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DiscussionHave you found anything to successfully treat fibromyalgia pain?
Fibromyalgia | Last Active: Mar 13, 2023 | Replies (115)Comment receiving replies
Replies to "Looking for updated comments from anyone with Fibromyalgia on how you deal with the pain and..."
@ripley Hello, what I am about to say is probably going to cause a chorus of protests, but I am just reporting my personal experience.
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, in addition to arthritis, 30 years ago. At the time, it was a horrendously controversial diagnosis, and probably 80% of the medical community didn't believe it was real. My doc at the time confessed that she also had it, and that like me, she had a demanding career and 2 young children, so bed rest or even "taking it easy" was not an option.
Her prescription was make time for adequate sleep and regular (at least 4X a week) exercise, no matter how fatigued I felt. She also gave me amitryptilin (stopped 10 years ago as contraindicated for people over 60) to help with sleep. I incorporated this into my life and managed to keep going - sometimes not very happily, until I was able to retire.
5 years ago I became ill with a serious lung infection & bronchiectasis that knocked me out of action for 2 years, and I became a couch potato & a ball of pain. Pain meds were no help, and ruining my stomach.
In 2020, I decided this was NO WAY to live - I went to the pain management clinic that is part of our large multidisciplinary medical practice. After 6 hard months, I was back in action, and have continued to improve.
The prescription? Visualization, meditation (still working on that), diet, sleep, stretching and daily exercise. The only pain med I take is a low dose of Cymbalta and occasional ibuprofen for a headache.
If I skip stretching any day, or exercise for more than a day, all my trigger points flare. Then I make myself go for a brisk walk or otherwise get moving - even though I want to lay down and curl up in a ball of misery.
Don't give up - look into a fibro or pain management program - they can be hard to find, but worth it. Do not think a "pain clinic" is the same - check it out - many of them rely on finding "the right combination of medication" - not what you need.
Have you asked about finding help?
Sue