I am new here and have been struggling to cope up with this. Since there is no proper diagnosis for fibromyalgia other than eliminating all other possibilities.
I am going through a lot of pain. Constant, stabbing, sharp pain in all my joints and frequent numbness in paint areas. I am also going through morning stiffness and recently all of a sudden the pain is intensifying.
No medication is working and I am getting tired and depressed a lot.
Can anyone please share any information known to them?? Like how to ease?? do I need lifestyle changes??? Anything will be helpful.
Thank you!!
Written by
MSanon94
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
We all understand and you will find friends here in exactly the same situation 💗 The endless pain is depressing and often debilitating.
We have differently named medications in the UK, but we are often prescribed antidepressants, pain killers and sometimes anti-seizure drugs. Some people find they help, others don’t.
I really hope some of the suggestions will help with your pain. Waiting for 3 months is horrible. Fingers crossed the doctors are more helpful soon.
At night, some people find a weighted blanket helpful. You could try one of these. Good luck xx
Hello MSanon. Welcome to the club nobody wanted to join. But we all understand and sympathise with your bewilderment at being in so much pain.
It does take a bit of time to find your way through the maze of options. Medication does help a lot of people. Sadly - I’m not one - my body refuses to cooperate on going that route. But I do get by on a very healthy diet (loads of fresh veg and salads) no alcohol, coffee and minimum sugar. Basically I eat like a caveman (with a few mugs of decaff tea and a the odd chocolate digestive!)
Plus stretching really does help. It doesn’t sound like much of a suggestion - but do give it a try.
Then there’s pacing (hard to do but very helpful). Plus lots of people find mindfulness and meditation really useful. Again - I’m not good at that. But I am trying.
What I am trying to say is: stay positive because there is a lot you can do to help yourself. And there are lots of people on here who can give you advice.
Thank you so much!! I used to do practice yoga and meditation. However recently, I am not able to do yoga. Also, Being in the same position for more than 20 minutes is creating numbness and pricking sensations.I am learning more about myself now. By keeping a journal. To see what is working for me and what is not.
You sound like myself I have yet to find a medication that suits me not to long diagnosed. I do find the epsom salts in the bath help a bit as does the tens machine. I am doing physio stretches too to help me keep active and walk when I can if its only around the block its something. Some days though even that is to much and I rest up on those days wait for it to pass. I find it comes in flares the pain never full goes but it dulls so I can get on with my day. I have slowed down a lot I what I can do bug I still try and not give into it completely as hard as it is we need to keep going mentally. I am doing my masters in college that keeps my mind going a lot although some days I just cannot focus. Stress is a huge trigger for me so I try to keep on top of the finances as best as I can bit its not easy especially when things pop up unexpectedly. I am in a flare right now but I am sure it will ease up soon or hope so anyway. My goal is to get a trip away with the kids during the summer but right now I am unsure I can manage it so fingers crossed it gets better. I am learning to live with it though and accept it so I can work with it rather than against it in the hope that I will then have more good days. I have been told this week sugar and carbs are a trigger too so I am trying to at least cut back but it ain't easy. Best of luck with your journey I hope you find the right balance for you 😊
Hello Elizahl,Thank you for the suggestions! I hope I will find the right balance. And yes!! Epson salt helps a bit. Keeping a journal is helping me a lot right now.
I have gone through flare only once, At that time, I didn't know what I was going through. It was so bad and painful. I am trying to work my way around it. Figuring things that will help me as I go.
Can I chip in slightly re the tennis ball - I learned a great tip recently that if you pop it in a long sock, you can hang it easily down your back and roll on a wall. I find that far easier than the floor, but I guess it depends on each individual's ability of movement to start with.
Top tip! I tend to do the wall for my back and then the floor for my legs as my thighs are always so sore. I do kind of fall to the floor to get down there though as I have swollen knees from rheumatoid arthritis and can’t bend them much. It’s very unladylike 😂
You are not alone! We may be virtual voices to you, but in reality we are all aching bodies and souls. Read as many posts as you can about the different pain areas you have. I looked up hips the other day and found solace in other people's words and help in their suggestions. There is a lot of advice out there, but it is trial and error to find the best recipe for your body.
I have to pace myself every day or face the consequences. It is hard to accept and I am having some therapy to work on that.
Take one day at a time and keep reaching out for support.
Thank you!! I am learning every day what works and what's pushing it downside. It's a long and rough journey we have to go through.I guess, Listening to our body is the way to know.
Morning, you have my empathy as it’s tough going through this , keep plugging away with trying meds , trial and error along the way but hopefully your doctor is helpful and understanding. I take Duloxtene and I am finding it very helpful , i was originally put on it for anxiety which worked wonders but recently I am taking an extra tablet and ive differently noticed my pain levels have dropped, so I hope you find something very soon that suits. My doctor did diagnose me after clear bloods, pressure point s test, and generally my over all symptoms on a daily basis around 6months. I do find pacing key as many here will tell you , and yes differently my epsom bath after tea. Xx
It depends what you are trying to achieve. If you are a busy go-getter you will need to learn how to slow down. Exercise is important though, don't lay in bed or on the couch as you will become very unfit and also start to lose bone density, especially if you are in the menopause bracket.
That means Do a little until your body says 'I'm having trouble', then stop and rest for awhile, then have another go.
Also, as you get more used to Fibro, you will gradually get to know which pains are significant and which are just your body being a PITA. Your body will scream at you that you are in pain 24/7, but most is because your pain perception is turned right up to the Max!
I've been diagnosed for between 12 and 14 years, and have found that, as you get more familiar with it, your pain will dial it down somewhat. Sensitive folk find it more difficult, I find.
Google The Spoon Theory, it may seem mad, but it's a way to explain to folk how the pain and exhaustion affects you and why you may not be able to get out as often as before. It can put a decided crimp in your social life, and that's when you will find out who your real friends are.
Hello Midori,Thank you for the suggestions. It is true. As the days go by, I am learning more about myself. What is working, what isn't working. How to improve my day.
Keeping a journal helps me. All though at times, I find my journal is depressing, as the things I used to love doing are becoming a real struggle. Hopefully, I will find the right balance and accept things at least to make it better for the coming days.
Just looked up and read The Spoon Theory. Wow, spot on. Thanks for the suggestion. I have often thought of myself as an old rechargeable battery...it will never charge back up fully to bright green, most days it starts in orange and burns down to red fast. Every now and then it creeps up to yellow, maybe a little bit green and I have a bit more energy that day. Finding ways of recharging is a priority and can be different every day.
Hi, Sorry to hear you are struggling, I really hope you can soon get on top of the many pains you are experiencing. It is both a physical and mental challenge and the early days are really tough. When I first developed FM I remember waking in the morning (and several times in the night if my sleeping body dared to move) in quite strong pain and had stiffness everywhere. It took me ages to shuffle along to the bathroom and back, and it felt like I'd ran a marathon the day before. It was so alien to be in such pain all the time. It is really distressing at first.
I hope you gain some comfort hearing that so many others have been where you are now and for most of us we have found our own individual ways of coping with it, most of the time. It changes and you change too. There are times you can be in sync with it and others when it smacks you hard for being so disrespectful as to think you understand it.
Everyone copes differently and it seems to impact us all differently, yet we can all relate to each others' descriptions. As people have said, hearing others' experiences and remedies is really helpful. Sleep is so critical and really seems to dictate the intensity and range of symptoms, for most of us.
Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is the 'pacing' that a few members have referred to in the above posts? I'm always keen to hear new techniques that work for other people and that one is new to me.
I hope you can get some help with the pain soon and your sleep can be improved as well.
Thank you, LoneEra! Actually, I think I am guilty of not pacing very well. On the rare occasions I get the elusive gift of energy for a few hours, I tend to go bonkers as I know I might not get another one for a week. Soon after comes the punishment!!
I will try the pacing thing for sure.
(I was worried it was a new therapy that involved wearing the lounge carpet bare, striding up and down whilst thinking).
I have times when I feel normal, but I personally had to do less and give in to it from time to time. Then make sure I did not push myself to much. Also I have found that stress always makes me worse. The better times will come again.
Yeah. I discovered feeling stressed or having bad moods are making the pain much worse the hard way!! Especially during periods. Hopefully, I will find the strength to go through this.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Very painful heals, do you get this and what is it?
Is it any worse
