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.

JohnWBurns | @johnwburns | Jul 20, 2016

Just backing up a little so bear with me... If you don't mind my asking, the "medical condition" is fibromyalgia?

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JohnWBurns | @johnwburns | 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.

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Duloxetine, an SNRI antidepressant, can help some folks with chronic pain of multiple origins. Fewer side effects than the old tricyclics but still some.

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

@disgusted What did you GP do that helped? What is your diagnosis?

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7 replies
ladyjane85 | @ladyjane85 | Jul 20, 2016
In reply to @disgusted "I have concluded that most ailments that are diagnosed as being fibromyalgia are not autoimmune diseases..." + (show)
@disgusted

I have concluded that most ailments that are diagnosed as being fibromyalgia are not autoimmune diseases at all and that rheumatologists are generally surprisingly inept at treating most forms of the disease. I got way better treatment from my general physician than anyone else. I made three trips to Mayo Clinic and the folks there never even were able to diagnose me properly, much less give me any effective treatment. One doctor glared at me and said, "Nobody every died of pain. Just go home and get over it."

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Oh, my word, what that dr said shows he has never had chronic pain - the<br>nerve of him treating someone who needs help with pain and saying THAT.<br>Bless you......from ladyjane85<br><br>

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ladyjane85 | @ladyjane85 | Jul 20, 2016

And I have had no relief at all from gabapentin - as is usual with most<br>meds. And it makes me drowsy all day and unable to sleep at<br>night. from ladyjane85<br><br>

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2 replies
ladyjane85 | @ladyjane85 | Jul 20, 2016

I have fibromyalgia plus chronic back pain that overshadows the fibro. I am<br>most often in 8 to 9 pain level. I try to meditate, but nothing takes my<br>pain away. ladyjane85<br><br>

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ladyjane85 | @ladyjane85 | Jul 20, 2016

I agree that sleep is a big problem with all kinds of chronic pain. Hard<br>for me to get relief......from ladyjane85<br><br>

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ladyjane85 | @ladyjane85 | Jul 20, 2016

One does not know what you are replying to. ladyjane85<br><br>

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JohnWBurns | @johnwburns | Jul 20, 2016
In reply to @ladyjane85 "And I have had no relief at all from gabapentin - as is usual with mostmeds...." + (show)
@ladyjane85

And I have had no relief at all from gabapentin - as is usual with most<br>meds. And it makes me drowsy all day and unable to sleep at<br>night. from ladyjane85<br><br>

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They don't prescribe them that often anymore because of side effects but have you ever tried an older tricyclic antidepressant like amitriptyline? For that matter have you ever been prescribed a newer antidepressant often used for pain, duloxetine? Gabapentin makes me drowsy too so I take it to sleep, for insomnia, and it works pretty well. Pain and sleep are closely linked. Are you sleeping alright? I assume not with all of that pain.

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