How Many Drugs Do You Take for Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
It takes a different combination of drugs, supplements and other treatments for each of us to feel better, and very often those of us with fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS) end up on quite a lot of things.
I don't take any daily pharmaceuticals for FMS (not that I didn't try - they didn't agree with me!), but I do take a couple of handfuls of supplements a day, and by the strict definition, they qualify as drugs even though we don't generally think of them that way. I occasionally take Vicodin for pain, and I'm on several meds for various other ailments. I joke about my morning regimen including pills, sprays, powders and tinctures because it involves:
- Half a dozen pills
- Saline nasal spray, and sometimes an asthma inhaler
- A custom blend of powdered herbs prescribed by my rheumatologist/Chinese herbologist
- Liquid forms of 2 supplements, one under the tongue and one mixed with water
I repeat it at night, with a different set of pills and without the liquids. All together, I take at least 25 different substances each day to keep me functional, and depending on what's going on with my body, I may add several more during the course of a day.
It's a lot to keep track of, so all this week we'll look at how you can keep track of what you're taking and avoid dangerous interactions, either in your home or in an emergency medical situation. You'll also find out how to report negative side effects to the people who most need to know about them.
In the meantime, take the poll and drop by the Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome community forum to see what treatments people there are having success with.
Suggested Reading:
- Drugs for Treating Fibromyalgia
- Drugs for Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Supplements for Managing Symptoms
Photo © Seth Joel/Getty Images
Comments
I am surprised at the number of pills people reported taking but, I suppose I shouldn’t be. If we have any ailments, of any kind, FM exaggerates their severity. I take at least three meds for FM,– Lyrica, Ambiem and Tramadol. I also take meds for high blood pressure, cholesterol, and arrhythmia. I suffer from arthritis. When I am particularly troubled by this condition I take Relefen. to get over the worst of it. I also suffer from migraines on occasion, late onset as far as age goes. I take migraine meds that are taken before symptoms hit full on. I don’t take supplements as a rule. maybe some extra B vitimamins when I am in an FM flair up. I try to eat healthy, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, nuts, seeds and small amounts of meat, poultry and fish.
I didn’t think I took that many pills until I thought of supplements as pills. A flair up definately adds more to the pile. Supps I take are Magnesium Malate, B complex, Chromium Picolinate, and occasionally I take an enzyme pill or two when something doesn’t digest right.