Should we be ridiculed for taking Pain Meds??

I ran across this page about long term pain control with narcotic pain medicines. I know alot of us Fibro sufferers are ridiculed because we have no choice than to take pain pills on a daily basis. How would we get out of bed if we didn't.

One excerpt from the page reads as follows:

"The Board recognizes that controlled substances, including opioid analgesics, may be essential in the treatment of acute pain due to trauma or surgery and chronic pain, whether due to cancer or non-cancer origins. The medical management of pain should be based on current knowledge and research and include the use of both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic modalities. Pain should be assessed and treated promptly, and the quantity and frequency of doses should be adjusted according to the intensity and duration of the pain. Physicians should recognize that tolerance and physical dependence are normal consequences of sustained use of opioid analgesics and are not synonymous with addiction."

And another excerpt:

"Physicians should not fear disciplinary action from the Board for prescribing, dispensing or administering controlled substances, including opioid analgesics, for a legitimate medical purpose and in the usual course of professional practice. "

What non-fibro sufferers do not realize is we DO NOT take pain pills because we are addicted to them. We take them because we suffer from long-term chronic pain. If we did not have some kind of pain control in our lives, what would our lives be like??

To visit the page go to Kansas State Board of Healing Arts

A Letter to Normals

I ran across this page about Fibromyalgia. The owner has an awesome letter called

" A Letter To Normals"

Brought tears to my eyes.

If people only knew what we go through and how much we suffer and how much we LOSE because of this disorder.

It brought tears to my eyes.

http://www.welcometofibromyalgiaonline.com/Normals.html

Lyrica & Cymbalta. Are the Side Effects worth it?

I have been researching the two new drugs that they are using for Fibromyalgia nowadays. Cymbalta and Lyrica. Has anyone tried these? My doctor wants me to try them (either or), but after reading feedback from other Fibro patients and the horrible side effects they have had, I definitely don't want to try them. I know science is trying, but if they only knew how miserable we were on a day to day basis, why would we want to take a medicine that makes us feel worse than we already do?

I found these two pages that have feedback from other patients who have tried the medicines. Tell me what you think? Have you tried them? Would you try them after reading these two pages? I mean, Lyrica makes your hair fall out, and Cymbalta makes your irises dissolve and people have gone blind from it. The drug manufacturers ALWAYS FAIL to mention everything, huh?

Lyrica Feedback

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=21723&name=LYRICA

Cymbalta Feedback

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=21427&name=CYMBALTA