Diagnosed and depressed

[doim86]

Hi all

I've come to this forum to have a bit of a vent, then find answers.

I have been diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, depression and fibromyalgia.

I'm in daily pain, most of the time my fingers don't want to work and I'm so tired it's like my bones are tired.

I'm on citalopram and amytriptaline.

Does it get better without a daily dose of tablets or am I fighting a losing battle? I'm working 40 hours a week and have no choice as I couldn't afford to live else. So far I've missed 5 days in January due to being in agony and feeling so hopeless. My employer won't put up with much more and I'm still in my first year at a new company so I have no rights.

So, that's me at the moment. I'll be posting questions etc around the relevant boards.

Cheers

Claire

[Mouse]

I can't take amitriptyline due to being on Citalopram for anxiety, they don't mix, so my doc put me on Gabapentin for the pain. It's commonly used for seizures and known for 'blocking' pain. It doesn't suit everyone, but has worked miracles in cutting my chronic pain right down which in turn has given me more energy, it's also better as it doesn't knock you out like amitriptline does.

[Queenie_70]

Hi Claire,

Most of us can relate to the pain and depression. I am on Gabapentin for the pain, but I have to say, in the winter, it seems like nothing works. I also take:
Amitriptaline 20mg
Duloxatine 60mg
Trazadone 100mg
Tramadol 100mg as needed for hip
Paracetamol 4000mg
and something for my stomach that I cannot remember the name of, but helps because of everything that I take. (As you can see I can't spell any of them lol).

You might have to consider reducing your hours and looking into whether work is really the only option. My pain does very with the weather, so right now you might just be going through a rough patch due to the winter, talk to your doctor to see if things can be increased temporarily during these tough months.

Pain is something that I have found, you learn to live with a certain level. I have also found, that the level increases as you get used to your own pain. It sucks, this whole condition sucks, but we are all here, we are all taking the same journey, so feel free any time to include us with your anger, vents, happy, and sad moments, and we will help where we can.

xx

[doim86]

My doc didn't want to stop my citalopram until I've seen my psychiatrist at the end of the month. I tried Tramadol but it spaced me out too much so she's given me the amytriptaline for now and it seems that I'm ok with it, but if I miss one night's dose I'm in agony for days.

I'm off to the pain clinic at the beginning of March, so we'll see how things go there.

I probably shouldn't have joined this board today as it's definitely a difficult few days!

I do really appreciate replies, thank you.

[FluppyPuffy]

to our little escape from it all Claire

I hope being able to vent a little bit of what was bubbling away inside helped to some degree. You're in good company on here as we understand what FM is doing to you and throwing at you xx

It's difficult to say what might happen with FM as it affects us all so very differently. Some find they can manage their condition without meds, for others, using OTC meds is how they get thru the days, and for others, a cocktail of prescription meds is what they need to get out of bed each morning, as well as a whole host of ranges in between these different options.

Wrt your employment situation, as Queenie has suggested, looking into whether there is additional support/help available to you might be something to consider. A local support organisation, such as Citizens Advice, should be able to guide you thru what other options could be available to you, incl ways in which your employer might be able to make your role with them a tad more manageable with FM in the mix.

You could ask your GP if prescription~strength co~codamol is suitable for you to add in with your other meds to see if it might help with your pain levels.

Whilst things may feel very dark and all~encompassing at the moment, they can and do start to get a little lighter and brighter along the way xx