Fibromyalgia -- Need help on how to handle severe pain

Ripley, I was on 5 mg of Flexeril and I would only take 1/2 tablet. I do occasionally take 1/2 of a 4 mg Tizanidine during the day if I am in a lot of pain....I try not too if I can help it. Remember, I can't take much medicine as I am ultra sensitive. I pray you get better. Pain is so tiring. Blessings....

Yes, big bada boom
Now with added PMR, I'm on Prednisone (corticosteroid) and that makes me even foggier. I have to assure my adult son that I'm not sliding into dementia. But that look on his face when I remember wrong. Classic.

The return of your pain being described as a sledgehammer is very familiar. I ended
up in so much pain and thought the fibro had simply gotten worse. Then ot got so bad that upon waking up, I couldn't get out of bed or walk without assistance. I went to the ER and they were baffled. I saw my general doctor a couple days later and I was diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR). It is rare to have both fibro and PMR but definitely possible.
Perhaps ask if you could get bloodwork done to check for it. There is more information on the PMR Board and sone very friendly and helpful people. It's worth a try because although there are side effects to prednisone, the best is being almost pain-free. Sadly it doesn't help with fibro pain, just the inflammation caused by PMR.
Good luck.

With PMR, pain started in the back of my neck then I noticed it spreading to my shoulders, then my back. When it got to my hips and legs, I had trouble walking and while laying down, found it impossible to lift either leg up off the bed. I had to roll over to the edge, grab a sturdy chair and pull myself up. Light stretching helped and by the end of the day, I always felt better.
If any of this seems familiar, please get it checked out.

vellen, Unbelievable, But, I am much sharper when I am on prednisone. Go figure! I feel the best when I am on it, emotionally & physically. The down side is puffiness, weight gain and my mind goes 500 miles an hour, I can't sleep and it makes me sweat.

I know the sweat, I also find my heart pounding about 15-20 minutes after a meal, very annoying. Isn't it crazy how so many of us experience different side effects?
I can take the morning pred on an empty stomach which is good because I've never been able to eat food for a good 3-4 hours after waking.
So far, I have only lost weight and I'll see if that has leveled off yet this week when I go in for a dr appt. My clothes are still pretty loose so I don't think it's changed much.
Perhaps once I'm on it a few more weeks, that will change but I've always lost weight with stress and having fibromyalgia and PMR, is definitely stressful!

When Plato said, 'Part can never be well unless the whole is well,' he wanted, It seems to underscore the primacy of what is important when looking for solution to larger health issues (not cutting finger and how to fix it) he meant we need OVERALL balanced approach to health (mental and physical) for just about anything that dislodges us from living a reasonably rewarding life.

So when I see even an advice like stay in moderation, we each know it can mean different things to different people. So what is RIGHT moderation for me TODAY. It matters little what I was before a major injury or upheaval in my life, or before even five or more years ago. Of course having stepped into my eight decade means my moderation is different than when I was in younger times. Frankly, Don't push thru yourself really means 'Stop treating your body as outsider' because WHY one even want to do what one's body does not want or can do.

So when yesterday with each grocery bag ten lbs I reached my apt floor, I said, teasingly: Hey, wanna walk up few more floors? I also knew the voice is also saying: You can always turn back from ANY STEP.
I walked up four more floors huffing and puffing and started walking down. But even one floor seemed too much so I looked for elevator and got off at my floor. I, my bodymind, felt good. No worrying about PT or pills so far.

I have found a Doc's specialty does not necessarily limit expertise. Like most of us in our professions, Doc's have areas of medicine they are very interested in and often continue to follow research on those areas regardless of their stated "specialty." Finding a Doc that attempts to keep up, as much as possible, with the evolving state of Fibromyalgia is a win, no matter the specialty!

For 13 Yrs i was able to control Fibro pain well but the added pain from neck surgery and a botched T 3 epidural made my diagnosis change to Central Pain Syndrome. It’s very high pain. I take Lyrica and have medical Cannabis on hand but I avoid it bc it constipates me badly and that has caused its own set of diff problems. All this is consuming my muscles bc cortisol stays elevated. I know I will go to heaven sooner than I thought I would in my younger healthier years which was prior to age 50. I am now 72. I’ve fought hard! Hey going to heaven is a fabulous thing! I just hate to sadden my friends, husband, children and grands.

Hi Sue,
You’ve been very helpful in the Mayo sites you mentor in. I wonder if you are aware of a website that fibromyalgia/CFS patients have found helpful: You Tube’s Dan Neuffer CFS Unravelled. He was sick for years and got well. Through his experience and interviews with other sufferers/recoverers and other professionals , he developed a program called ANS Rewire. It aims to reset the autonomic nervous system, which has gone awry and causes the various symptoms, like pain, fatigue, etc.
thanks for your mentoring.
J