Pam's Continuing Saga
Question:
Hi, Everyone: I have been away for a while so I thought I would catch ya’ll up on what’s been happening and also ask for whatever input you might think helpful. I believe I *left* the group right after my GP told me to "learn to live with the pain" and *not pay soooo much attention to it!* After *firing* him I took myself to my gynocologist – assuming that since the neurologist diagnosed my migraine as *hormonal* the next logical doctor would be the one who deals with my other hormonal parts (resist the urge to comment on that line, Bob!!) He took me off all hormones to see what would happen to the migraine and I continued to take 50 mg of amiltriptyline as a preventative. The migraine – thankfully – subsided, but in place of a migraine I found my body would ache, become uncoordinated (especially my legs), and I had a daily headache although it was no longer a migraine. I was referred to a pain clinic by the gynolcologist after having a #10 migraine break through. The pain clinic doctor was a very nice guy – compassion in a white jacket finally!! – He diagnosed me with Myofacial Pain Disorder Syndrome and put me on 10mg of Paxil per day, Soma for spasming back muscles brought on by the 110+ day migraine and as a sleep aid, skelaxin during the day. He also stated that he believes the coordination problem with my legs is a side effect of the amitriptyline and is reducing my dose of that medication in hopes of halting that side effect. My questions are these: Has anyone ever heard of amitriptyline causing muscle uncoordination? What are the side effects of Paxil? – I have searched the net but can not find a site listing the side effects. Also, does anyone have a suggestion for what this odd set of symptoms might be other than MPDS? I ask because my chiropractor thinks I may have Fibromyalgia. My dentist seems to think it is a condition called *Wilson’s Syndrome*. Another person has suggested I may be allergic to the metal in my dental work. It seems there are so many possibilities and I don’t know how to help myself figure out what is going on with my body. I do know that what the pain clinic doctor has suggested does not seem to be working although it has only been three weeks since I put myself in his care. Any and all input would be greatly appreciated. I have missed ya’ll!! With love, kindness, and gratitude, Pam K.
Response:
Welcome back Pam, Although I have to say I wish that things were bettre for you so you didn’t have to be here. What a sad trip you have been on. It’s never good news to hear that there really isn’t anything that can be doen but treat the symptoms. I was referred to a pain clinic by the gynolcologist after having a #10 migraine break through. The pain clinic doctor was a very nice guy – compassion in a white jacket finally!! – He diagnosed me with Myofacial Pain Disorder Syndrome and put me on 10mg of Paxil per day, Soma for spasming back muscles brought on by the 110+ day migraine and as a sleep aid, skelaxin during the day. He also stated that he believes the coordination problem with my legs is a side effect of the amitriptyline and is reducing my dose of that medication in hopes of halting that side effect. My questions are these: Has anyone ever heard of amitriptyline causing muscle uncoordination? What are the side effects of Paxil? – I have searched the net but can not find a site listing the side effects.
I had no truble finding Paxil. I have on my web site a page just for medical references. I useed RXlist and came up with it quite easily. The url for the page on my site is http://www.softcom.net/users/wavsrus/pharm.html It has several placs you can go to look things up but I have to admit I have my favorites and RXList is one of them. If you do a search again on the web try searching for it by it’s generic name, Paroxetine. Anyway you are looking for the side effects here is what I found but remember everyone is different..you may get all of these or none of these: Twenty-one percent (881/4,126) of Paroxetine patients in worldwide clinical trials discontinued treatment due to an adverse event. The most common events (/=1%) associated with discontinuation and considered to be drug related (i.e., those events associated with dropout at a rate approximately twice or greater for Paroxetine compared to placebo) included: CNS Somnolence 2.3% Insomnia 1.9% Agitation 1.3% Tremor 1.3% Anxiety 1.1% GASTROINTESTINAL Nausea 3.4% Diarrhea 1.0% Dry mouth 1.0% Vomiting 1.0% OTHER Asthenia 1.7% Abnormal ejaculation 1.6% Sweating 1.1% INCIDENCE IN CONTROLLED TRIALS COMMONLY OBSERVED ADVERSE EVENTS IN CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIALS: The most commonly observed adverse events associated with the use of paroxetine (incidence of 5% or greater and incidence for Paroxetine at least twice that for placebo, derived from 1% table below) were: asthenia, sweating, nausea, decreased appetite, somnolence, dizziness, insomnia, tremor, nervousness, ejaculatory disturbance and other male genital disorders. ADVERSE EVENTS OCCURRING AT AN INCIDENCE OF 1% OR MORE AMONG PAROXETINE-TREATED PATIENTS: The table that follows enumerates adverse events that occurred at an incidence of 1% or more among paroxetine-treated patients who participated in short-term (6-week) placebo-controlled trials in which patients were dosed in a range of 20 to 50 mg/day. Reported adverse events were classified using a standard COSTART-based Dictionary terminology. The prescriber should be aware that these figures cannot be used to predict the incidence of side effects in the course of usual medical practice where patient characteristics and other factors differ from those which prevailed in the clinical trials. Similarly, the cited frequencies cannot be compared with figures obtained from other clinical investigations involving different treatments, uses and investigators. The cited figures, however, do provide the prescribing physician with some basis for estimating the relative contribution of drug and nondrug factors to the side effect incidence rate in the population studied. Also, does anyone have a suggestion for what this odd set of symptoms might be other than MPDS? I ask because my chiropractor thinks I may have Fibromyalgia.
I believe MPDS is somehow related to fibro but I can’t swear to it, I’m still a newbie to fibro. There is a lot of information on fibro at my site url: http://www.softcom.net/users/wavsrus/fms.html I dont’ know a lot about MPDS other than it is extremely painful and my heart goes out to you. My dentist seems to think it is a condition called *Wilson’s Syndrome*. Another person has suggested I may be allergic to the metal in my dental work. It seems there are so many possibilities and I don’t know how to help myself figure out what is going on with my body. I do know that what the pain clinic doctor has suggested does not seem to be working although it has only been three weeks since I put myself in his care.
Every body wants to be the one that "diagnoses" you. Try to keep an open mind find out what they are talking about and then you decide and take it back to your doctor (the nice guy). You know your symptoms best pam…remember that. Any and all input would be greatly appreciated. I have missed ya’ll!! With love, kindness, and gratitude, Pam K.
Well Pam we missed you too and I hope I have been of some help. Please feel free to write me if you need anything Karen
Response:
Do you clench your teeth at night? It took me 30 years before I found this info applied to me. I now feel I could have FM too from the years of clenching. Some good info is at http://www.h-p-i.com go to the part "Splitting the Headache" Hope it might help!
Response:
Hi Pam I am no expert on the subject, but I am a dental technician,metal being my speciality,but the chances of the metal(Amalgam) being the cause of your headaches is 1 in 10000,really ,but I would say give Alicia’s tip on the mouth appliance a bash,It has’nt by no means cured mine,but those morning headaches have certainly eased up. Charlotte *. Another person has suggested I may be allergic to the metal in my dental work.
Snipped: There are a very small number of people who become sensitive to the mercury, which is contained in the fillings (amalgam). This is rare, but some people do build up "toxic" levels of mercury. A simple blood test to measure the mercury levels in ones body should either confirm or dispute this possiblity. There a a few dentists in the country, who remove old fillings and replace them with porcelain (sp?), which is EXTREMELY costly and painful. Please go for a simple blood test before considering any drastic, expensive procedures. Mary Mary
Response:
Hi Pam I am no expert on the subject, but I am a dental technician,metal being my speciality,but the chances of the metal(Amalgam) being the cause of your headaches is 1 in 10000,really ,but I would say give Alicia’s tip on the mouth appliance a bash,It has’nt by no means cured mine,but those morning headaches have certainly eased up. Charlotte *. Another person has suggested I may be allergic to the metal in – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – my dental work. It seems there are so many possibilities and I don’t know how to help myself figure out what is going on with my body. I do know that what the pain clinic doctor has suggested does not seem to be working although it has only been three weeks since I put myself in his care. Any and all input would be greatly appreciated. I have missed ya’ll!! With love, kindness, and gratitude, Pam K.
