Need some advice

Hey everyone ~

I need some advice about my Bipolar and Fibromyalgia.

Lots of you "ole timers" know about this struggle I have been dealing with forever now.

My Bipolar and Fibro feed off each other.. If either one tips right the other goes left and down I go. With winter here the cold fronts flare up my pain something awful.

I had a IP stay in September.. It again was due to my BP and Fibro not playing nice with each other, they never do.

I agreed while IP to take Tenex and Latuda. It seems to have helped with the Bipolar aspect...... of course it does nothing for the pain.

I guess I am just wanting ideas on how to balance the two because I am having a rough time with thinking of things I have not tried.

I do all the basic BP common sense self care..

So Bipolar and Chronic pain advice/support I need.

Thanks everyone

Wishing better days for you!

You've said what you do to treat the bp but what about the fibro? Are you on any meds for it?

Oops sorry about not including that lol

None of the " fibro" meds help. Neurontin and ramped up version " Lyrica" does nothing. I was getting weekly Lidocaine infusions , they did help. Sadly the pain specialist closed his practice due to his hands being tied behind his back when offering patients help due to the federal regulations. Cymbal that causes me horrible stomach pain and asthma problems , go figure.

have you tried lyrica?
sorry you are suffering.
(((((HUGS)))))
bizi

Damn, ao sorry to hear the lidocaine is no longer an option.

I dont have any advice, but just wanted to remind you that you have my number if you need to talk or vent.
Dont hesitate.

Christina
Sorry no ideas here, but I will think on it and see if anything comes to mind. In the meanwhile, you are in my thoughts (as always! )
I hope you catch some breaks from the pain (and damnable weather factors).

I have Central Pain Syndrome from an emergency surgery for severe spinal cord compression (it's unclear whether it's because of the compression or the surgery itself). But it's also a pain syndrome that's very very hard to treat. I had tried Lyrica and Cymbalta and Topamax, etc. to no avail. What finally helped me was Methadone. Now I know there are many docs, these days, who are very reluctant to prescribe opioids and a lot of reluctance amongst patients to take them, but methadone is considered one of the least addictive because it doesn't give you a 'high.'

Since nothing else has worked, maybe it's worth a try to find a doc willing to prescribe it? It targets the central nervous system, and I don't know if Fibro originates there. In any case, as I say, since you've tried everything else, maybe it's worth a try. It's the only med that has relieved my symptoms. I got my life back, life is entirely different, pain does not control my life or my moods anymore...

I have no experience with fibro but I had chronic nerve pain for several yrs. pain management was essential to my stability. Is there any way you can find another pain management doctor or clinic? The clinic I went to had a pdoc on staff that worked with the docs to do whole person care.

Gabyunbound,

Thanks for your reply , very interesting . I will certainly look into this, I'm tired of being suicidal from my fibro pain and shuffled off to psych ward just because of chronic pain and to keep me safe because a pain of a 9 heading to a 10 I lose rational thought and just wanna take the exit door.

I'm so happy you have found relief.

Nammu,

Where I was getting these lidocaine infusions was the only hospital in the state. The hospital just wasn't making enough money doing it is what it really boiled down too.

Medicare was billed like 1200.00 but only paid about 180.00 something or less I bet ...so when you balanced out the cost of supplies and needing 2 RN's to pay... The corporation that runs the hospital wasn't going to continue the service if it wasn't lining there pockets .

So money was also a part of stopping the treatment.

... ...

... wishing you peace always .... Tigger

So sorry you are suffering so much at times. My diagnoses's are Bipolar 1, PTSD, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. They certainly feed off each other. The extreme fatigue and pain can drive me into SI too but I don't have the level of pain you have so I cannot imagine how you handle it at all. My pain only goes to a 7/10 at worst. I use Tramadol at those times as nothing else helps. For me the fatigue crushes me more emotionally as I feel my life becomes pointless. It often happens outside an episode but when depressed it can get worse. I am lucky that when I am manic my pain and fatigue disappears. I LOVE life as I feel free in so many ways. Of course the crash is bad.

Sorry, I don't really have any hints or tips. I am sure you are aware of all I know. How long have you had the pain? Mine hit me around 2000 and finally I feel I am getting better control of it. Drugs have not really helped but paced exercise, diet, getting as much stress out of may life as I can (one ex-husband down helped a lot with that) and swimming in the ocean. 7 years ago I could not even walk 1600ft to the beach and now I can walk for 45minutes at a fast pace 3 x a week. I can also swim longer. Somehow, I got lucky and was able to reduce my pain and fatigue to less often and many times to a lesser degree. Still, I have weeks where I am crippled but it happens less. I wish the same for you. It seems you are suffering much more than me. HUGS!!!

I'm so sorry that you suffer this way also. Not fair not fair !

The fatigue? Wow just wow, i have insomnia and Cfs so I just stay tired , it indeed sucks the life and enjoyment out of things.

I do know if I avoid all carbs physically and mentally I feel better.

I suck at pacing myself if I decide to clean the bathroom then it's oh I need to do kitchen Livingroom and why not paint that wall lol ... so I do some of it myself my OCD kicks in .

Would be nice for us both to sleep and wake up full of typical energy not bipolar offering us a tasty treat !

I read things like flexril help. Have you tried any of those. They help my cp pain.

Ive been taking some gummy vitamins and supplements regularly lately. Stg that seems to make a difference is natures bounty Co-Q10 gummies. Its supposed to help with the muscle myopathy that comes from taking statins for cholesterol. I havent been this energetic in like 20 years. Its been at least a week. Im feeling a little more depressed than last week, but im still doing chores. So idk.

Muscle myopathy? My dr just put me on a station. Zyprexa put my cholesterol at 700!!

(((((( ~Christina ))))))

I am sorry you are so uncomfortable.

I am very familiar with CFS and FMS, as I was diagnosed with them over 30 years ago. I had participated in research studies for each. My pain has only become more complicated to treat. I had to resort to opioids approx. 15 years ago and still use them. The pain continues to advance for me and is considered to be "neuropathic." I also have a couple of autoimmune conditions now, as well. It's a mess. Opioids saved my life over the past 15 years. Nothing else worked for me. Opioids no longer control the severity of pain for me. I am experimenting with several types of approaches.

I hope you find a helpful approach.


WC

I know exactly how you feel -I have been on the verge of sui because of the unrelenting, unbearable pain, made worse by the fact that it's so hard to explain and there are few pain docs who know much about it. It affected my mood so so much... My pain doc would only prescribe Methadone once I had tried all the other meds (all of the above, plus Neurontin). He said it targets my kind of pain and I asked him -then why didn't you prescribe it before? And he said because it's an opioid Sometimes, or oftentimes, doctors just don't get that it's not just a quality of life issue, it's a life and death issue and they should throw everything and anything at it until something sticks and not continue to allow the patient to be in such agony. Wow do I feel for you! I so hope you find relief! Take care.

It's so sad that we have to jump through so much BS to finally find a little bit of hope.

I quit going to the pain clinic over a year ago, only thing they "allowed" me was the lidocaine infusions.

I practically begged them for 3 pain pills a month .... A very stern NO ! Why ? They got my psych records.... twice I was IP mainly due to pain so that even scratched me off of 3 pills of anything as a last ditch attempt for some kid be of help, I was furious

I'm just angry but more so sad about the whole mess.

I am going ask my GP and Pdoc what they think my odds are.

Thanks so much for telling me your travels to finally find some relief !!!

((( hugs )))

No words of advice, just letting you know that I'm thinking of you and sending gentle(((((HUGS))))) for you.

MM , I have tried every stupid muscle muscle relaxer never helped me.

Unaluna I take loads of suppliments the B's seem to maybe help but I think it just helps with CFS due to the energy that typical of B's .

I spend about 60.00 + a month on supplements .

BipolarRn thanks for your unwavering support .

Thanks to everyone for taking time to respond " if " I have forgotten anyone I am so sorry. FMS and CFS exhaustion has me feeling like a parsnip has a higher IQ than I do .

((((christina)))) I don't have any advice, but I'll be thinking about you and sending good vibes.

A parsnip. Too funny. Sorry you're feeling so crummy! ((((Christina))))