Anyone else with Fibromyalgia?

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BrendaLee
BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm just wondering if anyone else here suffers from fibromyalgia? It certainly does add an extra challenge to weight loss. :yawn:
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  • jfilon
    jfilon Posts: 80
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    I've had fibro since I was 12 years old. It's been a hard struggle, balancing diet, exercise, and pain management. But trying to stay fit has certainly helped keep it in check. I'm here if you ever want to rant about it, haha! :wink:
  • Fit4Vet
    Fit4Vet Posts: 610 Member
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    Had it for about 3 or 4 years now. It's not bad - doesn't keep me in the bed like some others I've talked to, however it's a pain (pun intended) when it acts up.

    Seems to me that if I can get my workouts in, I have less symptoms than if I don't.

    Even on my extreme days, I still try to get in at least a good stretch.
  • BigAnn
    BigAnn Posts: 38
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    i've had it for several years. Exercise does help. However, mine is mainly in my hands. It makes it hard to do anything that involves holding / gripping.
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
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    Not that I'd wish it on anyone (well...maybe one or two people), but it's good to see I'm not alone. :smile: I've been afraid that pushing myself with the exercise- which I have been doing lately, would make my fibro symptoms worse, but that hasn't been the case...yet. :smile: I'm hoping that getting the weight off will get me a big step closer to feeling "normal".
  • jessmomof3
    jessmomof3 Posts: 4,590 Member
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    I don't but my Mom does. It is hard to see her suffer on her bad days. She does work out and stretches every day. She says the work outs do help but some mornings are really tough for her.
    She also goes to see an Accupressurist every 10 days - 2 weeks or so. It really helps, she says it's painful massage but she really works out the painful spots for my Mom.

    Sorry to see others suffering as well.

    Jess
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
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    Today was the first day since I've started working out (the past couple of weeks) that fibromyalgia just would NOT let me exercise. I've come to look forward to my cardio, and was dreading the day that I was too weak or in too much pain to workout. I'm hoping it passes quickly, because when I can't work out, I have a hard time staying motivated. :grumble:
  • ozarkcontessa
    ozarkcontessa Posts: 17
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    I was officially diagnosed with Fibro last week... Its been a couple of years going from you have RA to depression, to Fibro... Finally saw my doctor who specializes in Fibro and with all the test results, my exam she says... its not RA... Thank God... however, the pain... oh my God the pain of Fibro.... ughhh I am praying the walking, and diet will give me some relief... I know my weight plays a huge role in the pain on joints, muscles and nerves.... This site just might be an answered prayer!
    One day at a time... that is what I tell myself... I move more today... means I will move more tomorrow...
    I appreciate your asking this question... I don't feel so alone now either!
    Thanks!
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
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    I was officially diagnosed with Fibro last week... Its been a couple of years going from you have RA to depression, to Fibro... Finally saw my doctor who specializes in Fibro and with all the test results, my exam she says... its not RA... Thank God... however, the pain... oh my God the pain of Fibro.... ughhh I am praying the walking, and diet will give me some relief... I know my weight plays a huge role in the pain on joints, muscles and nerves.... This site just might be an answered prayer!
    One day at a time... that is what I tell myself... I move more today... means I will move more tomorrow...
    I appreciate your asking this question... I don't feel so alone now either!
    Thanks!

    The pain of fibro is something someone without it couldn't understand. I've tried to explain to many people what it's like, and I always feel like I fail to come close to explaining it. Do you have fatigue and muscle weakness with yours?

    I pray (to the universe in general) every day that they'll find out what causes this and find a cure or at least a treatment that works well. :flowerforyou:
  • ozarkcontessa
    ozarkcontessa Posts: 17
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    The pain of fibro is something someone without it couldn't understand. I've tried to explain to many people what it's like, and I always feel like I fail to come close to explaining it. Do you have fatigue and muscle weakness with yours?

    I have a lot of fatigue... I go to bed tired, I wake up tired, I live tired, :yawn: going down stairs is worse than going up... ughhh... :cry:
    I agree with you, I pray they find a reason and a cure, that does not require a medicine cabinet full of drugs to make a difference.

    One step at a time my friend, one single step at a time.... God will take care of the rest :smile:
  • ilike2moveit
    ilike2moveit Posts: 776 Member
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    Sounds miserable. What does the pain feel like and is it all over?
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
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    It's head to toe pain. You're very tender all over....you basically wake up feeling like you've been hit by a mack truck while you "slept".
  • ozarkcontessa
    ozarkcontessa Posts: 17
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    The worst is... your tired, tired, tired... :yawn: you can't sleep and if you sleep to long...like over 5 hours... you can't hardly get out of bed in the morning... so you try not to... and because of lack of sleep it compounds the problem... I think Healthybefore40 said it best.... like you have been hit by a Mack truck... :frown: but some days it feels like the truck backed up to see if it hit you then moved forward hitting you again...ughhh.... but you take it one day at a time, and get a really great doctor like I did who helps to manage the symptoms... I do a lot of praying too, my faith in the Lord keeps me strong...and I quilt... I love to quilt... fabric and chocolate... almost make anything bearable.... :tongue:
  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member
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    Imagine the worst night of sleep you've ever had on the worst bed ever. You wake up, gritty eyed and slightly dizzy. Your bones hurt. Your joints hurt. Your muscles hurt.

    Imagine now waking up the next day feeling the same way- but only worse because your body hasn't healed from the last bad night of sleep.

    Keep adding the days and that's pretty close to the overall 'crap' feeling of fibro. It stinks.

    :grumble:
  • ozarkcontessa
    ozarkcontessa Posts: 17
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    Imagine the worst night of sleep you've ever had on the worst bed ever. You wake up, gritty eyed and slightly dizzy. Your bones hurt. Your joints hurt. Your muscles hurt.

    Imagine now waking up the next day feeling the same way- but only worse because your body hasn't healed from the last bad night of sleep.

    Keep adding the days and that's pretty close to the overall 'crap' feeling of fibro. It stinks.

    :grumble:

    yep, yep, yep... you know my life... ughhh:glasses: at least with this message board we know we aren't alone... that makes this a bit easier... not that I agree misery should love company:tongue: but if we know there are other people who understand when you say... I can't do it right now.. its not because of lack of desire..its is just the pain...
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
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    Imagine the worst night of sleep you've ever had on the worst bed ever. You wake up, gritty eyed and slightly dizzy. Your bones hurt. Your joints hurt. Your muscles hurt.

    Imagine now waking up the next day feeling the same way- but only worse because your body hasn't healed from the last bad night of sleep.

    Keep adding the days and that's pretty close to the overall 'crap' feeling of fibro. It stinks.

    :grumble:

    That is a perfect way to describe it. I wonder how much of it is related to the inability to actually SLEEP.
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
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    When did each of your first notice fibro symptoms? What were your first symptoms?

    I've had IBS since I was little, but the first real indication that something was wrong (which I now know was an indication of fibro) were the "weak spells" I started having when I was a teenager (it was actually after I got very sick with the chicken pox). They just got progressively worse until they became one big weak spell. It all got a million times worse after having a baby...I feel like I never recovered from that.
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
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    Me, too. Here's my whole story, if you're interested.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/viviakay?month=200811
  • leshawnturner
    leshawnturner Posts: 382
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    You all have just brightened my day!!! I was feeling really bad this morning because this whole week it has been a trial trying to get up and workout and I have been more tired than usual this whole month I knew that it is my fibro rearing its ugly head. I can deal with the body aches, because now I have fibro and plantar flacitis giving me grief, its the extreme fatigue that makes it ridiculously hard to function. I agree with whoever said going down the stairs is the worst. I know that I need to lose weight to improve the fibro but when I do too many intense work outs I hurt severely then I have to stop and I have trouble start back up again. Its an endless cycle!!!!!!

    I wish I had a great doctor to go to, but I can't find one here in OK. They all seem to act like it doesn't exist. I need to find a doctor who I can have write a report to the bar association to give me extra time and breaks to take the bar exam. Do you know how much pain I'll be in at the end of 3 days of sitting for hours on end while taking a test!!!! Not too mention the fatigue and IBS!!! If anyone knows of any doctors that treat fibro in the OKC, OK area or in Dallas, TX PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!!
  • ozarkcontessa
    ozarkcontessa Posts: 17
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    You all have just brightened my day!!! I was feeling really bad this morning because this whole week it has been a trial trying to get up and workout and I have been more tired than usual this whole month I knew that it is my fibro rearing its ugly head. I can deal with the body aches, because now I have fibro and plantar flacitis giving me grief, its the extreme fatigue that makes it ridiculously hard to function. I agree with whoever said going down the stairs is the worst. I know that I need to lose weight to improve the fibro but when I do too many intense work outs I hurt severely then I have to stop and I have trouble start back up again. Its an endless cycle!!!!!!
    Your right it is a vicious circle, but every day you take a two steps forward and even if you take one step backwards it is progress... Going down the stairs, I feel like grandma moses and I am not even fifty yet! I do a lot of praying... I also made a point of seeing a female doctor because I got tired of telling male doctors my symptoms and they shake their heads and say well if you loose weight... News flash when I lost 138 pounds in 2003-2004.... I still hurt, I still was exhausted, I still had stomach issues... my 'doctor' who is really a Nurse Practioner... is just the most awesome medical person I have ever met. I ask God to bless her... she listens... :flowerforyou:
    One thing I did when I saw her two weeks ago, I made a list... Stomach, muscles, legs head. and outlined my symptoms... two weeks later... my feet cramps are gone at night, pain is tolerable with the new meds, and my goal is to walk five days out of seven... today was a lousy day for me... but there is tomorrow :smile:
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
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    :grumble:
    You all have just brightened my day!!! I was feeling really bad this morning because this whole week it has been a trial trying to get up and workout and I have been more tired than usual this whole month I knew that it is my fibro rearing its ugly head. I can deal with the body aches, because now I have fibro and plantar flacitis giving me grief, its the extreme fatigue that makes it ridiculously hard to function. I agree with whoever said going down the stairs is the worst. I know that I need to lose weight to improve the fibro but when I do too many intense work outs I hurt severely then I have to stop and I have trouble start back up again. Its an endless cycle!!!!!!

    I wish I had a great doctor to go to, but I can't find one here in OK. They all seem to act like it doesn't exist. I need to find a doctor who I can have write a report to the bar association to give me extra time and breaks to take the bar exam. Do you know how much pain I'll be in at the end of 3 days of sitting for hours on end while taking a test!!!! Not too mention the fatigue and IBS!!! If anyone knows of any doctors that treat fibro in the OKC, OK area or in Dallas, TX PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!!

    I know what you mean about the workouts- I want to workout so badly every day, and I just can't. Even the days I do workout, I have to push through so much fatigue that I'm pretty much falling on the floor during the workout. I went swimming yesterday and did some walking laps in the water...they were quite enjoyable. You have the best range of motion in the water, and the cold pool feels like a big old ice pack. Of course we fibromites don't adjust to the cold water as quickly as a "normal" person. :grumble:

    It's sad that you don't have a good doctor...mine isn't the greatest when it comes to the fibro, but at least she acknowledges it. Try checking in with a fibro support group in your area- they'd be sure to have some advice for you about doctors. Here's a group in Dallas:

    http://www.meetup.com/North-Texas-Fibromyalgia-Support-Group/

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