He instructed me to wean off over a two to three-week period and I almost lost my mind. I did it myself over about a YEAR or more. Be patient. I am completely off now and feeling GOOD.”
    – Karen’s story:
    “I was prescribed Cymbalta ‘off-label’ to manage fibromyalgia pain When I stopped taking it because it wasn’t delivering on the promised effect of reducing my pain, I became so horribly depressed that I required hospitalization as I had become SUICIDAL!

    “I will NEVER take another anti-depressant for an off-label purpose….such as Elavil/amitriptyline as a “sleep aid” which is very commonly prescribed.

    “I believe it should be criminal to prescribe ANY drug for a purpose other than the one it was approved to treat.”
    – R.H. and Erectile Dysfunction:
    “I’m a 76-year-old man, my libido was very low. Taking Cymbalta for peripheral neuropathy added ED as a side effect of the drug. I had a testosterone blood test; it was 1/3 what the minimum should be. So I’m taking Androgel to raise testosterone levels and it is magic. I have great libido now and am working on minimizing the Cymbalta pills. In the meantime, I have been prescribed Cialis for the ED. Each pill solves the sex problem for a couple of days.”
    – M.O. on stopping Cymbalta:

    “I have the exact symptoms as everyone else and it’s been a week. I only took Cymbalta for 2 months, but the side effects from stopping it are horrible. My doctor didn’t, nor did anyone else tell me, about any side effects and I did read the insert. Most of the time the listed side effects of meds don’t bother me, so I figured no problem.
    “From reading other posts on this website and on other sites, the drug seems to affect every person the same way. I would never have taken it for my neck pain if I had known about the likelihood of side effects. The worst part for me is the dizziness, the brain zings and the sudden burst of tears for no reason. I would never take this drug again. I think the FDA needs to do longer studies on all drugs and be honest with their findings and that doctors should be honest and tell their patients what really happens when you take Cymbalta.”

    Please add your own experience below in the comment section.

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  • Why Are My Joints So Stiff? What Can I Do?

    Why Are My Joints So Stiff? What Can I Do?

    You’re Getting Older

    As you age, your cartilage — the spongy material that protects the ends of your bones — begins to dry out and stiffen. Your body also makes less synovial fluid, the stuff that acts like oil to keep your joints moving smoothly. The result: Your joints may not move as freely as they used to. It sounds a little crazy, but the best thing you can do is keep on trucking. Synovial fluid requires movement to keep your joints loose.

    It’s Morning

    When you’re asleep and still for several hours, the fluid that helps your joints move easily can’t do its job. That’s why you wake up with knees or hands that are stiff and swollen. To make it better, try to move around more during the day.

    Osteoarthritis (OA)

    A joint is a place where two bones meet. The end of each bone is covered in a layer of rubbery stuff called cartilage. This keeps them from rubbing together. But cartilage can wear away over time or after an injury. When it’s gone, the bones hit one another, and sometimes, tiny pieces break off. The result is a stiff, swollen, painful joint.

    Treating Osteoarthritis

    Your first move might be to do fewer things that bother the joint in question. Over-the-counter drugs can help with pain and swelling. If they don’t, your doctor might inject stronger treatments directly into problem areas. You can wrap joints to protect them and stop overuse, but this could weaken your muscles, so don’t overdo it. Some people need surgery, but it’s rare. Your doctor will discuss treatments with you.

    Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

    Your immune system is supposed to protect you from outside germs. Sometimes, it attacks the lining of your joints instead (your doctor will call this the synovium). RA is most likely to affect your wrist or finger joints, but it can show up anywhere in your body. It often causes constant pain and stiffness. Sometimes, it stays in the background and only flares up now and then.

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    Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis

    Doctors treat RA with medications that slow or stop the disease process. You might hear yours call them DMARDs, which stands for disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. The goal is for you to have no signs of inflammation in your body. Your doctor will refer to this as this remission. Along with drugs, you can also take care of yourself — eat well, rest when you need to but keep moving, and take good care of your joints.

    Another Type of Arthritis

    OA and RA are the most well known, but other types also affect your immune system and result in stiff joints:

    • Ankylosing spondylitis: This type mostly affects your spine, but it can make your hips, hands, or feet feel stiff.
    • Gout: The first sign of this build-up of uric acid in your body is often a searing pain in your big toe.
    • Infectious arthritis: It often starts with an infection somewhere else in your body that travels to one big joint, like your hip. Your doctor might call it septic arthritis.

    Psoriatic arthritis: People with psoriasis or family members who have it are most likely to get this type. Signs include swollen fingers and pitted nails.

    A Change in the Weather

    Did your grandma say she knew when a storm was coming because her joints ached? She was right. Doctors aren’t sure why, but joint pain seems to get worse when the weather changes. It’s most common when the air pressure (the weather forecaster will call it barometric pressure) falls. That typically happens just before a storm.

    Fibromyalgia

    This chronic condition causes joint and muscle pain, along with sleep, mood, and memory problems. Scientists think your brain takes normal pain signals and makes them worse. They aren’t sure what causes it, but it often follows an illness, surgery, or intense stress. It doesn’t damage your joints the way arthritis does, though.

    Treating Fibromyalgia

    There’s no cure, but over-the-counter meds should ease your pain. Your doctor might prescribe other medications. A physical therapist can teach you special exercises to help. You might also try a relaxation technique like deep breathing or a gentle exercise like yoga or tai chi. They’ll help you stretch and strengthen your muscles and tendons.

    Joint Injury

    The two most common types are both forms of inflammation. They usually result from overuse or misuse of a joint over time:

    Bursitis involves the bursae, fluid-filled sacs that act as cushions between your bones and other moving parts.

    Tendinitis affects the tendons that attach muscles to your bones.

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    Treating a Joint Injury

    These conditions are easy to treat. You’ll likely make a full recovery. The first thing to do is give that joint rest and take over-the-counter pain medication. Your doctor will probably give you a splint to wear and tell you to put ice on it. She might show you some exercises to do, too. If that doesn’t help, she could inject a stronger drug straight into the bursa or tendon to manage pain and swelling.

    Exercise

    The more you move your joints, the less likely they are to get stiff. A little afternoon gardening or a walk around the block can help. You’ll strengthen the muscles that support your joints, keep your bones strong, improve your balance, and burn calories. Start slow, so you don’t get hurt. Talk to your doctor first if even gentle exercise makes the stiffness worse.

    Heat Therapy

    If your joints are extra stiff in the morning, try a hot shower or bath. It’ll get the blood flowing to the area, which loosens things up. You can also buy moist heat pads from the drugstore or make your own. Toss a washcloth into a freezer bag and microwave it for 1 minute. Wrap it in a towel and leave it in the area for 15-20 minutes.

    Cold Therapy

    Ice down an achy joint. It narrows blood vessels, which slows blood flow to the area and eases swelling. You can use a store-bought cold pack, or try a bag of frozen veggies instead. Put it on the area, but use a towel to protect your skin. Don’t do it for more than 20 minutes at a time. If you really want to chill a problem joint, try an ice bath.

    See the Doctor Right Away If …

    Make a Doctor’s Appointment If …

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  • Fibromyalgia Project Wins One of Three Purdue Pharma Research Grants for Chronic Pain and Pain Assessment

    A research project focused on developing an objective measure of pain-related interference with cognitive performance in people with fibromyalgia is one of three awarded research grants recently by Purdue Pharma.

    An independent steering committee oversaw the competition and selection of the three recipients of Purdue’s research grants to study chronic pain and the assessment of pain.

    Robert R. Edwards, Ph.D., of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital at the Harvard Medical School in Boston, will lead the project dedicated to pain in fibromyalgia. The project is titled “Development and application of an objective measure of pain-related interference with cognition.”

    The goal is to identify a set of cognitive tasks that are affected by variations in pain levels when they are being performed. Once an appropriate set of tasks is developed, they will be used in a randomized, controlled trial to test an intervention designed to improve cognitive performance in this patient population.

    Another of the selected projects, led by David A. Seminowicz, Ph.D., at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, is titled “Development of a reliable neurophysiological pain assessment tool: alpha as a predictive biomarker (APB).”

    This study aims to determine if EEG alpha wave activity is an accurate and reliable measure of acute pain and neuropathic pain (chronic pain resulting from injury to the nervous system) in healthy volunteers. Alpha waves are a type of brain wave that allow the assessment of electrical impulses in the brain that reflect the brain’s activity.

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    The third project, led by Tassilo Baeuerle, president and chief executive officer at CognifiSense, Sunnyvale, California, is titled “Study on the use of virtual reality for pain measurement.”

    The goal of this research is to explore the potential for the use of virtual reality technology as a tool in the assessment of chronic pain. Virtual reality is the term used to describe a three-dimensional, computer-generated environment that can be explored interactively by a person.

    The study will also evaluate the potential of using movement, among other measures, to assess pain intensity. The association of specific movements with pain will be investigated.

    “We are excited to support three investigator–led studies, which we believe will contribute important new information to our body of knowledge about the assessment of chronic pain,” Monica Kwarcinski, PharmD, head of Medical Affairs, Purdue Pharma, said in a press release.

    “The assessment of pain levels is important in making a correct diagnosis, determining appropriate therapy, and studying responses to treatment. By addressing these data gaps through research funding, we remain committed to offering innovative solutions to make a meaningful impact on patients’ lives.” Kwarcinski added.

    Purdue is a pharmaceutical company founded by physicians, and it is known for its pioneering research on pain.

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