Fibromyalgia

[Laura's Babies]

Ny heart goes out to you and all the people who suffer with this! ((((HUGS))))

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Yes, I have it. It along with my arthritis insures I'm miserable most of the time!!!

I'm so glad I have Pet Talk to take my mind off the pain.

[Daisy and Delilah]

What types of meds do the doctors prescribe for the pain? Is there any medication that takes care of such horrible bouts of pain?

[K9karen]

What types of meds do the doctors prescribe for the pain? Is there any medication that takes care of such horrible bouts of pain?

Thankfully, I was first diagnosed 30+ years ago by a young rheumatologist who believed in it and was fascinated by it. It is one of the hardest ailments to diagnose. Blood work may show "sed" levels up, but mostly that's for arthrisits (I also have OA)
I started with "Elavil", like a sleeping pill but I was too groggy and couldn't wait for 2 weeks for my body to adjust. The severe pain causes restless sleep, so of course you wake up feeling worse, and fatigued.

Celebrex, Bextra, Vioxx, all the good stuff, taken off the market helped with my bursitis, but barely, Cortisone shots in my hips, shoulders help a bit.

There are pressure points that doctors use to diagnose..chest (I sometimes get lumps), inside the elbows, wrists, ankles, shoulder blades. Moist heat helps as well as gentle physical therapy. But sometimes you feel so bad, you don't even want to go to therapy! One orthopedic sarcastically told me I had the "yuppy disease". He also misdiagnosed my spine/neck problems, caused worse damage with wrong PT so I dumped him like a hot potato. See ya, bye bye, stupid clod.

My fibro seems to worsen with stress (Zoloft not helping-wish there was a pill that erases bad memories) and when the seasons change, especially the fall. Honestly, since my spine has just started to bother me again (where I had surgery) I do take pain killers at night before bed.

Not only that, I was feeling much better with my life in all aspects until my wrist accident. AND I have TMJ so bad I take
muscle relaxers at night.

Not to worry though. I guess I sound like a sicko. I have a lot to deal with, but we all do. I have great friends (you guys) girlfriends of 50 years, John and my Logabeanie. I'll feel better, but it just seems like it takes forever!

[K9karen]

Yes, I have it. It along with my arthritis insures I'm miserable most of the time!!!

I'm so glad I have Pet Talk to take my mind off the pain.

THAT TOTALLY SUCKS BIG TIME! I'M WITH YA BABE!!!
GENTLE CYBER HUGS.....

[Daisy and Delilah]

Thanks for the information Karen. I just don't know how you do it. You truly are amazing! I took Elavil a couple of years ago and it took me a month and a half until I felt like I wasn't hungover the next day. Those things are really strong. I have a friend that takes one every night to help her sleep. She was lucky too, in that she found a young doctor in Key West to diagnose her Fibromyalgia. She takes Celebrex and does ok with it but some days, she can barely get around. I tested normal for rheumatoid arthritis in my tests from yesterday. My sedimentation levels are very high and I guess that means my osteoarthritis is getting worse. I just talked to a lady at the pharmacy that takes Lyrica. She has osteoporosis, scoliosis, and two herniated discs. She said the Lyrica is working so far. It amazes me how many of us are in excruciating pain all the time. There has to be some relief somewhere!!

[Pawsitive Thinking]

My Dad had it too Poor you - big hugs

[Daisy and Delilah]

Thanks for the info and well wishes!! Candace, that is very helpful. Thanks. I am also anemic and I take iron supplements every day with Vitamin C for absorption. From what I understand, with FM, your body has to be in tip top shape to tolerate it at all. That's the key. A night without sleep = a very bad day and filled with more pain. I will definitely look into some of the things you posted. Anything and everything is worth a shot!!

[carole]

As you can read there are quite a few Pters inflicted with this chronic illness, I have had it for over 12 years now, and i am sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis, it is no fun, no walk in the park for sure, at least you know what you are dealing with now, although there is really not alot of stuff out there that seems to work, I have yet to find something,one thing is you have to start putting your needs first, in other words, take rest when you need it, and only do what you can when you can,enjoy your good days,if you are lucky enough to have some,but DON'T over do things, something us fibromites seem to have a problem with lol.

I am going through a rather nasty flare up at the moment, and it is very painful, my muscle in my left shoulder blade has locked,best way to describe it, i was in horrific pain and could barely move without excruitating pain,but today the pain is more localised in one area, i have yet to know if this is fibro related, i imagine so,or something else,it only happens like this maybe four or five times a year, this time i was out having dinner, which was embarrassing and none too pleasant,had to go home,that was a mission in itself, does anyone else have these terrible painful moments.

It is a tough illness to deal with, very complex, and you don't get a heck of alot of understanding,mainly because you look fine,always know there are others here who completely understand and can offer you support anytime you need it, please feel free to PM anytime.

Keep in mind we all have similar symptons to different degrees, no two people are exactly alike,but we sure can empathise with what you are dealing with right now. HUGS ever so gentle ones.

[jackmilliesmom]

I suffer daily but for the pain my Orthopaedic and Rhumetologist prescribed a medication called Arcoxia which has helped with the inflamation and some normal light pain releif such as neurofen.

[Kirsten]

A friend of mine has it, it must very painful.

And a while ago, I was told by a rheumatologist that I'm prone to have it one day...

Kirsten

[momoffuzzyfaces]

THAT TOTALLY SUCKS BIG TIME! I'M WITH YA BABE!!!
GENTLE CYBER HUGS.....

Thanks! Those Hugs really do make me feel better!!!

I'm on 4 different meds for my blood pressure so the only thing I can take for pain is ibruprofen. One of my bp meds knocks me out so I have to take it at bed time. Bad thing is, I slept through 2 tornardo warnings this spring but the doctor won't take me off of it because he says I need it. sheesh!!!
At least if I get killed by a tornado I'll never know it.

[K9karen]

Fibromyalgia is an autoimmune disease, so make sure your doc checks for Lupus too. Some of the symptoms are the same.

The scary part is my spine, where I had surgery, is killing me, after almost 4 months of very little discomfort. I hate going to sleep (look at the time) because I get stuck in a position and have to scream to be helped to move. So I need to call the surgeon and reschedule my Dec appointment cause this is getting out of hand. All I seem to do is complain, and I apologize. I feel like a walking disaster. An old rotator cusp injury is driving me nuts too. Geesh. *Creak* *Creak* *Creak*

[Daisy and Delilah]

{{{{{HUGS KAREN}}}}} and {{{MORE HUGS TO EVERYONE ELSE}}}

[carole]

My gosh when i saw this I was so excited, i know that sounds dumb, but i have felt so alone, i knew of one member here who had fibromyalgia, but that was all , yes Karen i have it, i was diagnosed over 11 years ago, two years after the birth of my daughter.

Yes Fibro is a miserable chronic illness and very unpredicatable, it is the reason i donot work outside of the home,because it is so up and down i doubt whether i could even hold down a job, i would be off sick way too much and i take my hats off to anyone who continues to work, you amaze me, i find just the day to day running of the household too much sometimes,but i do my best. it has changed my life tremendously and not for the better, what people donot realise is so many things go along with this miserable condition, it is often referred to as the irritable syndrome, because it does just that irritates so many parts of the body, not just simple aches and pains.

I gave up on trying any of the medications suggested as they made me feel worse, i take panadol only which i think is like your tynenol, not sure on SP, and i take Arcoxia maybe two pills per month only or when i have a bad flare up, i have just had one of those and am still getting through it.

I do believe my condition was brought on by extreme stress when my baby girl arrived, i had to wait six wks for another heel prick test, as they did not take it right and there were concerns she might have had cystic fibrosis, she also had another problem in hospital the worry and stress i think sparked it off.

It is not a hereditary condition, but my mother had symptons years ago and my sister seems to have some, but luckily they are not too bad, everyone is different, you can have all the same symptons, some of them and it can be from mild to severe,i fear my Melissa has it as she often complains of sore legs from walking, whereas none of her friends who do the same do.

yes having this is not fun at all, but i am thankful it is not life threatening, but there are days i just want to crawl into a hole and never get out of it, i am very lucky i have such a supportive husband, he is my rock, my own family really don't give me the understanding i need, but he lives with me, see's my pain and suffering and so even though at times it is extremely hard on him , he just hangs on in there for me.

Being in ongoing pain unfortunately causes depression too, so that is a normal part of having a chronic illness, one that is difficult to deal with, but normal all the same.

I have learn't over the years just to take each day as it comes, and also that making plans ahead just cannot be anymore.

Fibro Fog is another thing that just makes me so fustrated at times, i want to scream,luckily for me it only hits now and then he he.

Thanks so much for starting this thread, it has been so beneficial to me just to come here and to let people have an understanding of life with fibromyalgia, it is very mis-understood and is really the invisible disability.

Because Doctors cannot find what actually causes Fibro and because it is mainly women who suffer from it, although i do know a male with it, and they cannot find a cure, they labelled sufferers for years as it is all in the head, my gosh if it were i would be relieved then i could do something about it, that made me extremely angry and i wished every doctor who even thought that could spend a day in my shoes,I used to think trust me to end up with something that is thought of like that,CFS is also very similar to Fibro as is polymyalgia, difference with the poly is a blood test can diagnose that, not the same with Fibro,( luckily that view is not the standard anymore and the research they are doing is coming up with new things all the time,still we are a long way off for a cure i think.,but one can only hope.)

PS karen the bit that bugs the heck out of me is when i will just turn my head to look at something, like a normal person and bang my muscle feel likes its locked, happens in the big muscle in the shoulder all the time and i am in agony anything from days to weeks, i wish they could do an xray and see what happens, until i had fibro i used to think i had pulled a muscle ouch it really is the worst,along with fibro for those who donot know often comes IBS i was first diagnosed with that before Fibro, you also have to watch out for Thyroid conditions, i am very prone to that because of the fibro and my mother has had both types,gastric reflux, and the list goes on and on lol.

I dont write this for sympathy , just in hope to educate people who have either heard of the condition or who have not, and really have trouble working it out, as to me that is the key for us to have some understanding, and to me that is all i ask for.