Fibromyalgia anyone?

Lilliesmom2010

I was just wondering if anyone here has Fibromyalgia on our board? I haven't been to a doctor to find out for sure, but I took a checklist test on WebMD for fibromyalgia and I scored Highly Likely to be suffering from Fibro. Although I'm not a doctor, I have always thought that it didn't seem normal for someone in their 30's to be in this much pain so often. Anyways, I'm just wondering if there's anyone else here that has Fibro and if it affects the way they use the site or losing weight?
Thanks for any help,
Hugs,
Jenn

emersoam

Well, my mom has had diagnosed Fibro for many years now. It's been really tough for her to deal with. Her main form of exercise is walking and light stationary biking. She walks everyday (at a pretty slow pace but decent distances with breaks). She has to walk on gravel or woodchip trails, because she can't take the pounding of pavement.

You should definitely see a doctor AND get a second opinion as well. Fibro is very difficult to diagnose, because it can "parade around" as so many other diseases/condititons. For example, I have a friend who just diagnose with rheumatoid arthritis (another autoimmune disease that has symptoms very similar to fibro).

Best of luck! Your eating habits are going to become VERY IMPORTANT if you are diagnosed with fibro as well.

Bearface115

Ive gotta first off tell you, I hope if you do have fibromyalgia to take very good care of yourself. i have a parent who sufferes through that and i know how terrible i can be. But as for weight loss, it is possible, just strench alot and take everything slow, please! Also see a massage therapist to rub you after your workout if it is a serve case, but just dieting alone if quite possilible, im fact, it helps, eespecially excerising those painful muscles! Good Luck with everything!:flowerforyou:

Lilliesmom2010

Thank you both for the replies. I plan to continue this journey no matter how hard it gets. I know that they say exercise is actually a good benefit for Fibro, so I plan to continue as much as I can (like always). Like with everything, some days are better then others, so on those good days I have to try to do as much as I can and take care of things I can't when I'm "down" so to say. :flowerforyou:

hpsnickers1

Thank you both for the replies. I plan to continue this journey no matter how hard it gets. I know that they say exercise is actually a good benefit for Fibro, so I plan to continue as much as I can (like always). Like with everything, some days are better then others, so on those good days I have to try to do as much as I can and take care of things I can't when I'm "down" so to say. :flowerforyou:

I was diagnosed with Fibro this past August after spending more than a month with all over muscle and joint aches, chills, day sweats and night sweats. My sleep has always been bad. I actually thought I had either Fibro or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or a thyroid problem for a while but the pain was never as intense as it was this year. I was fighting tears constantly - can't be crying at work. I was taking my boyfriends prescription pain pills and I don't know if that helped or made it worse.

I finally got into the doctor - got the full bloodwork done - that's a good place to start. Everything came back normal. That's why I'm here. I had to change my eating habits. I never ate fruit or veggies. I ate way too much sugar. I now take Melatonin which has been wonderful for sleep. The pill Savella has taken away the pain. I tried to stop taking it (it's so expensive) but the pain came back. I still feel the crampy muscles if I overdo the treadmill. Walking seems to be the best form of exercise for me.

And I'm 39. I was told that I'm too young to have it but have read about teens that are dealing with it. I also came across an email once about a woman who got it after a bad car accident (I've been in about 5 or 6 bad ones in my life - yes, I'm lucky!)

One good thing about having it now instead of 10 or 20 years ago? It's no longer considered a crazy person's disease. It's real!
Good luck to you!

mschelle

I'm 35 and thought the exact same thing: there is no way someone my age should have so many aches and pains. I thought for sure I had arthritis because every limb and my back and my neck hurt all the time. Plus, i was tired all the time, and I couldn't think as clearly as I know I should ...I called the clear-headed days "Good brain days", and they were increasingly rare.

So I broke down and went to a rheumatologist. He ordered some bloodwork for RA and thyroid testing (I also have hypothyroidism and have been on medication for a year and a half for that). They all came back clean, aside from being a little low on vitamin D. But when I was there, he gave me a sample of Lyrica and a prescription if i wanted to continue.

I'll say right now: I appear to be a rare case, but Lyrica helped me within an hour of taking it! It's supposed to take a week or two, but from day one, I felt fantastic...like I hadn't felt in years! There are a lot of potential side effects (sleepiness and weight gain being the biggest concerns), but I don't seem to be getting them (again, I appear to be rare). Since starting it I've been sleeping better, my mind is sharper, and *most* of the aches and pains are gone.

I am able to exercise pretty vigorously now, and as long as I get good sleep, I feel great.

Definitely go see a doctor, get tested for everything that's likely - lupus, thyroid problems, RA, even Lyme disease can all cause similar symptoms.

rachpiper720

Hi! I am 28 years old and was diagnosed with FM about 4 years ago, even though I have had the symptoms since I was about 12. I was constantly in pain and had major mid fog all of the time. I finally went to a doctor and described my symptoms, and he recommended me to a rheumatoid arthritis doctor.

The doctor a few blood tests to rule out RA, and then he diagnosed me with FM. I was having major muscle spasms so I couldn't sleep. I slept on hot pads every night to ease the pain and spasms. He prescribed me with heavy muscle relaxers. At the time I was in college and didn't get much exercise because I worked a part time job and was putting myself through engineering school. I haven't been prescirbed the FM drugs and was pretty much on anti-inflammatories for 10 years of my life. I got tired of the pills and have tried to work though it without them.

It has taken me several years to get my pain from a 7-10 EVERYDAY to about a 3-4 about ONCE A MONTH or less. From the experience, here is what I have learned that may help you. Mind you I am not a doctor, and this does not work for everyone, but I sure wish someone had given me this advice when I was diagnosed.

1- The worst thing I could do when I was tired and sore was sit and do nothing. Get up and move! Do something for 10 minutes and if you can handle it go more! For me least 45 minutes of exercise (biking, walking, yoga, stretching) a day helps tremendously.

2- Get 8-9 hours of sleep...anything less or more just makes it worse and I get the mind fog.

3-Eat less processed food. My body is already out of whack enough and adding processed chemicals just makes it worse.

4-I get a regular massage at least once a month...this helps to remove toxins from your body and it just feels darn good!

5- I take magnesium for the muscle spasms and general muscle pain (about 400 mg/day).

6- Taking extra calcium has helped with some of the shoulder and neck pain. I sometimes switch between calcium and magnesium and the pain decreases.

7- Drink lots of water to get toxins out and keep muscles hydrated. I helps with the stiffness.

8- Getting vitamin D whether from the sun or in a pill form. It helps with the blues that sometimes come from FM. Where I live I don't get much sun and adding that to a full-time job doesn't help.

9- Take time to relax. You don't have to run on all cylinders all of the time, but find a healthy balance between moving and resting.


I hope you find what works for you and let me know if you have any other questions.