| Rita Joy 2006-09-17, 8:22 am |
| Dear all,
I have been following this link for the last few days, and would like to
throw in my two'pennorth. Our new friends might not know that I am taking
Letrozole for breast cancer. This, and previous drugs, = tamoxifen and
anastrozole, caused my ME symptoms of extreme total body, bone pain,
inflamation, searing headaches, etc., to be so acute as be be unbearable.
One of the reasons I have been quiet on this site lately.
I faxed a letter to the family doc because I was at my wits end, & having
had ME since September 1977, and thought I had tried all the analgesics out
there, including morphine.
I was prescribed Tramadol 3 weeks ago, but when I read the enclosed
pamphlet, I was very wary of taking it, as it was described as an
antidepressant, as all other "antidepressants" in the past had made me very
ill, as I believe I am not a depressive, and any ME depression I experienced
for just a few days was very fleeting, and disappeared overnight. I did a
web search.
I checked with the pharmacist, and he said I could take one dose on waking
for the day, then followed by my usual painkillers = Codydramol and
dihydrocodeine, plus one 300 mg Aspirin every 12 hours (aids the efficacy of
ER positive cancer therapy).
I took one capsule. No effect. One and a half hours later I took a second
pill = one dose. It had an immediate effect and within half an hour I was
pain free for the first time in years, and especially the last 2 years and
ten months of cancer pills. It was a blessing. The pain returned after
3.1/2 hours, (too much activity?), but I achieved a great deal in those few
hours. It was great to feel normal. After three days of this, I tried a
second dose 6 hours later, and could not sleep! Got to sleep at 5.30 am.,
the following morning, so that did not work, and lack of sleep obviously
increased my pain levels, so that idea went out the window.
I had ceased taking Venlafaxine in January, prescribed for 20 months for hot
flushes on the cancer therapy, after I was very badly burnt during Radiation
Therapy, and I was still experiencing hot flushes anyway, which woke me.
Venlafaxine, I believe, detrimentally affected my emotional lability, and I
feel better for not taking it. Venlafaxine did not ease my pain. (Remember
this, folks, re: Rad Burning on this drug.).
Now, is my pain free state due to a single dose only of Tramadol at the
beginning of my day, (I try to sleep every morning to have afternoons and
evenings free) or is it a combination of one dose of Tramadol, Mangosteen
Juice, a very high alkaline diet, (raw spinach, celery, etc)????. Cancers
lurve acid blood. As I commenced Mangosteen Juice six weeks ago, and
Tramadol 3 weeks ago, I have no comparison.
.. Go to: http://www.ajpip.com/resources/alkaline_food_list.htm.
Some days since then, even though I am continually resting, - not moving
too much - I still have pain early evening, but on lazy days I can skip a
dose of Co-dydramol. I was forced to do a huge grocery shop for 3 hours
last Wednesday, (larder empty!) and was stiff and inflamed on my return
home. At 6.30 pm., I really did need Co-dydramol and rested all evening, but
was also bad the following day.
Some of you know the extreme anger I feel with having undiagnosed contra
lateral breast cancer, the effects of the cancer therapy, and also
discovering that ME was Coded by The World Health Organisation in 1969, G
93.3, & I was not diagnosed for six and a half years, and learning all this
when I bought my computer. The Tramadol has eased this rage somewhat, and I
feel more calm. Is it a Catch-22 situation,- anger causes stress causes
inflamation causes pain causes stress ad infinitum, or have I broken the
chain with just one dose of Tramadol?
Maybe my experience may help others, if you have not tested Tramadol. My
regime might suit you. I do not believe we are depressives, and any
depression is caused by the illness, not the other way round. Being forced
to live our lifestyle, after being the life and soul of the party, would
depress anyone.
Any thoughts on this theory? Regards Rita U.K.
"Ginny Remeika" <remeika@MEGALINK.NET> wrote in message news:
<450C7226.6010008@megalink.net>...
> Maria,
> I have severe major depression, but pretty well controlled now with meds
> and therapy. I take both Lexapro (once 20 mg, now down to 10 mg) plus
> the L-Tryptophan. The tryptophan allows me to take much less Lexapro
> (and, previously, Prozac) than I would have to without it. Before I
> took it (and before it 5HTP) I had to take both 80 mg. of Prozac,
> generally the highest standard dose, plus Effexor. Effexor is very
> activating, though, and agravated my sleep problems. With l-tryptophan
> I was able to go off the Effexor plus reduce the Prozac. All this is
> over quite a few years, with the help of a great therapist and a good
> psychiatrist for the prescriptions. A holistic psychiatrist suggested
> the l-tryptophan when I could no longer tolerate 5HTP.
>
> Obviously this is only my experience; yours may be quite different and
> you must be extremely careful about reducing anti-depressants.
>
> Ginny
> Maine
>
> mf wrote:
>
anti-depressants? I take Effexor, Klonopin and Serequel for sleep. I would
love to be able to come off of Effexor for depression due to the side
effects but not sure if L-Tryp would be potent enough??[vbcol=seagreen]
>
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