I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1998 and put on Amitriptoline, which really helped for about five years, but adversely affected my heart. Then was on Toprol for a few years and had to stop that due to side effects. I went off meds for awhile then tried Prozac as I started menopause. It helped somewhat, but I switched to Cymbalta. I'm trying to go without meds for awhile. I'm worried about my liver and kidneys. I feel better when I get into a regular exercise routine and eat healthy diet. My job involves a lot of driving, making my pervasive pain worse. Stress is a big enemy too. Sleep does not come easily without meds. Don't give up. I'm going to try tai chi.

My doctor prescribed muscle relaxers and Trazodone for my sleep problem. He recommended vitamin therapies, nutraceuticals, and some hormonal replacement therapies, too. I started walking for about a half an hour two to three times per week. I do feel better now; it has been about five months since I was diagnosed.

I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia since 1998 after being rear ended by a truck. I was just recovering from back surgery when that happened. I had what was like a bad case of aches and pains right after the accident which I thought was the flu. After two weeks it spread all over my body with great fatigue. I went through many doctors and potent pain drugs. Eventually, in 1996, through building up to exercising and eating right, I finally got off the strong pain drugs. The results = GREAT!!!

I was diagnosed in 1997 with fibromyalgia. Back then a lot of older physicians did not even believe that fibromyalgia existed so I had a hard time at first getting treatment. I finally found a physician that not only believed in fibromyalgia but also was willing to help me. In any case, my physician at the time did not prescribe it, she either was not aware of Lyrica or it hadn't been used for fibromyalgia at that time. My initial treatments consisted of physical therapy and pain meds (which did not work no matter how strong or what type they were). Three and a half years ago I was prescribed Lyrica. Now my story may not be typical of the success of Lyrica for me so do not think you will have the exact same results as I had. With that said, Lyrica controlled most of my pain about 75% of it for a year and a half that I was able to go off the Lyrica and without pain meds I was able to go two years without any treatment. I was still in some pain but able to function with the minimal pain I had. I have had to start taking Lyrica again recently because in the last 6 months the fibromyalgia has flared up to the point I was at before Lyrica. So here is hoping Lyrica will work as well this time as it did in the past.

I treat my sever fibromyalgia pain with Methadone, Savella, exercise and meditation.

I have been suffering with fibromyalgia for ten or more years, and now I found out I have a degenerative disc in my back. My options are to live with the pain or have a major surgery. The combination of fibromyalgia and my back keep me awake at night tossing and turning every ten or fifteen minutes. I' m very frustrated with all the doctors I've seen. No wants to prescribe me pain meds so I can sleep and ease the pain.

I was seen by various doctors over 10 year because of throbbing burning pain before I was properly diagnosed. I currently take 120 mg of Cymbalta but it seems my pain as getting worse. However even if my doctor increases my dosage, I could not afford to pay the price along with the other medicines I have to take. It is all terribly depressing.

I have Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction for 19 yrs now and developed Fibromyalgia 15 years ago. My pain is exactly as everyone has described as well as disc pain in lumbar. My entire life has been turned upside down as all of yours. The most helpful things for me have been trigger point injections. Fibro causes many trigger points and are the root cause of the pain. While the injections are really painful, the relief is worth it. I have been doing these along with monthly massages which are a must to at least allow me some good days. Lydoderm patches also really help. I think Lyrica and Cymbalta only help a small population with Fibromyalgia. I hope this helps some of you. It's a terrible way to live.