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Posted 6/5/2011 4:06 PM (GMT 0)
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia last month although I have had symptoms for a long time. I'm not new to chronic illness. I have pure autonomic failure and gastroparesis. I am thankful I found this forum, and I have a question. For the last several mornings, my pain has awakened me very early in the morning. Is this common with fibro patients? I have a follow-up visit with the rheumy who diagnosed me on Friday.
Posted 6/5/2011 4:51 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome, It does me.Some it doesn't.
Posted 6/5/2011 5:01 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks! I am learning so much from this forum. :)
Posted 6/5/2011 5:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hi and welcome.

When I am going thru a flare or stressed the pain can wake me up and those first few minutes after I open my eyes are some of the worst. That is when I try to do some deep breathing and prayer so anxiety doesn't ratchet up. Try moving arms and legs slowly, a little stretching. I have moments in early morning when I think I cannot go thru one more day of this, but after a cup of coffee and some ibuprofen I feel better. Fibro can disturb sleep greatly. Mention it to your rheumy.
Again, welcome, this is a wonderful place with folks with great ideas. Keep posting

Maggie
Posted 6/5/2011 5:41 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there,

Welcome to the fibromyalgia forum. I am so glad that you have joined us. You have found the most wonderful forum with wonderful members.

For the longest time, my hips were waking me up about 4:00 every morning. Finally I started to take my pain medication then and go back to bed. It hasn't happened for a long time now, but it lasted a few months. My hips just wouldn't let me sleep any longer. So I would get up and start my day. Moving around helps, but at that time in the morning, that isn't what we necessarily want to do. But it took me awhile to realize to take my pain meds early. Fibro fog I guess. And not being able to think due to the time of day. lol...

I don't necessarily think it was a flare though as I didn't have bad pain anywhere else, Maybe my sciatica acting up, I am not sure. But I haven't had that trouble now for awhile, (knock on wood) so I am happy about that.

I am more stiff in the mornings, I do agree that stretching helps. Make sure it is gentle though.

I do meditation, that often helps too. Especially at that quiet time of day. Otherwise I turn on the news and then go to bed early that night.

Best wishes,

Hugs, Karen
Posted 6/5/2011 6:15 PM (GMT 0)
I will try the gentle stretching and see if that helps. Thanks for all of the ideas & making me feel so welcome.
Posted 6/5/2011 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
If a lot of your pain is in your neck and shoulders, try a "bed buddie". It is a fabric tube filled with rice or beans. You can get them in the pharmacy at Walmarts. You heat it up in the microwave, wrap it in a towel and put it around your neck. The moist heat relaxes your muscles and it takes the pain away. With the heat we are having, it might not sound so good, but it does work. Remember be gentle with yourself at this time.

Take care,

Hugs, Karen
Posted 6/5/2011 9:29 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Lit-Teacher, and welcome!  I'm so glad you found us and joined the family.  Yes, I have been awakened by pain.  A couple of night ago it was quite severe.  When that happens, I get up, walk around a few minutes and that helps loosen me up some.   Then I get on the computer for a little while until medication kicks in.  I use ibuprofen with food and extra strength Tylenol to help with pain so I will take one or the other before I get on the computer.  That helps settle things down and then I can go back to bed.  Sometimes it just flat out hurts to lay down!

 

On top of the over the counter stuff, I use malic acid/magnesium supplements and vitamin D3 supplements to help with pain and fatigue.  I add to that gentle stretching exercises, gentle daily exercise (I walk and swim), gentle massages, and I pace myself.  All of this together helps me be in control of fibro.

 

Be sure to read Fibro 101...the second thread on the forum.  There are links to good information about fibro and you will learn a lot there.  Check out the links Symptoms and A Thorough Explanation of Fibromyalgia.  This would be a good starting point for you.  Also, there are links about the malic acid/magnesium supplements and vitamin D3 supplements and how they work in your body. There is a link with gentle stretching exercises, too, that you can do sitting down!  The information there is very helpful.  Knowledge is power and we do have to be our own advocates with this illness.

 

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

Posted 6/5/2011 11:48 PM (GMT 0)
I take vitamin D, but I don't take malic acid. I read the fibro 101 post. It has a lot of good information.
Posted 6/6/2011 2:13 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Lit-Teacher! Im new here too! Welcome! I, like you, was diagnosed last month with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. This morning and yesterday morning I awoke with a very strange headache. The headache was also in my neck both mornings. It has been a while since I had a bad headache so it really took me off guard! And yes, I started to panic. I slowly got up and eased into the kitchen to fix my coffee. As I started moving about, the neck pain totally went away and the headache downsized. This is a new pain for me but it only took me one time before I figured out I needed to get up and move around. From what I have read here and on the internet, pain during sleep is very common for us. You will figure out, through advice on this forums and your own experience, what eases your pain. I have already learned lots from this family hope you do too!
Posted 6/6/2011 6:45 AM (GMT 0)
(((((HUGS))))) to you.

You're describing every morning of every day of my past 20 yrs:-( I wish I could say otherwise:-(
Posted 6/6/2011 12:07 PM (GMT 0)
Like I always say...this is our fibro family, everyone understands everyone else's pain! :-)

Karen, my hips have done the same thing!

I also have the same issue with neck/shoulder and headaches as others have mentioned.

Posted 6/6/2011 12:32 PM (GMT 0)
Are you on any meds? I find that certain combinations wake me up often, and others cause more pain and stiffness after lying still throughout the night.

Usually, my body is so achy from lying still for so long that I have issues waking early, and then being unable to go back to sleep.

Tale a painkiller, and a hot shower/bath.
Posted 6/6/2011 2:23 PM (GMT 0)
I am on Cymbalta, Tramadol, and a muscle relaxer at night. I also have Norco for the days Tramadol won't touch the pain. This morning was better than yesterday, so I am thankful for that!
Posted 6/6/2011 3:12 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome! This place is lovely and everyone realy cares :)

I have that problem with my hips, either they wake me up or they keep me up. It goes up and down with me so some days are worse other are better, u never can tell what i!t will be. I usually get out of bed for 10 minutes, stretch my legs, have a smoke and try again lol :)

Ever since my problems started (i'm undiagnosed) i've not even hade one decent lie-in.... it just doesn't work anymore! These days 8 is late ;)

Anyways welcome again and hope u feel at home here :)

Fiona
Posted 6/6/2011 4:20 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the boards, I am kind of new here to them but not to Fibro. I have been diagonised with it for over a year now so kind of a newbie too but I have had these problems since I ws 30 and that was many years ago and now I just know why and deal withe issues as they come up.

I have been on Cymbalta and flexril and I took myself off of the Cymbalta and have been free of it now for almost 2 weeks, the side effects of it were way worse then the benefits and the cost of it was crippling to me even with insurance. I take the flexril only on an as need bases. I do wake up with aches and pains but after moving around for a bit I loosen up a bit. I did put a bar of soap under my sheets at the end of my bed and it has helped with the restless leg issues I have been having as of late. I didn't think it would work thought it was a wives tale. But the doctor here at the hospital did it for one of the patients on the floor and so there has to be something too it. LOL It works for me so even if it is mental it helps me to not have that terrible pain in my legs at night.

I am also now doing yoga with my sister twice a week and it really does feel pretty good.

This is a great board I have learned many things here so far and I am enjoying it, it is so nice to have people who understand my daily life. Welcome you will lean a lot here.

 

Posted 6/7/2011 12:46 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks again for the warm welcome from everyone! It is nice to speak with people that understand.
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