From the article: Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Pain, fatigue, sleep problems and fibro fog are amongst the most prominent symptoms of fibromyalgia. Of these particular symptoms, which bother you the most and how have you adjusted your day to best accommodate for them?
Share Your Coping Tips
New symptom?
- I have been having sweats lately. Nothing serious but enough to be uncomfortable. I've also noticed a feeling of needles pricks (or bee stings) all over my body like waves when I'm hot or cold mostly. Very painful and just in the last few weeks. How do I cope with this? I have FM, CF, lupus and a few other problems. Is this related and what can I do to at least make it tolerable? I hate to ask anyone. I get eye rolls whenever i mention fm or cf. its real and its debilitating. Wishing you all better health.
- —Guest Ali
WOW/OMG
- I am 54 and have almost all symptons and told I have Fibromalgia along with several other problems. Thank God Im not insane or all in my head. Im not alone. My medication is oxycotins for pain and have been for several years. I turned 50 had a stoke and was in coma for 7 days. I now have drop foot and after reading some of the problems others have I believe I have had it for years. I had severe cramps and could never have children. At 40 I had hysterectomy. I have Hep. C and feel many of the stupid things I did was due to my brain not functioning well. I now have brqin damage due to the stroke. For many years I self medicated. You get to a point where you do what you can to ease the pain. I read this and am so relieved it has at all been in my head. People act like Fibromalgia no big deal its all in your head. Well then there appears to be others that suffer and Im not not the only insane person. Thank everyone for sharing it really makes me not feel so alone.
- —Guest Betty S.
Suffering from fibro for more than 15yrs
- Although I'm not supposed to suggest this because it's illegal but I'm so tired of politics. Cannabis fixes the nausea and I HATE taking narcotics and drinking alcohol. I have a theory that I'm sure many fibro suffers would agree with, we are HYPERsensitive to our environment which includes the physical (heat, cold, smell, taste, touch) and the people we are around even when we stay in the house for a week. Pay attention to your body when the weather is tolerable, the sun is out, it's a Friday (people in you city just got paid and are going out or your with family during a happy occassion) and you will take less meds, do more projects, etc. I wish I could explain more. Look into empathy, I think that some or most are empaths which is why fibro tends to be a women's illness. I find that many suffers that I've met are in the medical field and/or very spiritual.
- —Guest Hypersensitive
it's all so clear
- i was looking over the list and i have had 90-95% of these symptoms for years. i was originally diagnosed in '92/'93. all of the "little" things that have been bothering for yrs make sense. i have horrible periods,clothing hurts as does people touching me,brain fog,nausea,trouble sleeping,staring into space,anxiety, etc. i live in jacksonville ,fl. is there a place nearby that can actually help me?
- —Guest julie
Reluctant to ask for narcotic analgesics
- I was given a tentative diagnosis of FM in 1983 and had NO idea what the doc was talking about! So for the next 20 years I was a "frequent flyer" in the clinic asking for pain meds. I'm sure my chart had a big red flag on it. The government crackdown on pain management clinics has made all of us suspects. Not to mention victims of the irresponsible prescription abuse of others. In November 2011, I had a spinal fusion, which did not help, but have not seen a doctor since. I feel like an addict asking for a PRN (as needed) narcotic so I just suffer. Before the surgery they gave me Darvocet (now banned) which did no good at all. I'm an RN yet they still talk to me like I'm a toddler. "You need to understand ..." etc. Granted some FM/CF sufferers find relief with alternative therapies. But if these don't work it's sad that folks with genuine acute pain flares are not given the opportunity to play a key role in decisions about their own comfort and well-being.
- —JanDeer
complete releif
- I'm 72, 200lbs, 6'2". I discovered Adderall XR completely stops this terrible pain. I tried it because I was losing words and last in first out was happening all the time, plus I would wake up tired and always felt depressed etc. However, after I was on 40mg of Adderall XR for a few months I became completely functional again. I have a theory as to why this works which I call the "Aware Brain" Theory. After 2 months I was no longer losing words and last in First out was a thing of the past. I slept (delta sleep) at night and wokeup refreshed. The pain in my toes and ankle - gone. Edema dropped by 80-90%, Blood Pressure was a steady 110/70, I had energy and concentration/retention was excellent. Even my tinitius dropped by about 40%. I believe that brain cells (in some or most eldery people), slowly go to sleep and under normal living don't reawaken, sleeping pills, even Excedrin PM causes more and more of those cells to become dormant. Adderall wakes them up (reached form limit)
- —RTFavara
coping tips
- Epsom salts baths or 2-3 tablespoons ground ginger in 1 cup of water - boil until you can smell it then add to hot bath!
- —Guest Elaine Wilhelm
Diagnosed at 26
- i have been dealing with fibro, ibs,cfs depression etc. about 3 yrs now, I have been so restricted cant do things my friends do cant play with my children like i love to do. i am lucky if i can make a good home made meal.. being on my legs HURTS! that has beeen my biggest issue all the time they ache and stab i can't sleep and get mad because i hurt and cant sleep yet noone really knows, people don't like to hear o fibro.. yea right! it is real and it holds people back from their dreams and their daily quality of life.. Whats a little weird about my case is my dad got fibro in his early 30's and has been nothing but down hill.. I honestly feel as though i can't get better or i would be. i am confused mad sad and scared i feel for everyone out their who lives in pain daily, I guessss we have to keep going even though it can be the hardest thing to do... for me i think about my kids and i am all they have , still wish i could give them more but physically i CANT! good luck t all
- —Guest brandi
listen to your body
- being a bit stubborn i found it very hard to stop what i was doing when the pain started,now when the DOING pain starts i stop and rest .icall it doing pain because as start doing anything involving using my arms the agonising pain starts in the upper back as the pain worsens it affects my breathing and i become breathless .Im curios if any other fibro friends suffer with the same symptoms ,im now taking endone for pain just so i can live an almost normal life ,also a linament called Woodlock is great for muscle pain .Best wishes to fellow fibro friends out there .
- —Guest lyn
i am 21 yrs a student nurse with fibro
- i am 21 yrs with fibromyalgia, i was diagnosed 6 yrs ago and still cant get used to the pain, everytime i say to people i am soo tired they think its a put on or when i say my arm hurts my body hurts they think im putting it on and i am sooo angry because they cant feel what i am feeling at times it feels like someone is burning my hands and feet with a lighter. in the mornings it hurts to even move. i stub my toe and it feels like someone has just thrown a brick on to my foot. i just want to beable to get up refreshed full of life and move without pain. i am a student nurse and i have found coping strategys where i will try and compensate for what i cant do. i now find it hard to grip a cup, i can hold a pen for 10mins and thats it i have to stop, i have a severly sensative arm and i have currently have had seizures due to this. i also suffer from depression due to fibro and it doesnt get any easier, i take co-codamol for pain but it doesnt work no more but am trying to cope :) x
- —Guest emzy
Fibro and PMR
- I was diagnosed with Fibro first then PMR-- an autoimmune disease that presents itself with severe muscle pain from the shoulders to the hips girdle and thighs-- it is terrible. Treated with doses of prednisone it can manage the symptoms. I cant take the higher doeses of pred so i mix with hydrocodene. I still have pain daily but cope,
- —Guest Annie Wood
nausea
- I was diagnosed with fibro more than 5 yrs ago.i had tender points through my body . in the past year it has gotten so much worse.i wake after a unrefreshing sleep,with my legs aching i also have restless legs syndrome. my body aches, i am on anti depressants , and im low on vitamin D so i also take that.im so tired i have to force myself to do the smallest tasks.one of the worst parts is feeling nausea's all the time, i have been giving anti nausea pills but they dont help.some days im dry retching.im 62 but feel 162. i get angry that this has happened to me, i guess that doesn't help.yes i feel sorry for myself. but its so hard not to when you feel so unwell all the time. thank you all for making me feel not "so alone.i think you people are the only ones that can understand.god bless and lets hope they find a cure soon.
- —Guest chris
New Symptoms:Itching,hot & Cold Flashes
- All of a sudden I have developed several new fibromyalgia symptoms such as severe itching, hot flashes and cold flashes as well as a more severe numbness in my hands and feet that result in feelings of hard inflamation of my toes and fingers.The flares have increased and my osteoarthitis is causing intorelable pain from the waist down in my back all the way shooting down my thighs and legs. I can hardly walk more than 10 steps when I need to sit down immediately. I suffer from diabetes 2, high cholesterol, high blood pressure,Neuropathy, and RSNDS. I can't hardly sleep and I am always so fatigued and in so much pain that I am not able to remember most of my daily routine. All I want to do is rest and sleep. Although I feel so sick I know others have it worse than I do.We just need to continue coping and not let this desease ruin the rest of our lives. I am 70 years old and have had fybromyalgia since 1975 even though I was not diagnosed until 1991.I take many medicines. Best wishes.
- —Palmasaltas
I can only wonder...
- So I've been crying for about a year now with chronic pain, but I have no insurance. I was seeing an ND but I can't afford the suppliments I need to feel a little better either. When I try to do yoga (which used to do wonders for me) my muscles start to spasm and I get this INTENSE pain in my chest/back/shoulder area that makes me want to just end it all. My feet/ankles/hands get super swollen. I loose feeling in my arms/hands/fingers or they tingle. My ears are constantly ringing, and I can't remember the last time I was without extreme headache. All I want to do is sleep, but I can't sleep ~ so I cry and get frustrated at night. On top of all that I feel like I'm wading through concrete all the time. I haven't been officially diagnosed, because my ND is waiting till I have insurance so I won't be rejected... but I can't afford insurance.
- —Guest ramonax
Trying to cope
- Thankyou for this wonderful newsletter, I don't feel so alone any more. I have many things wrong with me, one being FMS and CFS, arthritis's, skeletal bone disease etc. I am now 57, am on a disibility pension, have had to use a walking frame for a few years now as my balance (and back) are bad. I feel like other people really do understand the pain, thankyou once again for this newsletter. Regards, Isabel
- —Guest isabel
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