Fibromyalgia

lovmykids

Just wonder if any of you suffer with this. I have put on so much weight because of the pain. I am trying to work though the pain now but could use some help!!! What do you all do?

lotusfromthemud

Me. I have fibro, psoriatic arthritis and some other isms. You're not alone here, there are other fibro folks around...

Go slowly at first, but push yourself to build yourself up. I started with five minutes on the treadmill, followed by a nap (I'm not kidding). Any movement is a great achievement for you in the beginning. I know it sounds koo-koo, but the best thing to do when you hurt is to start moving. That soreness is a trap. If I keep moving, I have practically no symptoms nowadays. (practically) The most valuable thing my doc ever said to me was "your muscles might hurt, but they won't BE hurt". We're so conditioned to think that pain = injury that it paralyzes us.

Also, most people I know have discovered food triggers. They seem to be different for everybody. Mine are refined sugar and wheat. If I over-indulge with either of those, I'm liable to get a flareup.


Be gentle with yourself, but movement will absolutely help.

Feel free to PM me with any questions.

jennylynn84

Hello!

I too have fibromyalgia. We're definitely at odds right now as I have this on-again, off-again tension headache that has been pretty crippling over the past 3-4 days.

I don't think i put on a lot of weight because of the fibro so much. I was on and off of anti-depressants for a while, when my *FORMER* GP insisted I was just depressed and there was nothing wrong with me. That definitely didn't do me any favors, but I was gaining before my diagnosis.... There are a lot of meds out there used for fibro that, like anti-depressants can cause a change in appetite that leads to weight gain. Not to mention the general need to lie down because of the pain/exhaustion. I've skipped working out already this week, so I feel your pain.

What kind of pain do you suffer most from? I know everyone is different in what they experience with this wretched condition, so it really depends on you.

Personally, I use an elliptical machine/recumbant bike when I use cardio machines. They're pretty easy on the joints. I don't use one of those crazy ellipticals where your arms have to go all over the place with the moving handles, as I most of my pain is shoulder/neck centered.

I also do swimming. I find this to be really great. Seriously. I know its a generic answer, but it's really nice. Especially in a heated pool. If you really work on your form too, swimming can be great for your core.

A lot of core work, like planks and crunches is absolute H*** on your back, shoulders and pretty much everything else that hurts. I try to do pilates instead. The only thing with pilates is that there is a lot of laying on the floor. It really gets to my trigger points on my back sometimes, so make sure you have a nice, thick floor mat, not one of those barely there yoga mats that are really just to help you not slip.

Feel free to message me or anything! I'd be happy to talk and share. I was only diagnosed in Dec. 2008, so I'm still kind of new to the whole thing and I don't really meet a lot of people my age with this problem.

Kellee76

Oh, I know what you mean! I've had FM since I was a teenager but was only diagnosed about six years ago. I've had some big ups and downs over the years: Everything from being able to run 12 miles at a pop, to being put on disability and being bedridden with pain and fatigue for days on end, and everything in between.. I read recently that FM sufferers are reported to crave carbs (especially refined sugar and flour products). Add that to the fact that I'm by nature a compulsive overeater/dieter and it's easy to see why I quickly put on 40 pounds when I experimented with taking Lyrica for 18 months. Guess what I found out? Extra weight doesn't do a THING to help my FM symptoms!

I'll be honest: I don't do much exercise right now. I try to walk (only 2 or 2.5 mph) for 15 minutes during my morning and afternoon breaks at work. I work four days a week so that's only 120 minutes total but, still, that's 2 hours more per week than I was getting before. I went to my boyfriend's cousin's wedding on a Saturday night and, inspired by a few glasses of champagne, danced the night away. I spent all day Sunday in bed and had to call in sick on Monday for the pain. Isn't it frustrating sometimes?! But we have to know our limits and do the little that we can when we can. (I'm working on this last sentence, myself, and trying to accept that I can live within limits rather than just having a pity party for myself on the couch and doing nothing.)

Good luck to you!

Feel free to "friend" me, if you like. I would love to have some FM buddies!

sbilyeu75

I don't have Fibromyalgia, but my mom does and she's had it for years. She's taking a medication that helps, it's really supposed to be for something else but it was the only thing that helped her with the pain. I'm posting this now, so it'll so up on "My Topics" and I can post when I get the name of the medication so you can investigate it.

MsP90X

I have heard of Fibromyalgia and although I do not have that I do believe that I know what you are going through (or somewhat) as I suffer from Lupus and crippling flare ups that are debilitating. I have a great rheumatoligist who is working hard at trying to find the right recipe of meds to control my flare ups... :S

I gained a lot of weight during the past two years as my flare ups became more frequent and progressively more dibilitating but I decided to take control of my life again this past Jan. I pushed through the pain and depend on medications to keep me moving. I usually have to modify some exercises but I find that the more I push myself the better I do and the more I can do. It is amazing what you can ask your body to do. Albeit when I am done for the day I crash and require a lot of sleep for recovery.

Please know that you have support in me... pm me if you would like and/or check out my blog and see how I manage to keep pushing play and fighting the urge to give in to the pain.

http://p90xtremetraining.blogspot.com/

Make it a great day!

sbilyeu75

Ok. The medication my mother takes for Fibromyalga is Gabapentin. It's original use is to treat epilepsy. I know it's worked miracles for her.

Iceprincessk25

We've treated a TON of ladies at the physical therapy clinic with fibromyalgia. I feel for you ladies FOR SURE! Such a pain in the *kitten*!

Just do as much as you can do and don't be too hard on yourself!

lovmykids

Thank you all so much!! It is always nice to know your not alone!!! I am still trying to figure out these boards!! lol