RE: A PRISON OF PILLS- To Teri

[Guest guest]

You are 100% right on the money with that.  It is just a necessity rather than a

choice.  I mean if the choice is to be in so much pain I cannot function and

have zero quality of life, then I will choose the pills.  I don't care what

others think either.  And for me to NOT take them would make me only a martyer. 

I mean what is the honor of being in severe pain all the time without them? 

Just an act to " proove " I can live with horrible pain without help??? I would

be cuttin my nose off to spite my face so to speak.

I don't want to proove anything.  I will choose to function and work everyday

like I have to do.  As I said, 5 years ago or so I never had a pain that tylenol

would not take care of.  So, I have not always been on a bunch of pills by any

means. (I am 44 years old.) It was only when the fibro hit me hard. 

love and hugs,

Debra V.

Subject: RE: Just a vent-- A PRISON OF PILLS/Debra

To: Fibromyalgia_Support_Group

Date: Saturday, April 26, 2008, 11:53 AM

Debra,

I know exactly how you feel. Pills are just a regular part of my day. But

if I didn't take them, I would be totally worthless. I would not be able to

move and would be doing nothing but crying. I know there have been days

when I'd forget to refill a script for my pain relievers and would have to

wait to get them. Those are the days when I know that the meds actually

work, because without them it is pure hell. I've gotten to the point where

I don't care what other people think about my taking that many meds. It

used to bother me that I had to take that many and also worried about what

" other people would think " . Now it's to hell with what they think. They

aren't going through what I am. And if that's what I have to do to function

and survive, well then I guess that's part of my life now. So I look at is a

necessary even though it would be nice to not have to take anything and be a

normal person. I take meds not only for my fibro but also for my

degenerative disk disease, herniated disk, bipolar, depression, panic

attacks and thyroid. That's a lot of meds but as you said, what are the

alternatives. So you aren't alone - I'm right there with you as I'm sure a

lot of others in the group are too.

It's actually kind of ironic that you should bring this up now because a

friend of mine who has moved about two hours away came to visit last weekend

and just " happened " to mention 2 stories of 2 of her friends who take meds

for " every little thing " and she thinks it's totally unnecessary. Not sure

if she was trying to imply something or what, but she is the type of person

who is in top health and doesn't even believe in taking an aspirin for

anything. I didn't have the energy or the desire to explain anything to

her. I just let her rant on where in the past I would have defended myself

and people who are in chronic pain until I got my point across (I'm pretty

stubborn). I have learned though that sometimes it's pointless to try and

make others understand (and just stresses me out) so I just let it go in one

ear and out the other. I don't think that's the reaction she expected.

Teri (central Wisconsin)

Just a vent-- A PRISON OF PILLS

Dear friends,

I just wanted to vent this last thing before I go to work. I often think of

how pills are so much a part of my life. It seems I depend on so many pills

just to get through life and work. (not all prescriptions but the endless

vitamins, supplements, and anything I think will help. Including adding non

prescription meds like naproxen or aspirin for inflammation of my right

shoulder). On the other hand, without them, fibro would have me down so far

I would not be able to move. So I really don't have choice here. And that is

the truth. If not for the meds, I would be in a hell of a mess. But it seems

there is always some pill to pop. The vicodin that I cannot do without

becuase the fibro pain will triple. The Lyrica now that seems to be the one

drug that has actually tried to keep the fibro at bay and decrease its never

ending symptoms. The blood pressure medication, the Xanax which I take less

than I use to but sometimes my nerves get so wound up I have to

take it. Then there is the Zoloft for depression that I have had for YEARS

before the fibro kicked my A$$. Then the calcium supplements, the Vit D, the

B12, the multivitamin etc. And lets not forget the muscle relaxers I take

about once a day because my damn muscles knot up so bad that I feel like I

cannot move.

I do wish I were healthy again. And stopping any of these medications would

have consequences. But you know, I will take them because it is my only

lifeline with the beast called FIBROMYALGIA that went 10 fold in the last 4

years.

Just venting. Anyone else feel like they are in a prison of pills????

love and hugs,

Debra V.

[Guest guest]

Let me pipe in here a minute! I have NEVER been a pill person either other than

Tylenol until last fall when I was told I had Fibromyalgia and several herniated

disc. Now each morning I take a hand full of them and at night as well. It's

just to get through the day the best way I can and there are even days with the

pills that it's still hard to function.

Debra B

Just a vent-- A PRISON OF PILLS

Dear friends,

I just wanted to vent this last thing before I go to work. I often think of

how pills are so much a part of my life. It seems I depend on so many pills

just to get through life and work. (not all prescriptions but the endless

vitamins, supplements, and anything I think will help. Including adding non

prescription meds like naproxen or aspirin for inflammation of my right

shoulder). On the other hand, without them, fibro would have me down so far

I would not be able to move. So I really don't have choice here. And that is

the truth. If not for the meds, I would be in a hell of a mess. But it seems

there is always some pill to pop. The vicodin that I cannot do without

becuase the fibro pain will triple. The Lyrica now that seems to be the one

drug that has actually tried to keep the fibro at bay and decrease its never

ending symptoms. The blood pressure medication, the Xanax which I take less

than I use to but sometimes my nerves get so wound up I have to

take it. Then there is the Zoloft for depression that I have had for YEARS

before the fibro kicked my A$$. Then the calcium supplements, the Vit D, the

B12, the multivitamin etc. And lets not forget the muscle relaxers I take

about once a day because my damn muscles knot up so bad that I feel like I

cannot move.

I do wish I were healthy again. And stopping any of these medications would

have consequences. But you know, I will take them because it is my only

lifeline with the beast called FIBROMYALGIA that went 10 fold in the last 4

years.

Just venting. Anyone else feel like they are in a prison of pills????

love and hugs,

Debra V.

[Guest guest]

Teri wrote:

> I know there have been days

> when I'd forget to refill a script for my pain relievers and would

> have to

> wait to get them. Those are the days when I know that the meds

> actually

> work, because without them it is pure hell.

Back when I was still working, and so terribly mobility-impaired

because of degenerated knees and super morbid obesity, I developed an

absolute phobia about going to certain places, like the drugstore,

post office, dry cleaner, bank. But when I talked to my meds shrink

about it, she pointed out that I was in constant severe pain, and

said that it made perfect sense to avoid doing something that caused

me so much pain.

But because of this, I would procrastinate on getting refills on my

meds. If I ran out of Celebrex, by the third day I couldn't walk.

Then, there was no way that I could walk through the drugstore to get

my meds. I sometimes had to beg my sister to go pick it up.

When a nearby drugstore with a drive-thru opened up, I gladly

switched my meds to that drugstore. I no longer have the severe

mobility problems, but I still have to think twice and plan before

going to multiple stores.

You know, another thing. I'm not coming from a place of activity and

ill health to sudden pain and illness. It's the other way around for

me. I've been in pain or with limited mobility from multiple sources

for over 45 years. The past 3 years have seen me freed from a whole

lot of the pain, and vastly increased mobility. I'm left with " only "

the fibromyalgia (which is bad enough in itself). So I can burble

on happily about feeling blessed by having these meds to help me.

As with everything, YMMV.

Z

[Guest guest]

> I'm not coming from a place of activity and

> ill health to sudden pain and illness. I

Duh. Should have been:

> I'm not coming from a place of activity and

> GOOD health to sudden pain and illness. I

>

Z