no meds onboard

Hi Steph: Welcome, if I missed your previous posts. This is a great, helpful forum.

If you scroll down the list of threads on this forum, the sixth last one (as of now) by AubreyB called "Natural Alternatives" might be helpful.

I would say I can often get by with alternative treatments; however, winter is coming fast and though it isn't that cold yet (still nice here in the upper U.S. Midwest, actually), I'm already seeing some not so pleasant changes. Today I had slight nerve pain in my head all day. Nothing major; just a reminder that I have fibro! I've also noticed my feet are a little more touchy.

Back to your question: Heat is quite helpful, too, and in the cool months, I never am far from a heating pad or microwavable 'bed buddy.' A nice blanket to cuddle up in when evening arrives feels good, as does a warm foot bath. A cup of chamomile tea is relaxing to the muscles, too (try the various Celestial Seasonings flavors---very good!).

Okay--the above suggestions are fine if you have time in the evening for some down time, but during the day, I try hard to alternate sitting with standing. I change positions often. That definitely helps my stiffness. I'm even stiff as I type this, so will have to move along soon!

I was on Elavil for years, due to chronic diarrhea, many years ago. Yes---I gained weight! It made me incredible sleepy! I would take a 50mg tablet before bedtime and be very sleepy all the next day. It did help my condition, but wow, I was so, so tired back then.

I don't know much about what to do about weight gain and meds, unless your doctor will let you take less, if you're able.
For example, my doctor used to give me 300mg of Neurontin (gabapentin) but now prescribes the 100mg capsules. I like that--much less 'fog' and sleepiness, and I can work well through them.

My diet has improved---more vegetables and fruits, more water, and very, very little as far as cookies, chips, etc. Just a taste, if anything.

Hobbies have helped me, too, as does prayer time and spiritual reading. They put me in a better frame of mind and are so inspiring to me.

I don't know if this helps, and hopefully others here will post with ideas, too. Take care, and I hope things go better for you soon! Keep us posted.

Thank you for the responses, Last night i was supposed to go to my support group ( I have a mentally ill child) but I had to cancel last minute as I was having wayyy too much pain to sit in a hard chair ( or a soft chair for that matter) so I laid myself on the couch with heat and fell asleep at 430pm !!!

Napped for three hours then ate some dinner, took my meds and went to bed was out by 9pm !

These are the kind of nights that feel like such a waste! The pain is too much to even hang with the family.

Tylenol PM is my last resort at tight to take off the edge, when i cant deal with the pain but I dont want to have to take that every night.

I took 800 mg ibuprofen for about 10 years in the am only (usually) and now I cant take nSAIDS anymore
due to esophagitis I developed the beginning this year. Took that before I got diagnosis of fibro about two years ago.

meds im on are not working anymore so im hoping to augment them , thanks for the info

bobsgirlz,

I am sorry you missed your support group meeting. I know how frustrating that must of been for you.

Good sleep hygiene is helpful too. Eating right before bed isn't good because it interrupts the different stages of sleep.

I agree with the bed buddy whole heartedly. I found it really helps to have the moist heat on your shoulders. I have most of my pain and tension there so I use the bed buddy quite often. If you don't have one, I would get one. They are fairly cheap at Walmart's as I remember.

I hope that you find what works for you. Relieving stress helps a lot. Relaxation. I would try meditation to learn to relax the muscles. It helps me and it helps me go to sleep.

Best wishes for you to feel well.

Welcome to the forum.

Hugs, Karen...

I am thinking of maybe trying this product....has anyone hear of these before?
If so your feedback would be greatly appreciated.

http://kingbrand.com/Back_Injury_Treatment.php

Hi,

Definitely heat and stretching the muscles😊

Topical pain relievers help me a good bit , because i can only take low doses of meds..

I also love acupressure.. I have a mat .i lay on..but you can also google self acupressure and find many ways to relieve pain levels.

Recently i changed brands of the supplement turmeric ..and found that a brand called curamed..made a real difference in pain levels.

Each of us responds differently and its trial and error , but you can find lots of self help

Lj