Thank you for reminding me what at times has helped! Sometimes I can't remember all that I've tried.

@jamesthee You took the words out of my mouth! I went from carrying a sheet of paper to now carrying my own home medical file for my conditions and treatments with me to doctor appointments. For instance, if my visit is about fibromyalgia, I take a folder on everything I take, have taken or done for fibro. I noticed that you posted a while ago about leg and thigh pain. What have you discovered as the cause?

I'll check it out. I'm sick of it all. My family and friends dont understand it. They think im a hypochondriac. Lately I've been suffering from inflammation everywhere. Even my stomach! Istarted getting horrible squeezing pain around my stomach area. Ive had enough! Test after test..I'm tired!

I have had fibro now for 12 years , it showed it s ugly head about a year after my husband died , I have tried a ton of meds and most do not work well or they make me sick ,,,, I am allergic or have bad reactions to most medications ...I do take hydrocodone/acphiminom 2 a day one in the morning and half about 4 pm and another half at night with clonazepam and vit D and aspirin and atorvastatin for cholesterol , I wanted to say that fibro is notorious for making people not react well with meds, I have heard it is a typical symptom, also does anyone here get swollen hands in the mornings or when they lay down ? I just started this and never had this problem before but now its terrible , my fingers feel like small sausages in the morning or when I lay down for a nap which I dread doing because I have to start the 2 hr process all over again of waking up , but if I don't I am just to tired to function. My hands and arms hurt so badly I have a hard time even moving in the morning ......About your stomach area, my Dr says that fibro can also react with muscles in your stomach area and isn't just our outer muscles that we usually feel the most , but I have had stomach pain every morning for years , and the Dr told me to take one Imodium AD , sometimes I take two ,,,it stops the stomach pain and works really well.....and it doesn't constipate me , you could try it though as it is inexpensive and may help you . Check first that it wont effect any of your other medications . Lots of love and peace from pain to all .

@michiganstressedlady, I have been treating my fibro with acupuncture. I just started in early January, it's definitely working for me. Walking also helps, along with muscle massage (I cannot take pain medications because, genetically, I don't properly-metabolize them.)

This now leads me to the following... I'm interested in your comments regarding "I am allergic or have bad reactions to most medications" and "making people not react well with meds." After years of not reacting well to medications, last year, I asked Mayo to evaluate me for drug hypersensitivity. (For years, my home doctors had been trying to treat my fibro with tons of meds and kept increasing dosages and adding meds to my regimen in efforts to treat my pain -- and none of them worked -- I also had swollen hands and ample GI pain.) Mayo ran Pharmacogenomics testing on me, and they found that I don't properly-metabolize many medications, and I was born this way. Basically, all of the meds that my home doctors had been treating me with, in addition to my BP medication and GERD medication, were making me incredibly ill. I ceased the vast majority of these meds, and Mayo found alternatives for the other meds, and in the past year I've lost ~50 pounds, the significant majority of my symptoms have completely disappeared, and my pain is less. Without a doubt, these tests saved my life, and I now know that my daughters will never have to go through what I went through for 12 years.

Here's some info regarding the testing I had:
• Drug-Gene testing: http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/center-for-individualized-medicine/drug-gene-testing.asp
• Pharmacogenomics Program: http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/center-for-individualized-medicine/pharmacogenomics.asp

Awesome news!

How do you get an appointment? I've had problems with most of the medications prescribed to me, and I would like to know if it is a metabolic issue on my part. Regards, robbinr

@robbinr You can submit via this web site form (http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/center-for-individualized-medicine/contact-form.asp) or call them at the phone number listed on the page.

KDubois,
That is such positive, encouraging words for me. I am definitely going to read the links you posted.

I am in NE Texas (Longview) and the closest larger cities are Shreveport, La., Tyler, Tx and the Dallas-Ft Worth areas. They all have large teaching hospitals/universities, but I've a lot less energy than I used to have when it comes to driving to see a doctor, although Shreveport and Tyler are only an hour away.
Thanks again gor the information.
God bless.

Yes, Dr. Weil has good ideas. I have been doing this type of breathing for many years. It is similar to yoga breathing.