X-post: The Flare from Heck

December 8, 2007

I posted about my Mt. St. Helens-sized disaster with trying to switch

from Celebrex to a generic NSAID. It didn't work,and I was in

terrible pain last week. So this week, I started out the week by

shampooing my rugs on Monday after the cleaning people came, and then

on Tuesday put up my tree. The arthritis flare along with the

snowstorm/cold front seemed to trigger a major fibromyalgia flare,

and by Tuesday evening I wasn't fit for much else except going to

bed. I was in bed most of Wednesday, but Thursday I had to go out to

the drugstore. I wasn't able to go to the grocery store. I bought a

heating pad at the drugstore and slept on that most of the

afternoon. Yesterday I finally made it to the grocery store, and

felt a lot better, but still spent most of the day lying down. So

that's the better part of a week shot.

I'd really like to go back to work but when I have weeks like this

week and last week, it doesn't look likely at this point. I've been

reading posts about Lyrica with great interest, wondering if I'd do

any better on that than I did a few years ago when I tried

Neurontin. On the Neurontin, I was a zombie. I was working then,

and I remember getting up from my desk and not being able to walk

straight, and having horribly slurred speech. Plus I was passing out

at my desk. Not falling asleep - passing out. I'd be sitting there

working, and then I'd wake up with my head back and my mouth wide

open. As I was super morbidly obese at the time and had severe sleep

apnea, I'm sure I was snoring. And I'm sure I got laughed at a lot.

Nobody asked if I was ok - they just laughed. I don't react well to

a lot of drugs, and have to be very careful with what I take. But

the pain level this week and last was just intolerable. I avoided

taking any of the three hydrocodone pills that I have left from my

knee replacements (saving them for when I'm in pain, you know =:-

O ). But the pain level was off the charts and there just wasn't

anything much to do about it other than what I was doing.

So now I've been awake for two hours and it's 5:30 am and I'm very

glad I don't have to go to work when I'm like this, even though I

would like very much to go back.

I'm a wee bit discouraged.

Z (but my Christmas tree is pretty)

Recommended Posts