Fibro is making depression worse

Hi, Ladywhitewolf.

Welcome! You've come to the right place for comraderie....we all understand. I've had Fibro for over 20 years, and I was just thinking a few minutes ago about all the things I'd like to do tonight, such as move pictures around on my walls, but - uh, nope - can't do that! I'd be hurtin' for certain, sleep badly, and feel even worse tomorrow.

So I know what you mean. It's so hard to have to give up so much. But somehow, we do come to terms with it, because we have to. We are strong people, even though for the most part, the outside world can't see that.

Take a look at "Fibro 101," if you haven't already. It's the 1st thread on the list, and it's really good - has info on coping, exercise and other methods that help, what doctors think Fibro is all about, etc. etc. We're all so different as far as what helps us...

I hope you'll keep posting, because we do care!

Debbie

Welcome lady to the forum. I can understand your feelings. I use to suffer with deep depression before coming to this forum. The pain is a trigger for my depression. I finally had to learn to accept my condition and believe me it wasn't easy. I am not going to lie, it still can sneak in the back door some. I was able to see a therapist and go to classes for chronic pain and anxiety. I learned several tools to help get through this depression and anxiety. I bought a great book that help me get through depression.

I think the best thing that really helped was staying spiritually strong. I read verses in the Bible that encourage me. I stayed connected to other women that were strong in faith. I try to keep my cup full with His spirit. You don't have to be religious to do things such as this. I think sometimes as a mother we give so much of ourselves that we forget to take care of us.

You found a great place to receive support. I never feel lonely anymore since I found this forum. I am happy to say my depression is well controlled. I can say I have joy back in my life. It was work, but through His faith I got through it. I love the author Mary copeland. She has written many books on depression and has some on fibro. You can find them on line. I used some of her tools to help me get through it. Don't forget to get your family involved. When they understand what your going throgh then you are more supported. This way your not feeling so lonely in this crazy fibro we have.

I hope we see you around again. Just keep reading post and you will start feeling connected to others. We learn so much from each other. I am glad you were able to be open and share with us.

Post Edited (ak angel) : 3/19/2014 1:08:38 AM (GMT-6)

Thanks for replying acheybody. I've been looking for a place to connect with others in this situation and see what others are doing with their individual situations. I know how you feel about moving pictures and knowing what it will do to you afterwards. My house is not as neat and in order as it should or could be because I usually sleep for hours after I drop the kids off for school. The fatigue that goes along with this is unbelievable!!! It's right up there with the frustration of people thinking that I'm faking - UGH!!!!!

I completely understand.
I am in the same boat and just posted a hello and then go for a wander to read and here u all are experiencing the same thing!! amazing. I see people writing what I just expressed ' I feel like im just existing and not living'. thank god for u. you just might save me from myself.

Hi, Ladywhitewolf, and welcome! Hmm...your doctor asked if you wanted to be taken off your medication and he wanted you to see a psychiatrist? Does he think this is all in your head? If so....RUN! They don't understant this illness. You might want to find a board certified Rheumatologist who can properly diagnose you. You could have fibro and something else going on.

The reason I mentioned that is that I have had fibro for nearly 27 years but two years ago I started getting worse and worse and the pain was horrible. My Internist had me try Vicodin and then Tramadol and neither touched the pain. Plus fibro is not considered a progressive illness so I found a good rheumatologist, went through x-rays, blood work, and two MRI's and was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis. This really affects the spine and causes a lot of pain. I also have fibro. But I was put on ibuprofen, Tylenol. and a prescription muscle relaxer that has helped me significantly and I am doing soooo much better!

I also use vitamin D3 and magnesium malate to help with pain and fatigue also. Quite a few members use these and have gotten help too. But, what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. It's a trial and error type of thing. But once you find what helps you control the pain, you can have a full and enjoyable life in spite of this illness!

I am a positive thinker. My positive attitude has helped me immensely with this illness. I just wrote all about it in another thread so I'm copying it and pasting it here to save myself some time. Hope you don't mind.

We are all so different. I do not suffer from depression. I did experince a severe depression when my husband died suddenly and it took me over a year to pull myself out of that hole so I do understand the pain and dispair that it causes. But, I have a positive attitude and that has helped me immensely with fibro. I don't look at what I can't do or how difficult things can be especially in a flare. Instead, I look at all I CAN do and that is a lot. I look at all my blessings and all the beauty that is around me and it just makes me very peaceful.

I find ways to work around my illnesses so I can do the things I want to do. I always try, also, instead of telling myself that I can't do it. I pace myself when doing things. It all gets done but in a different time frame and I set reachable goals every day. When I have accomplished them I give myself a nice pat on the back. This makes me smile. I love to smile and smile a lot. I don't even know I'm doing it now but I will see strangers in the stores look at me and smile right back. It's neat! Plus it makes people wonder what you have been up to.

I see you have been referred to Fibro 101...the first thread on the forum. Do read it. You will learn a lot that can help you. There also is a link about maintaining a positive attitude when you have chronic pain. I read it when I'm having a bad day and it does help and helps remind you that life is good. I hope it helps you too. Depression is the pits! Also, there are links to the supplements I mentioned and how they work in the body.

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

Wow, this is weird because I didn't plan on even going to this tonight. A friend told me earlier her son was dehydrated and then after giving her a list of standard things to do but then she sent a text saying he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. I Googled and that sent me here. What made me join this is ladywhitewolf talking about thyroid disease. I don't want to turn this into my life story, just to say I have been through more than most and less than some. I have had a lot of death, trauma, illness and depression in my life. I have been diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, Hashimoto Thyroid disease, Sjogren's, Fibro, PTSD, Major Depression, Cervical Cancer at 24, and many minor problems.

I have learned a lot over the years, one is therapy can help make dealing with all of these diseases easier and I've had a few go away, I think because when I couldn't cope; my body did it for me, not always in a good way. One thing I have learned is that thyroid disease not managed correctly can cause many diseases and make them better or worse. Your thyroid runs everything in your body from your temperature to your sex drive and includes little things like whether you are hot or cold, tired or energetic, sleep or no sleep.

I also know after 40 years of Hashimoto's disease that most endocrinologist don't treat it correctly. If you have thyroid disease you have to read the website http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/. Your thyroid can go off running to its own tune for many reasons, mine was a postpartum thyroiditis. My daughter's started in college, my mother's was postpartum. Thyroid problems may run in a family, once you have an auto-immune disease you tend to get others, so if you have Sjogren's, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, and don't feel good make sure they check for other autoimmune diseases. There are people who believe once you have an autoimmune disease your body attracts them until you have three autoimmune diseases.

I started to list the symptoms for the three major disease of your thyroid, but it was way too long. This doesn't include thyroid cancer which has increased by more than 100% in the past then years. It has been attacking people in young health active people so if you don't see your doctor annually it may be a good year to see him/her and ask them about thyroid cancer. If you have pain in your neck or any of the symptoms listed in this link - please get your thyroid checked out. This site has list for hyper and hypo but Hashimoto's is listed under Thyroiditis because that is what causes Hashimoto's.
http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/thyroid-disease.html

If you any doctor has even said the word thyroid disease or "under or over active thyroid' there are two sites you need to read- one is Stop The Thyroid Madness. The other is the thyroid page on about.com by Mary Shomon - I used to be a big fan of her site but now I read everything and keep copies of all of my blood work, tests, x-ray reports, MRI reports, if it concerns me medically, I tell my doctor I want a copy. I only discovered my doctor had not changed my Synthroid -levothyroxine dose when I was in a psych hospital when I got a copy of my doctor's office records. Getting your records from your doctors is a wealth of knowledge from all the medical reports to what he/she actually thinks about you and your complaints.

Depending on the machine they use your TSH should be some where between 2 and 5. Mine has been everywhere from 0.01 to 49 and I have had doctors tell me it was fine or the lab work was wrong(even though the lab had triple checked it). Consequently, my symptoms have been at both ends of the spectrum which means you can be so cold you can't stand it or you can start sweating for what appears to be absolutely no reason. You gain weight looking at food and sometimes it comes off when you are eating whatever you want to eat. Usually when you thyroid isn't being regulated well you gain weight easily but it doesn't come off easily or at all when your thyroid is in the normal range.

Doctors don't adjust the dosage based on how you feel, usually it is all about the blood work. The doctor I have now is what I call a trainee, he is new to this practice and we are having lots of discussions about thyroid and I have told him I won't go to another endocrinologists, even if they listen, they don't want to try new things. My daughter has Hashimoto's for about 15 years and she has felt terrible for 14 years. This past year she started doing research and found the STTM site and Mary Shomon and had hope she would feel better, I admit I had given up hope of ever feeling like me again. Every once in a while about 3-4 times a year I would wake up and feel great, it is amazing to feel that way again. My daughter found a pediatrician that believes in treating Hashie's (nickname) with Natural thyroid and also in putting people on both T3 and T4. My daughter started taking it a little over two months, 10-11 weeks and the change is amazing. It is like having my daughter back again, she is not tired all the time, she sleeps through the night again, she can think and have a conversation without having to look for words when she can't find them. She has given me the motivation to fight for the right dosage of thyroid medication.

I know this thread is about Fibro. But when you read the Stop The Thyroid Madness website you can see how thyroid disease can be the cause of Fibro. May your blessings be more than the shamrocks that grow....

Just because your doctor wants you to see a psychiatrist, doesn't mean he thinks it is in your head. I have a psychiatrist that helps me with my fatigue. And a lot more with fibromyalgia. He is "mind and body", and also a DO. So it isn't all that strange that your doctor mentioned a psychiatrist. I think it would be worth going, they do understand fibromyalgia. At least some do... They can get you on the proper medications to help you with fibromyalgia and depression if you have it, they do go hand in hand. And some depression medications do help with the pain. So before you write this one off, check it out. You may be surprised how much it helps. I am so thankful for the help with the fatigue that I get from the psychiatrist.

Best wishes...

Hugs, Karen...