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.

@colleenyoung

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

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@1langla I get these msgs on my gmail and do not know who you were<br>responding to. I try to write person I a sending to and then say who I<br>am. But I will say a rheumatologist some 20 years ago pressed on the<br>points they know mean fibro - cannot remember whether it was 12 or 18<br>points on the body (one can look it up) and told me early on, but since I<br>have so much back trouble I did not believe the dr. Several more told me<br>also thru the years so had to believe I also have fibromyalgia, but I still<br>maintain I cannot tell - do not have the usual symptoms, bec I hurt so much<br>with many back symptoms. But there are trigger points they can press.<br> from @ladyjane85<br><br>

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@ladyjane85

I was thinking this was my support group for fibro and back pain . Have<br>heard some diff meds, altho I never respond well to anything. But thank<br>you @disgusted (that's the way I have felt for 30 years now with 5<br>surgeries on back and all the diff procedures which do not work. @ladyjane85<br><br>

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@disgusted from ladyjane85 I am now 86 and for the last 4 years I<br>moved to a continuing care facility bec it was impossible to do housework<br>and could only stand 10 min before pain was so bad that hard to cook. Had<br>been looking into facilities for 3 years on line and visiting nearby ones.<br>Only one in my county was a licensed continuing care. No family nearby.<br>Daughter did move down to Tampa whereas I am on the Atlantic coast of Fl so<br>she only comes when I land in hospital. At this age one has many health<br>problems though I look young. She has a family and works so cannot come<br>often so do not call on her unless hospital lets her know. Have one<br>bedroom and living room, sm kitchen. Light housekeeping done for you and a<br>meal in formal dining room. CC living is expensive however, but they can<br>never throw you out even if you run out of money...<br><br>

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I also had the added difficulty that as a man they did not think that I<br>could have fibromyalgia because they think it is a "woman's problem". I<br>also had intense back pain and my doctor ran me through a complete cycle of<br>tests for other things, all of which came up negative. At that point I was<br>hoping that I would have a fatal illness that would at least end the pain.<br>When he applied pressure on the tender points and I responded he determined<br>that i had fibromyalgia.<br><br>Then it got amusing. He asked me if I had any ideas as to how to proceed.<br>I did not know much other than Lyrica was being advertised, so he started<br>me on that. After a couple of days (it was Mother's Day and I was out of<br>town with my family) I broke out in hives, so that ended Lyrica. Then I<br>suggested gabapentin and he started me on that. I began to get relief from<br>the pain when I got into megadoses of it and it has been working for me<br>since then. The side effects have not been too bad for me, so I have been<br>a happy camper, counting myself extremely fortunate, and hoping and praying<br>for other fellow sufferers.<br>

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I know exactly how you feel. I was at that point myself. I had to hire<br>folks to come into my home and care for me. I was only 55 and looked at<br>least ten years younger. My mother, who was in her late 80's at the time<br>simply could not fathom my idiocy and mocked me for wasting my money. I am<br>functioning normally now, although things tend to take longer for me to<br>do. My neighbors probably think I am pathetic because I don't mow my lawn<br>weekly like they do. I am glad my lawn is heavily shaded so that the grass<br>grows very slowly. I rebuilt my garage, which was falling apart and put in<br>a heated driveway. I live in Iowa and we have snowy winters. I am so glad<br>I don't need to get out and shovel the snow.<br>​<br>

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@disgusted

I also had the added difficulty that as a man they did not think that I<br>could have fibromyalgia because they think it is a "woman's problem". I<br>also had intense back pain and my doctor ran me through a complete cycle of<br>tests for other things, all of which came up negative. At that point I was<br>hoping that I would have a fatal illness that would at least end the pain.<br>When he applied pressure on the tender points and I responded he determined<br>that i had fibromyalgia.<br><br>Then it got amusing. He asked me if I had any ideas as to how to proceed.<br>I did not know much other than Lyrica was being advertised, so he started<br>me on that. After a couple of days (it was Mother's Day and I was out of<br>town with my family) I broke out in hives, so that ended Lyrica. Then I<br>suggested gabapentin and he started me on that. I began to get relief from<br>the pain when I got into megadoses of it and it has been working for me<br>since then. The side effects have not been too bad for me, so I have been<br>a happy camper, counting myself extremely fortunate, and hoping and praying<br>for other fellow sufferers.<br>

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@disgusted from ladyjane85 That is right, they tend to think fibro as<br>a female ailment, but common among men also. Lycra was very bad for me.<br>Gabapentin - I have tried 2 x's thru the years, never in megadoses bec also<br>side effects. Tthank you for your good note, The best to you.<br><br>

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@ladyjane85

I was thinking this was my support group for fibro and back pain . Have<br>heard some diff meds, altho I never respond well to anything. But thank<br>you @disgusted (that's the way I have felt for 30 years now with 5<br>surgeries on back and all the diff procedures which do not work. @ladyjane85<br><br>

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Well there are people here pulling for you. Do you have any sources of diversion such as reading, watching some favorite programs?

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@disgusted

I also had the added difficulty that as a man they did not think that I<br>could have fibromyalgia because they think it is a "woman's problem". I<br>also had intense back pain and my doctor ran me through a complete cycle of<br>tests for other things, all of which came up negative. At that point I was<br>hoping that I would have a fatal illness that would at least end the pain.<br>When he applied pressure on the tender points and I responded he determined<br>that i had fibromyalgia.<br><br>Then it got amusing. He asked me if I had any ideas as to how to proceed.<br>I did not know much other than Lyrica was being advertised, so he started<br>me on that. After a couple of days (it was Mother's Day and I was out of<br>town with my family) I broke out in hives, so that ended Lyrica. Then I<br>suggested gabapentin and he started me on that. I began to get relief from<br>the pain when I got into megadoses of it and it has been working for me<br>since then. The side effects have not been too bad for me, so I have been<br>a happy camper, counting myself extremely fortunate, and hoping and praying<br>for other fellow sufferers.<br>

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Responding to ladyjane85 who wrote - That is right, they tend to think fibro as
a female ailment, but common among men also. Lycra was very bad for me.
Gabapentin - I have tried 2 x's thru the years, never in megadoses bec also
side effects. Tthank you for your good note, The best to you.

The best to you, as well.

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@ladyjane85

I was thinking this was my support group for fibro and back pain . Have<br>heard some diff meds, altho I never respond well to anything. But thank<br>you @disgusted (that's the way I have felt for 30 years now with 5<br>surgeries on back and all the diff procedures which do not work. @ladyjane85<br><br>

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Thanks!Hopefully,that means praying 4 me 2.Huh?I do read&watch tv.

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What did your doctor give you for sleep? My sleep is awful after a knee replacement. Focusing on the pain with different meds (percoset, gabapentin, acetaminophen), but still up every 2 hours. Beatricefay<br>

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Hello, where did you find the Dr. that help you for sleeping? I myself have hard time sleeping, I only get 3 or 4 hrs.I have been taking sleeping pills for a long time and I don't to use them anymore. Thanks for the info.

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