HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

don't know where to turn anymore

Support Forums
>
Fibromyalgia
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/27/2011 10:07 PM (GMT 0)
I have been very depressed and lethargic or over 2 months. I don't have an ounce of energy in me. takes everything i have to get dressed or shower. Been seeing a pysch for meds. has switched meds 7 times in a month. nothing is working for me. I sleep 8 hrs. a night and wake up like i have never slept. I spend my days in my chair or on the couch crying. Have gone to family dr. thinking there was something else going in with me. He could find nothing wrong. don't have money to go to all these expensive drs. I guess what i want to know has anyone heard of SAD (seasonal affective disorder) being associated with fibro. i have had firbo for many years and have never felt like this before.
i agree i can deal with the pain of fibro more than not having any energy. Husband tries to understand but can't unless he lives a day in my body.
Posted 12/27/2011 10:50 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to fibro familly Herseygirl...I love the name and chocolate too!

I am so sorry that you are feeling so down...winter months seem to take a toll on us especially hard...the damp and cold, lack of sun really does make it worse. Have you ever thought about getting a light box...full spectrum lights help some people..kind of a serotonin booster.

During the winter, I have to work harder to find ways of distracting pain and keep myself busy so that I don't feel so down. Getting out of the house to go mall walking helps me. The exercise actually gives me a boost of energy.

It also helps to call friends and keep socially active. Spending too much time alone will bring me down fast. I've been taking over the counter B-12 that the rheumy recommended for me....5000mcgs of the sublingual type. Check with your doc, it is rather a high dosage. It has helped.

If you haven't already, you might want to get your vitamin D level checked. Many of us were found to be deficient and that will make you feel worse.

You have come to a great place...there are many caring people here who really do understand. I'm glad that you have joined us. Please take the time to check out fibro 101 on the top of the page. You will find a wealth of info for the fibromite there.

Keep posting, we really do care :) Sending you gentle hugs!

Hugs, Robin
Posted 12/27/2011 11:28 PM (GMT 0)
My thoughts:

That's a lot of med switching. Most medications take time to be effective. If you have a lot of different Meds in your system, they might be interacting unpleasantly.

I have been having depression issues myself recently. I know I feel better if I exercise every few days. I am also better if I maintain a schedule. after using Cymbalta, I noticed a huge difference for the worse in my mental state. It still has not been managed a year later.

Also, post- MRSA infection two years ago, I have felt more pain. Recently have been managing pain more effectively, and feel much better emotionally.

So, might be a complicated mixture of stuff going on. Putting the pieces together is hard, and takes time. But it is worth it. you might benefit from seeing a specialist.

feel better.
Posted 12/28/2011 12:11 AM (GMT 0)
I know I am like a broken record on this site saying this, but if you snore, even slightly, you may want to be checked for a sleep disorder like sleep apnea. A lot of people with Fibromyalgia have it. I am better mentally & less fatigued since I started using a CPAP machine. You don't have to be overweight to have sleep apnea. I stopped breathing several times a night, and the longest time they clocked me not breathing was 28 seconds. You can just imagine what not having oxygen will do to your brain and your muscles. It has not cured all my problems, but things definitely have improved for me in the 2 months or so since I found out I have sleep apnea.
Posted 12/28/2011 12:55 AM (GMT 0)
Wow. I have changed medications at least that many times as well, but not in that short of a time period. I have been seeing my rheumatologist since May. I would think that you switched meds way too many times for anything to be effective for you. My pharmacists says to give most medications at least 2 weeks to get built up in your bloodstream. In my opinion, the amount of different medications in your body is probably causing some of your issues.
Posted 12/28/2011 1:20 AM (GMT 0)
Most antidepressants take six to eight weeks to reach their full potential. I think changing that many meds in that short of period of time is excessive and I would see a psychiatrist for your depression. Often too we get side effects that go away in about two weeks. And usually you start feeling somewhat better. This sounds crazy to me. I hope your doc knows what he/she is doing. What are you trying now and what have you tried? I take pristiq and abilify. They are a good combination for me.

I think a light box and having vitamin D3 levels checked is a good suggestion. Exercise is good for getting energy. Also I would make sure you are getting good sleep and don't have sleep apnea. I was sleeping for much more than eight hours and waking up feeling drained. I take adderall for fatigue. Though I don't know if I can continue getting it as there is a shortage of it at this time. Not liking that at all. I hope I can find a pharmacy that is going to have it. I might have to switch to ritalin, which I don't care for as much. Provigil is another one, but it doesn't work consistantly and I get bad side effects.

Here I am rattling on about me, when we are talking about you. I do a lot of walking and when I can't I dance or walk in place. Just to get some cardio and move my muscles. Gentle stretching does wonders. There is so much info in the thread fibro 101, it is the second thread on the forum. I hope that you read it.

Take care, have a good day.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 12/28/2011 2:16 AM (GMT 0)
Glad you ask us for our support. Karen said it all in a nut shell as you would say. Winter is usually really rough for me, but I decided to be pro active this year. The biggest thing that I love the most is my light Box. I use it for my seasonal defective disorder. As soon as I turned that on I get this bounce in my steps. I walk outside everday also. I dont like to, but I know I need to. I also take one med for depression. I know the med wouldn't be enough to control all my depression so I do the others on top of it. You are doing one of the most important things reaching out to others for support. I have therapy that I am able to do this. I was reading another idea that someone put down. Try to keep a daily schedule. This has helped me so much. I try to stay busy in mind and do things. This helps not get in the poor me syndrom. I put down fun things to do on my list. I have a husband also and sometimes they just dont get it.
Posted 12/28/2011 4:33 AM (GMT 0)
Hi and welcome, 7 meds in a month holy kadoodle thats alot. I am curious if it was because you were having reactions to them? We FM'ers are a wee bit more sensitive to meds. I take a few medications but others here do not and I would rather be taking suppliments instead of narcotics but due to other health issue it is not my time yet.

Having read fibro101 several times now (lol memory problem) I strongly suggest everyone read it there are so many wonderful ideas in there that help us. If I had known about fibro 3 years ago I probably would not be in the shape I am today.

Keep active and try to post more here because it does help.
Posted 12/28/2011 1:43 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Hersheygirl, and welcome!  I'm so glad you found us and joined the family.  I think SAD happens to a lot of people in the wintertime...whether or not they have fibro.  I lived in a northern state and didn't even realize I suffered from SAD until I moved to Florida.  With all the sun, I'm much happier and generally feel better.  There are a few members who do use the light boxes and they do help, too, so you might want to consider this.  I know several members before me mentioned this too. 

 

Fatigue is horrible.  You definitely have fatigue with fibro and some have that worse than others.  This summer I was quite fatigued and thought it was fibro but it turned out I was extremely anemic!  You might want to be checked out for that.

 

I use malic acid/magnesium supplements and vitamin D3 supplements to help with my pain and fatigue and they do help me and others on this forum a lot.  I always try to go a more natural route before putting a lot of medication in my body so I turned to these things and have gotten help. 

 

I see you have been directed to Fibro 101..the second thread on the forum.  There are links about the vitamin and supplement in there and you can read all about them.  Also, good starting links for you would be the ones called Symptoms, What Else Could It Be, and A Thorough Explanation of Fibromyalgia.  You just might see yourself there.

 

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 12/28/2011 2:22 PM (GMT 0)
I agree...seven meds in a month will do a number on you, especially your emotions.  These drugs work on the seratonin in your brain and can take weeks to start being effective.  I cried for a week straight when I started Lexapro...sweating, insomnia, compulsive eating...I wanted to stop but gave it a few weeks to kick in.  Unfortunately it did not help with my fibro pain and fatigue so I weaned off after 18 months.  You also have to be careful not to just start and stop these drugs without tapering.  Even taking them for a week can cause w/d symptoms if you stop aburuptly.

My mom had SAD and her light was very effective.  I think I am going to get one this year...I live in the snowbelt and know I feel depressed after not seeing the sun for weeks at a time.

Hope you feel better!

Donna

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply