Posted 3/29/2014 12:00 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Sheba, and welcome! You could have fibro. I'm not a doctor so am guessing like you are but I'm saying this because you said you have pain and fatigue, too. Several of the things you described could be anxiety issues which does happen with many with fibro.
I used to suffer from anxiety and it can be quite debilitating. When if first hit me I thought I was having a stroke. Pain shot up and over my skull, my heart started racing, I got very dizzy and thought I was going to faint. The fear from these symptoms made things worse. But I have since used my faith and also deep breathing to help get in control of the anxiety.
When my husband died suddenly and my mother had a brain stem stroke 17 days later, the cognitive memory issues of fibro kicked in big time! I was under so much stress, cried frequently, and couldn't remember a thing. There was a conversation that my daughters said we had but I still have absolutely no memory of it. They thought it was funny and again I burst I to tears since I thought I was getting Alzheimer's.
I headed to the doctor and he said that stress can cause this. Once I could relax about it, I did much better. I do have fibro fog but it's not bad at all. I also take folic acid and that is supposed to help with memory. They are now starting to give this to Alzheimer's patients.
But the key for you is...RELAX! It sounds like your stress, and your reaction to it, are causing you more problems. Try Lamaze breathing where you take a deep breath and blow it out slowly like you are blowing through a straw. You will probably feel some tension leave your body. Another trick I used is to lay on the bed and tighten the muscles in your feet and then totally relax your feet. Then move to your legs, hand, arms, etc. until you've worked up your body.
Once you feel more relaxed, focus on something besides how you feel. Doing a body check can bring the anxiety back. Get a good book. Watch a funny movie, go shopping, or work on a hobby. I love doing genealogy and that puts my mind in a different direction and the pain fades in the background for me.
Be sure to read Fibro 101...the first thread on the forum. There is a lot of good info there about fibro and you can learn a lot there. This will help you see what could be fibro or something else. A good starting link is called A Thorough Explanation of Fibromyalgia. Do read all of Fibro 101 though because all of it is good.
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