Living with Fibro and husband

I have had and still have major issues with my husband understanding what I'm going through. He often feels that I use it as an excuse just not to do stuff. What he doesn't realize is that the more rude comments he makes me the more I get stressed and then the more I hurt. It's a hurtful cycle emotionally and physically. About a year ago I was ready to leave and I went for a check up with my doctor and had an emotional break down on my nurse practitioner. She actually sat and talked to me for about two hours so she could get a good handle on the situation at home. Then she wrote a letter to my husband explaining some of the broader effects of fibro and inviting him to come into see her. He went in and came home feeling very ashamed of himself. She basically talked to him a lot and then she pressed into some of his pressure points- HARD. She said this is a small idea of what your wife feels when you yell at her for her fibro. She explained that he would cause me less pain if he punched me than if he yelled at me and got me all tensed and stressed. I still struggle with him and his attitude, but he is much improved. My NP is awesome. We have made a new rule about "Mommy needs a break!" and I get to go out once a week to just destress. It really just takes time and prayer.

Hi Im Giselle. Hope you are having a good day today. I have fibro and it has been so difficult to deal with up until recently. I finally got sent to a specialist and she put me on a ****tail of medications that have made such a difference for me. They  have linked vitamin d deficiency to fibro so get your vit d level checked. I am on 50,000 untis of vit d a week, 100 mg of tramadol twice a day, 75 mg of lyrica twice a day, and one flexeril 10 mg every night before I go to bed. I went from barely being able to walk half the time to now being able to go back to cleaning my house and cooking every other night. I still get tired easily and hurt if I forget to take my meds, but it has been so great. I have a husband too and he doesnt understand what I feel, but after seeing me cry like a baby so many times, he realized how bad it is. When I have a "bad" day, he cleans and cooks and does the laundry and takes care of everything. He helps me up and down the stairs and just does what he can. He isnt much of a talker which makes it hard for me because I need to communicate with him about it but with getting a response back and I dont get that from him. Of course that is in every part of our marriage. My husband and I are so very different. I would just tell your husband to get online and research the topic He needs to take an interest in your health and how you feel. Just have him read what I am writing to you. It is so important that he be there helping, listening to you if you need to talk about it, and he should know that marriage vows included "in sickness and in health". He is your husband and life partner and without a doubt should want to do whatever he can to get you through the hard days and to totally enjoy the good days. Living with fibro can be so hard and it is very painful. We need all the support we can get. If you want to talk just email me. We can support each other.

Giselle

Protein shakes and lots of protein, Exercise and Aqua therapy work good.

I have taken Cymbalta since it came out.  I have tried all the other meds and it is the only one that really works for me.  I still have "bad days" but two Aleve in the morning along with my Cymbalta and I am 95% pain free.

I am in the process of getting approved for WLS and being able to take the Cymbalta and Aleve was one of the major issues I had in chosing VSG.

Cymbalta can make you gain weight but since it is also an antidepressant, it makes you feel better and can help you get moving which also helps the symptoms of FM.

Effexor XR also worked well for me but not as good as Cymbalta.

My sister also has FM and her docs won't try Cymbalta for her.  She doesn't do nearly as well with her FM and has more flares than I do.  However, she is also Vit D deficient which makes a difference.

Try fibromyalgia for dummies on amazon.  You can hi-light your symptoms for him.