Managing fibromyalgia
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 Bones, Joints & Muscles group.
Gabapentin really helps alot esp in combination with soma which is a
schedule 4 drug. Soma or carisoprodol 350mg is for muscle pain and you take
it when a fibromyalgia attack is out of hand. Narc pain meds won’t help. As
for gabapentin they usually start at 300 mg 3 a day and go up if needed. I
take 800mg 4 times a day for over 15 years. Works on fibromyalgia and
really helps my neuropathy more than anything! briansr
I am 50 and was diagnosed with fibro a year ago at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. The first thing I got under control was sleep. Generic Lexapro was prescribed after my PCP at home was confident I didn’t have other sleep disorders. I have proven to myself this works best combined with adding a soak in an ultraviolet half sauna as part of a pre-bed nightly ritual.
After a year I finally have more days not in denial. I have been trying to improve my eating by focusing on what to eat. My cholesterol is ultra high (up to almost 400 at times) and I am trying to control it without meds at this point. I started with 3 fruits a day, 2 veggies at each lunch and dinner, fish once a week, eating out no more than once a week.
I started walking 5 minutes every other day a year ago and worked up to 30 minutes 4/5 times a week now. I continually fight myself on routines but have proven to myself that if I could focus on one thing only that us key…it is to drill the word “routine” into every fiber of my being. It’s hard. At times I just want to be defiant to the whole idea.
I finally changed jobs to something manageable long term. I worked full time managing a call center for a magazine company. I was patient to find a part time accounting job that fits me and it had taken since the first of the year to adjust. Against, routine.
I started yoga once a week faithfully a year and a half ago. After a while a realized its value. Routine! I’ve tried swimming and tai chi, both I see will be great but I haven’t been able to regularly incorporate them yet. I could tell it’s too much.
I started chiropractic on December and added massage to compliment. It’s been painful but improving my shoulder, neck, hips tremendously. I’m trying to find a sweet spot as far as scheduling frequency right now.
Pain became horrendous lately. It came on suddenly and now Jeff just as much so. It is always something, as other normal symptoms have taken over. I want to get a handicapped parking permit for that one day in many that the walk in our parking garage is oh so tough. I want to purchase a cane to have at home for those times when my walking is unstable and my knees buckle without warning. I put it off though because I’m fearful its acknowledging defeat in one battle of this war in my body. I plan to discuss it with my PCP next month.
My doc at Mayo is recommending magnets and acupuncture to try.
jharsh, I’m sorry to hear that you are going through so much pain. I’m 54 and have had pain most of my life. Had a severe head injury at 10 years old. It has caused me to suffer from the most awful migraines, and caused arthritis in my neck. I had a tomur and had to have a histerectomy at 22 then my gallbladder a year later. Always would run fever every evening and would suffer from the worst case of fatigue that would keep me in bed for days. I went through more test and doctors in a three year period. I was diagnosed with Lupus 10 years ago and inherited my mom’s RA and dad’s high blood pressure. Now the last week of this month I go for a MRI to find out if I have MS. I know I have scar tissue because I have one done every 6 years, and was told that became of the scar tissue I would likely have these type of symptoms. There are days it takes all I’ve got to walk, and the pain in just moving can be unbearable. Like this morning. And I got to take care of something for mom this morning. I to go to the Chiropractor and it helps wonderfully. I also get in a hot tub with Epson salt an lavender at night when it seems like nothing helps. You sound like you stay pretty active, I find that if I can do as much as I can, I can have productive days. I use a lot of different oils for my problems and they do help to a certain degree. I understand where you are coming from wanting to get a cane, I have quite a few and use them when I feel like my legs will fall from under me. I know we are still young, but we can make the best of this journey. Like you said you were eating different. It’s a lifestyle change! And we can make it. Hope you have a great day. Prayers salena54
I do have a Facebook page but I don’t use it, mostly because I’m an abuse
survivor & he has tried to find my many way including Facebook, thanks for
the info though.
I second the recommendation for Therapeutic Yoga! I think that Yoga has enabled me to be more active, and although I often am sore, it feels like a good sore. But I caution you to never ignore a sharp pain that is persistent and keeps getting worse. I dislocated my shoulder one time, and thought it was just Fibro pain, until I finally went to a chiropractor and he put my arm in a sling for six weeks – at the beginning of gardening season!
Hi!I’ve Fibromyalgia.So,I know what that’s like.But,I hope your pain’s
better!
Hi! I’m so happy to hear from someone else who has these symptoms. i seem to feel worse with barometer changes, especially downward. I also get vertigo, nausea, irritable bowel and bladder along with all the symptoms you listed. I’ve been talking with my doctors for a year now about this. They just don’t seem to have any answers. From the research I’ve done it seems all they can do is treat the symptoms. I’ve been taking 2 prilosec every morning. It has reduced the stomach pain but not the nausea, which I have everyday. so PCP has finally agreed to send me to gastroenterologist. My sister who also has Fibro has stomach issues as well and her gastro doc gave her different meds that seem to work. She lives too far away for me to use her doctors. Fortunately for her, she doesn’t get the complete heavy flu symptoms but gets enough of it. Good luck!
Some of us are very sensitive to weather changes, foods, and even a drop in water intake can bring on a flair of “flu-like” symptoms. Sometimes it remits, giving me hope that if I continue to eat mindfully, attend to my stress level, sleep enough each night (ha) and keep my water up, I will have good days.
Yoga, Thai Chi, walking – these are all things that I can do. I probably won’t ever take up white-water kayaking, but I can gather “Joy Points” throughout the day and enjoy what I can. The ONLY thing that ever sent my symptoms completely away was a small dose of HGH in the muscles. I cannot find a Doctor willing to prescribe that for me anymore:{
I think I’m sensitive 2 the weather.i do try 2 eat mindfully,drink enough water,sleep enough&attend 2 my stress.i walk 2 to 3 times a wk.2.Think I’ve heard of HGH.That’s 2 bad.But,when I get my Disability this weekend;I’ll buy some pot ointment.I’ve heard it’s suppose 2 be effective.Hopefully,so!get more sleep sometimes.
The CBD products are very helpful for pain points! And the regular POT is amazing for sleep if you can handle it. I have to be already in the bed and take a puff, otherwise I cannot navigate back to bed:}
What do you mean CBD?Thx!We had friends who were living by us 4 a while.(They moved.)they used pot 4 pain.let me try some but I had trouble inhaling it.That’s amazing.
My initial symptoms for years were an electric fence feeling and extreme fatigue through my entire body. Diet, exercise as part of a low low level strict routine helps me most. Tai chi, yoga, swimming, walking all work for me. When I go for a walk as I find myself in pain I feel better. I also had to lower my expectations of myself I adjusted better. The mental challenge of denial and all associated to appear cyclically and the biggest challenge for me. Mayo docs encouraged self management and staying off of meds. After a couple of years I completely understand. I’m considering a class they offer to learn how to deal with pain. Maybe this would help you. I also continue to fight the urge to treat symptoms.