Is it possible to manage Fibromyalgia... - Fibromyalgia Acti...

Fibromyalgia Action UK

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Is it possible to manage Fibromyalgia without medication?

14 Replies
14 Replies

well i dont think that i would wan to try it but there may be some alternative therapies have a look in the tags or archives you may find something there but you really should see your gp before you try anything new most gp s are open minded npow love to you diddle x

thank you.

I have to manage mine without prescribed medications too because I have stomach and bowel problems and can't take opiates and reacted badly to Duloxetine .

I have to manage it with " over the counter " pain relief and pacing myself along with gentle exercise .

I find the lack of quality sleep is what knocks me for 6 , causes fatigue and generally makes all the aches and pains feel more pronounced.

xx

in reply to

Thank you. It seems to be not having good quality sleep making things worse. I wonder if it is possible to get the Level 4 sleep if a person has Fibromyalgia - as I can sleep but not reaching the deep level. This is helping me to think about things and where I am heading. x

in reply to

You mention pacing Helen. Have you attended a CFS Clinic and learnt pacing therapy? The reason I mention this is that I went to a local CFS Clinic and went on a programme to teach me how to pace and totally restructure my days with the theory that If I were to introduce activities together with rest periods and regular waking and bedtimes, I would in fact have more energy, more manageable pain levels and less fatigue overall. It worked for me. I just wondered if this would help you if you haven't already tried this form of therapy. Even after a flare-up I can start pacing after a couple of days and start stabilising myself again. Hope to hear from you soon regarding this. Take care :) :)

in reply to

Getting to any clinic is proving difficult for me at the moment Libby because my agoraphobia has kicked in big time after I've developed another health problem. So I basically have had to learn to listen to my body and do things accordingly . Sometimes it works , but it's the lack of sleep that's really not helping and again that's caused not just by the Fibro but by an irritable bladder that nobody seems able to sort out for me :(

Not being able to have any stronger pain relief is causing me huge problems too .

xx

jazher profile image
jazher

HI , i really wouldnt like to try. I am on meds and i couldnt imagine getting through a day with no meds and i couldnt slepp without my amitriplyn.

HUgs, kel xxxx

keno25 profile image
keno25

I don't take any meds because of my MCS i cannot tolerate most meds for symptom relief as pharmaceutical chemicals add more strain to an already overloaded/damaged detoxification system, usually causing an increase in both symptoms & sensitivity levels.

Hi, I do not take any meds for fm but am in them for other medical problems.

I do take amirtiptlin and fluoxatine but these were given before fm they were for the pain of athritis & breast cancer, When i got diagnosed from Rhuem doc he said do not take any pain meds as they will never work.

I take meds for high bp and also for cholestorol and take naproxen for athritis but do not feel it helps

Larke profile image
Larke

Nanna that just makes me SO angry that someone would tell you that pain meds will not work. It's utter BS too! If you can tolerate pain medication try it! If it helps, fantastic! I can't ever imagine where the pain medication would not work. Unless one decided that the side effects were too much to handle. I found a few opiates that way, like oxycontin made me too nauseaous.

Anyway, as to the OP (original poster)'s question. Yes, some people do report the ability to manage their symptoms without prescription medication. But as I've stated in other posts, Fibromyalgia is different for every single person. What medication works, or does not, is also different for every single person.

It took 2 years to find a mix of drugs that worked well enough for me. I'm still suffering with more pain that I want to, but it's at least at a level where I can cope with it. Or be able to sleep (even if I need a little more pain medication to get there).

I personally can NOT imagine lasting a single day without my pain medication. If I could not have pain relief I'd do something very permanent and fatal. I'm dead serious too. My pain is so bad that if I did not have pain relief I'd rather be dead, period.

So if someone was told that pain medication won't help them, bullcrap! If your pain is bad enough that you can't get through a day without suffering then you DESERVE pain relief. If your doctor refuses to provide it, find another doctor. It's your life. Doctor's aren't all-knowing gods, they are just people who can make mistakes or push their own beliefs on you just like anyone else.

Befriend your pharmacist! They know more about drugs than anyone else because that's their job.

Sunshine and smiles,

Shannon

livingwithfibromyalgia.ca

@LDYLARKE

kraftyk8 profile image
kraftyk8 in reply toLarke

well said Shannon!

Larke profile image
Larke

Just wanted to reiterate the fact that we deserve pain relief! Doesn't matter how you get it imo. We spend enough time berating ourselves about our condition. Laying guilt on ourselves for our bodies that are no longer able to do the things they could before. Or dwelling on how we are a burden to our family. We spend enough time punishing ourselves about our condition.

The very least we DO deserve is pain relief. We DESERVE pain relief. Everyone does. There is no way that anyone should suffer when they don't need to. If your personal beliefs mean you must seek relief without medication then that's your choice and if you really want to, you'll find what works for you.

in reply toLarke

Thank you everybody for your replies. x

kraftyk8 profile image
kraftyk8

Hi Reflections,

Personally my head would have to be in a very good place to attempt it.

If you are really interested trying it there are loads of books on the subject on Amazon,

Just enter a search for 'pain relief without drugs' and they will come up.

happy hugs, kate :)

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