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Recently diagnsoed with fibromyalgia...any advice?
I was just told a month ago that I have fibromyalgia. I had surgery a little over a year ago for my thyroid. I'm taking 75 mg of Lyrica, but it doesn't seem to be working anymore. Any advice?
Hey Cease33,
Welcome to the forum.
Fibromyalgia is a syndrome and not a disease.
The diagnostic criteria have recently changed as the
old ones were no longer serving the needs of the patients.
It is a complex condition, still not recognized by many Physicians
who just consider Fibro to be a mentally created disease,
or the patients are Hypochondriacs or something like that.
How did your dx come about? You mentioned that you were "told'
that you had Fibromyalgia. Please give some backround details,
including symptoms, prior medical issues, details about your thyroid issues, past traumas or significant events, diet , habits, fitness level,
age group,etc.
There are many things you can do. I believe strongly in being proactive
and open also to ideas outside conventional medicine,as mentioned in the above posts.
So please post again soon.
Take care.
Niko
Welcome to the forum.
Fibromyalgia is a syndrome and not a disease.
The diagnostic criteria have recently changed as the
old ones were no longer serving the needs of the patients.
It is a complex condition, still not recognized by many Physicians
who just consider Fibro to be a mentally created disease,
or the patients are Hypochondriacs or something like that.
How did your dx come about? You mentioned that you were "told'
that you had Fibromyalgia. Please give some backround details,
including symptoms, prior medical issues, details about your thyroid issues, past traumas or significant events, diet , habits, fitness level,
age group,etc.
There are many things you can do. I believe strongly in being proactive
and open also to ideas outside conventional medicine,as mentioned in the above posts.
So please post again soon.
Take care.
Niko
I don't know if they are offered where you live but here (Canada) through the Arthritis society they have classes on learning how to live with arthritis. Although FMS is not an arthritis but a neurological condition (near as they can tell - that is still a theory and not fact) a lot of the information applies. When I lived in a bigger city they had one specifically for FMS. We also have a more generic course called Living Well With Chronic Conditions that is through the health region (so it didn't cost me anything to go - yeah public health care!). Your rhuematologist should know of any, or your local arthritis society.
Because medicine is only so helpful. Other things like warm packs or baths, positive thinking, meditation, and exercise will get your further along than medication alone.
One of the biggest things is stress management. Because in the initial stages you may get worried and tense when you feel pain. The worry feeds into the pain making it worse, and then you get in even more pain so you worry even more. One thing I find helpful is repeating the mantra "This will not kill me." FMS doesn't do damage to the joints. It doesn't do damage to the organs. It does not cause permanent damage to any of the body. It hurts and makes you feel like crap.
Keep trying to do things despite the pain. Isolating can lead to depression which causes pain of its own. Sometimes you just can't and you have to withdraw. I get that. But sometimes we withdraw when we know that if we pushed ourselves we could get out there. I speak from experience on that one. And sometimes you have to adjust. Maybe you can't go for coffee because of the physical strain, but you can talk on the phone propped up on the bed by comfy pillows. It is important to do what you can.
Take care. It does get easier to manage. Another note. Don't let the experiences of the online community freak you out. People on here are always going to be worse off than the norm because people who are coping well, tend not to need sites like this. So what you hear on the internet forums are often the worst case scenarios.
I have been diagnosed for almost 20 years now. I have had periods of excruciating pain to the point of being housebound, and now I am relatively good. I am still tired a lot. I don't have the energy level of others my age, and I still have chronic pain, but it is manageable.
Because medicine is only so helpful. Other things like warm packs or baths, positive thinking, meditation, and exercise will get your further along than medication alone.
One of the biggest things is stress management. Because in the initial stages you may get worried and tense when you feel pain. The worry feeds into the pain making it worse, and then you get in even more pain so you worry even more. One thing I find helpful is repeating the mantra "This will not kill me." FMS doesn't do damage to the joints. It doesn't do damage to the organs. It does not cause permanent damage to any of the body. It hurts and makes you feel like crap.
Keep trying to do things despite the pain. Isolating can lead to depression which causes pain of its own. Sometimes you just can't and you have to withdraw. I get that. But sometimes we withdraw when we know that if we pushed ourselves we could get out there. I speak from experience on that one. And sometimes you have to adjust. Maybe you can't go for coffee because of the physical strain, but you can talk on the phone propped up on the bed by comfy pillows. It is important to do what you can.
Take care. It does get easier to manage. Another note. Don't let the experiences of the online community freak you out. People on here are always going to be worse off than the norm because people who are coping well, tend not to need sites like this. So what you hear on the internet forums are often the worst case scenarios.
I have been diagnosed for almost 20 years now. I have had periods of excruciating pain to the point of being housebound, and now I am relatively good. I am still tired a lot. I don't have the energy level of others my age, and I still have chronic pain, but it is manageable.
If you're finding that you rmedication is not working for you, you definitely need to talk to your doctor. They may be able to either increase your dose of your current med, or perhaps change it to something else - or even add something to your medication regime.
Treating fibro symptoms is a lot of trial and error, so try not to get discouraged. It can be quite frustrating at times, for sure. Also, what works for one person may or may not work for another who is having the exact same symptoms. communication with your doctor is key, as you will need to work closely with him/her to find the right medication/therapy or combinations that will work for you.
Best of luck!
Treating fibro symptoms is a lot of trial and error, so try not to get discouraged. It can be quite frustrating at times, for sure. Also, what works for one person may or may not work for another who is having the exact same symptoms. communication with your doctor is key, as you will need to work closely with him/her to find the right medication/therapy or combinations that will work for you.
Best of luck!
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