HELP! I HAVE FIBROMYALGIA AND NOTHING IS WORKING?
I've been diagnosied with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue about 6 months ago. I've been in extreme pain for over 5 yrs now and they've finally diagnosed me. I've been to every possible doctor and have tried Lyrica and many other meds but can't tolerate any of them. I'm now on Roxicodone thru my doctor at a clinic and I don't like being on these meds. This doctor doesn't know what to do with me because I'm in extreme pain, (often in tears). He thinks I may also have a soft tissue problem as well. I've had several operations on my leg, for other supposed problems, but now I'm wondering if all along, this has been my problem because I'm still in so much pain where they operated and the operations were supposed to take care of the pain. I live in Ft. Laud. FL and don't know what to do at this point. Does anybody out there know where I can go, what I can do, any support groups, etc.? I've been to Neurologists, Rheumatologists, Internists, Orthopaedics, etc. I've had MRI's of all my limbs and back, bone scans, needles stuck i me, and so on. I have no quality of life and used to be very active and now I can't do anything, not that I don't want to I just can't. Any help would be most appreciated. Maybe if someone lives in my area they can refer me to someone that can finally help me. Thanks to all of you so much for your help. Sorry is this is long, I just don't know what to do anymore. My pain is from head to toes.
Public Comments
1. Go to a doctor and fasty dude he might be able to cure u and dont stare at the computer so long!2. I recently read an article that made a strong case for massage therapy as a way to help with the pain caused by fibromyalgia. The article mentioned some studies that were done to study how massage could help dramatically ease the pain. I wish I still had the article because I would forward it to you in an instant. Maybe this small tidbit of information will give you something to go on...another avenue to research or ask your doctor about. Best of luck.
3. I've been sick since febuary, now they're considering fibromyalgia for me. What I have found is when I'm really really tired, the only thing that wakes me up is getting up and doing stuff! I have to force myself to get moving, and once you do, you feel a lot better. I've had really bad headaches, and we've tried like tons of meds for it, then, just recently, my roomatologist put me on periactin, an antihistamine, and its worked great! So if you have headaches and you haven't tried it, ask your doc about it. And i know about all the tests and stuff lol. I've had 3 MRI's, 2 lumbar punctures, a CT, an endoscopy, colonoscopy, meckles scan, and ya tons of stuff. I don't know what elseto tell you, sorry.
4. I have fibromyalgia & was diagnosed by a psycho-pharmacologist (psychiatrist).I am on Cymbalta, an antidepressant that was just FDA approved for fibromyalgia & doesn't cause the dizziness of Lyrica. I am also on Wellbutrin; naproxen for analgesic pain; Klonipin for muscle relaxant & for anxiety. Restoril for sleep.
I have found massage; acupuncture;physical therapy & exercise to be helpful. You also need to figure out how to pace yourself to minimize fatigue.
I would also suggest therapy with a professional social worker or psychologist to have a supportive person to talk with about the affects of this illness on you & learning ways of coping with the pain, etc.. Tai Chi, meditation & Yoga can also be helpful. Learning how to do relaxation & deep breathing can help.
You might want to get a referral to a pain specialist.
There are blogs & forums online & thry the Arthritis Foundation & the American Chronic Pain Association.
Google: mayo clinic>>diseases>>fibromyalgia
I hope that helped some. Good luck
5. I take Effexor xr, and that has helped me tremendously w/the fatigue and some of the pain. It has greatly lessened it. What has also helped me is vit. D and magnesium. I've talked w/many other fibro patients, and those who have been on this treatment seem to improve some.
If the doctors aren't helping you, you need to fire them and find someone who will. There are many other medications besides pain meds that can help you.
Just know that there is no cure for this. Only treatment.
6. I have also recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and i would highly recommend the book "The Fibromyalgia Handbook A 7-step Program to Halt and Even Reverse Fibromyalgia." It helped me to make complete lifestyle changes from what i do each day to what i eat and drink. Some of the things that have helped me most are moist heat (like a moist heating pad or a bath with Epsom salt) twice a day for about 20 minutes, massage therapy, aquatics classes in a HEATED pool, joining a fibromyalgia support group, taking out all artificial sweetners out of my diet, drinking a lot of water, stretching, eating a lot of fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants and soluble fibers. I am taking lyrica and Zoloft which has helped lessen the pain. I have taken muscle relaxers on occasion. the meds did make me sleepy and dizzy for about the 1st two weeks but now i take them with no problem. Just try different things and see what works best for you. Good luck and may God bless.
