Your BEST FIBROMYALGIA TIPS...Please!

Well, it is becoming clear to me that I do indeed have fibromyalgia. Someone on the boards suggested this to me like two years ago but I swear at the time I didn't have the issues I have now. A lot of the symptoms are also similar to those of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, with which I have been diagnosed and "suffering" for over three years. (Hashi's is an autoimmune disease common with hypothyroidism but I am NOT hypo.) I have been going thru a very stressful period and I am almost rendered immobile by the flare-up I am currently experiencing. As is common with fibro, it is happening at a time that I can least afford it to happen. I am solely responsible for dismantling my mother's apartment as she has been moved to a nursing home. There's so much "stuff" attached to this I can't begin to tell you -- it's not only the physical minutia (like Spanish modern furniture made of walnut and wrought iron) but a lot of emotional issues that I've been suppressing so I can be more efficient. Evidently my body has other ideas. ANYHOW ... I've yet to see a doc. I am making an appointment today and should be able to see him within the next week. But I need to know what works best for you since this is not something most docs are great at dealing with or knowledgeable enough about ... Here are my most pressing symptoms: - Pain -- shoulder to shoulder. The slightest stress will actually result in throbbing ... One tense phone call the other day and I could actually feel the pain spreading across my back. I also have pain across my back hipbones but that is more responsive to pressure than presenting pain. - Severe fatigue/exhaustion which inhibits mental concentration and physical exertion of any kind - Waves of extreme depression ... Something I have not felt even close to this since being pre-op and bedridden - Dry and red patches on my forehead (flaking skin and scales) What do you do when this happens ... What do you take and/or what is your routine for coping? The only prescription medication I am taking is a low dosage of Synthroid (25 mcg) for the Hashi's. TIA & {{{HUGS}}} & MM

MM: Sorry to hear you're going through this. I went to the Q&A board here, typed in fibromyalgia on the search, and this link came up. Perhaps there will be some help for you there: http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/information/dbsearch.php Best wishes, Carlita

Thanks, Carlita ... But if you've done the search, you know that most of those results are like three years old ... I was hoping for more current info by those currently experiencing -- and being treated for -- fibro since the medical landscape is constantly changing. I do appreciate your input, though ... {{{HUGS}}}

I think about.com has a lot of information on a lot of topics. I use that as a huge reference for thyroid problems, and have done some searching in the fibromyalgia section, also. I've not been formally disagnosed with fibromyalgia, but I'm suspecting it is lurking in there. Sue O.

Thanks. I've been researching for about a week now and there are lots of resources on the web but there's nothing like people's personal experiences. It's one thing to read an official FMS website that explains some have had help with Prozac, for instance, but there's nothing like hearing a person who has been thru the wringer and finally found what works. I do appreciate your input.

I was diagnosed as having fibromyalgia several years ago. I have tried various medical solutions, none of which really made a difference. I do take an antidepressant (Prozac) since depression often goes with the restrictions that fibro present, but my whole family is on antidepressants so I don't know whether it is the nature or nuture! Stretching, soaking, and gentle massage are helpful. Removing stressful situations (I retired) helps, but life keeps getting in the way of that. My best remedy has been to develop the ability to "rise above" the pain. I think that in formal circles it is called bio-feedback. I have dealt with the pain for so long that I have developed the coping mechanism of putting the pain somewhere else so that I can do what has to be done. The pain is still there and usually has to be dealt with, but I have been able to take care of the daily stuff and then I hit the hot tub and soak and stretch. I find that walking helps and, even when I think that I hurt so much that I can't move, I can still walk for a long time and actually feel better afterward. The National Fibromyalgia Association has an extensive list of reading materials that address all facets of fibromyalgia. The site is http://www.fmaware.org/. Knowledge is power! Learn all you can. Good luck. See a rheumatologist!

Thanks, Elizabeth ... Thank God DH massages me almost daily. I've recognized this as the lifesaver it is because if we miss a day or two (like the days I camp out at my mom's alone to pack), I'm tight as a drum until his loving hands find their way back to my back! I am thinking Prozac to get me thru until this stressful situation is over, although yesterday I started on a combo St John's Wort/5 HTP elixir (called Serotonic II) and today I am better after starting my day with a double coffee-protein shake (the only caffeine I have all day) and chicken livers. This has helped the energy level a little. What freaked me out was that this combo DID NOT WORK yesterday and that's what really fed the depression. {{{HUGS}}}

Oh my Melissa, I just googled Fibromyalgia and I have all of the symptoms....this is interesting....I hurt in many places but especially in my upper chest area and legs....I have been thinking I have RLS because of my need to move my legs all the time and sleeping well has been an issue for a while. In my shoulder area there are spots that have been real tender for a while. I will be researching this more. Please let me know what you find out. Hugs, Dana

I had dismissed the fibro for so long that I was actually Googling rheumatoid arthritis when I fell on it again and realized that either I have finally cultivated it or the fat might have been masking some of the symptoms in the past. I do not have disturbed sleep -- at least not to my discernible knowledge -- in fact, I seem to sleep so damned well that it is the least of my complaints. (Long before surgery -- when I was still working pre 2003 -- I did suffer from insomnia and used to take one Tylenol PM to help me sleep.) I also don't have any pressure point problems in my legs -- only in my torso -- presenting as constant in my shoulders/neck and surfacing as pulsing pain in my rear lower back after extended periods of walking (like 2-3 hours at the mall). But I do otherwise fit the profile most of the way and can't imagine that it's anything else. I'm glad that my post has indeed helped you identify some of your outstanding symptoms as traceable to something (even though it sucks to have it, knowledge is power); it's one of the reasons why this board can be so wonderful. {{{HUGS}}}

Mz. Mermaid, I have nothing honey, so sorry. However, if it will help I will offer up someone really distastful for you to slug (I have a few public figures in mind). XoXO