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Finding a good form of pain management when you’re living with fibromyalgia is extremely difficult. It seems like everyone has some advice about what you should do or try. Of course, these people don’t usually have fibromyalgia themselves, but that doesn’t stop them from telling you what’s best for you. The reality is that finding a way to deal with fibromyalgia pain isn’t as simple as just trying one pill or treatment or supplement.
Fibromyalgia pain is nearly constant and often resentment to treatment. And even with every method of pain management out there, you’re unlikely to find something that will completely get rid of your pain. But anything that gives you relief at all is worth it, right? So let’s look at some of your options for pain management and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Medication
These days, we have medication for nearly everything, so when you suffer from something that there just isn’t a cure for it can be hard to accept. But while medical science still hasn’t developed a cure for fibromyalgia, there are a number of medications that might offer some relief.
One of the most common medications for pain management in fibromyalgia are things like Savella and Cymbalta, which are drugs that prevent the reuptake of serotonin in the brain. This increases the overall levels of serotonin, which can help reduce the symptoms of fibromyalgia, including pain.
A lot of people find these drugs to be effective forms of pain management, but a lot of people find that they really don’t help very much.
There are more effective medications, particularly opioids. Opioid-based painkillers are quite effective when it comes to dealing with acute pain. And when your fibromyalgia pain gets particularly severe, opioids are often the only thing that works.
Unfortunately, opioids have a number of potential dangers. They are physically and often psychologically addictive. That means that people who take them for a long time are at significant risk of becoming dependent on them, which can lead to abuse. And opioids are an extremely dangerous drug to abuse since the risk of overdose with them is so high.
In fact, opioid overdose deaths have become an epidemic in recent years. This has made doctors reluctant to prescribe opioids, which in turn might make it hard to get them for your fibromyalgia.
Marijuana
While medical marijuana is technically a medication, it’s worth looking at in its own category because it’s somewhat unique among other pain management drugs.
To begin with, there are obviously a lot of legal issues surrounding it. While a lot of countries and US states have legalized medical marijuana, it is usually with some restrictions on its use. And there are a few states that don’t allow any form of medical marijuana at all. That makes getting it a challenge if you live in one of those places that don’t allow it.
But even if availability isn’t a problem, marijuana isn’t without side effects. Certain people don’t respond well to THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana), especially in high doses. And regular marijuana use can make certain pre-existing mental illnesses worse.
It is possible to use medical marijuana without the psychoactive THC and still get the medical benefits. CBD oil, for instance, gives you the medical benefits of marijuana without the psychoactive effects. And a lot of people who have used marijuana for fibromyalgia say that it helps significantly. And according to numerous studies, it is an effective way to treat moderate pain in the short term. So it might be worth a try if you’re tired of all the traditional medications.
Exercise
When it comes to fibromyalgia, living a clean lifestyle is one of the best forms of pain management out there. Nutrition and exercise have been shown to make a big difference in both the frequency and severity of pain. Of course, when you’re living with chronic pain, that’s easier said than done.
It’s tough to get enough exercise when you’re aching all over and fatigued. And it’s especially tough when you know that a little bit of exertion might send you into a debilitating fibro flare up. But it’s not an all or nothing proposition. Just eat as well as you can and exercise as much as you’re comfortable with. And don’t beat yourself up if you’re not able to do too much. Every little bit helps.
But let us know, what do you do for pain management with your fibromyalgia? What’s your favorite method? What works really well for you? What doesn’t work? Tell us in the comments below.
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