It's amazing how much crap we go through with insurance companies. It kind of defeats the whole purpose of having insurance. You pay money and believe that you are "covered" but NOT! I'm glad to hear that you have some legal action going. I pray for the best.

Hi

This is my first time on this forum so I hope that I'm not suggesting things that you have heard time and time again.  I too have fibro and it was a long 15 years before I was diagnosed.  The good news is that my GP didn't give up on trying to help me.  Anyways. . . . we finally found a doctor who helped me.  I live in Ontario Canada and found a hematologist who stumbled upon her calling with Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, and Chemical Sensitivity patients.  Her name is Dr. Allison Bested and she has written a book called, "Hope and Help for Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia" .  I know the simplicity of her suggestions will be hard for your mind to wrap itself around but it has helped me a lot.  First, she works hand in hand with a naturopath who tries to make you well in a different way then she does.  Second, she makes her patients clean up their diets.  The most natural foods that you can buy and prepare are needed.  Third, she has a sleep routine that she insists that you adhere to.  She wanted me to take time off from work for half of a year but I couldnt' afford to but I did take 2 days off a week and followed her instructions.  I resisted her plans for me for a few weeks and then gradually did what I was told.  I slowly got better and better.  Finally, she wanted me to manage my pain better. So, I did.

I will explain the sleep hygiene that she taught me and hopefully you can pick up her book at your local library so you can read it yourself as I won't be able to convey her message as well.  So, every hour on the hour I would lie down in a dark quiet room and try to sleep.  I didn't force myself to sleep but I did focus on my breathing and relaxation.  I did this all day long on my days off and weekends.  It is a full time job.  Eventually, I would do that technique all morning and then I would actually sleep about 4 hours in the afternoons.  I would just let myself wake up when I naturally did so - no alarm clocks.   By the time 6 months rolled around I was sleeping about 1/2 an hour every afternoon and my energy and pain levels had lessened.  During this time, I tried not to use up very much energy.  It was a time for thinking about me and thank goodness for my husband because he took up a lot of slack.

Sorry if you have heard this before or if it isn't explained well.  I hope you can find her book at a libraray and read it for yourself and find some kind of relief.  Good Luck. 

Of course, fibro for years, but never the burning, stabbing pain down one nerve in my neck, like someone stuck me with a hot poker is the best way I can describe it.  I just makes me so mad - I've had 'California Casualty ins. for 25 years and they've never heard boo from me.  What's crazy is that since I was the one hit, they wouldn't even be paying the medical bills - his ins. would! I may end up having to keep having this procedure done yearly or twice a year, forever, as the nerve would keep growing back.  My lawyer is going to sue them shortly, though, as we are nearing the two years, along with the guy's ins. co.  I am just going to have to accept however it all comes out, I guess.

Thanks for the reply.  I was given a test many years ago for Sjogren's, which was positive.  This doc is thinking that I don't have Sjogren's, but sicca syndrome, since I don't have the joint pain associated with Sjogrens. (Just my hips, but I have arthritis in them - should say just one hip, since I just had one replaced).  Weird thing with me, is that prior to surgery, I had IBS, but the surgery seemed to have cured it - as I have had no probs that way in 5 years.  I was on Ultram for over a year, and then it stopped working.  Good for you, that losing some weight helped with your pain.  I've lost just over 170 lbs., and no help whatsever, with the fibro pain, if anything, worse the past 5 years, since surgery.  I don't blame the surgery - during that time I was in a minor car accident  that has left me in a chronic pain state.  Got a lawyer, but hearing that they'll use the fibro against me.  I was rear-ended by a guy who was drinking a protein drink (gotta love it!) - had his cup all the way tipped back and crunched into the back of me.  The surgery affected a specific nerve in my neck - I've had 2 cervical denervations where they laser the damaged nerve, relieves the pain until the nerve grows back in about 6-8 mos.  I'm heading in for my third denervation.  I should say, I have had to pay for all of these thousands of dollars for these denervations, as my own company said I didn't need them and that it was fibro.

Hopeful I can get some pain relief, as I desperately want to get back to work.

Curious to know - do you get pain relief from the Cymbalta?  I'm on that too - probably good antidepressant, but does nothing for my pain.  Tried Lyrica years ago - no help with pain and not as good as an antidepressant for me.  I know when I was taking the Cymbalta with the Ultram, the docs were a little concerned, because that combo could potentially cause serotonin syndrome.  No trouble with that, but unfortunely the Ultram stopped working.  Does lexapro help with fibro pain?  Over the years, I've tried many - prozac, paxil, celexa, and welbrutin, I think, for a short time.

Hi ~
Is or has anyone tried suboxone or plaquenil?  I just met with a rheumatologist that has been using both off label for some of his fibro patients with success.  Suboxone is a med normally given to those with addictions to opiates; therefore, wouldn't be used in conjunction with any other opiate.  Evidently, special training is needed to even prescribe it.  I'm at the end of my rope here, after getting off of the fentanyl patches - more pain than I've ever been in my life.  I won't be able to start this med for two weeks, due to his schedule, but it will need to work pretty quickly as my FMLA has almost run out.  Pretty scary time for me and really feel pushed into a corner.  The other med he mentioned, though does take quite a while to kick in the system, was plaquenil.  He said he's seen 70% relief of pain and fatigue in his patients.  This doc has been around a long time - probably 40 years, with emphasis on fibro. 

Trying to stay hopeful that these may help me or may be time to start the disability fight.