I know this really isn't too much related, but I am looking for some advice, I dunno where else to turn. I'll flair this as a community discussion. Not looking for vendors names, merely certain medications. I will be capable of finding vendors on my own using the search function.
If you have fibro, you probably know that doctors aren't very helpful. I've been on an array of different medications of the years (non-narcotic, as they REFUSE to give narcotics).
I'm trying to find a drug that I can take during the day as a pain reliever while maintaining my job. It's bullshit that I'm told to pop 6-8 Naproxen per day, which does jack shit. Then also for night time as I have pretty bad insomnia and restless leg syndrome.
I experience tight muscles that feel like they've been pulled. The deep ache of all my glands swollen all over my body. The burning, tingling, cold pain of nerves overly activated. Long strings of shooting electric pain when the nerves flair up on a whole route. Stabbing pains that feel like organs protesting. Aching, dull, flu-like pains. Stiff, hard aches of joints inflamed. Sharp headaches. Hard, painful cramps of constipation. And the worst of all? The deep, completely-wrong feeling of my bones being forced apart from the inside....like the marrow is expanding slowly. It is by far the worst. Not just because it's horribly painful but because it seems to make my body and mind think I'm dying...the anxiety that accompanies it is terrible. But overall...I think the worst is that it's constantly changing...each day different and differently disabling. It's the equation of bad, unpredictable pain over time. I've often told doctors that living with chronic pain is like having someone step on your foot brutally and then trying to continue a conversation. At first it's hard, but you start to get used to it. But then just as your foot goes numb, they lift their foot and step down hard again....over and over forever. Eventually, it wears you down and makes even talking difficult. And in my case, it's not just my foot...it's all over my body and it's never ever going away. And yet somehow I need to still live my lives.
Current Medications:
OMEPRAZOLE 20MG CAPSULES
CYCLOBENZAPRINE 10MG TABLETS
RIZATRIPTAN ODT 10MG TABLETS
ONDANSETRON 8MG TABLETS
NAPROXEN 500MG TABLETS
METHYLPHENIDATE 20MG TABLETS
VITAMIN D 50,000 IU CAPSULES
PROMETHAZINE 25MG TABLETS
Hi there. I don't know how helpful this will be for you, but I feel compelled to respond. I too have fibromyalgia. I was diagnosed when I was 16, so I know how debilitating it can be and the havoc it can wreak on your life.
Doctors also didn't like prescribing me narcotics until I developed severe back problems; now they practically throw them at me. Unfortunately, they don't really help much. Opiates only relieved the pain somewhat, but they do absolutely nothing for the neuropathic pain like the burning, electrical shocks and tingling you describe. They also do nothing for the migraines or stabbing pains. For the most part, they aren't indicated in the treatment of fibro, and now I know why.
Have you ever tried any anticonvulsants like gabapentin or pregabalin (Lyrica)? I know some fibro sufferers that swear by Lyrica and say it changed their life, but I was never able to try it due to an allergy. I found gabapentin to help with the neuropathic pain and the tingling and burning down my legs, but had to stop taking that one too because I was allergic. Maybe these will help you? I found the gabapentin to offer great relief at night when my symptoms are the worst. Might be worth a try.
Antidepressants prescribed for chronic pain have always been a waste of time for me and done nothing to improve my condition, but that doesn't mean it'll be the same for you. I'm assuming you've already tried these by now, but if not they might be worth a shot. Hell, anything is when it comes to fibro.
Honestly, the only medications I've found to significantly improve my symptoms in my years of trying different ones are Adderall for the fatigue (which I see you're on methylphenidate), marijuana for the all-over deep body pain (I'm fortunate enough to live in a medical state now and have my MMJ certification), and suboxone. My pain management doctor recently prescribed me suboxone for chronic pain instead of opioid dependency, and I'm surprised by how well it works. It relieves the pain to the point where I can ignore it and go about my daily life with minimal irritation. It's been a godsend for me so far, so maybe it'll help you too. I know it's hard to get prescribed it for anything other than opioid dependency, though.
In sum, I'd recommend trying out anticonvulsants if you haven't already, and suboxone if you can find someone that will prescribe it. I've tried seemingly just about every medication there is to try for fibromyalgia, so if you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll be more than happy to answer. I'm sorry if none of this was helpful for you, but in any case I wish you nothing but the best and hope you can find some adequate pain relief soon. You deserve it.