Gabapentin and codeine

I have had fibromyalgia for years, co-morbid with CFS, Migraines, Endometriosis, Degenerative Disc Disease and others. I manage a lot of days on just Paracetamol, magnesium, hot baths etc. Several years ago I had to stop taking all forms of NSAIDs due to chronic gastritis. I took tramadol when really needed only. GP switched me onto codeine instead a few years ago. I had my gallbladder out a year ago and I have noticed when I take codeine now it's causing me a rare condition post gallbladder removal called Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. Its incredibly painful and means I can no longer tolerate opiates as they cause the sphincter to spasm.
Where on earth do I go from here? I'm in so much pain today and incredibly frustrated. I'm already on amitriptyline. I can't tolerate Duloxetine (severe insomnia) or Gabapentin (terrible brain fog).
I honestly don't know what to do now. Im seeing my GP soon and he isn't very clued up about fibromyalgia at all. I'm in the UK. Does anyone have any suggestions of things I can try drug wise?
EDIT I finally figured out how to edit a post (yay brain fog). I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that has replied with advice and their experiences. I'm reading up on suggestions and taking it all on board. Thank you everyone for being so helpful it's made me a bit less hopeless today.

Spayed female French bulldog, 6 years old.
Diagnosis of IVDD July 2023 with ventral slot surgery for a herniation at C3/4 in August 2023.
PLDA preventative procedure for thoracic/lumbar spine December 2023.
Dixie is currently having a flare up of pain in her neck again. She had an MRI Monday 5/13 that showed basically the same findings as her last MRI at C2/3 with a lateral herniation, albeit not as severe as the one she had surgery on in August. However, her MRI also shows a malformed/odd blood vessel at the same area. Per the neurologist, the vessel could be putting pressure on the nerve root and causing her symptoms as well. So right now the MRI is sent to the outside radiologist who read her last one to see if anything has changed or gotten worse.
Neuro says this surgery would be more risky than the last one, due to the potential for bleeding with the wonky vessel right now. But surgery IS an option. We are currently doing conservative treatment with Gabapentin and Prednisone along with strict rest (she’s been on these for about 7 days now I think). But just a little bit ago she seemed to have a really bad neck spasm that we ended up giving her some codeine for. We haven’t had to give her Codeine in awhile.
So it boils down to this: does anyone out there have experience with surgery for a lateral disc herniation? Is it worth the risk? I hate seeing my dog like this. Are there other options like laser therapy and/or acupuncture that could also help?

Im mild Me and after being on opioids for four years (codeine) I’m switching to Gabapentin. I did put a lot of thought into this switch.
I’ve stopped my slow release codiene but still using small doses of codeine.
But I’m feeling terrible - aches and pains all over and waking early morning in pain.
I understand Gabapentin takes a few weeks to kick in?
Any advice about getting through a med change?

Age: 5, Sex/Neuter status: Male/neutered Breed: Boston TerrieFrench Bulldog mix, Body weight: 28lbs Clinical signs: Very healthy dog until 3/17/24 when he had a grand mal seizure for nearly 3 minutes. Took him to urgent care and all of his blood tests were normal. The vet thought it perhaps was just a random seizure- no medication was given. 2 days after first seizure, he had a complete personality change, forgot learned tricks and where he lived, started poor coordination (difficulty walking and falling down), heavy breathing with a lot of reverse sneezing, panting, trembling, pacing, and extreme lethargy.
2 days after his first grand mal seizure, I took him to the ER again since he sounded like he had difficulty breathing- along with all his other troubling symptoms listed above. He was prescribed 15mg Codeine every 8 hours for 7 days along with 100mg Gabapentin every 8 hours. 3/21 to 4/6 he continued trembling, shaking, randomly yelping, began circling to the left for 10 minutes at a time, staring at walls, and I would find him in very strange places in the house. After days of continued reverse sneezing, on 4/7 he vomited two large masses of thick mucus. I took him back to the ER. His chest x-ray and all his blood tests were normal. I was told he could be suffering from breed-related Interverbral Disc Disease and he was continued on 100 mg Gabapentin every 8 hours and 15 mg Codeine. None of his symptoms improved- he was very withdrawn, lethargic, and I basically had to put food in his mouth so he would eat. 4/18 in the early morning he had a small seizure, followed by 2 others shortly after. I rushed him to the ER again. The vet said he needs an MRI, but I do not have the money to pay for that and asked if there were any other options. The vet put him on 20mg prednisone every 12 hours and 500mg Levetiracetam every 12 hours. The vet said if my dog didn't respond to the medicine within 3 to 4 days, I would probably need to put him down. After around 4 days, my dog did a complete 180 and began eating and returning to his old self- even remembering some of his old tricks. It was a miracle. However, now, after around 2 weeks on this very heavy dose of prednisone, my vet wanted to start to taper the dose, but when I tried to reduce the prednisone to 30mg a day, he had another seizure after just 1 day doing that. So, I have returned to the 40mg of prednisone a day as advised by the vet to keep all of his symptoms under control. Is this sustainable to do such a high dose of steriods? Obviously my dog has something very wrong with him and I wish I could pay the money to find out what it is through an MRI, but I am already way out of my budget as a teacher and struggling to pay out of pocket for all of the ER visits and meds he has required. Have any of you ever experienced similar symptoms with your Bostons? I am desperate. He is the only thing I love in this world, and it kills me I cannot do more for him.

Species: Dog Age: 5 Sex/Neuter status: Male/neutered Breed: Boston TerrieFrench Bulldog mix Body weight: 28lbs Clinical signs: Very healthy dog until 3/17/24 when he had a grand mal seizure for nearly 3 minutes. Took him to urgent care and all of his blood tests were normal. The vet thought it perhaps was just a random seizure- no medication was given. 2 days after first seizure, he had a complete personality change, forgot learned tricks and where he lived, started poor coordination (difficulty walking and falling down), heavy breathing with a lot of reverse sneezing, panting, trembling, pacing, and extreme lethargy. Your general location: New England
2 days after his first grand mal seizure, I took him to the ER again since he sounded like he had difficulty breathing- along with all his other troubling symptoms listed above. He was prescribed 15mg Codeine every 8 hours for 7 days along with 100mg Gabapentin every 8 hours. 3/21 to 4/6 he continued trembling, shaking, randomly yelping, began circling to the left for 10 minutes at a time, staring at walls, and I would find him in very strange places in the house. After days of continued reverse sneezing, on 4/7 he vomited two large masses of thick mucus. I took him back to the ER. His chest x-ray and all his blood tests were normal. I was told he could be suffering from breed-related Interverbral Disc Disease and he was continued on 100 mg Gabapentin every 8 hours and 15 mg Codeine. None of his symptoms improved- he was very withdrawn, lethargic, and I basically had to put food in his mouth so he would eat. 4/18 in the early morning he had a small seizure, followed by 2 others shortly after. I rushed him to the ER again. The vet said he needs an MRI, but I do not have the money to pay for that and asked if there were any other options. The vet put him on 20mg prednisone every 12 hours and 500mg Levetiracetam every 12 hours. The vet said if my dog didn't respond to the medicine within 3 to 4 days, I would probably need to put him down. After around 4 days, my dog did a complete 180 and began eating and returning to his old self- even remembering some of his old tricks. It was a miracle. However, now, after around 2 weeks on this very heavy dose of prednisone, my vet wanted to start to taper the dose, but when I tried to reduce the prednisone to 30mg a day, he had another seizure after just 1 day doing that. So, I have returned to the 40mg of prednisone a day as advised by the vet to keep all of his symptoms under control. Is this sustainable to do such a high dose of steriods? Obviously my dog has something very wrong with him and I wish I could pay the money to find out what it is through an MRI, but I am already way out of my budget as a teacher and struggling to pay out of pocket for all of the ER visits and meds he has required. Please adivise what I should do? He is the only thinig I love in this world and I wish I could help him more.

I am in dire need of some help. If by some miracle I can get answers after a decade, beyond saving my life I will find a way to repay you. Here’s my story and as much of the facts as I can provide:
-Since birth, I’ve always had tremors that come and go, but when anxious, they become very strong comparable to shivering when you’re cold.
-I’m late 20s now, when I was 17, I got a decent concussion on the left side of my head. Weeks later, I got another concussion. I believe this is called Second Impact Syndrome. This immediately cause permanent visions issues on my left eye, as well as mood changes, and coordination issues.
-The doctors advice was to take a plethora of psych meds- Lexapro, Seroquel, Abilify, Amitriptyline, Clonazepam all at the same time. I did this for about 2 years and then the prescribing doctor died and I cold turkey-ed all the meds. I had gained about 75lbs on the meds, and lost the weight within 2 months of stopping the meds.
-A year after that, I began having numbness around my face and forehead, and it felt like I could feel my skin, but the bones and tissue underneath were numb. I started getting coordination issues, and major pain and spasm on the right side of my body.
-As this progressed, I’m faced with the following issues I’ve had for the last decade of my life:
-nearly fainting/instant unavoidable drowsiness around 7pm followed by insomnia from 12am-6am -grogginess & unrefreshing sleep -burning electrical nerve pain all around (mainly neck and upper back) -muscles feel like they’re made of cement & constant spasm -coordination issues -periodic movement issues (fingers, toes) -weakness/numbness on the right side of my body & scalp/forehead -periodic bed wetting -no bladder control -left & right side of my body and brain feels seperated -anxiety & panic -unable to exert myself -uncontrollable extreme moods (crying and laughing) -IBS -heart arrhythmia & palpitations -VERY sensitive to caffeine -dizziness -noticeable nerve and facial differences (wrinkle patterns and muscle movements) -tunnel visions & visual distortions/floaters on left side -hypersensitivity right side of my body -nausea & no holding back my gag reflex -vertigo -short term memory issues -cold sweat on and off -chronic joint pain -concentration issues and disassociation
Ruled out/tests: Multiple MRI- no legions & not MS/ALS
Bloodwork - at one point had positive ANA & ENA for mixed connective tissue disease but now negative - not autoimmune?
-no TSH issues

• CBC normal

-No arthritis
-Sleep study EEG normal
-nerve conduction test normal
-caffeine amplifies all the symptoms
-marijuana amplifies all the symptoms
-gabapentin somewhat helps 30%
-alcohol helps but high tolerance now
-VERY sensitive to antihistamines like Benadryl (makes me super sick and almost like a seizure)
-sleeping pills / amitriptyline don’t work
-working out & exertion amplify symptoms
-massage & chiropractors hurt a lot and make it worse
-pain killers / codeine do nothing
-muscle relaxants do nothing
So there you have it. I can provide more info as needed, but I haven’t been able to find any answers and an entire team of doctors is at a loss. Please help me.

Hello,
Does anyone have experience with crating and just having the dog pee and poop in the crate for a few days? We have been recommended this but we are scared because when he pees or poops in his crate he freaks out and will try and sprint out as soon as the door opens and given his injuries can cause further harm.. we are traumatized and need a lot of help and support.
Information: My frenchie is 3 years old and has just been assumed to have IVDD. He has had 2 previous back issues which we solved with meds and strict rest. We have been in and out of the emegency vet and on crate rest. However, Last night he was frantic in pain in his crate and because we've always comforted him my fiance opened the crate and he bit him severely (fiance ended up in the ER). He bit due to extreme pain and was frantic then stopped moving his back legs. I rushed him to emergency vet and he is now standing but extremely unstable. The problem is that he is on strict crate rest and I took him out of his crate to potty and again he started to freak out in pain and almost escaped his leash which at this point is clearly unsafe for myself and others so now I'm scared to take him out since at any moment when standing or walking he can have extreme pain and potentially bite or attack.
Please help! I brought him back to the emergency vet for a neorology consult and hospitalization to try and bring his pain to a better level that can be managed at home. Does anyone have experience with crating and just having the dog pee and poop in the crate for a few days? We have been recommended this but we are scared because when he pees or poops in his crate he freaks out and will try and sprint out as soon as the door opens and given his injuries can cause further harm.. we are traumatized and need a lot of help and support. He is on carprofen, gabapentin, codeine, muscle relaxer and a sedative.

I'm 1wpo and I'm curious what everyone has for pain management, especially those that aren't taking an opioid. I'm genuinely allergic to codeine. Found that out at 18 month old for a set of stitches. I was prescribed ibuprofen and Tylenol. I also have a script for gabapentin for my MS but don't want to abuse it. I'm also use THC for my MS but don't want to be high all the time. My kids don't need to see mom blitzes outta her mind.
I'll be alright one day and the next I'll have pain. Maybe I didn't take my pills on time or maybe I walked to much thanks to my MS giving me spasticity.
EDIT My dosage for gabapentin is 300mg 2-3 times a day. I typically take that 2 times a day for my MS. I really don't like how dopey I feel when I take it 3 times.

So I have several co-existing conditions, medication resistance/tolerance, and when something does work, it eventually stops. Due to my age, weight, and other factors, the list of medications I can take is rather short. I have tried several SSRIs (Lexapro, Prozac, Topiramate) for my anxiety and depression (spoiler alert, they do and have done nothing but make me worse), and because of them, I cannot take a lot of medications for migraine. Prior prescription pain meds have been Gabapentin and Tylenol 3 with Codeine. I’ve also tried otcs such as Ibuprofen, Sudafed, Tylenol, Excedrin Extra Strength, Excedrin Migraine, Advil, Alieve…basically, if it exists, I’ve tried it. I’m currently on Naproxen and Maxalt, and I get Botox every three months. (Also on Zoloft, Tri-Sprintec and Midodrine; CoQ-10, Magnesium/Vitamin D, and a multivitamin). I’m still having daily migraines. Sometimes I can function…most times I can’t. Need recommendations please. I see neuro for Botox on 5/24.

Posting on behalf of my partner (25F), who has had escalating back problems for about two years, and prior to that hip pain that has got progressively worse since she was about 16/17. I’m writing this as I feel quite desperate and we’re not getting answers from medical professionals. We don’t know what could be causing this or what to be asking about with consultants, or what the treatment plan could look like beyond pain injections. Worried pain is being treated without intervention.
I’m sorry if this isn’t the right place but I have been reading up on ankylosing spondylitis as prior to it getting this bad, she usually experienced the worst symptoms upon resting or in the mornings and it got better with gentle exercise. Now they’re bad all of the time and her mobility is really preventing her doing much, she is doing physio exercises and yoga regularly but it only gives short term minor relief. She also has a spotty history as a child due to parents not taking her to doctors. She hasn’t had a full back MRI, just lumbar and hip.
She had her lumbar and hip MRI back and it indicates: - Mild lumbar scoliosis to the left - Loss of curvature in spine - 3 nerve root compressions (L5, S1 and S3) - Disc bulge at L4-L5 indenting the thecal sac - Disc protrusion at L5-S1 compressing the thecal sac - Facet joint degeneration at L4-L5 to L5-S1 - Moderate to severe spinal canal stenosis - Hip bursitis in both hips.
She’s only 25 and a healthy weight, she has been seen by pain management as an urgent case (on gabapentin, codeine & waiting for nerve root injections) but GP still haven’t referred to neurology or rheumatology and there seems to be no urgency in understanding the cause. She pushed for some blood tests and is pushing for the referral. Pain management consultant has consistently warned of red flags for Cauda equina.
This seems really quite a lot for a 25 year old. Prior to all this she was active, swimming, cycling and dog walking so nothing too high impact at all. She has lost a huge amount of her mobility. There was no injury or trauma which took place, other than the dog pulling on the lead suddenly about 6 months ago but this was already an issue she had seen her GP about multiple times and it just made it worse.
I appreciate many might not know and it may not be the right place, but I am worried for her. The MRI results were months ago and only now has she seen it after having to make two formal requests to the GP, when informed of the results a few months ago she was only told she has spinal stenosis and a disc bulge which is obviously an understatement so this is all quite a shock.
Some of her symptoms include: - Severe lower back pain - Severe sciatica on right - Foot and leg numbness and weakness - Stooped posture - Foot drop - Severe fatigue - Ongoing and fluctuating hip pain - Knee pain at the front and bottom of the knee - Inflammation and swelling at various sites on the back - Shoulder pain, raised shoulder blade on left - Loss of mobility due to weakness, pain and stiffness. Using crutches and walking stick - Sudden rapid weight loss in the last two months (dropped at least a dress size when lifestyle is increasingly sedentary and no change to eating habits)
If anyone has had similar or went through similar, please do share.
If this isn’t the right place I apologise.

A little backstory, crushed by a 14t tracket vehicle over 3 years ago as one might expect suffered quite severe pain since becoming chronic. Recovery peaked around 18 months ago and have since severely regressed, worsening further when I had to stop taking anti-inflammatory (Naproxin) drugs as a result of them causing lesion and ulcers through my system. Previously been on Gabapentine from day of injury with little noted benefit just worsening symptoms from withdraw when I didn't take it, giving the appearance of doing something beneficial. Tried amitriptyline but just made me groggy, been on Codeine throughout, hardly takes the edge off now days. At this point I am the worst I have been in regards to pain and energy since being able to weight bear following "recovery" from the initial crush injuries.
After all this time I have finally got to see the pain management team (in UK), suggested putting me on Duloxetine. Suggested some injections in my major pain sites further down the line which I greatly welcome.
Have any of you had any experience with Duloxetine ? What can I expect ? Has it been of any benefit or hindrance to any of you ?

I will make this as short as I can. In 2021 I was electrocuted at work after taking food out of a microwave. The earth wire was broken in the wall leading to the microwave so I became the earth. I suffered an electric shock through my wrist which came out my elbow damaging the ulnar nerve.
I spent a few days in hospital and was discharged and given gabapentin and propranol which gave me severe side effects such as my head felt like it was being crushed. I couldn't use my arm for 3 months as I was unable to move it. I stopped taking the medicine without tapering off and used codeine alone for the pain which helped.
I did a lot of research and found acetyl l Cartanine and alpha lipoic acid and natto serra and a few other anti inflammatory products to be of great use along with codeine.
Fast forward to 2024 and my condition suddenly started getting worse, the pain never goes away fully and I must use a heat pack in a glove to do any computer work. I fall down a few times and injure my arm again. I am unable to sleep on my right side.
Someone mentions I should see some specialists so I get refered and they tell me I have CRPS type 2 as my score is at 73 out of 100. I see a pain specialist who insists on using a tens machine. I cant see how that will help as my injury was electrocution. I ask about pain medicines and hes reluctant to recommend any others including stronger opiates. I mention ketamine infusions and hes against it too and says there's nothing like that here.
I have a nerve conduction test on Friday and ask what do I do about the pain and he said distract yourself, I am unsure how to do that when this procedure could make me relive the accident.
I take the tens machine, go home depressed and write this up.
Is there anything I can do? I cant take amitriptylines or pregablin or gabapentin or ibuprofen. I feel like theres no hope...

My 12M havanese (neutered, 7kg) has developed loose stool over the last day and a bit, it happens on occasion as a one off usually just half-formed but this time it has gone to a lot more mushy each time he goes. He's been working through a spinal injury since the first weekend of Feb but is doing well, IVDD stage 2 was suspected but imaging wasn't done due to finances; we've been doing conservative treatment since then and he's almost back to full function, seeing rehab tmrw. His bowels were never affected by the injury.
He's on low dose codeine, gabapentin, galiprant, phenobarbital (epilepsy) and trazadone (anxiety). His codeine was lowered from q8 to q12 on Tuesday and goal is to get him off it and reduce his gabapentin to his normal dose.
The thing I'm noticing and am thinking is somehow why his stools are loose: he's been wanting more food the past week and a half and his appetite has been even higher the past 5-7 days. He usually doesn't want to eat more than 2/3 cup but now he's wanting his full portion of 1 1/4 cup per day (written on the bag) and often wanting to eat a majority or all of it at one meal (typical for him to not wanting to eat more than once). I try to spread it into two but he gets very demanding soon after he finishes his lunch and wants more and because he's so iffy about wanting food at two mealtimes, I will usually will give him a bit more. Sometimes he wants more than his daily amount even when it's equal between two meals but I try to cut him off once he's eaten 2/3 cup and try to feed him again at bedtime which is iffy. He's offered food 3x/day since my cat eats 3 meals, but breakfast he's never hungry.
I guess I'm wondering if it's probably just behavioural and I should find a way to get him to eat 3x instead of 1-2 and that's likely why his stools are soft-mushy, or if it's time to contact the vet. It's only been the past 36hrs or so since the stool change and is otherwise normal for him (colour, smell) which is why I'm unsure if it's actually diet change related since it wasn't right after. Any suggestions/thoughts would be appreciated.

Hey everyone,
I had my lower wisdom tooth removed on March 5th, which was nearly two months ago, and it seems like the inferior alveolar nerve was damaged during the procedure. Since then, part of my chin and lower lip have been numb. What's worse, I've been experiencing constant jaw and gum pain—intense burning, tingling, and extreme sensitivity, especially in the front teeth. The nerve itself is super sensitive and reacts to any movement, making it painful to speak, chew, turn my head, or even walk (I spend most of the day now in bed or carefully walking around the house).
I know that nerves can take months to heal, but there's also a chance it might never fully recover. My surgeon has suggested nerve repair surgery, saying it's very time-sensitive, ideally performed within the first three months after the nerve injury. As time passes, the chances of successful surgery decrease.
I'm torn because I thought I could manage the pain with medications like gabapentin and codeine pain killers for at least six months to see if there would be any improvement. But now, I'm worried about missing the optimal window for surgery.
Has anyone here undergone nerve repair surgery? How long after the nerve injury did you have the surgery, and what was the outcome? I'd really appreciate any information or personal experiences you could share!

(21m) Nobody finds me attractive, I've only ever been second or third choice, all my exes liked my best friend more than me and the way they looked at him played a part in us breaking up, all my sexual experiences (only 4) all 4 years ago, were bad and I didn't finish because I couldn't keep it up. Anytime any of my friends talk about the great sex they had or even someone flirting with them it makes me extremely uncomfortable, because I've never experienced that. Nobody likes me, I hate being lonely. I work, I make music, you can google me, I always act confident and never let the self consciousness show but fuck man. What do I do. Why does nobody want me. Why are peoples shitty, why are people fucking stupid. I'm drunk and hate everyone rn. Luv my dog tho, he a good boi, why do I use substances to cope(alchohol, weed,acid,shrooms,coke,weed,DXM,MDMA,codeine,xanax,gabapentin) regularly smoke drink nd do psychedelics, occasionally do coke, rarely do the others but I haven't been sober in 5 years.

29M
Below is my journey of events over the past 8-10 years.
Symptoms
Fatigue, Seems to be better now that I am getting good rest at night.
Daytime Drowsiness
Upper back pain (been to several chiropractors it will get better short term maybe hours to 2 days but never fixed)
Lower back pain
Buttock pain. Inner and outer muscle pain. (I’ve had several rounds of dry needling to fix this. Works for a few days then it comes back.)
Tailbone pain. Related to buttock muscular pain. Again dry needling helps for a few days. But always returns.
Neck pain. Usually worse when stressed or over worked.
Mid back pain same as upper back.
Recently I have began to have pain in my hands. Starting with my right thumb then left thumb then every finger. Just like a feeling of pressure in the joint.
Meds
Currently taking
Morning ---- Tylenol 3 w/ Codeine, Methocarbamol 750mg, Phentermine 37.5, indomethacin 25mg
Mid day ---- another indomethacin 25mg, possibly another pain pill if its very bad but most of the time not
Late evening --- Indomethacin 25mg, Gabapentin 300mg, and two Tylenol Pm’s to sleep.
Imaging reports
Lumbar spine lumbar 3 view report impression shows no acute bony abnormalities, L5 spondylolysis with grade 1 anterolisthesis and mild disc space narrowing at l5-S1
XR Spine cervical 3 view, impression shows no acute bony abnormalities or significant degenerative changes, facet and uncovertebral joints are unremarkable.
Mri sacroiliac joints, peMs/sacrum without contrast
no sacrococcygeal fracture, mass or soft tissue udemas identified, piriformis muscles are symmetric and unremarkable. Sciatic nerves are unremarkable. The lowest coccygeal segment is subluxed 2mm anterior to the 2nd lowest coccygeal segment. No sacreal foraminal narrowing seen. Piriformis muscles are symmetric and unremarkable.
My issues with this all started in 2017 I was seeing a pa in my hometown I went to her to as my primary doctor. I began having fatigue while under her care and began to run blood work for a few things such as testosterone, and all the normal areas to look. At that time I had a lower than usual cortisol (am cortisol I believe which I later found out was due to being on oral steroids at the time. She began giving me a skinny pill which to my knowledge was a compounded weight loss pill similar to phentermine. After a while on this and still having constant daily fatigue along with back pain and general pain.
She sent me to an endocrinologist. He ran most of the same tests and said I didn’t have any endocrine issues. Julie moved back to her home town sometime around 2019.
Then I began seeing another PCP in my hometown. Carrying along the same symptoms. We did all of the same blood work as before and came up with the same result that there’s no issues that blood work shows. Other than a slightly low vitamin D which I was advised to take a supplement for.
At one point I began seeing a hormone doctor that my mother recommended going to in a neighboring city. She had a different approach at looking at labs and such. She was convinced that i had a thyroid problem and put me on thyroid medicine.
While seeing her I decided to go to another endocrinologist in Houston. Which listened to all of my complaints and looked at bloodwork and quickly told me he couldn’t help me but to immediately stop taking the thyroid medication because I didn’t need it. So I stopped that as I was instructed then I was back to square one again.
At this point I began getting frustrated with the medical system and not finding the answers I so desperately seek. So I put up with it. Then my mother wondered if it could be heart related. I have these flutters or palpitations that occur every once in a while that my grandfather had as well. More than likely it is anxiety however I made an appointment with a cardiologist that our family uses. He didn’t see any issues blood pressure was good but wanted to do a costly echocardiogram to rule anything out. Everything was fine there as well.
Recently I had a viral virus of some sort and was given an antibiotic and a dose of steroids. I got the steroids later in the evening and immediately took two. I woke up the next morning feel refreshed and ready to go which I haven’t experienced since I can remember. Suddenly all of my issues were minor. I had plenty of energy and no pain to speak of. My pain threshold is very high and when I say I’m hurting I’m hurting. I did have some of the emotional or mental side effects while using the steroid but it was a small price to pay for feeling so Alive and well. Hopefully this gives you some insight into what the last 7 years have been like.
After taking all of this into my pcp’s office and pleading for help. She decided to put me on Cymbalta for a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. She said that I had went to all of the doctors I should have went to without any answers. I started taking this and immediately made a appt with another rheumatologist. I was able to get a rheumatologist the next week. He put me back on prednisone 20mg a day to get me through the Houston rodeo Cookoff while he ran other blood work. After rodeo I went back in for a follow up where he said my blood work was all normal and prescribed me sulfasalazine as a medical trial to see if I had any relief. After 3 days of being on it my fatigue level went through the roof after 15 days the fatigue is horrible even taking 15 mg of prednisone with it. My pain medicine also seems to not be effective any longer. This leads me to believe that either it’s just not a fit for me or it’s something totally different. I would say the fatigue is probably 40-50% worse. I have slept roughly 18 hrs out of the last 24 hrs. His office basically just tells me it takes time to work and to be patient. But the quality of life is horrible at this point in time. I just can’t help but think that something has been missed along the way. Fatigue has always been my #1 complaint.
I stuck with sulfasalazine for the whole 5 weeks even with symptoms getting worse at 3 weeks. I had upper abdominal pain after a meal to the point I would have to make myself throw up. And the fatigue was still horrible. I accidentally missed a dose one evening and I immediately woke up feeling better. In my mind I knew it had to be this medicine. So I decided to not take it that morning either just to see. I felt a lot better. I called the doctors office where I left a message with what I described above. The PA sent a message through the front desk staff that she agreed and to stop the medicine until I see him which was 3 days away. My last visit with this rheumatologist basically consisted of him accusing me of changing my medicine without talking to him which every time I called I asked to speak to him which resulted in talking to a pa each time. He also thought I was afraid of medicine etc. Very confrontational. At this time he put me on hydroxychloroquine 300mg. I knew that I needed to seek a second opinion.
I made a appt with another rheumatologist that a family friend had seen and loved. After looking at my labs and talking with me she didn’t think I had Ankylosing Spondylitis. She recommended seeking treatment from a pain clinic.
Fast forward to recently. Pain has been manageable and I am not taking hydroxy chloroquine. And continue to take my normal medicine (Tylenol 3, methocarbamol, Wellbutrin, and phentermine daily) a friend that has gout asked me if I had ever been tested for gout and I said that I had my Uric acid levels tested many times but it’s been normal each time. But then I started to research it and it seems plausible. They let me try some of their indomethacin and it has helped tremendously. Now the question is what is the indomethacin treating. I know that it reduces inflammation. But what’s causing the inflammation?
I know that some of this is hard to follow but this is my medical diary of sorts that I add to and then go back and reflect on during my research for answers since its hard to keep it straight as far what has been done or tried.

Age: 25, Gender: transgender FTM (he/him pronouns please but aware sex may be relevant), Smoker: yes, tobacco, Drugs: cannabis only, Medication: Duloxetine 60mg once daily, Fexofenadine 120mg once daily, Amitriptyline 10mg 1-2 before sleep, Omeprazole 20mg once daily, Gabapentin 300mg 3 times daily, paracetamol 2x500mg 4 times daily, testosterone 2% gel once daily applied to legs/abdomen on alternate days, codeine 15mg when required. Medical conditions: Transgender (previous double mastectomy 6 years ago), Fibromyalgia, IBS, gastritis, hayfever, anxiety, depression. Other possibly relevant info: I work as a carer for elderly; I look after 2 fish tanks and have a cat.
So for the last 2 years I’ve been getting these rashes/spots on my left forearm and hand, it seems to come and go but I haven’t seen any pattern other than I don’t wake up with it and it’s always on my left. The rashes/spots fade within 2 hours usually so I’ve never been able to get much opinion from my doctor. If I apply hydrocortisone cream it soothes the area but it can happen multiple times a day and the spots are always in different places on my arm/hand. They’re very itchy when they happen.
I’ve treated my flat for fleas (the cat is given regular flea medication and uses a flea/tick collar which is replaced as it directs, she also has worming treatment and sees a vet yearly). When looking at flea bites mine don’t look the same but I cannot find anything else similar where the rash forms in a vague line. I will attach photos below-TW I have self harm scars.

Just curious if anyone else takes this and what their experiences with getting it prescribed were.
I’ve been struggling with worsening migraines for a while and went to the ER the first time I lost vision and had confusion and some other scary symptoms and the doctor there was amazing and was basically like I’m gonna do you a solid, this stuff is great. Even the nurse was like that’s amazing for migraines I think it’ll help.
It was like night and day in terms of symptoms and although I tried to stretch my script as long as I could, they obviously only last for so long. Since then my normal doctor has prescribed sumatriptan, amytriptyline, I’m on gabapentin (for pain), and now my NP (I switched from my doctor to her, same practice) gave me Ubrevly to try. Why does everyone seem so hesitant to prescribe Fioricet? I don’t even want the codeine one, I just want something that works for the days I really need it and I don’t understand why if it works it’s seemingly so hard to get? When I bring it up the doctor and NP I’ve had since then nod like they hear me, but then just move on.
My issue is my migraines are so inconsistent so I don’t necessarily feel like I need an everyday pill (although I’m not a doctor so what do I know, maybe that’s better), just something for when they’re really bad. When they do hit I’m down for days sometimes. She said lyrica would be the next step if the Ubrevly doesn’t work so maybe if things don’t get better that would be better than the Fioricet? I’ve never tried lyrica so I’m not sure.
ETA - thank you for all the helpful comments, guys! (And for being so kind) I really appreciate all of the info and input. I’m hopeful maybe something else will work or maybe eventually I could get what I’ve seen quite a few of you mention - just a small quantity per month because I definitely don’t need it everyday, but when my migraines do hit sometimes they last for 2-3 days and that’s when it’s like okay this is enough, I unfortunately can’t just lay in a dark room for days. (Sometimes I have no choice but I’m sure y’all understand what I mean in the sense that we’re adults and have responsibilities and kids and jobs and all that). Who knows, maybe Ubrevly will be the one.

Just curious if anyone else takes this and what their experiences with getting it prescribed were.
I’ve been struggling with worsening migraines for a while and went to the ER the first time I lost vision and had confusion and some other scary symptoms and the doctor there was amazing and was basically like I’m gonna do you a solid, this stuff is great. Even the nurse was like that’s amazing for migraines I think it’ll help.
It was like night and day in terms of symptoms and although I tried to stretch my script as long as I could, they obviously only last for so long. Since then my normal doctor has prescribed sumatriptan, amytriptyline, I’m on gabapentin (for pain), and now my NP (I switched from my doctor to her, same practice) gave me Ubrevly to try. Why does everyone seem so hesitant to prescribe Fioricet? I don’t even want the codeine one, I just want something that works for the days I really need it and I don’t understand why if it works it’s seemingly so hard to get? When I bring it up the doctor and NP I’ve had since then nod like they hear me, but then just move on.
My issue is my migraines are so inconsistent so I don’t necessarily feel like I need an everyday pill (although I’m not a doctor so what do I know, maybe that’s better), just something for when they’re really bad. When they do hit I’m down for days sometimes. She said lyrica would be the next step if the Ubrevly doesn’t work so maybe if things don’t get better that would be better than the Fioricet? I’ve never tried lyrica so I’m not sure.

As soon as I do anything out of the ordinary (normal day is wake up, work, go to bed) like clean the bathrooms or paint or go workout etc, my body is thrown into fire. I literally had one of the worst days I’ve had in a long time yesterday and it was the first time I’ve felt bad about myself not being able to do any hobbies.
Doctors say, workout! It will cure your fibromyalgia. I workout, even 10 minutes, completely in pain and fatigue so bad I’m out for a couple of days. How am I supposed to workout exactly?
Then I’m put on an ever changing list of medicines to figure out which one gives me the least amount of side effects. Lyrica worked the best, but I can’t go poop. I’m on gaba now and I feel manic every day and I still have horrible breakthrough pain. I take codeine, works like a charm. Also… can’t poop. Cymbalta, literally can’t keep my eyes open or get out of bed. Amitriptyline made me aggressive, I couldn’t swallow food properly and I couldn’t pee. The list goes on! Noritryptine made me faint and have pots symptoms on 20mg so now I’m on 10mg and I have issues still with pots symptoms but at least I’m not fainting… When will I find something that works? I’m so frustrated.
This gabapentin I’m on now works a little but I can’t really do anything I could a year or two ago. I’m having such a hard time coming to an understanding that this isn’t temporary. I’m literally a different person than even a year ago. I don’t understand why this is happening to me. I got a bad case of Covid/flu 2022 October and my life has been miserable since. I was an active person, someone who kept my house clean, who took my son to go do fun things, someone who could go backpacking and camping during the summer. Now I can’t even consider those things without having to set aside a few days after to recover.

29F and since having my baby 8 months ago I have suffered agonising lower back and right leg pain. I have no feeling in my bladder (cant tell when I need a wee so have to set alarms on my phone to go) and my right foot is totally numb. I initially thought the back pain was caused by my c section but it has just worsened over time and now I'm at the point where I have no quality of life.
In January I ended up in A&E with suspected cauda equina syndrome as I lost control of my bladder. I had an MRI which showed that I have a large L4/L5 disc herniation and an L5/S1 herniation also. The pain started about a week after my c section but the specialist doesn't think they're related and says I most likely injured my back picking my tiny newborn up out of her cot.
In February I had a nerve root block injection which didn't work so I've been referred for surgery. I have no idea how long the waiting list is and I'm struggling to get through the days until then.
The pain has got so bad the last few weeks that I can barely do anything for myself, can't pick up my baby or care for her on my own. My husband has to help me shower. We're sleeping in separate beds as I cant get comfortable and just lie awake most nights crying. I haven't left the house in weeks and all I do is lie down. The pain is constant and nothing helps. I've tried gentle exercises, forcing myself to walk and raising my legs but the pain worsens.
I've just completely lost myself and I'm miserable. I look nothing like I used to as I can't take care of myself. Its so bad that last week my sister had to cut big matted knots out of my hair because i can't get out of bed to brush it.
I'm on gabapentin and amitriptyline, have been prescribed diazepam, codeine, naproxen and oramorph at various points over the past 8 months. The GP is saying they can't prescribe anything else and won't give me more oramorph in case i become addicted.
I'm only 29 and it feels like my life is over. I'm a shit mum who can't do anything for my little girl. If I didn't have my husband and baby I really don't think I would be here anymore and some days I think they'd be better of without me because I'm nothing but a burden.
I'm not sure if I'm looking for advice or just need to rant to someone who isn't my poor husband who has to watch me sob in pain all day every day.

I was prescribed gabapentin 300mg BID and Tylenol with Codeine (T3) for shingles. (68F) I took 3 doses of gabapentin and it did help keep the pain manageable. But the dizziness and general out of my head feeling is bad. The last dose was the second night before bed and I had taken a T3 an hour before. I had crazy, out of my mind dreams and felt almost paralyzed while going to sleep. I ended up sleeping well and the paralyzation feeling didn’t last through the night but I didn’t feel normal. When I got up I felt pretty good. After being up and around for a few hours the pain came back so I took my fourth dose. It made me quite dizzy and gave me foggy brain. Idk if it’s the gabapentin or the combo with the T3. I didn’t take the gabapentin last night. Tried just the T3 and it doesn’t really do much. Have ice pack on it now and that really helps but I can’t strap one on to walk around. My plan now is to try to not take either one! Has anyone else had these type of side effects from the gabapentin?