Dr suggested it's Fibromyalgia... Where to start?

I am a 53 year old female healthcare professional with a laundry list of symptoms. The most outstanding one being pain in my shoulders, hips, ribs, elbow, hands, knee. I also have intermittent low grade fevers, GERD, IBS symptoms, and overwhelming fatigue.

It's really hard to even describe my level of fatigue but in example I am on vacation for 10 days right now and have not gone farther than my front yard. I've actually spent most of it in my recliner dozing and sleeping. I had a bad attack of GERD and stopped eating a couple of days ago and am feeling a little better today but still flushed and exhausted and hurting.

I've been unwell for several years now and finally went to the doctor with all my complaints at once (I usually parcel it out to whatever is the worst at the moment) and she immediately said 'This could be Fibromyalgia', we could try Lyricia . I've only seen the commercials but it sounds like a big gun so I declined. Her next words 'How about some steroids then?' . While I am 100% sure that would have me feeling better I know it is not a long term solution... Or I just don't feel like I'm there yet.

What I really need is information about what works for people who are actually suffering with this condition. Anything you could share would be appreciated more than I can say.

Thank you in advance.

Welcome to HW.

Fibromyalgia is basically our nerves in our body going crazy and causing random pain for no reason at all. There are other things that seem to rear their ugly head along with it, but there is nothing that predisone will help with.

If predisone helps you then it's an autoimmune disease happening.

Lyrica will calm the nerve responses and ease the pain. Many people have had good results with it. I take the older version (gabapentin). It works well for me.

Ask your doctor for an ANA test and a lupus indicators test.

Best of luck.

Hi, Peacefulwarrior, and welcome! Well, what works for one with Fibro does t necessarily work for others. It's a trial and error type thing. Some people are helped by Lyrica and others aren't. Other medications being used right now are Savella and Cymbalta. Again, these can work for some and not for others.

I use ibuprofen with food, Tylenol, magnesium malate. Vitamin D3, and a muscle relaxer called Robaxin to help me be in control of my pain. I also walk daily as a gentle form of exercise, do stretching exercises and I pace myself when doing things. All of the above help me and have helped me live a full and enjoyable life in spite of this illness.

Just wondering...has your doctor run a lot of tests on you to rule out other illnesses that have many of the same symptoms as Fibro? Things like Lyme disease and lupus have similar symptoms and you can test for these illnesses. There is no real good test for Fibro so the other illnesses need to be ruled out just to make sure you are getting the right treatment. The treatments for these other illnesses is different than what we do to help with Fibro.

Be sure to read Fibro 101...the first thread on the forum. There are links to good info about Fibro and you will learn a lot there. Good starting links for you would be Symptoms, **What Else Could It Be, and A Thorough Explanation of Fibromyalgia. You just might see yourself there. There are links about the vitamin and magnesium and how these work in the body and also a wonderful link on how to maintain a positive attitude when you have chronic pain. All of Fibro 101 is good so do read it.

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

It is a dilemma. Our tests come back in the normal range for the most part and we look like the picture of health. But, once you try a few things and see what works for you to get the pain under control, you will be fine. Stressing over this will just make the pain worse.

Many times I have had terrible pain and then it subsided. My hands and wrists were really bad and I had problems opening doors, cans, and even holding a pen to pay my bills! But now I don't have pain in those areas. So do try to relax and try some of the more natural things that have bee suggested since you are hesitant about trying Lyrica. You have to start somewhere and that's a good place to start. I did that and found I didn't need to take the pharmaceuticals to control my pain. You might find this will happen to you too. You won't know until you try.

Don't project yourself in the future. We don't know what the future holds for us. Just take one day at a time. We definitely can handle that.

Sherrine

Thank you again. I really am more interested in natural remedies and therapies than pharmaceuticals. I work in healthcare and I have deep respect for doctors and medications but I also realize their limitations. Also in my mind they are kind of the last resort. I am already on thyroid replacement, PPIs and medication for hypertension. I do not want to become the patient on 10 meds, half of them for side effects of other meds.

Back to my reading. :)

Rockon... wow... just wow! That is a fantastic collection of information. I can not thank you enough. I am a voracious reader so I just may get it all read, and if not, I will certainly be able to hit the highlights. BTW I like how you roll!

As far as the farming and the mold question; I can not do nearly what I could even two years ago and have cut back both in livestock and gardening. And for the first time in many years I took a real vacation, to Yellowstone, last September, and was completely ill. I got my first ever case of altitude sickness at Pikes Peak although I've been higher. I ran low grade fevers and slept whenever we were on the road. So I don't think it's a contact issue with anything at home.

The more I read about Fibro the more Fibro-y my symptoms sound. At this point I am still not sure how to feel about that but the things I read that folks are doing for symptom relief are certainly not going to hurt me. I am adjusting my attitude. Instead of insisting I must feel better quickly, I will try just being nicer to myself and giving myself room to work at whatever pace I am able today. A huge leap for the very driven me.

Each of you has been so kind. My deepest and most sincere appreciation is all I've got to give you but know that you have it.

Rockon said...
"I can't thank you enough." Well you just did! Thank You.
My mind was already saying "I wonder if I should have found her links for x, y or z?" [like botanicals for neuroinflammation.] Don't get too effusive with your thanks, I'll happily get distracted...I am having enuf trouble getting myself to buckle down and Amazon shop. Wish I didn't have this great aversion to online shopping decision making! So hard to compare products. And I have an aversion to salon haircuts...cut my own and screwed up my jaw and neck with all that head turning.

A TSH of 100? I was falling asleep in chairs at 15. Truly cannot imagine. That's willpower for you to get out of bed and get to the lab for a blood draw with that. Except you would also be desperate.

92 actually and I fell asleep at a stoplight. Evidently my thyroid is quite dead but my pituitary doesn't know that!

Botanicals for nuroinflammation would be right up my alley, how did you guess? Haven't been this happy since the last time someone sent me flowers! :)