New Here: Sorry if I am being a cranky whiner

Yup, I have decided winter is pure evil. My spine feels like it is being strangled when I go out into the cold. I am glad I don't live any further north, but the DC metro area's weather fluctuates so much. 18 F at the beginning of the week and 72 F. What the heck? Just stop that already!!!

If I don't quit flaring, I will never get these stupid dishes done. I can't sleep because my stinking rib cage, spine, and spasming abdominals are so painful. I am really peeved that I keep having level 9 or 10 pain. I don't want to disappoint people at work, my 9 year old son, my new husband who is living across the county until I move to CA in June, and myself.

I was running up to 2 miles...ok it was more jogging, but that is a gosh dang miracle. I was able to do that after getting on lyrica, adderall, and going to a PT and chiro who practice ART and Graston muscle release technique. I lost 25 lbs and was feeling great. I had not ran without collapsing into a huge flare up and being out for a day or two since before I got full fledged fibro symptoms in 2001. I waited 11 years trying all kinds of things.

And, I freaking got amoebas last month. I felt like the flagyl to get rid of them was sucking the very life force out of my body. What the heck???? Why do I get the most ridiculous illnesses? I had adult chicken pox that...I felt like...almost killed me...stupid secondary infection, viral pleurisy, mesenteric lymphadenitis, swine flu, strep with 105.3 fever where I passed out in the bathroom into the shower...and if I had not been up crying in pain since 3 am, I am sure I would remember more "weird", "I am not just a little sick" illnesses I have had. Immune system...oh immune system...you are being a passive-aggressive withholding jerk! Why won't you do your job? OK that was mean... no name calling. I take it back.

WHY!!! Why won't my body work the way I want it to?

I know I am not the only one...because...duh...we are all on this forum, but sometimes I just get mad anyway. I just don't like it, and I am not a little old 90 year old woman, for crying out loud, whose body is likely and should be deteriorating and ill. I have been having chronic pain since I was 23 years old, and I am 34 now. I will probably live until I am 103 because that would be really funny and ironic...yeah... ha ha ha

I want a vacation from this. Someone tell me it is going to be ok.

Post Edited By Moderator (Sherrine) : 2/12/2013 10:37:32 AM (GMT-7)

I think we can all feel very down at times with this condition. But then again, there's always light at the end of the tunnel. I try to look for the small 'bright spots' in the day when I'm at my worst. I watch a bird outside the window (the cardinals and blue jays are nice and colorful against the white snow!). Or maybe play with my cats and dog for a little entertainment. I try to dig a bit into my hobbies and favorite music, or read a good book. I try to rely heavily on my faith, and yes--I do have my share of "talks" with God about 'why, why, why.' I know He understands, even if I don't at that moment.

But as the saying goes, "Tough times never last, but tough people do." Take a deep breath, try to relax as much as possible and know that things will become a little better. It does seem like we can go through times when just about everything goes wrong. But hang in there--that, too, will pass.

Gentle hugs, prayers, and best wishes.

Hi, Keep Going, and welcome!  Hey. be careful what you say about "little old ladies" because I'm one of them!     I've had pain starting when I was 31 and I'm 65 now.  Actually, my first struggles with illness started when I was a toddler.  It hasn't been easy but life has been very rewarding for me and I know it will be for you, too.  You are just struggling right now and it just doesn't seem fair.  Well, it isn't!  But you CAN have a good and enjoyable life in spite of this illness.

 

I used to live in the Cleveland, Ohio area and I know all about fluctuations in weather.  It is more difficult in these situations.  I have since moved to Florida and am doing better with the pain.

 

It doesn't sound like you have found the right combination of things to help you be in control of the pain.  I have a horrible back and find that ibuprofen with food and a muscle relaxer, Robaxin, has helped me immensely.  I started the muscle relaxer last spring and now I can sleep better and am not awakened by pain....just by my bladder.     That is a significant difference for me because I used to be awakened about five times a night because of pain and muscle spasms.  So this might be something you might want to mention to your doctor.

 

The rib cage pain might be costochondritis and ibuprofen helps me with that, too.  I get a lot of weird things that happen and I've often said I need a doctor of weird stuff to go to.  I had something happen so weird, that shouldn't have happened, that I was interviewed and written up in a medical journal.  Yep, I know exactly what you are talking about.  But, you know, I just don't dwell on it.  Thank God I have a good sense of humor and can laugh at myself.  If I couldn't, I would be crying a lot.

 

Do take one day at a time.  Right now you are ticked off and you seem to be projecting yourself in the future.  None of us know what the future holds so why worry about it?  They could discover what is causing this illness today and have a cure in a couple of years!  Now that would be fantastic and anything is possible so I just look forward to each new day with anticipation and this helps me deal with this illness.  Getting myself all stressed out just causes more pain for me.

 

I use malic acid/magnesium supplements and vitamin D3 supplements to help with pain and fatigue, too.

 

If you haven't already, read Fibro 101...the first thread on the forum.  There are links in there about fibro and you will learn a lot there.  There are links about the supplements I mentioned and how they work in the body and also a link about costochondritis that you might want to check out. 

 

I'm looking forward to getting to know you better.  Don't hesitate to ask questions because we are here to help you.  Hope to hear more from you soon.

Sherrine 

With all thats going on, have you been checked for any of the diseases that lower your immune system? I know the Hashimotos thyroid is one, but just wondering about others? Or are you taking predisone or others meds that can lower your immune system?
Hope you feel bette soon!

keep going: Yes--it surely is MUCH harder to see the more positive things going on when one is exhausted. I think you're right--good to know it's just a temporary state of mind. Things do wax and wane. I guess it's sort of like riding a surf--highs and lows.

I hope you have a better day!

I wanted to say that I have been thinking of everything that has been said to me even though I had not had time to reply. I can't access this forum from work, and had a weekend guest...and of course there's the exhaustion and pain that get in the way when they do.


I am trying amitriptyline. I get pretty tired after I take it. I have even remembered dreams, which makes me think I must be sleeping more deeply and wasn't up once I woke up at 3 am and could fall back asleep.

It was nice to have a supportive person here this weekend because I was able to go out to DC to see monuments, go visit friends, go to Mt Vernon, and go roller skating at a roller rink...all the while knowing that if I wore out and flared up, this person would take care of me and drive so I could take something for pain. I get a little fearful of doing all the fun things I "live" to do without someone to back me up.

The opposite of pain is pleasure, and getting out to see the world is a pleasure. I would like to be able to focus on serenity, fulfillment, contentment, joy, and pleasure instead of pain, suffering, and exhaustion.

Thank you for all the support you have given me thus far.

Oh, WOW!  I'm sorry that has happened and hope it is the medication that caused that and not another problem.  That is frightening.

 

It's posts like this that have kept me taking over the counter things and supplements, exercise, etc.  I've had reactions to some medications and it's not a good feeling at all.  The only prescription drug I take for fibro is a muscle relaxer. 

 

I hope you get to the bottom of this soon and that you are back on your feet again.

 

Sherrine

The Neurologist didn't seem to think that it was characteristic of amitriptyline to cause seizures. He said antidepressants give you a smaller seizure threshold if your brain waves spike.

Now I am worried.... (hahaha! ok kind of not funny)... WORRIED that my Anxiety might have been enough to put me over the edge to having the seizures. Yes, now I can have anxiety about my anxiety.

He did say it might have the combination of medications I took that day. I did take adderall that morning because I was foggy and not getting anything done.

Now I have to keep ativan sp? with me just in case.

He also said my migraines, fibro, and seizures are probably related.