Is there a Fibromyalgia support group online or otherwise?
Or a chronic pain support group?
If you are dealing with either, how do you cope?
I'm having a flair up and on top of everything else (difficulties) this just seems hopeless...
Public Comments
1. i used to use the board on ivillage.com2. Get a supportive, understanding doctor- possibly a rheumatologist or internist. You could ask them for any one of the 3 FDA-approved medications for FMS....Savella is the best in my opinion! It will help prevent flares & help keep your mood stable by replacing the chemicals that are stripped from a body that is in chronic pain of any sort. If you don't have anything for pain specifically, you're being undertreated. This is a very, very painful disease & is just now being realized fully in the medical community.
As for online support groups, MD Junction. The Arthritis Foundation/Arthritis today have groups, information & help. It does seem hopeless at times, & if you're having difficulties, esp. emotionally-charged problems, this worsens FMS & will send you into a terrible flare. One way to cope is to force yourself to calmly see situations & intellectualize answers to problems- Just try not to cry, no matter what happens around you. Tell yourself "this is not worth the pain I'll be in"
REST. Stop what you're doing when you start to feel that miserable aching & fatigue, if there is any way possible. Tell your family & friends what you're going through. Even if you're an extremely giving person, you must take care of "self" duing these times. If they choose to understand, they will be supportive. If you have to lie down in the middle of a party- so be it. If they don't understand...Oh well~!
This may sound crazy, but my rheumatologist told me to stay out of the rain if at all possible. And to avoid any resistive exercise. Keep busy & active, but don't put unnecessary stress & strain on muscles, when your nervous system is already over-reactive. Watch the barometric pressure- people with these conditions are very, very sensitive to weather changes. If you see sunshine outside, hurt & feel like you're going nuts, check the weather channel. Chances are that pressure arrow is either up or down, meaning a weather change (from hot to cold) or rain/storms on the way.
~m~
