Just diagnosed with Fibromyalgia

:flowerforyou: hello' i have fibromyalgia also for many years! i take lyrica for mine! i took cymbalta for a year but it did not do much for me. my husband has this too & his doctor put him on cymbalta & it seems to be working for him! i have spinal stenosis & advanced degenerative disc disease. i used to be 5'6" & now 5'2" due to this condition! i used to take steroid injections in my spine for 12 years every 2 months. that threw me into diabetes. which the steroids caused me to be insulin resistant so i have to take 2 type of needles in my stomach & pills every time i put anything in my mouth & all of this due to a car accident in 1998! i used to have to get around in a electric wheelchair but now i use a walker! i was able to do this due to loss of weight & exercising on a regular basis! due to this injury i also have arthritis very badly!

i am sending a friend request your way because i would love to be friends & give support & encouragement too! together we can get as healthy as we can get!

I'm 44 and was diagnosed a few months back. I'm currently seeking a 2nd opinion and she suggested MyFitnessPal (MFP) & The Plan Diet which is an Anti-diet that allows you to figure out if it is a food that is causing your symptoms. I have been doing it for 10 days and feel better than I have felt in years.

Feel free to add me to you list of friends

Whoever you went to for your second opinion gave you great advice. When I was first diagnosed, the doctor asked which bothered me more, the pain or lack of sleep. For me, I could deal with the pain if only I could get a good night's sleep. I took Prozac for one year and after a 12 pound weight gain that was enough for me. I have many food allergies/sensitivities along with not being able to tolerate any grains except brown rice on occasions. Once I got really serious and eliminated all offending foods, plus sugar, I saw amazing results. Yes, it's so easy to say "don't eat this", but it is hard because we are human and constantly surrounded by food. If you give yourself a month of eating grain free, dairy free and sugar free, I think you will see great results. If you continue to have symptoms, you can then readjust your diet. There are so many food substitutions that after a while you will no longer feel deprived because you will feel so good. Good luck.

Hello Everyone, I'm 26 and just got diagnosed with Fibromyalgia two days ago. I'm looking for people who would like to become friends to fight through this together. I'm starting Cymbalta this coming Friday and currently waiting for lupus and RA results.

Also diagnosed with:
- pcos
- 3 herniated discs (protrution & extrution)
- disc fissure
- disc degeneration
- scoliosis
- arthritis

How could they possibly get a differential dx on you for fibro when you have verifiable medical conditions with such similar symptoms?

Also, they tried Cymbalta for my back pain (mostly same disc issues as you), and it did nothing for me. The discontinuation syndrome is really awful though. It has a 12 hour half life, so if you forget to take it, you'll feel it soon afterwards. I strongly caution you against using Cymbalta if you don't need it for depression and anxiety. I've had a lot of luck with physical therapy and massage, though.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you on the RA and Lupus testing.

Hello, I was diagnosed last year. You'll adapt and get used to it and modify things to make them work. Its up and down for me but now I know what I am dealing with it gets easier to manage.

All the best, feel free to add me should you wish. That goes for any fibros out there!

Diagnosed with fibro in 2008 after years of severe pain and fatigue. Also suffer from depression and tourette's syndrome. I take lyrica to handle the pain but cannot take too high a dose due to the side effects. Tried to manage my symptoms through diet and exercise but it just wasn't providing any relief so for now medication is part of my regime.

Hope you get everything sorted out. Feel free to add me. ~

Diagnosed just over a year ago, and I was 26 at the time.

I have more good days than bad days now with medication (Gabapentin 500 mg a day, and Nortryptlyne at night only). I wanted to lose weight to prove that not everyone with fibro has weight issues - i'm a healthy 131.8 and feel amazing. Yoga has been the best thing for me!

This is a good link in reference to the anti inflammatory diet. It has helped me to eat healthier and reduce the symptoms.
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/anti-inflammatory-diet-road-to-good-health?page=2

I was diagnosed with Lupus in 2010 - wishing you luck on your lupus and RA testing. Anyone feel free to add me, support is a good thing!

Hello! I was diagnosed 14 years ago. I've had times when the symptoms have been in remission where I didn't need meds at all. I did go on Cymbalta about 4 or 5 years ago and it worked pretty well. Unfortunately, it's no longer covered completely by my insurance and I can't afford $85 month! With that and doctor that doesn't quite understand fibromyalgia, I've been struggling a bit. I'm 52 and I'm finding it's tougher to deal with as I get older and heavier. I think I'll feel much better if I can get some of this weight off me, but it's tough...that's why I'm here! I wish you the best!

Hi ya, I am 29 and I have Fibromyalgia along with other illnesses:-

- Fibromyalgia (diagnosed 18 months)
- Depression
- Personality Disorders
- Eating Disorders
- Anxiety & Stress
- IBS
- Tennis Elbow
- Arthritis
- Migraines
- Acid Reflux
- Texidor Twinge
- Folliculitis
- Hidradenitis Suppurativa
- Other conditions I don’t want to disclose

I am on 20-25 tablets a day, but never heard of Cymbalta and to be honest I am 100% sure I am not on the best medication as I suffer 24/7 and life seems unbearable. I have decided to try and loose weight. (used to be 30 stone) about 8 years ago. I never done any exercise to loose weight, only diet. With my health conditions I am in agony and I pull muscles easily. I have suffered from Tennis elbow in both arms for over a year (nothing extreme only carrying a bag and stretching!!!) I have had a number of Corticosteroid injections in my arms, luckily my left arm seems to be fine now but my right is terrible and I am waiting to see a surgeon as I cannot use this arm at all. I have tried exercises like Zumba and now I cannot even get into the pool to start swimming. The only thing I seem to be able to do is brisk walking but then again I am still in pain all over even doing that. I try and exercise but my body is really restricting me and I don't want to be a cripple! I push myself to work full time and commute and I really wish I was rich enough to just stop working. I currently pay private Osteopath to give me massage, acupuncture and really is helping me. I hope once my right arm is kinda fixed I can start low impact exercise like swimming... I definitely need to do exercise as well as diet or I’ll be a slim unfit person instead of a fat unfit person. Would be nice to make some new friends on here as I am new to the condition and I haven’t ‘learnt to live with it’ yet :’( xoxoxo

Hi, I'm sorry to hear about the new FM diagnosis. I've been battling FM for many years along with Lupus/RA and a host of other autoimmune issues. They generally go together, there is never just one. Unfortunately. Having chronic pain conditions makes it hard to get motivated to eat right and exercise. I'm just now starting to get back into exercise. It takes roughly 2-3 weeks for your body (people with FM) to adjust to working out, even slightly. It's a pain condition and everything makes it worse. Just keep trying, baby steps at first, even the smallest step is better than no step at all. I take an 7 pill cocktail for breakfast and the same for dinner but it allows me to have a full time job that is very high paced and also to participate in my life. Yes, there are some things I just can't do anymore but there are others that I still try and quickly realize it's not worth it. Everyone is different. Keep in mind, people don't understand what they can't see. Best of luck. Email me anytime if you think I can help with anything or answer questions. Cymbalta is a good drug for FM and it will work two fold for you as it will help with the depression too!