Fibromyalgia, menopause or just age?!

Fibromyalgia, menopause, or just aging?!

Hello, I’m new to this forum. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a few years ago and for the most part have struggled on my own to get my health back since the medical system only offered management by use of drugs rather than “cure”, or even understanding or knowledge of the problem. Also, I’m a 58 year old woman slightly overweight dealing with the ups and downs of symptoms which could be menopausal, or fibromyalgia or perhaps just age.

Sometimes I’m at a loss as to how to respond!

I’m hoping to learn something more , get some new ideas for dealing with the issues of feeling 70 one minute and 40 the next. Ha ha, the minutes while feeling 70 seem to last so much longer! 😄

[Teri0905]

Hi Kathrynirene, I'm nearly same age, some of same issues, and no I don't think we should feel this bad this much. Do you have thyroid issues as well? I have been trying to figure out how to help myself without Rx. I think some of our issues may be vitamin deficiency and I have been taking many extra supplements and have seen some improvement. Most of it is from a combo calcium potassium magnesium one that I take. I also try to exercise at least several days a week, because I find the more I sit the more i hurt! Moving around more helps with fibromyalgia rather than sitting and stiffening up. I will write more later I'm due at work now but perhaps others will have some tips as well.

[Hidden in reply to Teri0905]

I agree with you about not sitting too much.

I also have been taking vitamins to help...CoQ10, D (maybe should use D3/K2), magnesium, and a fish oil. I sometimes take vitamin C or other boosting type things as my immune system doesn’t work as well as it used to.

I don’t have thyroid issues as far as I know, but did look into it just in case.

I’ve read so much in the past few years, I’m generally good at the self-help, but get down when my system gets down and I don’t know “what I did wrong”. I know, probably the wrong reaction!

Thanks for your reply.

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

For CORRECT Thyroid testing you need the following tested - TSH - FT4 - FT3 and thyroid Anti-bodies TPO & Tg to rule out Hashimotos - the most common thyroid condition globally. Sadly Docs rarely do the correct tests and keep people so unwell and treat them inappropriately with loads of other pills and potions !

Testing for B12 - Folate - Ferritin and VitD is also VERY important and often LOW when the thyroid is low.

Happy to help

[Hidden in reply to Marz]

I agree completely. I had blood tests a few times and tried to compare the numbers myself, and of course everything, on the medical system’s scale was within “normal” parameters. But my instinct tells me my problem isn’t specifically due to thyroid issues, and if it is, a lot of my diet and lifestyle changes would help anyway.

Thanks for your input.

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

You are legally entitled to have all copies of your test results so you can monitor your own health and see what has been missed.

After a lifetime of illness I was diagnosed with fibro in 2000 and then on moving here to Crete - I was diagnosed with Hashimotos in 2005 at 59. Once treatment was optimal and I began learning I soon lost the fibro symptoms.

Fibro can be connected to low T3 - which is rarely tested in the NHS. Also if anti-bodies were not tested how would you know whether or not you have Hashimotos ? It would be good to have the complete set of results - then that at least is one thing you can rule out. I have been on Thyroid UK here on HU for almost 7 years - there are over 80,000 members and it is a very active forum - so yes I read LOTS of posts just like yours on a very regular basis

Taking VitD is based on your result - so best to be tested first.

[Hidden in reply to Marz]

Thanks again. I’m in Canada and while I do have the printed out test results, they don’t test for very much and they use parameters rather than actual numbers...it’s definitely something I’ll need to look into further then.

In case you’d wondering, the reason I’m on a UK forum is because I couldn’t find a Canadian one! 😊

Thanks again

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

No problem - I speak to lots of people from different countries on Thyroid UK. Yes diagnosing thyroid is becoming more and more of a problem globally as they increasingly rely on test results rather than observing and listening to the patient. Big Pharma rules 😊

Happy to help ...

[Hidden in reply to Marz]

No kidding, they don’t have time to listen, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia by a rheumatologist, with barely an examination at all...talking to me between phone calls!

Thanks again 🙂

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

How very rude !

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

Did you have more thyroid tests ?

[Hidden in reply to Marz]

No, not yet. As I’m generally managing my health quite well, I haven’t been back to the doctor for over a year and don’t really wish to at this point.

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

if you do have a thyroid problem then think of the treatment as a preventative treatment. Thyroid hormones - or lack of - can be the cause of over 300 symptoms - and impacts on every system in the body - the brain - the heart - the gut - and so on.

Wishing you well