no go

Cymbalta did nothing, except make me feel extremely high for a few hours, during which time I forgot I was in any pain. I was nauseated and dizzy and way too sensitive -- all my senses were on overload. This would be fine, I think, if I didn't have to actually function; it felt more like a recreational drug. I took it at 7:00 last night and spent the next four hours wondering if I was losing my mind (it made watching Heroes fascinating, though; squealing post on Heroes later). I could not stop giggling and fidgeting, rocking back and forth and hugging myself. I asked Dan to scratch my head and went ecstatic with sensation. But it was short-lived, it is a drug after all. I woke up this morning with a severe headache, a taste of ash in my mouth, and total exhaustion. I'm not sure if I want to take that second dose tonight. I left a message for the doctor.
Maybe I should give it a week to adjust and adapt. Right now... I just feel too tired to think.
Edit: I just remembered: During that twilight period, I had no spasticity at all. It was gone. Muscles were smooth and relaxed. It was lovely, for a while. I could also hear myself think -- the ADD was also gone.
And if I could just get that without anything else, ohmygods yes. But, sadly, no. It's not a happy pill for me. I don't even have depression, just pain, and it's not working for that yet, and I'm afraid to keep going.
I also just read about the withdrawal symptoms. Fuck. No pill that would take away CP symptoms is worth that!

no go

Cymbalta did nothing, except make me feel extremely high for a few hours, during which time I forgot I was in any pain. I was nauseated and dizzy and way too sensitive -- all my senses were on overload. This would be fine, I think, if I didn't have to actually function; it felt more like a recreational drug. I took it at 7:00 last night and spent the next four hours wondering if I was losing my mind (it made watching Heroes fascinating, though; squealing post on Heroes later). I could not stop giggling and fidgeting, rocking back and forth and hugging myself. I asked Dan to scratch my head and went ecstatic with sensation. But it was short-lived, it is a drug after all. I woke up this morning with a severe headache, a taste of ash in my mouth, and total exhaustion. I'm not sure if I want to take that second dose tonight. I left a message for the doctor.
Maybe I should give it a week to adjust and adapt. Right now... I just feel too tired to think.
Edit: I just remembered: During that twilight period, I had no spasticity at all. It was gone. Muscles were smooth and relaxed. It was lovely, for a while. I could also hear myself think -- the ADD was also gone.
And if I could just get that without anything else, ohmygods yes. But, sadly, no. It's not a happy pill for me. I don't even have depression, just pain, and it's not working for that yet, and I'm afraid to keep going.
I also just read about the withdrawal symptoms. Fuck. No pill that would take away CP symptoms is worth that!

no go

Cymbalta did nothing, except make me feel extremely high for a few hours, during which time I forgot I was in any pain. I was nauseated and dizzy and way too sensitive -- all my senses were on overload. This would be fine, I think, if I didn't have to actually function; it felt more like a recreational drug. I took it at 7:00 last night and spent the next four hours wondering if I was losing my mind (it made watching Heroes fascinating, though; squealing post on Heroes later). I could not stop giggling and fidgeting, rocking back and forth and hugging myself. I asked Dan to scratch my head and went ecstatic with sensation. But it was short-lived, it is a drug after all. I woke up this morning with a severe headache, a taste of ash in my mouth, and total exhaustion. I'm not sure if I want to take that second dose tonight. I left a message for the doctor.
Maybe I should give it a week to adjust and adapt. Right now... I just feel too tired to think.
Edit: I just remembered: During that twilight period, I had no spasticity at all. It was gone. Muscles were smooth and relaxed. It was lovely, for a while. I could also hear myself think -- the ADD was also gone.
And if I could just get that without anything else, ohmygods yes. But, sadly, no. It's not a happy pill for me. I don't even have depression, just pain, and it's not working for that yet, and I'm afraid to keep going.
I also just read about the withdrawal symptoms. Fuck. No pill that would take away CP symptoms is worth that!

in motion

I took my usual supplement cocktail for pain today, in the wake of that one Cymbalta pill making me feel like hell.
Yep. It still works.
The only reason I went to the doctor anyway was to see if there may be a stronger, prescription drug that could help the pain.
So far? Not really.
But ha ha, yes, my intuition.
So: MSM, Hyaluronic Acid, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Passion Flower, and Ashwagandha. Doing very well. Pain is manageable. Truthfully: I stopped taking that supplement cocktail a few weeks ago to test out my body's response, make sure the chronic pain was real. Suspicions were confirmed. Pain was strong. The cocktail works.
I just heard back from the doctor. She wants me to continue the Cymbalta for at least two weeks, but if I choose not to take it at all, that's fine too (nice to know). She says the side effects and symptoms will go away in a couple of weeks. However, I don't think I want to be on this medication for more than a couple of weeks anyway. It is a psychotropic drug, and withdrawal might be hell. I've been reading posts and comments from people on forums about this drug, and most of them say that it works minimally on pain and only for a few weeks, and side effects and withdrawal symptoms are hideous.
It is lovely to know, however, that my doctor cares enough to give me the choice not to take it. Some might not.
I will listen to my intuition tonight.

in motion

I took my usual supplement cocktail for pain today, in the wake of that one Cymbalta pill making me feel like hell.
Yep. It still works.
The only reason I went to the doctor anyway was to see if there may be a stronger, prescription drug that could help the pain.
So far? Not really.
But ha ha, yes, my intuition.
So: MSM, Hyaluronic Acid, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Passion Flower, and Ashwagandha. Doing very well. Pain is manageable. Truthfully: I stopped taking that supplement cocktail a few weeks ago to test out my body's response, make sure the chronic pain was real. Suspicions were confirmed. Pain was strong. The cocktail works.
I just heard back from the doctor. She wants me to continue the Cymbalta for at least two weeks, but if I choose not to take it at all, that's fine too (nice to know). She says the side effects and symptoms will go away in a couple of weeks. However, I don't think I want to be on this medication for more than a couple of weeks anyway. It is a psychotropic drug, and withdrawal might be hell. I've been reading posts and comments from people on forums about this drug, and most of them say that it works minimally on pain and only for a few weeks, and side effects and withdrawal symptoms are hideous.
It is lovely to know, however, that my doctor cares enough to give me the choice not to take it. Some might not.
I will listen to my intuition tonight.

in motion

I took my usual supplement cocktail for pain today, in the wake of that one Cymbalta pill making me feel like hell.
Yep. It still works.
The only reason I went to the doctor anyway was to see if there may be a stronger, prescription drug that could help the pain.
So far? Not really.
But ha ha, yes, my intuition.
So: MSM, Hyaluronic Acid, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Passion Flower, and Ashwagandha. Doing very well. Pain is manageable. Truthfully: I stopped taking that supplement cocktail a few weeks ago to test out my body's response, make sure the chronic pain was real. Suspicions were confirmed. Pain was strong. The cocktail works.
I just heard back from the doctor. She wants me to continue the Cymbalta for at least two weeks, but if I choose not to take it at all, that's fine too (nice to know). She says the side effects and symptoms will go away in a couple of weeks. However, I don't think I want to be on this medication for more than a couple of weeks anyway. It is a psychotropic drug, and withdrawal might be hell. I've been reading posts and comments from people on forums about this drug, and most of them say that it works minimally on pain and only for a few weeks, and side effects and withdrawal symptoms are hideous.
It is lovely to know, however, that my doctor cares enough to give me the choice not to take it. Some might not.
I will listen to my intuition tonight.

cheers

Two things that always put a smile on my face:
My husband telling me, among other things, how much he loves me.
Metaquotes shelling out the funniest entry in some time.

Adam suggested that I avoid the Cymbalta and go for a prescription strength muscle relaxer, like Flexeril, or an OTC pill like Aleve, for the days when the pain really flares up. For every day, I can always just take my herbal-supplement cocktail.
I don't even know why I went to the doctor's. I have been dealing with this chronic pain for years it seems, never batting an eye. But last week was full of flare-ups, and I decided it could not hurt to get a doctor's opinion. Maybe a nice, one word diagnosis. For example, fibromyalgia, or something like that (even though that condition is a bitch to diagnose anyway). I have taken Flexeril, and I liked it, and it did work for all-over pain and for muscle spasms, and hell I already have every single symptom of fibromyalgia anyway, I might as well say it.

*head in hands*

And thanks to the Metaquotes post, I now know that Mercury is in retrograde. That probably has nothing to do with my pain issues, but you never know.

cheers

Two things that always put a smile on my face:
My husband telling me, among other things, how much he loves me.
Metaquotes shelling out the funniest entry in some time.

Adam suggested that I avoid the Cymbalta and go for a prescription strength muscle relaxer, like Flexeril, or an OTC pill like Aleve, for the days when the pain really flares up. For every day, I can always just take my herbal-supplement cocktail.
I don't even know why I went to the doctor's. I have been dealing with this chronic pain for years it seems, never batting an eye. But last week was full of flare-ups, and I decided it could not hurt to get a doctor's opinion. Maybe a nice, one word diagnosis. For example, fibromyalgia, or something like that (even though that condition is a bitch to diagnose anyway). I have taken Flexeril, and I liked it, and it did work for all-over pain and for muscle spasms, and hell I already have every single symptom of fibromyalgia anyway, I might as well say it.

*head in hands*

And thanks to the Metaquotes post, I now know that Mercury is in retrograde. That probably has nothing to do with my pain issues, but you never know.

cheers

Two things that always put a smile on my face:
My husband telling me, among other things, how much he loves me.
Metaquotes shelling out the funniest entry in some time.

Adam suggested that I avoid the Cymbalta and go for a prescription strength muscle relaxer, like Flexeril, or an OTC pill like Aleve, for the days when the pain really flares up. For every day, I can always just take my herbal-supplement cocktail.
I don't even know why I went to the doctor's. I have been dealing with this chronic pain for years it seems, never batting an eye. But last week was full of flare-ups, and I decided it could not hurt to get a doctor's opinion. Maybe a nice, one word diagnosis. For example, fibromyalgia, or something like that (even though that condition is a bitch to diagnose anyway). I have taken Flexeril, and I liked it, and it did work for all-over pain and for muscle spasms, and hell I already have every single symptom of fibromyalgia anyway, I might as well say it.

*head in hands*

And thanks to the Metaquotes post, I now know that Mercury is in retrograde. That probably has nothing to do with my pain issues, but you never know.