Any help?

[Sheephead]

I have had fibro for 18 years. Managed until now very well. Had my second child by section and now work nights! And I am a mess. I can’t function. I looking for help on diet, any tips really. I don’t want to rely on painkillers I just am in a bad place right now. I haven’t ever been so bad. I climbed Ben Nevis a few years back, and always worked. I haven’t let it ever stop me .but right now I am physically and mentally exhausted. As always I get little

Help from docs. To the point I hardly ever go.

So am after any tips to help me feel a little human again for myself and my family x

[LoneEra]

Oh my, working nights and having 2 kids must be very tough. Not surprised you feel rough!

As you’ve had fibro for so long, you probably know most of the tips and tricks. But if you haven’t already tried them, some of the following could help (not scientific - just my experience):

- TENS machine

- Acupressure mat

- Gentle exercise and stretching

- Epsom salt baths

- Mindfulness

- CBD oil

As for diet, I personally find that eating healthily helps. I try to cook from scratch as much as possible (not always!), avoid processed foods and anything with added sugar etc. Drinking plenty of water and cutting back on caffeine also seems to help me. I’m also vegetarian and don’t drink alcohol, but that’s just me 😀

Really hope you can start to turn a corner. Worth having a chat with your GP too - maybe there are some meds you could try, and perhaps you could get a referral for some physio sessions.

Good luck xx

[Sheephead in reply to LoneEra]

Thanks! Yeah nights are hard! I am a self employed beauty therapist! As you can imagine I had to get another job had no grants at all. So I take dolextine and something for my restless legs. They won’t give me any other pain relief at the moment. So I am thinking diet it’s what will help me. I do online shopping so an extremely physical job. And by the time I get home I could of done 18000 steps. So the only other change I can think is cut out all the rubbish. That unfortunately I rely on. Caffeine and sugars etc as I am so tired xx

[LoneEra in reply to Sheephead]

Totally hear you on relying on caffeine. I have to work very late to meet deadlines sometimes (I’m a journalist) and I must admit the coffee flows freely those nights 😂

This article has some interesting diet related info. Page 2 lists things to avoid with fibro and page 3 lists good foods:

arthritis-health.com/types/...

I know some people have had success with the FODMAP diet too, but that’s anecdotal.

Hope you can find a few food changes that make a difference xx

[Sheephead in reply to LoneEra]

Thanks so much for the info. I will do some research and take it from there. For years I have met with struggles at the docs, they either think fibro is a thing or not. I said if I broke my arm would you help? So why is this different. The last doc told me it was in my head! Pretty sure I haven’t imagine pain for most of my adult life. Thanks again so much x

[Hidden in reply to Sheephead]

"In your Head" is Short talk for they don't have a clue and Given up Beyond there Brain Grade!

If they came into Garage with there Car having issues that isn't clear and i just said turn the radio up won't hear the noise they'd be screaming!

[Sheephead in reply to Hidden]

This is so true. Imagine going to medical school for all that time to keeping telling someone it’s in their head

[Hidden in reply to Sheephead]

My thoughts with Quacks! Why bother wasting all the cash when could have saved it and stuck to Burger Flipping in McDog burgers

[Yassytina FMA UK Volunteer]

Working nights and having children as well are enough for anybody without fibro, have you tried speaking to your practioner nurse(they can do most things a doctor could do for you) I find at my surgery they seem not too rush you as much and certaintly a listening ear ,so I have gone down this route of booking them instead of doc sometimes. Do you have any regular help from any family? Coming off nights can really mess your clock up , I know watching my husband do this for many years. Take any breaks someone has too offer you, even if it’s an hour just to rest , take care xx

[Love2sleep in reply to Yassytina]

Hi, this is my 1st time on here.

I've had fibro for about 10years, I used to put it down to having the kids etc. But I started working nights just over 5 years ago and it all got so much worse. I'd cry with the pain, I slept round the clock.

I got meds to take when it gets that bad, some pain relief and muscle relaxants. But I still sleep around the clock, when on nights I sleep 10-15 hours through the day. On my days off I would try and catch up with house work but after day 1 I'd end up in bed and sleep 22+ hours. (My kids are 16-21, just incase yous were wondering) but the night shifts really make a huge difference. I cant afford to drop my nights so I just do what I can and sleep alot, it's not great but haha that's life

As for a diet I ha e a friend who is a physio and she said she studied up on this during her training. There were lots of things she told me to add to my diet, it was oily fish, green veg, egg etc. That was good for a while, seemed to puck my energy levels up a little. Good luck

[Yassytina FMA UK Volunteer in reply to Love2sleep]

Thanks for filling me in, I hope that just having a chat on here helps, yes they say the diet we have can help us , I am 59 got my little grandboy today he is 4 , he s a beauty but a long day so glad my hubbie is chipping in with help today, think I will sleep well tonight xx

[Sheephead in reply to Love2sleep]

I defo have got worse since working nights. But I just don’t have a choice right now. It’s just so hard when you just can’t function to do anything else but work. My youngest is only 2 so it’s just none stop at the minute x

[Alb2 in reply to Sheephead]

I had to stop working nights as an Acute nurse on the recommendation of my neurologist because it was exacerbating my condition - his words not mine - and it took months to settle down. He explained how it affects hormones, the brain, liver and even the heart. The body goes through certain processes at night during sleep. I only do days now and the difference is remarkable in terms of being able to manage it. Sleep at night is so important to these types of health conditions and sleep after night shifts just can’t compensate and is always fragmented. Having the added responsibility of young children probably means you get even fewer hours of poor quality sleep. I do feel for you and your situation and hope you find a solution soon. I also practice something called Yoga Nidra and it’s said that 30 minutes of this equals 2 hours sleep so you may find that helpful to look in to? Take care and hope you get some good restorative sleep soon😊

[Hidden in reply to Alb2]

Question! Which will kill you first starvation or lack of sleep?

Lack of Sleep the Brain starts to die after a while and often will kill you after 3-4 days.

They had quite a few in likes of Korea/Japan way game playing in those booths

[Floppy99]

vit D is worth a go try 2000IU plus per day. I am now on Duloxtine anti depressant and def helping me regulate, sleep, tiredness and aching. Worth trying some form of drug could be Gabpatin or similar or a strong anti depressant. I also have Acuball that I roll with in the evening.