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Sick of being sick but also sick of living on pills

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Always-ill
Always-ill

Quick Backstory: I live with depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and joint hyper-mobility syndrome. I have been put on pills after pills after pills, to the point now that I have stopped taking them and even the thought of taking a single pain killer makes me feel nauseous.

I'm not really sure what to do because I know that the duloxetine (cymbalta) works somewhat and with the 90mg of codeine I'm supposed to take a day + naproxen if even that fails. But it ALWAYS reaches a plateau, like it works really well for a while but then it always kind of stops, before I was on duloxetine I was on sertraline (Zoloft) and amitriptyline (elavil) and every time I hit a plateau they would just increase my dosage, I went from 50mg of Zoloft to 250mg at one point and I don't want to live like that because as you can probably guess the side effects weren't great.

I don't really know what to do though, I've recently began doing a law degree and I'm having trouble with my tiredness and my pain and restarting the medication will probably help but just the thought of taking pills now makes me feel sick and I don't want to restart that cycle but maybe I need to, anyone have any advice?

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • jackie00198
    jackie00198 Always-ill

    Posted

    Have you tried working with a pain clinic? Now sure where you live, but here in the U.S. these clinics can offer regimens for pain that don't include pills. This is because of our opiod epidemic. Some of these regimens incorporate acupuncture, meditation and mindfulness, etc.

  • Rener
    Rener Always-ill

    Posted

    Whatever You do if not already avoid gabapentin or lyrica. The withdrawals are  slow and hell!  Very slow!  I've come to realize all pills come with terrible side effects and when you have mixed medicines you get those side effects plus side effects from them mixing. Yet what do you do?  Depression anxiety and pain are real and sometimes We need Them!  I feel sometimes I'm out on Them just to shut me up. The longer your on a medication and it works most likely increases will be needed to maintain. Yet again I got so high on My pain medication it became harder to breath. So we started decreasing for a bit then going back up. It helps but the thought of another   Pill also makes me sick!  I just want the pain to go away. Your not  alone!  I hope You get Your answers!!  I've gone from 22 meds to 7 and feel so much better!  After gabapentin withdrawal I'm stopping duloxetine plus a slow taper of daily steroids! Most My health conditions and problems actually come from side effects of meds. Have found Doctors would rather give me med for side effect than figure out what med isn't working. Realization came as I was taking meds to urinate and decrease urination!  Fatigued from a gabapentin sleep all day then sleep pill for night! Etc!  Good luck! Sherri

  • debbie66909
    debbie66909 Always-ill

    Posted

    Have done all of theabove.  This helps me most:

    Antiviral

    Celebrex

    Low dose naltrexone

    Ambien

    Biotin

    Lysine

    B-12  IV

    if possible, and a must to keep me out of pain:  infrared sauna - bought my own two years ago.  Worth every penny!!!

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