Help

[Hope74]

Hi I've been diagnosed recently with fibromyalgia, I feel I've had it for along time though. How do you deal with the exhaustion? The pain? I'm now having anxiety attacks in worried about all aspects of my life especially my family that have been so supportive, I'm a shell of the person I used to be. Please I would be grateful for any advice.

[Probatequeen]

Hi, I was diagnosed a few months ago having been wrongly diagnosed with polymyalgia. At the moment I am waiting for physio and am trying paracetomol for the pain, sometimes it helps. The exhaustion, like you, I am struggling with as I was always quite active, although I have been going to lie down some afternoons and find this helps, I put some calming music on and make the room dark, close my eyes and try to relax. Hope this helps. Xxx

[Jannamarie in reply to Probatequeen]

I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and hypothyroidism in 1991 and put on insulin and Synthroid. I have been in chronic pain since my teens. I am 61 now. There was no help for it as Doctors didn't even recognize fibromyalgia. Many doctors thought I was crazy (suffering from anxiety, etc.) I finally went to Mayo Clinic to receive the newly minted diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and was sent home with a prescription for Amitryptiline and told to exercise. As you know this did nothing to alleviate the pain. Later, suffering from debilitating exhaustion for months I was diagnosed with the newly discovered Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. No real help for that either other than a revolving door of antidepressants with their unique accompanying side effects which did nothing to relieve the fatigue or the worsening pain of FMS.

This year after many years of being dismissed by a whole host of doctors in different areas of medicine And resorting to the Internet for help and solace I came across an Article which was titled something like "Why One in Six Hypothyroid Patients Don't get Better on Levothyroxine (in my case Synthroid). I did further research and found that for those Patients Natural Dessicated Thyroid medicines ("NDT") could alleviate the symptoms the Synthroid wasn't addressing. I asked my doctor to prescribe and she adamantly refused citing my lab work on Synthroid which was perfect.

Didn't matter one bit that I had every major symptom of hypothyroidism in spite of the labs and the treatment with Synthroid. Anyway, after a year I managed to find a Functional Medicine M.D. who did switch me to NDT Naturethroid. Within a few months the chronic pain, debilitating exhaustion, brittle hair and nails and bloated weight gain resolved. I got off all antidepressants and other useless meds. I am 5'6" and weighed 145 lbs. with no dieting at all (I wasn't really heavy at 145 and never ate much anyway) I went down to the weight I was before developing hypothyroidism which was 115 lbs. From Size 12 To size 4 which has remained constant for almost a year. Because the type of hypothyroidism I have is an autoimmune type (as is my Type 1 diabetes) I still have episodes or flares of symptoms but my overall health is so much improved I feel it is miraculous. Why the medical establishment will not order the right lab tests or prescribe the NDT for women suffering is almost criminal.

My advice is to find a certified functional medicine doctor who will order the proper thyroid tests for you and even if your thyroid is not causing the problems will be much more knowledgeable about how to treat your symptoms. I wish you good luck and good health.

Jannamarie (Janet)

[Betiboo69 in reply to Probatequeen]

Hi.

I was diagnosed with fibro about 7 months ago now. Put on 1600 vitamin d a day . I have an underactive thyroid diagnosed before the fibro on tablets daily. Pain from sciatica and groin daily 7/8 out 10 pain

And knee pain 8/10.

General fibro body pain all over

On Amatriptiline 25 mg at night

Tramadol 2 times 50 mg 4times day

Nefopam 30mg three times a day

Citalopram 10mg to be changed to another antidepressant

Doctor said cant take Tramadol with cocodamol as both opiates

So far nothing has erased my daily pain except from sleeping and i am usually fatigued 5/7 days.

The fatigue is worse than the pain as im always so tired i use up the energy i have doing stuff.

Pace yourself ..little walks..little excercise stretches and movements.

[Ashanti1029]

Well I have to say the pit of my stomach just drops to here your symptoms Hope74. Though I have dealt with anxiety almost my entire life, round of applause for my father, that's one of my coping skills (dark humor lol). It actually does help a lot because then I can talk about my fears but then laugh about them at the same time though it isn't for everyone. I also deal with my anxiety and fibromyalgia with trying to stay in tune with my body.

First thing I just had to let go of the notion that i was going to magically return to the person I was before. I'm not going to pretend that was easy because it wasn't but once I accepted the new me I could begin to see some of the good that was there too and deal with the reality ahead instead of just mourning my past.

Second I started to find things that worked for me. Like on my good days I love to walk with my wonderful beast Ava, my English mastiff. I also asked my friends and family if they could help me with little things that caused me stress and if they didn't mind they did. (Asking for help help tons. I've been on my own since i was 14 so that was by far the hardest thing to talk to others about).

I guess what I'm trying to say, sorry about rambling on, is find the things that mean the most to you. What causes you the most stress? Try to reduce or if possible eliminate it. Call on friends for support. Your human not super human it's okay. Lastly I have found great peace in my faith. Not to say you have to be religious if you aren't just that believing that you can feel better than you do today and having belief in that, through friends/family/God will help i truly think and hope.

I so hope things get smoother-

[Hope74 in reply to Ashanti1029]

Morning, I struggle to find a balance, on a good day I go mad doing all housework then I suffer for 2-3 days for it. I know I shouldn't but I hate an untidy house and no one cleans like I do.

All my friends and some close family members have dropped me because always letting them down. I feel so alone but muddle through, it's nice to talk though thankyou Ashanti 😀😀😀😀

[Ashanti1029 in reply to Hope74]

Well first of all if you can try not to think of yourself as letting anyone down. If anyone thinks this about you then they obviously unfortunately do not understand and there are a lot that do not understand. I am very sorry for that. I have had my share too and it is painful and doesn't get any easier but I just try and remind myself of my unfailing family/friends and when they fail I think of a hilarious movie or super sappy sweet lovey dove romance story I can watch and hold my beloved Ava, English mastiff, and that usually does the trick.

I am so glad I could help you. Talking to you has helped me also , so much, so thank you. It is amazingly comforting just to know I'm not alone.

Oh and cleaning the house, I can so relate, but I'm trying to learn to do just a little on good days that i can so I don't wipe myself out like I used to also. It was torture at first but very worth it in the end. I hope you have a good , low pain day, and are able to find something that makes you have a right good belly laugh. Those are essential

-Talk soon Hope 74