Welcome & Introduce yourself to the Fibromyalgia/CFS Forum!

[dustybrown]

Hello and welcome to the Fibromyalgia/CFS forum on MedHelp. This forum is a place for people to come and share experiences with FMS and CFS. Some of you may have a diagnosis from your doctor, some of you may be seeking an answer for undiagnosed symptoms and some of you may be a relative or friend of one who is suffering. This is a great place to learn more and to gain support from others who suffer as well.

In addition to the community here, MedHelp also offers tools to help you and your doctor in your road to wellness. Fibromyalgia and CFS can be so intricate and can have so many different symptoms. Due to this, it is very helpful that MedHelp offers health trackers for us to utilize. We can track our progress and especially our flare ups. Below are just a few trackers that I find useful.

• CFS/FMS Tracker - http://www.medhelp.org/land/health-trackers
• Pain Tracker - http://www.medhelp.org/land/pain-tracker
• Mood Tracker - http://www.medhelp.org/land/mood-tracker
• Weight Tracker - http://www.medhelp.org/land/track-weight-loss

MedHelp also offers a plethora of “encyclopedia style” information available through the Health Topics tab at the top of the page. If you follow the links below you can learn more about Fibromyalgia and CFS, both topics of which are available on MedHelp.

http://www.medhelp.org/medical-information/show/124/Fibromyalgia

http://www.medhelp.org/medical-information/show/636?section_id=27670#sec_27670

I urge you to introduce yourself below and tell us a little about what brought you to the Fibromyalgia/CFS Forum. Again, welcome to MedHelp and the Fibromyalgia/CFS forum!

Sincerely,

Your Community Leader,
Dustybrown

[RiahPariah]

Hello.

I'm Moriah. I'm 20 years old, a college student in upstate NY with a couple of majors to choose from at the moment. I've been married to a US Marine for a year and a half.

I've known about fibromyalgia longer than I've had it. My mother has it as well, and I was introduced to it through her. When I was as young as 14 I started developing symptoms--lots of pain, and overwhelming fatigue. We didn't think it was fibro due to my age, so we spent years going to doctors, getting tests of all kinds, and spending far too much money on it. On my 18th birthday, I was referred to a psychologist for depression.

I went to therapy and started medication for that. The depression wasn't the only thing wrong with me--I know it'd been triggered by all the pressure, and the stress, and the hopelessness, all the asking myself, "What's wrong with me? Am I just crazy?" The pain and the fatigue had been joined by many other symptoms by that time--stomach problems, weakness, difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping, severe weight gain, and others. I noticed the pressure points on my own body, so I felt it was fibro and kept going to doctors, trying to find answers.

The answers came when I was 18, about to turn 19...just 2 years ago. My husband (fiance at the time) training to serve in Iraq just after the date we'd been planning to get married, and I was at the end of my rope. One day I went to a small lecture on fibromyalgia--I figured, why not? See what they have to say. The doctor giving the talk was a chiropractor. While he was up there talking, I kept thinking, "This makes sense. Oh, I know that. This makes a LOT of sense!" I talked to the good Dr. after the lecture and he suggested I come in for a consult. When I spoke to him, he definitely couldn't give me a diagnosis, but he told me that his off-the-record opinion was that I did have fibromyalgia, and he recommended me to a rheumatologist--the very rheumatologist who had diagnosed my mother, whom I hadn't been able to see due to my doctors hedging around, giving me lots of tests, trying to avoid sending me to a rheumatologist, because they'd all insisted fibro was impossible.

So I went to the rheumatologist. And after years of blood tests, sleep tests, psychotherapy, medications, money wasted and no answers...the rheumatologist took a grand total of half an hour to talk to me, and immediately said "Well, it's fibro." Years and years wasted...for half an hour to get a diagnosis. I was conflicted at that moment--angry for it taking so long, happy to have the answers...and devestated that I'd never be really cured.

I started looking into getting disability benefits. I hadn't been able to hold a job for more than a couple of months--ever. In my worst case, I had the job for a week. I needed help, especially since once I got married that summer, my parent's insurance on me would end, and I would have to get my own...which I couldn't afford. I went to their doctors and their therapists and I talked and, in one case, sat on a cold table for forty five minutes before a doctor who didn't speak a lick of English came in and looked at me, filled out a paper, made me bend over and promptly left without a word. I got denied, and I didn't bother to appeal. I knew they'd just laugh at how young I was--I'd seen it happen before.

I went to the chiropractor for a while--it really, really helped. And I continued the mental therapy, and the anti-depressant drugs they had me on. They helped.

Cut to exactly one year ago. My husband was returning from his tour in Iraq. My free insurance, through the military, was due to end. I had to stop going to the chiropractor who had helped me so much, and the therapist. We were moving away. I stopped my medication, and I stopped all treatment. I couldn't afford it, plain and simple.

It's been that one year since I stopped treatments. Things are worse than ever, and affecting my marriage (not just this, other things too...but we won't get into that). My husband doesn't really understand fibro--he has that Marine mindset of "Pain is weakness leaving the body." I've tried to explain, have my mom explain, have HIS stepmom explain (who also has it)...to no avail. I've tried to live without the treatment, but it is very hard. So I've come here to see if anyone else has been through something like this...to see if there's hope.

Nice to meet everyone.

Moriah

[Judy4247]

Hi,
     my name is Judy, I was told by my rheumatologist,  a year and a half ago, that I have all the symptoms of fibromyalgia, including all the tender points. I was put on lyrica, and cymbalta, plus tramadol for the pains. I also have a slipped disc in my lower back, causing sciatica at times. Both of my knees are in pain from bursitis, and osteoarthritis,and my rt. knee has a complete ACL tear. I was just diagnosed with hypothyroidism last week,and was put on synthroid. I have been so fatigued for months now,blaming it on the fibro, but have read that the hypothyroid symptoms, mimic fibromyalgia. I'm hopeing the synthroid will give me back some of my energy. I feel my plate is full with medical issues, also having high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, and severe osteoporosis along with everything else. I would love to try the heated pool exercise programs, and also massage therapy, the only problem being $$$$. I'm not sure my Cobra insurance will pay for it. I took early retirement April 2009, because of all my medical problems, and the increasing difficulty to even get out of bed, and get ready for work I have also had those terrible charley horses that wake you up, but never thought it was caused by the fibro, my rheumatologist told me to drink quinine water before bed, and that should help It's nice to find a group where we can empathize with each other, and I'm glad to meet everyone :)

[luvsbooks]

Hello, im new to this forum and to the site. I came here with a specific problem. But im glad to find people with a common problem. Have a good day now.

[pickleleighna]

Hello everyone! I am new here but not new to Fibro. I am 34 and was diagnosed 10 years ago. It has been the longest 10 years of my life... thats for sure. Fibro runs in my family. I saw my mother suffer for years. I felt so sorry for her. There was nothing I could do for her...other than just leave her alone. I went to visit her and she was not doing good at all. She could not even move she hurt so bad. I cried and prayed to God that he take her pain away and give it to me. Well... you really should be careful what you ask for. 2 years later.. I did "get" it and she also got better. I guess there is something good that came of it. Mine came on during a divorce. I was diagnosed quickly..and also quickly put on all kinds of pills which didn't work. At one point about 4 years into it... I was taking the max dose of darvacet (sp) amatriptaline 50mg at bedtime, flexeral 3x a day.. and 800mg motrin 3-4x's a day. The meds did knock me out at night...but I could not get up the next morning for the life of me. I did that for about a year.. till the doeses just got out of hand and my liver hurt!!!  Today I just cope with the pain.

[Tsila1777]

Sorry, did not know I was supposed to introduce myself first...I have Fibro, arthritis in various places, PTSD, and other problems. For several years the only report I got from the many doctors and their many, many tests were..."You need to get rid of some of the stress in your life"  "Go see a psychiatrist" Blah, blah....Finally, several thousand dollars later, someone confirmed it was Fibromyalgia and began to treat my symptoms.  

I could not sleep, because of the pain and anxiety, I mean days at a time, but after several experimental drugs and another year or so, I was getting some relief.  I now can sleep well, and I am seeing a counselor for all the stress the doctors and theirs tests caused me.  

I will never try an NEW wonder drug again, they just mess up the routine I have now, that seems to work.  I have recently begun taking shots in my groin, Yes!!  OUCH!! and shoulder, which give me a lot of relief for months at a time and help me to stop taking so many pain pills.   It only disguises the pain, and I still have to remember to be very careful walking and bending and lifting.  And as you who have Fibro know, it's not always easy to remember things...brain fog.  

Welp, I guess that's about it.  My husband is retired, I'm on disability after fighting for 3 years, we have an RV and travel a lot.  I can lay on the bed when I get tired.  I cannot ride in a car for long distances...like 5 miles to town and back is enough to cause me pain so that I have to lay down.  I try to keep a good outlook and my wonderful husband take very good care of me.  We are determined to live as normally as possible and to be happy in spite of everything.  Oh one problem...he hates to see me cry...so I have to choke back tear sometimes at least until he is asleep.  But other than that we are doing great!!!!!

God bless you all and have a wonderful Easter.  Enjoy life, it's the only one we are going to have here...so make the best of it!!!

T

[TheSinger]

Hi everyone! :-)

I was diagnosed with FMS around 2 and half years ago, I am 22 and as a child did have a few pains mainly in my head, neck and back, a bleeding from the bowels I was around 4 years old. As the years went on my mother took me everywhere to get help, but not much support was around then.

I do performing in theatre and sing, but at the age of 17-18 during a show I noticed excessive lower back pain and more symptoms came there after (I hav not performed in theatre for a 2 years now, as the pain is constant more or less.

It is at its worse and seems to be getting even worse with constant pain in my neck, shoulders, head, ankles, knees, back, throat issues, irritable bowel, stomach cramps (especially during periods, im literally throw-up due to the pain) There is more, but I' ll keep this short.

Im so glad I came across this website and this particular forum, I can see there are good questions, answers and support from everyone!

Thank you :-)