Health & Fitness

Auntymare

Health & Fitness

Posted by: Auntymare

24th Feb 2012 09:32am

Fibromyalgia - Is anyone out there that suffers from this condition? Some Doctors say there is no such thing while others agree there is.
I can assure you there is. If you could tell me what treatments and meds. you are on I would be grateful

Comments 6

Nic
  • 16th Oct 2012 07:54pm

There is another topic called 'Fibromyalgia' in the Health & Fitness category on this site so you might like to read it. Fibromyalgia is a well recognised illness. I was diagnosed with it about 9 years ago and recently a friend in the USA told me she has it. It is a difficult condition to manage and is often found in people who have other disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression. The management is very much an individual thing and what works for some does not necessarily work for others. The doctor who diagnosed me with the condition suggested a number of things to try: acupuncture, massage, TENS, hydrotherapy, meditation, Tai Chi, yoga. I have learned to manage the condition but I do have flare ups which are often triggered by increased stress as well as sudden cold temperatures. My friend in the USA finds hydrotherapy helpful. There is no known cause at this stage however there is an indication there is some sort of irregularity and may be a genetic cause. There is a great deal of information available on the internet. When I have a very bad episode I require bed rest and take some codeine to relieve the severe pain. Hope this helps.

ninna
  • 7th Mar 2012 01:23am

I have had fibro for 15 years after having a car accident & then later the same year a brain injury. It took a long time to have it diagnosed & then find treatment that worked.
The biggest problem with it is no one is the same as the next person for treatment & I suggest you contact yr local hospital & ask if they have a pain management specialist who understands fibromyalgia.
The most popular treatment offered is acupuncture, massage & medications used for epilepsy. The medications include gabopentin & lyrica which block the pain signal into the brain, they do have moderate success & I use Lyrica in conjunction with Endep plus I am on oxycontin. Before considering those medications think about the weight you will gain when using them which is hard to stop & keep off. My pain is crippling & that combination works fairly well for me so that I have quality of life, otherwise I am bed bound.
Stress & tiredness plays a big part in fibro so if you can reduce stress & get enough sleep you will notice the difference.
Water exercise is good in a warm pool, stay away from the cold. Hopefully you do not have arthritis yet which can cause some conflict with treatments as it does for me. Only do low impact exercise so you do not aggravate the pain to a point you cannot do anything.
If you are overweight get exercising as it only adds to the fight against the pain.
Once you can find a doctor who understands the disease talk to them about what is good pain that can be ignored & what pain should you listen to & stop what is causing it.
There is no set cause for fibro other than trauma of some sort during yr life, there is no cure but you may wake up tomorrow & it will be gone. You need someone who understands the disease so that you can trial different treatments.Stay away from Cymbalta which is an anti depressant & is also approved for fibromyalgia, I trialled it in the early days & it did nothing for the pain & managed to give me a breakdown from depression & nightmares.
My recommendations after many years & trials - Endep used with Lyrica or Gabopentin, gentle water exercise, stress management & manage yr sleep since you will not enter the deep sleep pattern.
Most of all learn to say NO to others so you do not overload yourself with their problems or tasks.
I could write a book on it if I had the time but hopefully I have been able to share enuf of what works for me & that it might help you research a treatment suited to yourself.
Remember you are not alone with this hidden disease & there are many of us that also suffer in silence with you.

simla
  • 12th Sep 2012 01:02am
I have had fibro for 15 years after having a car accident & then later the same year a brain injury. It took a long time to have it diagnosed & then find treatment that worked.
The biggest...

hi ninna, thanks for your informative discussion. i've had fibromyalaia for a number of years and agree with what you have said. a couple of friends of mine also have it. it took many years to get any diagnosis, but more doctors are accepting that such an affliction does exist. problem is that it has so many symptoms that could be ascribed to other disorders. , it would be easy to give a wrong diagnosis. the eminent rheumatologist Professor Graeme Jones in Hobart ,for people in tasmania, is familiar with fibromyalgia. the interesting recent discovery about vitamin d playing a huge part in nerve regeneration should be followed up by people with fibromyalgia also. it has been shown to reverse multiple sclerosis.. i suggest if you havn't had a vitamin d test for a while, it would be a good idea, especially people who have severe pain. mine was very low, and i'd never had a test because we all assumed that the sun would be enough. it was't..... good luck-Simla

littletoot
  • 1st Mar 2012 03:59pm

Hi Aunty mare. Yes I have fibromyalgia as a result of spinal and other injusies suffered as a result of a motorvehicle accident. I'm in a wheelchair. Fibromyalgia is well recognised, especially in the field of neurology. Have you tried to google Fibromyalgia? make sure you include Australia as one of your search words. This will take you to a number of websites that provide both information and discussions by suffers. Medico talk about the condition and the treatments. Sorry I know of nothing that can cure the condition, The best that we can do is manage it with pain relief, heat is a good strategy and other creams. It very much depends upon your circumstances and the context and situation that caused the condition to occur - if you can identify them. My suggestion would be to get a referral to a neurologist. They are more likely to be able to assist you than your gp.

littletoot
  • 5th Mar 2012 12:56am
Hi littletoot. Thankyou for your information.If you live in Brisbane and could recommend a Dr that would be great.

Sorry I live in WA so I can't help with referral. You have a great public hospital system, they may be able to help? Sorry I can'tffer more.

Auntymare
  • 2nd Mar 2012 07:57am
Hi Aunty mare. Yes I have fibromyalgia as a result of spinal and other injusies suffered as a result of a motorvehicle accident. I'm in a wheelchair. Fibromyalgia is well recognised, especially...

Hi littletoot. Thankyou for your information.If you live in Brisbane and could recommend a Dr that would be great.

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