1ST- ANNE,
THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING. I TOOK CIPRO TWICE FOR 10 DAYS WITHIN 3 MONTHS. DURING THOSE MONTHS, I TOOK TIZANIDINE AT NIGHT - MAYBE 2-3 TIMES A WEEK. I ONLY TAKE TIZANIDINE, NOW, OCCASIONALLY. FIRST, I TRY TO BEAR THE PAIN, AND THEN WHEN I AM "JUST FALLING APART FROM PAIN, FATIGUE, AND STIFFNESS" THEN I TAKE THE MEDICINE. I WILL TAKE MY BLOOD PRESSURE FROM NOW ON IF I HAVE TO RESORT TO TAKING TIZANIDINE OFTEN.

YESTERDAY, SAW A PHYSIATRIST. HE DID A TENDOR POINT EXAM FOR FIBRAMYALGAIA. 18 TRIGGER POINTS. I HAD PAIN IN ALL POINTS. HE HAS CHANGED MY MEDICINE. HE WANTS TO DISCONTINUE DILANTIN 300MG EVERY DAY AND CLONAZEPAM 1 MG EVERYDAY. I WILL SLOWLY DO THIS. AND HE WANTS ME TO TAKE LYRICA. STARTING OUT SLOW 50MG THEN 15OMG AND REASSESS IN TWO MONTHS AND STARTING ELAVIL 25 MG AT NIGHT.

WHAT DO YOU "ALL" THINK ABOUT THIS?

SAMPLES GIVEN TO ME FOR LYRICA. I KNOW ABOUT THESE DRUGS BUT NOT WHAT AFFECT TO HELP MYOTONIA.

HEALTH INSURANCE CALLED. LIMITED AMOUNT WITH PRE- AURTHORIZATION AND 50.00 CO-PAY. (FOR LYRICA)
I HAVE "God Help this Patient" (because we don't GHP)

DOCTOR IN A HURRY. HAD TO KEEP SAYING AS HE CLOSED HIS FOLDER - "WAIT, I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS."

I SPOKE (FAST) ABOUT MYOFASCIAL SYNDROME WITH HIM. TOLD HIM THAT IN DECEMBER A PHYSICAL THERAPIST STATED THAT THE PAIN ACROSS MY BACK COULD BE THIS. HAD A KNOT AND WITH STRETCHING MASSAGE THE PAIN ACROSS "BRA LINE". HAS NOT RETURNED. ALSO, TOLD TO WEAR A SPORTS BRA.

DOCTOR IN A HURRY - "BRUSHED ME OFF"

ASKED HIM HIS OPINION ABOUT THE SIDE EFFECTS WITH QUINOLINE DRUGS (HAD AN ARTICLE WITH ME) "BRUSHED OFF"

ASKED ABOUT 5-HTP FOR MYOFASCIAL PAIN - "BRUSHED OFF WITH ONLY ASKING ME IF IT IS FDA APPROVED?"

Read article on internet from Wikipedia that some persons with fibromyalgia find that 5-HTP improves their symptoms (sleep, depression, and pain) Take under the advice of a medical professional because it raises blood serotonin levels.

Wonder what doctor will listen to me and monitor reaction to this drug?

Took all my records for the last 3 years with me. Doctor was surprised that not once was a CPK done.

How naive of him!

Sharing with you - (because I am always the last to know)

Mayo Clinic study shows - MRE could provide a definitive diagnois for people with muscle pain.
11-28-07 MRE (magnetic resonance elastography) can provide images of the affected muscle with clarity and insight not possible with MRI. Good article to read. Holds promise! Hope we don't have to travel to Mayo Clinic. That trip was expensiveeee.

I just love that all of you are out there to talk to and respond back with you experiences and your "hard learned knowledge."

Will keep you posted on pain relief with Lyrica.

Thanks, Judy

Had to reread this approximately 5 times to correct errors- my brain, eyes, and fingers apparently don't know they are suppose to work together anymore.)

judy,
your post contains so many things i hardly know where to begin in response!...however, as one who takes dilantin, i am curious to know how it worked for you, and if you have sworn it off forever due to side effects...for me, it lessened stiffness for many years but as i entered my late 50s it lost its effectiveness.

Timjoe,

I didn't make myself very clear. I am slowly going to come off Dilantin and try just Lyrica and Elavil. I had no side effects at all with Dilantin. Stiffness got better with it and then stiffness would become worse for days to weeks. Bad and good days with Dilantin. I will say I am hesitate to discontinue it but how will I ever know? The Ps is not knowledgeable about Myotonia. In my experience as a nurse, I found that the majority of the time it took a minimum of 3 drugs to get the patient's symptoms under control.
Doctors and the pharmacist would get a little to quite frustated with me about changing medicines every 2 weeks. But I dealt with their attitudes for my patients. Now that I am " a person with an illness" I expect no less.

Judy,
I would check with your MDA Dr. before I stopped taking the med.'s he/she presribed, and hold off on the Lyrica until you get their OK.