by Stephanie Burnham

Created on: December 10, 2008

Finding a treatment for my Fibromyalgia has been an arduous task. I was diagnosed at 16 after experiencing symptoms for several years prior to that. Since then I have been through multiple medications trying to find the "magic pill". I cannot begin to describe how frustrating it can be to be put on a medication, taken off, put on another one...etc. Several like

Vioxx, for example, have even been pulled from the market. Though,I have to admit, that one was no great loss to me, for it had no effect on my Fibromyalgia pain or muscle spasms.

My original doctor wanted me on a pain therapy plan at 16 which I refused, with my mothers help. Can you imagine adding narcotic pain meds to an already confused teenager? I have even tried homeopathic remedies with some nominal success with various green tea blends and blueberries. I have been on a whole array of meds such as Percocet and Vicodin (narcotics), Amitryptyline Tri-cyclic anti-depressant/ anti-psychotic), Topomax (anti-seizure and migraine prevention), as my Doctor tried to understand how Fibromyalgia worked and which types of meds would be right for me. These are only a few of the many, many things I have tried and that have mostly failed at having any great long term positive impact on my symptoms.

Now ,I am unwilling to try any new meds until they have been on the market for general public use due to potentially unknown serious complications. I have recently been given a new muscle relaxer to try called Skelaxin. Let me start by saying that I came to this med because I could not take traditional muscle relaxers such as Flexeril, because they made me too tired to function. Skelaxin works differently and gently works to relax the muscles and provides significant relief of muscle spasms. This I take when I start getting muscle spasms that are too painful. I also take Vicodin, only if absolutely needed, for pain. Pain meds have (with me) made the pain worse when they wear off so I don't like to take them unless I can't handle the level of pain that I am experiencing.

Swimming and Light yoga or yoga related exercise such as belly dancing have provided significant long term pain management. Both types of exercise gently work the muscles and relax them at the same time. And last but not least I don't stop. I don't stop moving, living, working, dancing or doing yoga.....I don't stop living life....,for when I stop doing these things....Fibromyalgia wins.

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