HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

FLARE?!!! anxiety uggh discouraged (I'm new)

Support Forums
>
Fibromyalgia
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 6/3/2013 4:24 PM (GMT 0)
Hello new to the Site. I need some help advice and encouragement. I have had FM since 2001. When I first developed it I was a scared anxiety ridden mess. Hurt everywhere. Then I met Dr. Mark Pellegrino whom has it himself. He put me on Tramadol and within time the pain stayed consistently in my legs and was just an ache in the background.
I've had some all over flares over the years but I managed and got through them. On March 5th of this year I was let go because the store I managed had poor sales. FM was never an issue in fact I never talked about it at work. It was there just aching in the background. Since being let go and having to find a job that is less than half my old salary I have become a physical and emotional wreck! !! I have no insurance so I can't see anyone. Luckily Tramadol is cheap and takes the edge off. I have constant anxiety my pain is everywhere again not just my legs. I have waves of panic feel helpless like I'm never going to get back to baseline level of pain again. I have crying jags and find it hard to concentrate on anything other than how I'm feeling. I'm constantly researching FM and read nothing but things that scare me and increase my anxiety. So is this just a BAD FLARE combined with anxiety? How long can they last? I'm consumed with the anxiety fear and pain and trapped in the Vicious cycle. I need advice. As a male I feel comfortable with this forum because you all seem kind and supportive. Thanks in advance.

Michael, I added "I'm new" to your subject line so more people would notice - Debbie

Post Edited By Moderator (Acheybody) : 6/3/2013 11:33:04 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/3/2013 5:29 PM (GMT 0)
Hello, Michael. Welcome! I'm glad you found us, though it's too bad you had to.

First off, let me direct you to Fibro 101, 1st thread on the list....it has wonderful links to all kinds of great information. I'm glad you find us kind and supportive! That's our goal :)

That's some rotten luck, getting laid off from work. I've been dealing with increased financial hardship, too, and I know the stress has made my pain worse. It's hard not to be anxious when your future suddenly goes from relatively secure to not-so-much.

So you were a patient of Dr. Pellegrino's! I've got one of his books and really like it.

I also like Tramadol...it takes the edge off for me, too. Well, it used to before I had other issues...but I'm glad to know it's still there.

I'm sure there will be lots of people stopping by soon....

Debbie
Posted 6/3/2013 5:43 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for the warm welcome Debbie and for adding the I'm new. Looking forward to taking with everyone!!
Posted 6/3/2013 7:24 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome, Michael.
I was laid off last year and illness was a factor for me. The economy is a stinker right now and I know it will stress you more.
Stress can cause our pain to feel worse.
Have you asked your doctor for something to help your anxiety? I take a low dose of Paxil to help mine and it has an added bonus of helping fibro.

There is ways to get medical help at lower prices. Many doctors will work with you on payment methods. Just ask the office workers on what you can work out.
Posted 6/3/2013 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Michael and welcome.  So sorry you are dealing with all this.  But you certainly are not alone, concerning the job situation, and also dealing with fibro pain and also anxiety.

Just a quick post about anxiety.  I have a couple of books by author Claire Weekes.  I think her first book was "Hope and Help for your Nerves."  It's very practical advice, and the books are easy and readable.  She has some very simple solutions, and they really seem to work.  Here's a link if you're interested:

http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Help-Your-Nerves-Signet/dp/0451167228

As you can see from the reviews, it's pretty popular. I think the other titles are "Peace From Nervous Suffering" and "More Hope and Help for your Nerves" and, I believe, others.

Wish I could help with the job, insurance, etc. issues.  It's rough these days, I know.  Our family has financial struggles, and it can be so frustrating.  I guess we just keep looking for answers, but it isn't easy, I know.

 You're in my thoughts and prayers.  Please keep us posted.

Wishing you the best! :-)

Posted 6/3/2013 8:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Michael,

It's nice to meet you. First of all you might want to rethink tramadol. Drugs.com is a great website for checking out side effects. Here's the link for tramadol.

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/tramadol-side-effects.html

Michael, I do all that I can naturally to help myself by eating nutritiously, stretching, gentle exercises and walking, getting enough sleep, and trying to keep my stress to a minimum.

Wishing you all the best.
Posted 6/3/2013 9:27 PM (GMT 0)
AMF,

I have to respectfully disagree with you here. If you're referring to drugs.com saying anxiety is a possible side effect of Tramadol, the fact is - if you read the accompanying literature - pretty much any med can cause anxiety in a given person.

In fact, my doctor says that ANY med can cause ANY reaction at all in a given person.

We need to remember how different we all are and that what works for one might be horrendous for another. And choices that will be palatable to one won't be to another, either. It's wonderful that you can get by without any meds and by watching what you eat; but that is not an option for all of us. It's important, IMHO, to respect individual choices when it comes to treatment. ALso, there are so many factors at play in each case.

Michael was prescribed Tramadol by Dr. Pellegrino, who literally "wrote the book" on Fibro :-)  (at least one of them - a biggie) and it sounds like he has been on it for quite awhile. He stated that it helps take the edge off his pain. The anxiety started later on, apparently due to stress over his finances.

So - just my 2 cents' worth here - the answer probably isn't to stop doing the thing that's actually working.

Have a good day. wink

Debbie

Posted 6/3/2013 9:36 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Michael, and welcome! First of all, as Joy said, our economy has been bad so I certainly hope you aren't blaming yourself for the low sales. That's happening all over. I hope you have found a job to tide you over until you get the type of job you want. That happened to my husband years ago and he ended up finding a terrific job...a better one with more pay. Jobs are starting to come back so keep your ear to the ground.

Now about fibro and flares. I'd just bet this additional pain has been caused by your stress and the anxiety you are feeling. It can do that. I'm glad that Tramadol is helping you. Some people get great relief from it. It didn't help me but I found other things that have. We are all different as to what helps with our fibro pain.

You have gotten good advice about gentle exercises ( I walk daily as my gentle exercise) also stretching, getting a good night's sleep, etc. all of this helps with fibro. Pacing yourself helps, too.

I use ibuprofen with food, Tylenol, malic acid/magnesium supplements and vitamin D3 supplements to help with pain and fatigue. I also take a prescription muscle relaxer...an older one that's generic called Robaxin....and all these things have helped me keep in control of my pain. There are links about the supplements in Fibro 101, that Debbie suggested you read, that tells how they work in the body. Anyway, none of these are really expensive. I'm on a tight budget too.

One thing that really has helped me is keeping a positive outlook. I used to suffer from anxiety realy badly until I realized it was fear. I didn't have anything to really be afraid of so through practice I was able to kick anxiety to the curb. Right now, because of your job situation, good old fear has creeped in and probably many things look negative to you. Try making a list of the positive and negative things in your life. Don't forget positive things like being able to see, your friends and family, etc. so often we take these things for granted but they are real positives in our lives. I just bet your positive list will be a lot longer! There also is a good link in Fibro 101 about maintaining a positive attitude when you have chronic pain. I've turned to this many times and it has helped me. It is proven that a positive attitude helps with health and healing. It will help get rid of some of that stress and anxiety, too, and this can only help your flare.

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 6/3/2013 9:46 PM (GMT 0)
Just adding to my previous post here.  For some reason, sometimes when I attempt to edit a post, some of my (previous) post disappears, so will post a little more here.

Michael, I don't know your beliefs, but for me, personally, prayer has really helped me a lot during tough times.  Especially during the most trying times, my faith has really seen me through. If you attend a church, perhaps your priest or minister might be willing to help.

As far as jobs, my husband found his job after a big lay-off through people he had previously worked with.  I know you said you have a job, but the pay is less, so in case you're still looking, maybe you could network with people you have worked with in the past.  My hubby recently got an email from a former co-worker who was laid off.  It can sometimes form a good emotional support system, and a great way to find similar work. 

Also, having a hobby or two, as well as pets have helped me.  While they don't directly help me "work" on the situation causing the worry/anxiety, they are a great distractor. 

 I do find that if I have anxiety, it's most helpful to see what I can do about the situation--but I'm sure you already know that!  Again, hope things improve for you soon, and wish you the best.

Posted 6/4/2013 1:58 AM (GMT 0)
This is why I like this forum. I was brought here for a reason. You people are amazing to me. Links , books supplements positive attitudes. The comfort of knowing that were all in this together. I'm feeling a little more positive already like Hey what they're saying is right. This was all brought on by stress and its not going to fix it's self over night. But it will get better. I couldn't have thought that yesterday. I'm going to take everything that was said and work on attitude and focus on positives. You folks are wonderful and i will keep you posted. Excited to see more from all of you! ! Thank you sooo much! !!!
Posted 6/4/2013 2:47 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Michael, welcome to the fibro family. I'm sorry for what you are going through. You have already recieved some great advice. I just wanred to add that relaxation therapy has helped with my anxiety and stress. I do deep breathing exercise along with meditation. Sometimes I use relaxation tapes and use mental imagery to unwind. Taking time to do this is really worth the effort.

I'm glad that you have joined us. Keep posting...we care :)

Hugs, Robin
Posted 6/4/2013 3:19 AM (GMT 0)
Robin just reminded me of wonderful relaxation videos on youtube by David Fairweather.
I use them when I can't unwind at bedtime. They are great to help you fall asleep and just to relax. He has 2 different variations you can use-fall asleep version and relaxation version.
Posted 6/4/2013 3:30 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Michael,

I have had fibro since my teens, I'm now in my mid 30s. Last year, I was also experiencing some issues with my employment, I was lucky to have income protection insurance. Having said that, it was very daunting when you felt that everything you worked so hard for simply dissapear into thin air. To top it up, my marriage broke down and there is a child involved.

I can only imagine how hard it is for you right now trying to get started again. I am in the same shoe as you are right now, my insurance payout is less than 1/2 of what I used to earn. On top of that, I've a child to support 5 days a week, which takes up quite a lot of my time and energy. At the same time, I'm trying to change career path as well.

Long story short, I seek as many professional help as I can (I'm in Australia, our medical are partly subsidised.) I finally admitted to myself that I needed help from a mental health professional because all these while I was in denial about depression that partly comes hand in hand with fibro and at this stage my mental health was so bad that it was definately affecting my attitude towards life.

It took me a while, I'm now coping better with help from a psychitrist, my GP who is very good with helping me find relavent pain management professional to manage my pain. I started doing things like keeping a journal to reflect on issues that were affecting me.

I also downsize, to make sure my money stretch out a bit further. I also started participating in this forum which helped me relate alot with symptoms that I experienced, which make me more confident that I'm being treated for the right diagnosis.

It will take sometime, some you can probably do with some self help books available in library or book stores. If you have a decent GP, they can always help you with prescription, and perhaps help you secure some drug samples, at least it'll save you some money while trying out if the drug will work for you since some can be expensive, and if it didn't work, they are money wasted.

I wish you luck with your journey to manage your condition better. There'll always be someone here who will lend you their "ears" (read your post). I know it is a tough process especially being a male because due to social conditioning, we are expected to be the bread winner, and we do feel like a failure when we are unable to provide due to some debilitating conditions out of our control. You will need to persevere to get better.
Posted 6/4/2013 4:21 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Michael. Welcome. I know for a fact that stress plays a huge part in my fibromyalgia. The last few weeks I've been under a ton of stress and boy have I been paying for it! I have gone without insurance in the past and I know what a huge struggle that is. Have you looked into your state to see if there is any type of state medical care that you can take advantage of part time Iuntil you can get back on insurance? I was on a program here in Colorado for a short time it was not medicade or medicare. It was part of an indigent care program. At least it was something..

Also check out needymeds.com. you may qualify to get your tramadol and other meds free or reduced! I get my stomach meds for free through astra-zeneca since my insurance wont cover it. Worth looking into

Take advantage of state help if you can too. At least it helps till you can get that new and better job! Good luck
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply