I was enrolled through a pain program through my insurance. it's a great program but I had 2 of the doctors tell me I needed to quit. I think I knew this, but didn't want to admit it. Our plan was for my husband and me to work for another 5 years, pay the bills off in 4, stash money in the 5th, retire and then have our house paid for in 7-8 years. I retired this year and am now going thru bankruptcy.

You have my sympathies with your job. I worked at a college in the distance education department. I was on the computer more than not. I was would fall asleep at my desk. (Two good friends would keep an eye on me, cover for me, and wake me up. I had trouble staying awake for the commute which was excrutiating, would barely get through the week and sleep the weekend in pain, hoping to gain strength for Monday. I know what your fingers feel like--it's awful. I did hide my fibro fog well, but it was getting harder and harder to hide it. I couldn't read and used to read 4-5 books a week. Simple instructions were hard to follow. Meetings were awful--another time to fall asleep. Somedays a cane helped most didn't.

I've been off this entire year and am just now beginning to read. I take daily naps and have a great stretching routine I'm doing from my physical therapist.

Meds: 25 fentanyl patches (hate them, don't work well and make me sweat like crazy--they're being changed next week), Nortriptyline at night, 2 cymbalta in the morning, norco for breakthrough. I was doing well with with 4-6 morphine in place of fentanyl, but I couldn't go to the bathroom with mega stool softeners and prescription medicine. My doctor has talked about methadone. I guess will discuss that next week. Opana and Gabapentin were useless.

I have fibro, migraines, and moderate to severe arthritis in my tailbone, thoraic & cervical spine and severe in both knees. Part of what bothered me is that with the knees, they can replace them when it gets too bad, but there isn't anything to be done with the back. They doctor told me if I do my exercise routine and remain active, there is no reason to think that it will progress.

I still have bad days, but being off work allows me to take naps and pace myself (when I pay attention), do my exercises, and eliminates that painful drive. I can do more aroudn the house now and free my husband's time up some. It has also eliminates a lot of stress. I am definitely in better shape and much more limber.

I wish I could help you with your decision; it's definitely a hard one. Financially for us it was awful, but for my health, I can now see it was the best thing for me.

Thanks for the info.  Wish I could get hubby on hte computer.  I took savella with no good results but am planning on talking to my doctor about a review of all my medicines.  Thanks again.

i thought that we couldn't take cymbalta after ryn? NO? I was on that b4 surgery....

and does savella make you sleepy?

Yes it could be from the Fibro, yes it very well can be a flare up. I have an amazxing dr here in CT and have been amazed at what he has found. Last winter I had a migrain for 5 days and swelling at the back of my head and neck, after 2 CAT scans and a MRI they determined it was a fibro flar up, I have had other eppisodes also like that. But I find when I know i am having a fare up that my stomach also acts up. Have you discussed with your md the chance of a flare up and if a increase in Fibro meds for a week would help? Good luck and feel well,

I am taking Savella and it seems to be helping, I have been in it for just over a month now and there is imporvement. My dr picked it cause it has the lest in side effects and weight gain is not one of them! Good luck, and great job congratz!~