Looking for the best lifestyle changes to reduce symptoms

I don’t have experience with those conditions, but I hope you’ll get some input here. I have had improved health with good nutrition and exercise since last year. It’s made a big difference.

God Bless You. I have had fibromyalgia for 29 years and recently diagnosed with a lot of osteoarthritis, long COVID. both, thyroid diseases (Hashimotos & Graves). I also battle chronic asthma, allergies, sinus infections & migraines & IBS-C. I am prone to asthmatic bronchitis and pneumonia since having COVID.

I only take Flexeril (Prescription) for Fibromyalgia. I am ultra sensitive to medication and cannot take NSAIDS, so I take Tylenol for pain. I do Epsom Salt Hot baths, have my spouse to rub my back down with Voltaren Gel and I use one of those Bed Buddy Heatpacks (Amazon).

Caffeine, Sugar & Aspartame are not good for Fibromyalgia. Eat a high protein diet with green leafy vegetables and some complex carbs.....very low simple carbs. Drinks lots of water to stay hydrated and its good for your bones.

A massage helps greatly, but, you have to find the right person that deals with fibromyalgia patients. My massage therapist massages my back and shoulders down with Voltaren gel and it helps so much.

The best exercise for Fibromyalga is water aerobics or walking. No weight bearing. Stretch in the a.m. when you get up (I know mornings are the hardest, right?) and if need be, take a hot shower to warm up your muscles.

I take a lot of vitamins. It's especially important to keep your B12 & D3 balanced as they can make you hurt or be more fatigued if they are low.

The jury is still out as to whether or not I have another autoimmune disease. Some of my levels are still high for inflammation.

I have found that arthritis & thyroid disease went along with my Fibromyalgia.

I can plan do something with someone, but, I can't always go if I am having a hard day. My family & friends understand.

I am praying for you as I know how hard this is. Keep me posted. I empathize and I care. Hugs....

@csec01
In addition to the wonderful suggestions from @covidstinks2023, anything you can do to reduce stress and inflammation is critical. Check the best diets to follow to reduce inflammation and autoimmune triggers. Good sleep, gentle exercise, relaxation and meditation, mental health support for chronic pain, supplements that support your health/energy levels, plan your schedule around your energy levels (do most important things when you have the most energy and prioritize your daily “to do” list), let others know when you need help (many don’t understand our suffering because it is invisible to them but felt internally by us), etc. Make sure to advocate for yourself and don’t let others dismiss you and your symptoms as being “only in your head” and due to being female and blaming everything on hormones or anxiety/depression. Research all you can on your conditions on credible sites (like Mayo Clinis and Cleveland Clinic) and get updated information. Did you have COVID or the vaccines? Have you been getting worse over time?

Thank you very much for your response! I actually had Covid 4 times and each time was terrible. I did not get the vaccines. I have always been somewhat immunocompromised but didn’t think the risks were worth it as I have had bad reactions to the Flu vaccine and others as well.

I have been taking Vitamin B12 and magnesium supplements but I personally have not had any improvement in my symptoms even though everyone I know swears by it🫠

Cutting sugar and gluten both are my next steps at this point but I’m not sure how to go about identifying the ingredients and also what to replace them with for certain staple foods.

Thank you so much for your response and information! & also for your kind words. I have done supplements for vitamins and I personally don’t see any relief of any symptoms. I take Tylenol arthritis occasionally but I was put on ~5000mg of ibuprofen for years in high school rather than finding out what was wrong and it made me have lots of problems during them so I’m very iffy on meds anymore.

I actually did water aerobics for a few months and loved it so I might have to see if there’s anything around here to get back into that!

Doing things to benefit myself is also very hard and rare. I am a single mother to a recently turned 2 year old and I currently work 50 hours a week just to get by. The stress is not helping anything but idk what else to do. I’m medically only released for 10 hours a week but there’s no way I can survive on that and I’m not a likely candidate for disability yet so I’m just trying to get by and do the best to take care of both of us.

@csec01
I am also a single parent of a 14 year old son with no family and hard to juggle everything when you also have health issues so I can empathize with your situation. Hang in there.

Here are some links:

csec01, Wow! You have a plate full dear lady. I am so sorry.

Sometimes I find that a pharmacist can recommend good advice for vitamins for medical issues. Just a thought.

Have you seen a rheumatologist by chance? Sometimes primary physicians are not very versed in treating fibromyalgia.

I am praying right now for you. Please keep me updated. I care. Blessings & Hugs....

Look up the Auto Immune Protocol Diet online. I followed it for 60 days and afterwards found that sugar was a main trigger for my inflammation and symptoms of fatigue, leg cramps and numbness. Good luck to you! Keep us informed as you seek answers on your health journey.

Due away with caffeine and all sugar. Fruits okay processed sugar causes more pain and so does the caffeine. I drink caffeine in a lot of pain.

I have and she agreed with me that medication isn’t the right route for me. We tried hydroxycloroquine but I didn’t care for it after a few months so we stopped it. I will check with a pharmacist though! That’s a good suggestion. Thank you!