1. < Fibromyalgia

Managing fibromyalgia

Posted by mrs artavia @mrsartavia, Aug 29, 2013

Hello everyone, I am looking for anyone who suffers from fibromyalgia and can suggest healing methods, medication and I would like to compare symptoms. Mine feels as if I had the flu, headache, joint aches, terribly tired, pain around the glands, stomach pain, low back. If lyou can please write with any comment or suggestion for relief, or any idea what causes it I will appreciate it thank you.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Fibromyalgia Support Group.

disgusted | @disgusted | Jul 20, 2016

You really need to find something that works for you. There are a lot of things out there. In my experience three trips to Mayo Clinic was a complete waste of my time and hard-earned money. A good local GP was much more effective and I have been able to function normally for the past nine years as a result.

REPLY
disgusted | @disgusted | Jul 20, 2016
In reply to @juneia "What you describe I know very well. Just once I would like to wake up without..." + (show)
@juneia

What you describe I know very well. Just once I would like to wake up without pain and not feel I could do with more sleep. Thankfully my doctor tries his best. I have restless legs also with all the other things you have. My doctor prescribed Sinemet for my legs. It is a Parkinson medication-but I can still get where my legs jerk and the pain is terrific. So the best thing I have is a narcotic. If I don't take pain meds. to go to bed I am up trying to walk the feeling off and waiting for the pain meds. to take effect. Depression is a hard thing to manage so I have antidepressants too. My doctor feels that older people don't seem to get addicted as quickly younger people do. And what the heck at 86 what does it matter. Although I haven't so far. My children think I should try medical marijuana but my doctor says the pain killer I have is better for me.One thing I have found out when in pain rocking myself back and forth on the bed helps. Also I have knelt down as in prayer and put my head and shoulders well up on the bed and actually slept. I can't get in and out of a tub but before when I could use the tub I have found relief of pain just lying in the warm water. Fibromyalgia is a miserable thing and can be a handicap as far as having to work. I keep saying to myself I am glad it is not cancer.It doesn't help the pain but --you try anything when you have Fibromyalgia. It is the tiredness that beats you even if you have killed the pain. I just know some days I will have to sleep all day and then go to bed and sleep all night. I haven't helped much but it helped to talk about it. Take care. By the way Lyrica caused me more pain and I was really depressed. Scary.

Jump to this post

I second your recommendation for gabapentin. It has made all the difference in the world for me. I am taking the same dosage as you.

REPLY
robbinr | @robbinr | Jul 20, 2016

How nice for you that you had a competent GP! That is often, in fact, rarely the case. First, they think you are a nut case, then they think you just want drugs. I have found over the course of my now 30 year journey with the diagnosis of Fibro - Drugs Rarely help. You have to find the thing that broke you in the first place, then fix it. I know it sounds harsh, but adding a plethora of chemicals to an already compromised system just confuses and be fuddles the brain. Pain is just pain...find the mantra to deal with it, and move on to a better state of health. Doctors often know shit about why some people hurt and others don't. We all experience pain in an individual way.
Remembering that Pain is just a sensation that your mind can overcome with mindful attention is a powerful tool.

REPLY
disgusted | @disgusted | Jul 20, 2016

The "thing that broke me" was insomnia. After scrupulously avoiding all medications for it, it worsened and worsened. Many well-meaning friends gave me their advice, which usually was "Just go to bed, close your eyes, and go to sleep." Well, needless to say, that failed to work. Then the pain set in, steadily growing worse and worse.

I have a medical condition that needs to be treated medically. Some forms of chronic pain can be alleviated via pschological means. That is fine, but that is not my case. If you find that you can manage your pain without medication, so much the better. I can't. I am grateful that, in spite of Mayo Clinic, I am functioning normally now.

REPLY
1langla | @1langla | Jul 20, 2016

It's challenging coping with not being able 2 sleep @ times.I've chronic pain 2.That's 2 bad.Yes.My pain's hard 2 cope with.Good.

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jul 20, 2016

Welcome to Connect, @disgusted.
Sleep is so integral to our health. I think you might be interested in the discussion that @johnwburns started called Autoimmune Diseases and Fatigue https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/autoimmune-diseases-and-fatigue/

How have you been able to manage your insomnia successfully?

REPLY
1langla | @1langla | Jul 20, 2016
In reply to @juneia "What you describe I know very well. Just once I would like to wake up without..." + (show)
@juneia

What you describe I know very well. Just once I would like to wake up without pain and not feel I could do with more sleep. Thankfully my doctor tries his best. I have restless legs also with all the other things you have. My doctor prescribed Sinemet for my legs. It is a Parkinson medication-but I can still get where my legs jerk and the pain is terrific. So the best thing I have is a narcotic. If I don't take pain meds. to go to bed I am up trying to walk the feeling off and waiting for the pain meds. to take effect. Depression is a hard thing to manage so I have antidepressants too. My doctor feels that older people don't seem to get addicted as quickly younger people do. And what the heck at 86 what does it matter. Although I haven't so far. My children think I should try medical marijuana but my doctor says the pain killer I have is better for me.One thing I have found out when in pain rocking myself back and forth on the bed helps. Also I have knelt down as in prayer and put my head and shoulders well up on the bed and actually slept. I can't get in and out of a tub but before when I could use the tub I have found relief of pain just lying in the warm water. Fibromyalgia is a miserable thing and can be a handicap as far as having to work. I keep saying to myself I am glad it is not cancer.It doesn't help the pain but --you try anything when you have Fibromyalgia. It is the tiredness that beats you even if you have killed the pain. I just know some days I will have to sleep all day and then go to bed and sleep all night. I haven't helped much but it helped to talk about it. Take care. By the way Lyrica caused me more pain and I was really depressed. Scary.

Jump to this post

Well,hubby takes it.I might try it in the future.It's overwhelming.Well,right now,I'm trying 2 recover from(ankle)bone bruising 2.Thx.

REPLY
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jul 20, 2016

How have you managed your insomnia?

REPLY
disgusted | @disgusted | Jul 20, 2016

I found a good sleep doctor who put me on temezapam.

REPLY
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