Living with the Side Effects of Medication: A Journey Through Pain Relief
Navigating life with a chronic illness is a mammoth task, made even more challenging when you throw long-term medication into the mix. As someone managing fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), I’ve developed a toxic yet close relationship with my medication. On the surface, they offer hope. Relief. The possibility of feeling “normal,” even for just a few hours.
But what lies beneath that relief is an entire catalogue of side effects—ones that can sometimes feel as debilitating as the illness itself. As a mum with a chronic illness, I’ve had to find ways to cope not only with the illness but also with what the treatment brings along for the ride.
The Balancing Act of Pain Management
In my quest for pain relief, I’ve tried countless medications. Some gave me brief moments of peace. Others made everything worse. The hardest truth I’ve learned? The medication that promises relief can come with a toll, dizziness, blurry vision, dry mouth, dry eyes, constipation, and a persistent sense of exhaustion.
Each new prescription comes with a sense of hope… and a hidden price tag. Living with these side effects isn’t just inconvenient; it’s another full-time job on top of managing my chronic conditions.
Dizziness: The World on a Tilt
One of the most persistent and unsettling side effects I experience is dizziness. Sometimes it’s a slow spin, other times a jolt of disorientation that sends me clutching furniture or walls for balance. On bad days, I feel like I’m living on a boat in stormy waters.
The scariest part? The dizziness doesn’t just make me feel off-balance—it drains my already limited energy, worsening the chronic fatigue that’s a hallmark of ME/CFS. What’s meant to help me manage pain ends up amplifying the exhaustion instead.
What helps:
Getting up slowly and avoiding quick movements
Staying hydrated
Using a walking stick on wobbly days
Talking to my doctor about blood pressure and adjusting dosages
Fatigue: The Unrelenting Companion
As anyone with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome knows, fatigue isn’t just “tiredness.” It’s a bone-deep, mind-numbing fog that swallows your entire being. Now, imagine adding medication-induced fatigue to the mix.
There are days when I cancel plans, not because I don’t want to see friends or family, but because the effort of simply getting out of bed feels impossible. As a mum with a chronic illness, these moments are soul-crushing. I want to be present for my kids, not stuck in bed listening to life happen without me.
Dry Mouth & Dry Eyes: The Constant Irritation
Dry mouth may seem like a small inconvenience, but when it’s relentless, it becomes another barrier to wellness. I sip water constantly, but the thirst lingers. It affects how I eat, speak, and even sleep.
Dry eyes, on the other hand, make screen time nearly unbearable. As a writer, that’s especially hard. Reading, writing, and scrolling all bring discomfort. Sometimes I’m forced to step away from the stories and tasks that once brought me joy.
My go-to solutions:
Sugar-free lozenges and mouth sprays
Preservative-free artificial tears for daily relief
Up-to-date glasses prescription and scheduled screen breaks
Blurry Vision: When the World Becomes Hazy
Another unwelcome guest is blurry vision, an unpredictable fog that rolls in without warning. I often find myself squinting at screens or re-reading the same sentence three times. It’s more than just visual; it messes with my ability to focus and think clearly.
As a mum, there’s also the safety concern. Cooking, driving, and even helping with homework become tasks I second-guess myself on. It feels like losing control of yet another part of my life.
What helps:
Regular eye check-ups
Taking frequent breaks
Using magnifying settings on my phone and laptop
Constipation: The Silent Struggle
It’s not pretty, and it’s certainly not often talked about, but constipation is one of the most common and frustrating side effects of strong pain medications. For me, it started quietly. I’d feel bloated, sluggish, and just generally uncomfortable. At first, I brushed it off. But before long, it became a regular (and miserable) part of my routine, one I couldn’t ignore any longer.
Ironically, I now have to take another medication just to counteract the side effects of the first. It’s like a domino effect, one solution creating a new problem. This constant juggling act is something many people with chronic illness can relate to.
But over time, through trial and error, I discovered some small but effective strategies that help ease the burden:
Drinking plenty of water – Hydration is key, especially when pain meds slow everything down. I keep a bottle with me at all times and sip throughout the day.
Eating fibre-rich foods – I try to incorporate oats, leafy greens, and other whole plant foods into every meal to encourage regular digestion.
Magnesium citrate – With my doctor’s approval, I take a gentle magnesium supplement daily to help support bowel movements naturally.
Gentle movement – On days when my body allows, light yoga, stretching, or even a short walk helps stimulate my digestive system.
Constipation may seem like a minor annoyance to some, but for those of us dealing with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) or fibromyalgia, even small discomforts can quickly snowball into major disruptions. Managing this one side effect feels like winning a small battle, and in the world of chronic illness, those small wins matter.
Hair and Skin: Subtle but Emotional
When you're focused on simply making it through the day—managing pain, pacing yourself, and juggling energy levels—it’s easy to overlook the more subtle changes. But after a while, I started noticing something that didn’t feel quite right. My once-thick, healthy hair was losing volume, becoming brittle, limp, and prone to breakage. My skin, too, seemed to change overnight—dry, flaky, and irritated, no matter how religiously I moisturised.
At first, I chalked it up to stress or lack of sleep. But soon I realised these were likely side effects of my medication. It’s easy to dismiss these issues as "just cosmetic," but for someone living with chronic illness, especially as a mum with a chronic illness, they chip away at your sense of self. When I looked in the mirror and barely recognised the person staring back, I realised this was a quiet form of grief. A reminder that ME/CFS and chronic fatigue syndrome don’t just impact your health—they touch every part of your identity.
Here are a few gentle, realistic changes that have helped me care for my hair and skin while living with these challenges:
Switching to gentle, fragrance-free skincare – My skin became hyper-sensitive, so I swapped out anything heavily perfumed or harsh. Creams designed for eczema or sensitive skin have become staples in my routine.
Scalp massage and nourishing oils – A few minutes of scalp massage with argan or rosemary oil has helped stimulate circulation and reduce breakage. It also feels wonderfully soothing—like a small act of self-love.
Low-stress hairstyles – I’ve ditched tight ponytails. Instead, I opt for loose braids or buns that reduce tension on my scalp and protect fragile strands.
Hydration – It seems simple, but it makes a difference. Drinking more water helps not just with energy, but with skin elasticity and overall vitality.
These changes may seem small, but they’ve helped me feel more in control and more like myself. That’s the thing with chronic illness: it often asks us to reimagine self-care in a way that’s less about pampering and more about preservation. And I’m learning that preserving the little things, like how I feel in my own skin, is just as important as managing the big symptoms.
Finding a New Normal
Here I am, still on this journey, living with chronic illness, managing ME/CFS, navigating motherhood, and constantly weighing the benefits of pain relief against the impact of side effects. It's a delicate balancing act.
But I've learned the importance of communication. I now speak up more during appointments. I ask about alternatives. I track side effects in a journal and bring that information with me to consultations. We are not just passive recipients of care, we’re partners in our own wellness.
If You're Struggling, You’re Not Alone
If you're reading this and nodding along, just know, you’re not alone. Whether you're navigating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, fibromyalgia, or another chronic illness, the road is hard. And the side effects of medication are often the silent battles we fight alone.
But with small, consistent changes, open conversations, and a whole lot of self-compassion, it is possible to find relief, and even joy, in the spaces between the struggle.
Let’s keep sharing. Keep advocating. Keep adapting. Because even when our bodies feel like battlegrounds, we still have the power to shape our own story.
About me
I am a married mother of four children. One of those four children is our granddaughter, for whom we are SGO (legal guardians)/kinship carers. I run a small business and enjoy writing, so I blog. My blog focuses on my family life as well as my experiences of living with chronic illnesses and disabilities such as ME/CFS, spinal stenosis, chronic pain, and fibromyalgia. Oh, and I am only in my mid-40s.
