After at least 7 years of being in pain countless test scans x rays bloods ive finally been diagnosed with fibro, ive been on pregabalin for about a year currently on 300 am and 300pm this seems to help some of the pain,but I sufferer badly with constant back spasm ,shooting pains all over,i have 5 children work 40+ hours as a care assistant and try to go to gym most days.my life is a constant struggle and people seem to think I cant be in to much pain but my view is I have to, not want to keep going ,some days I don't want to get out of bed. hardly sleep and spent my life on auto pilot, I hardly see friends as when I am free im too tired or in pain. I just wonder how others manage with full time work family ect.i would love to not have to struggle and work so much but sadly bills dont stop due to pain.
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ellea80
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Hi so sorry about your pain - I couldn't cope with my job with fibromyalgia I had to retire early - money is tight but I was in so much pain - I now cope with walking , good diet , aqua , and trying to pace - I really try and see my friends because when I become isolated (or low) my symptoms get worse - I really tried to work but I just got so ill - it's difficult to pace when working - I was on pregabalin it helped but I gained weight on it so stopped - wishing you all the best - neese. x
I do hope your GP did all the basic tests for you ... like VitD - Folate - Ferritin and B12 - to rule out any deficiencies. When these are low in the range they can cause so many symptoms. You can ask for copies of all your test results with ranges - they are legally yours. This will enable you to monitor your own health and check what has been missed.
B12 is good around 500 - Folate and Ferritin around mid-range - VitD around 100 +
Sadly Docs often declare your results fine/normal/ok - when they mean they are in range - it is where you are in the range that is your key to wellness
I have Hashimotos - auto-immune Thyroid - so I am also wondering if you have been correctly tested for the Thyroid. It is often missed as the NHS rarely do the full testing. These are the tests - TSH - FT4 - FT3 and the Anti-bodies TPO and Tg.
The Thyroid is challenged at puberty - pregnancy - and menopause. You can have an in range TSH and FT4 but it is the FT3 that is the ACTIVE hormone needed in every cell of the body - sadly rarely tested
healthunlocked.com/fibromya..., hello and welcome , having to juggle a full time and family is enough for anybody let alone somebody who suffers with fibromyalgia, things like the gym had to stop for me , could you try gentle swimming at your health club and warm jacuzzi after , still have your down time but a gentle way to keep fit and relax. Are any of your children old enough to earn alittle pocket money doing a few chores, tidying up after themselves , clear the table, if everybody did a little they could get more time sitting and chilling with mum(but not knowing theirs ages just a suggestion). If you would like to lock your posts I’ve posted a link above for you. Hope you have got some days off with the Easter break coming. Take care xx
Firstly I would Aplude you,as you do so much,we 5 children plus working 40 hrs plus a week etc ..But if am honest it seems you doing to much,by the sounds of it. That's why you getting all the shooting pains, sure sounds like scatica. I've been there, had it, .I've been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Ostroarthritis, I know my limits,dont push myself now,or I will be in agony if I do.. try rest more I know it hard,but you need me time. Plus cut down your hrs if possible love.
I have found that a lot of people with fibro had very full on lives before this, the kind of people who everyone else relies on, maybe this is part of the problem. Perhaps doing too much burns us out ? With 5 children and a full time job why go to the gym too ? Heat and gentle exercise work best for us,such as swimming and saunas, please try and be as kind to yourself as you can. Look after yourself as if you were your best friend and rest whenever and wherever possible. Epsom salts in the bath really helps with muscular pain as you are immersed in magnesium which is great for muscles, will help with your back spasms. Heated pads which you can wrap around your back will also help. All the best
thanks for the replies ,ive had all the bloods done and my vit d is always on the low end but its within range now it did go as low as 23, I go to gym as ive put on so much weight on the pregabalin and as im awake at 5 It makes me feel better for the day ( im now only going the days I feel able and not pushing myself too much) ,i try to keep as busy as I can as when I slow down the pain seems to hit hard, I know I need to pace myself better but I have to work school runs ect so its really hard to know how, cutting hours as work would be great if I could afford to but im a single parent ,the children all do there bit age range 21-9, im 38 yet some days I feel older than the people I look after.
23 for VitD is very low - did your GP prescribe loading doses ? Around 100 is suggested as being a reasonable level. Each CCG has its own guidelines so you can look them up on line for the area you live in. Very unusual for all the tests to be done in the NHS - so am hoping your TSH was under 2.5 and the FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of the range ...
If you are supplementing VitD - I have read it is advised to take Magnesium and VitK2-MK7. VitD improves the uptake of calcium from foods and the K2 directs it away from the arteries and into bones and teeth ... Docs rarely mention these important things
I was on 6000mg for 3moths as it was so low but now its low but within the range so I just take over counter dose.as for the other things im really not sure im waiting for results of the bloods I had done last week at hospital
So hope you soon feel stronger ... if your VitD is so low it is possible the other vitamins and minerals will be too. Some of us suffer with absorption issues - sometimes due to low stomach acid and of course with low thyroid - absorption is impaired a great deal. You can click onto my username if you need to check me out - you can see my Bio - Posts and Replies ...
This may sound daft but do you have to work as a care assistant ?. Ive done it too and know how hard it is. My first thought is an office job in a doctors practice , or a receptionist. Not easy i know , but if you get your cv done and keep sending it out. Second or maybe first , why are you going to a gym when you are getting a lot of exercise at work and looking after a family. If you gave that up you could use the time to look for more suitable work. I can see it could be social as well so i would look for an alternative , and maybe return to it later ? I do hope this could be helpful , think about it. Love K
The swimming is a very good idea. If youve put on weight could a suggest a diet change . Maybe something as simple as giving up potatoes , i have sweet potatoes or swede, carrot, parsnip etc instead. Resistant starch as in bananas is good, and cassava flour. Then ive given up grains . I make a very simple bread every other day in a small pyrex , i can give you the recipe . Ive been losing weight slowly but steadily on this diet. I started it because of diverticulitis , but im very glad to be losing weight. You could see a dietician to advise. The diet is Dr. Gundrys diet , you can find it on youtube. I buy the non grain flours from amazon . The prices are pretty good. I take 1000 vit d3 per day as my rheumatologist said. A 500 gm magnesium supplement i can tolerate. I hope i get enough K12 and b vits from my diet. If you are interested in this i can help more. I think somethings got to give for you , i can see from the other posts that others see you have been overdoing it. God bless K
U sound exactly like me, minus the 5 children, never got round to the children
I have been partially diagnosed as in my gp thinks i have fibro or ehlers
So im waiting to see a rheumotologist.
Im 45 and work full time and have a house , a husband, 2 dogs and a nan me and my mum care for between two of us , so pretty full on.
I go to the gym and yoga three times a week to as my gp told me to keep myself and my muscles working as if u stop thats when the trouble and pain will get u more as ur not using then muscles there get loose and weak.
It so much to fit in though.
I feel knackered 99% time and fall
Asleep anywhere( even in lunch hour) sometime i go to my car and sleep.
U having 5 kids must b even more stressful but u know we have to keep goin. I dont have money to leave work and i dont really want to at 45.
The thought of being home all day and not socialising at least a bit a day would send me into a depression and i think alot of people find that. There alienated and alone.
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