Newly diagnosed

[NUPPA]

Ive been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and trying to help myself with medication,exercise and knowledge. My skin feels bruised,I have cramps in toes,hands,feet,shins,thighs,arms,shoulders and neck are these manageable? Im constantly tired and aching and look constantly bloated. Any advice would be good.

[Dinkie]

Hi Nuppa and welcome to the club nobody wants to be in. Don't be too hard on yourself it takes a while to come to terms with the diagnosis and grieve for the old you. It's not all bad news there can be some positives although sometimes they are hard to remember when one is in the middle of a flare. Certainly having fibro has made me more tolerant of others! Anyway back to you. Cramps can be managed with epsom salt baths, heat pads, wheat bags and the like. As fibro is different for all of us what works for one may not work for another. It's very much a case of trial and error. Personally I can't take prescription drugs so I have to manage with diet (no processed foods or refined sugars) if I stray I pay for it with IBS. Gentle exercise even if it is just a stroll down the garden I use a chiropractor and a hypnotherapist when I can afford it. The chiropractor helps with deep muscle massage and manipulation as I also have osteoarthritis. The hynotherapist helps with relaxation and talking therapy. I also use a tens machine. The art of learning to pace yourself and say "no" to things is also important. Still learning this one.

Don't be afraid to ask questions no matter how silly you think they are as you can bet someone has already asked before and we are generally a friendly bunch who like the odd laugh and joke at our own expense. They are a knowledgeable group who will all offer a shoulder to cry on, listen to a rant or have a laugh with you. Once again welcome and hope you find some helpful hints on here.

Dinkie

[NUPPA in reply to Dinkie]

Thankyou Dinkie.x

[Pilipala18]

Hi welcome to the group. I haven’t been diagnosed long myself. I find microwave heat pads, tens machine and Epsom salt baths help. I’m going on a chronic pain course soon and some people find cbt or physio helps. Hydrotherapy is very helpful for most people but haven’t tried it myself yet 😀😀

[westcountry in reply to Pilipala18]

I am also new on here although have been diagnosed for a few years. I have a remedial massage once a month which keeps the tight muscles a bit more manageable. I also have an Osim massager which helps a lot. I carry Biofreeze everywhere and sometimes use Voltarol gel as I can't have NSAIDS. I use cold packs and hot water bottles at times (last one NOT in this hot weather!!). I also use magnesium spray on calves to help with RLS. I can't tolerate other medication so need to rely on all the above....plus paracetamol and low dose CBD oil. Hope these suggestions help!

[dinkic]

Think it would be a good idea to look through old posts, so much good advice on them then if anything is not answered ask for specifics. Willing to help if I can, had it many years know all the advice and sometimes have a meltdown and have to rethink things.

Best advice is listen to your body/mind and take good care of yourself. Welcome to the forum I am sure it is going to be helpful even if you just need the odd vent.

[Ramjets]

Hi NUPPA and welcome to the forum. I see you have already received some helpful replies from a few of our friendly members. As mentioned, you will find lots of advice and support as there is a wealth of knowledge and experience and hopefully it will go some way in helping you manage your fibro. You may also like to check out our main site as it contains plenty of useful information and links:

fmauk.org/

Also I would just like to mention that I notice your post is unlocked. You don't have to however many of our members are not too keen on responding to unlocked ones as they can be picked up by internet search engines and read by people outside the Community. Therefore you are likely to receive more replies if you lock them. Instructions on how to do this can be found on the link below but if you get stuck please don’t hesitate to ask for help.

healthunlocked.com/fibromya...

We look forward to getting to know more about you. Take care. x