My Wellness Journey Ep. 7

There were a lot of doctor's visits, diagnostic tests and different medication trials. Eventually, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. It's good to give it a name, it’s no longer just generalized pain.

The two week trial of Lyrica went well. It's side effects were mild, caused an increase in "brain fog", dry mouth, and clumsiness but all in all were tolerable. I started taking and Cymbalta which is an SNRI. SNRI stands for serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake Inhibitor. These may also be called selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake Inhibitors (SSNRIs). SNRIs increase levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain by blocking or delaying their reuptake by nerves. SNRIs are used to treat conditions, such as anxiety disorders and long-term (chronic) pain, especially nerve pain.

I am still having pain but it is an improvement. Currently, the facial pain is the worst. My dentist says I am not grinding my teeth so there is no need to waste money on a bite guard. Due to Covid restrictions massage therapists are refusing to do Intra-Oral Massage. I have been using a Jade facial roller and attempting self massage, it feels nice but the pain continues. If I am talking/ smiling a lot or eating crunchy foods it makes the pain worse. Cold also aggravates my pain, it is currently the middle of winter here in Canada. Where we live it is often gets down to -15C. I try to keep my face covered as much as possible on cold days, but there is only so much you can do.

I visited my family doctor to discuss options for treatment for facial pain, he sent me home with a prescription for diazepam aka Valium. He instructed me not to take it every day, only when the pain was "really bad" and I wanted to say but it's really bad everyday. I didn’t know valium was a muscle relaxer, it helps with the facial pain. It doesn’t take it alaway but it does make it manageable.