Gosh, all of this is my problem, HAS BEEN my problem, or confronts me at one time or another! The answer - from my perspective - is that you have to KISS A GAZILLION FROGS before you get to the prince! (princess!)
when I got my Fibromyalgia diagnosis, 2004, I really didn't believe it. When I solved some other problems it entirely retreated. Eventually, it returned. but it goes away. Brain Fog - went away when I started taking L-Carnitine (I have a deficiency) and STOPPED eating Gluten and Lactose! I have had many joint replacements now. I've had severe migrane/trimengial neuralgia which was ENTIRELY caused by a fractured wisdom tooth which eventually had a catastrophic break. Just had another wisdom tooth break and had them remove it yesterday. I am in P.T. for the millionth time for whiplash - which is probably a permanent condition now.
I use acupuncture, deep myofascial tissue release (MFR section here); I take low dose opioid (Percocet for tailbone pain) and RFA for facet joint stenosis. I have half dose of every cortisone/epidural treatment and space them out to not more than a couple times a year and skip years. I love the toroidal and have full dose and space that out to a couple times a year and then wait for years. All the steroid injections are bad for you. But if you gauge them and spread them out they are great. but you have to change any bad habits you may have. I've used natural medicines and western medicines. I use the shit out of my doctors but they love that I do my homework. I fight for what I find. (it takes a lot of time!) I've done this for 30 years and I am still deteriorating and still fixing. It is a consuming lifestyle and no one sees what goes on behind my front door - which is constant work like a full-time job! I challenge my doctors and I get rid of the lazy ones. The good ones just don't have the time for us and so YOU MUST DO HOMEWORK!!!!
You must prioritize your problems.
You must not give up.
A lot of my problems are due to wanting to continue my physical work at age 67. I create my own misery by wanting to do something my body won't support. I am writing all of this so I can SEE my own transition. I create some of my own problems. I have no more hormones so I can't build muscles. I am considering returning to HRT (bioidenticals) but its so hard to find the right doctor. I am questioning the idea of "letting go" of wanting to work. So I think you have to look at your lifestyle.
My arthritis is my biggest nightmare. (OA) but just a couple days ago someone here wrote about tart cherry pills. (I drink Black Cherry Juice concoction for years when I have a gout onset. And when I get full body inflammation from exertion. Used to do that once a year if that. Recently I am doing it on an ongoing basis. But I thought I would try the capsules because I am not sure about the effects on my glucose.
Miracle of miracles!!! I am waking up and my body aches and whole body inflammation are 90% diminished. Too soon to know if it will last. But I'll take it for the time it works!
I have taken Celebrex as needed for 20 years but it stopped working.
I read a lot here and get ideas. But sometimes I imagine I have everything posted! I have to be selective. I try to help. Sometimes now, I just have to stop. That scares me. But what is the problem with stopping for 10 minutes, 30 minutes or an hour? I earned it, did I not? I probably ruined my body from overworking when young. My aging body is not supporting me well. I have to acknowledge that. My day job has been somewhat replaced by my attention to my medical needs.
Nerve medications (Lyrica, gabapentin, Cymbalta) work so well for some, even my dog! but not for me. The low dose opioid fixes my tailbone aches and nothing more.
The fibromyalgia I've determined - in my body is NERVE-related pain. Walking, circulation, rest, stretching, relation, light resistance exercises, and deep breathing - opening the body and not shutting it down works wonders! I've learned over 20 years to tap into my deepest intuitions. Finding good practioners like acupuncture and MFR are worth their weight in gold. I use the local acupuncture college to save money.
There are some pains that are now permanent. Low-dose opioid permits me to work and be optimistic about my life. Knowing - acknowledging - that my aging body NEEDS attention (I wish it didn't) is part of this.
The most challenging part of my existence is the degenerative disc condition. It means nerves get compressed. Those nerves talk to other nerves and ergo the Fibromyalgia. (I use topicals like BioFreeze, 3% Diclofenec and Asprecreme. I look at my ancestors - they were all shut down with their "Rheumatism" in their 60s. Unfortunately, I am coming to grips with "I got it." When I had my joint replacement surgeries a lot of my fibromyalgia stopped. The impinged nerves were released.
I could write tons more but I'll stop, saying this is a personal journey and it takes devotion, and frustration, and if you have a good week, day, hour, minute - be prepared for that to change on a dime. (WEATHER is a biggie for me!). Let me know if any of this was helpful or rings a bell or if you found it comforting. Thx!