I told both my gp and rd I thought I had fibro from researching it. They both said "You probably do but there really is not anything you can do for it". What do they do for Fibromyalgia - anyone?nortripleneI have fibro too. They do use nortriptyline, flexeril, exercise some other antidepressants. There isn't much they can do. They sometimes will use other sleep aids if flex and nortrip doesn't help
Oh, that is so not true. My RD says it is difficult to treat. But there are lot of new medicines out there that they are using for FM. I have several friends that are using them and finding them helpful.
I am on notriptyline, do physical therapy and try to exercise. Deep sleep is essential. There's the TENs unit that I use which is wonderful for me.
The more I move my muscles, the better. Getting regular rest is important as the fatigue is one of the hardest things to deal with. Keeping your stress low is also important.
I wish I knew what the new meds were that are being used. But research it on the Internet.
My RA dominates over my FM, but the doctors are always saying that a lot of the pain and fatigue is related to the FM. Well RA hurts too.
FM is easy to diagnose. There are trigger points that when the doctor presses on them, you feel like screaming. And, before they touch them, you might not even realize that they are sore points.
It used to be that doctors just thought FM was in women's minds. Some docs are not too far past that point. But it is a very legitimate illness and can lead to disability. One of my best friends is on disability because of it.
Another good source of info is www.arthritis.org. My daughter also has this disease. They give her Soma for the pain.
I find the doctor's comments that there is not much you can do for it rather irresponsible. Don't let them railroad you with that attitude.
Yeah Roxy, I agree with Deanna. I dont like that cavalier attitude that you got from your doctors. It is their responsability to talk to you about it and the treatments. I have seen that before...Like you are a trainwreck anyways, so why bother with anything else. Thats crap.
I have Fibromyalgia and was officially diagnosed last summer. I currently am taking Lyrica which was developed for Diabetic Neuropathy but has also shown much promise in people with FM. I noticed right off after taking it that the pain in my arms went away and has pretty much stayed away as well as the tightness in my neck and shoulders. Another med would be Neurontin which also works basically the same way.
My RD told me that with FM you must have at least 4 hrs of good sleep a night to allow your muscles to relax. Stress also plays an important part as previously mentioned. Stress is what usually starts the whole problem. It could be emotional stress or the stress on your body from a chronic disease such as RA. In my case it was the Diabetes. You also need to learn to let things roll off you. You cant take on the weight of the world.
I have found that if I am having a flare of FM I get a good body massage a couple of times and it really helps. Well worth the money.
As far as other meds, Cymbalta is the antidepressant of choice. It is suppose to help with the pain. I take 60mg but I have read where others have taken 90mg and found that dose effective thought the recommended dose is 30-60 mg. Tramadol is also helpful with FM pain.
I have days that I feel like poop. I dont do much and just rest and usually I feel better the next day. If I have a really good day I will take advantage of it. I hope some of this helps you guys. Please dont let your physician blow you off. Keep going and make them listen.
DeltaElise,
That kind of behavior from doctors really sets me off. Five different doctors told me that they didn't have a clue what was wrong with me when I first got sick. Then once I went in and their head doctor, without examing me gave me the same speech. He told me it was all in my head.
Had the same thing happen to my daughter. Without examing her, this doctor in residence --training, mind you-- gave her this speech of how she was going to be one of "those" women who was always ill. At the time, she had a back problem for which I had to pay for the MRI because he wouldn't push for it. It turned out to be one of the worst bulging discs that her pain specialist has ever seen.
Now, I am a holy terror with doctors when they start to cop this attitude. One, they're human not god and I don't for one instance consider them anywhere close to that rating. Two, they can be and often are WRONG! Plus, I have spent most of my career working with highly intelligent men (engineers) and have found I can hold my own with them and that they are no more intelligent than me. Their education is just different.
With information in hand, one can hold their own with these doctors too. It upsets me that they gave Roxy the brush off.
Here's where the attitude comes from. In the history of medicine, at least in the American history, almost all women problems were first thought to be mental cases. This attitude prevailed even in pregnancy when midwives were kicked out of the birthing room because they were too ignorant (gee, they've been doing it for centuries) to take care of a woman during labor. They used the excuse that these women were not trained in the use of forceps and other tools and so could not possibly help a woman in labor.
Such arrogance prevails today. My doc gets this attitude from time to time. First time he did it, I told him he was wrong. He said that I had this dumb skin problem based on a biopsy where the person doing it got a picture off the Internet that kind of matched mine. But the symtoms didn't. So, I researched it, pretty much on a dare. When I came in for my next visit, I had a bunch of printouts of the entire subject.
He took them and put them in the chart. But he backed off the subject. He also took the skin problems much more seriously as he believes it is vasculitis now and not some harmless skin infection.
Mostly, he is a very good doctor. But that attitude will always get a reaction from me.
Lesle,
Thank you so much for the info on the medicines that help you. I'm going to take this list to my doctor and give it to my daughter to take to hers. I think maybe I will buy my daughter a good massage.
DeltaElise,
I think that's been proven. Stress really kills me and it certainly makes all my symptoms worse. I have had to end relationships and put extremely strong boundaries up with others, including my parents.
You shouldn't have to live like that. I didn't start to get any of this under control until I dealt with those kinds of things. When I start drifting back into an unhealthy relationship, guess what, my health gets worse.
Very, very, very slowly, I'm starting to learn.
Delta, my Rheumatologist was the one that told me that stress will bring on Fibro.
I was married for many years and was unhappy. He had been unfaithful and had mentally beat me down. I had no love left in my heart for him. None. One day I just packed up and left him sitting on the steps crying and I have never looked back. Never. I have never missed him. My life is far better than it was then even though I cant work right now and have other medical problems. I say if it's over, it's over and why stay and be miserable.
Roxy, if you would like to read another persons experience with Fibro, click on my Osteo link and then click on Fibromyalgia on the menu.