I have finally caved and began medication for my fibromyalgia..

I have finally caved and began medication for my fibromyalgia.. nortriptylin 25mg.  Boy.. the first week was tough.

8 1/2 years after my diagnosis I am finally getting treated for my Fibromyalgia.  As a sufferer I can tell you how insidious this syndrome can be first hand.

Over the years I’ve become used to the fatigue and all over pains and accepted it as this is now my life. Until I became so overwhelmed at the end of 2011 with anxiaety and depression due to a lot of life changes. I was paralyzed with fear, anxiety attacks and pain. Even all the aches and pains intensified the more stress the more pain.. I was immobilized. I found myself continually crying over a drop of a hat.  Along with that came lower backside pains (which I am very concerned about), pains radiating from my ovary area.  Finally, I couldn’t take it any more, time to make an appointment.  

Is it just me or when we as FMS patients go to the doctor and we tell the doctor we were diagnosed with FMS the mood of the conversation seems to change? Change in the since that The Doctor begins to chalk all complaints and symptoms off to FMS. Well that’s how I felt a week and a half ago when I made my appointment with a new Dr. I had to explain to him that I am very familiar with the symptoms of FMS having lived through all of them from one point to another. And I don’t want his assumptions to stand in the way of catching other issues sooner than later. He was nice enough to hear me out and rebutted with he believes the depression side of this syndrome has taken over in turn heightened all my other symptoms.  That’s when he suggested this new drug adding  it will help with my sleeping, emotional as well as relieving the pain.  He continued by saying he wants to remove all FMS related symptoms so he can then focus on any other issues he discovers when all my tests results come back. OK so that made sense to me, now I had to cover the side affects.      to be continued…

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Nortriptyline has been studied thoroughly in clinical trials in which the side effects of a group of people taking the drug are documented and compared to another group not taking the medicine.

As a result, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine.

• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Drowsiness
• Confusion
• Constipation
• Difficulty urinating
• Dry mouth (see Nortriptyline and Dry Mouth)
• Weight gain or weight loss (see Nortriptyline and Weight Gain)
• Erectile dysfunction (ED or impotence) or changes in libido (sex drive) (see Nortriptyline Sexual Side Effects for more information)
• Changes in blood sugar levels
• Increased sweating.
   

Side Effects of Nortriptyline – for the Consumer

article found on Drugs.com

Nortriptyline

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects.Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Nortriptyline:

Dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth; excitement; headache; impotence; nausea; nightmares; pupil dilation; sensitivity to sunlight; sweating; tiredness; upset stomach; vomiting; weakness; weight loss or gain.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Nortriptyline:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); blurred vision or other vision changes; changes in sex drive; chest pain; confusion; constipation; fainting; fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat; fever; frequent or difficult urination; hallucinations; impulsive behavior or other unusual changes in behavior; jaw, neck, or muscle spasms; mental or mood changes (eg, increased anxiety, mood swings, agitation, irritability, nervousness, restlessness); panic attacks; ringing in the ears; seizures; severe dizziness or drowsiness; sore throat; stomach pain; suicidal thinking or behavior; swelling of the testicles; tremor; trouble sleeping; trouble walking or keeping your balance; twitching of the face or tongue; uncontrolled movements of arms and legs or stiffness; unusual bleeding or bruising; worsening of depression; yellowing of the skin or eyes.

This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. To report side effects to the

right agency, please read the Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA.

Related articles

• Obesity Linked to Worse Fibromyalgia Symptoms (maboulette.wordpress.com)
• An Accurate Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia Can Be a Difficult Process (webmd.com)
• Fibromyalgia: Top Alternative Treatments (webmd.com)
• Fibromyalgia and Exercise (webmd.com)
• Obesity Linked to Worse Fibromyalgia Symptoms (nlm.nih.gov)

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