Finally diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and have no idea how to deal with it. Can anyone offer advice?

Question

I am a 19 year old , about to turn twenty female. I am a college student also. For about the past six months i have had constant pain all over my body. It feels like i need to stretch 24/ 7 to get rid of the muscle aches. At first the doctor thought it was my knees because they pull to the side in and out of the joint. But that isnt even what hurt me. The whole side of my leg from my butt to my ankle is one constant pain. I also have pain from my lower neck into my fingertips. My doctor told me i had this disorder and just said theres nothing to help you and that was that . I dont know what to do, what to help it with. We tried physical therapy and it did nothing. last nite i spend the whole night crying in my moms arms because i did not want to deal with this anymore, and im twenty years old but i wanted my mom haha. I feel like no one believes me (doctors) when i tell them my pain. Does anyone have any advice? sHOULD i ask my dr for medicine

Answer 1

My mom has Fibromyalgia! She's in bed all of the time. She also has Rhuematoid Arthritis(or however you spell it), Elhers Danlos Syndrome and some other stuff.. All i can say is.. ask your doctor about a pain reliever like Morphine. Just don't abuse it.

Answer 2

I am not an expert on this condition. But I think some people who have it experience similar doubt from others like you are experiencing. That is common but don't give up.

I do have a friend that was diagnosed with a combo of Fibromyalgia and Lyme disease. She said exercise helps her a lot. She said if she goes several days without exercise the pains start to come back. On the hopeful side when she first got diagnosed she was experiencing a lot of pain. But now it is a minor thing for her the majority of the time. I hope the same for you

Answer 3

I also have recently been diagnosed with Fibro (I am 35 and had pain since I was a kid, but got worse to the point where I couldn't really get out of bed without excruciating pain after some bad emergency surgery experience).
Do not despair, your Doc is an uneducated idiot. Any good Dr. should recognize when they are unable to answer (and apparently unwilling to research) and be willing to send you to somebody who has at least has some of the answers.
Since he was unable to give you any information on Fibro, you should probably see a Rheumatologist (or some other Dr. that has a greater familiarity with the disease to properly diagnose you and make sure your Dr didn't miss anything).
I am not sure what kind of physical therapy he put you in, but weight bearing therapy will increase your pain not lessen it.
Aquatic exercise is generally recommended, along with yoga and any other non-weight bearing but stretchy exercises.
Contact your local Arthritis Foundation, they have information on local programs (thru the YMCA, physical therapy facilities or other health clubs) to help you decrease your pain and help you manage the illness. They may also be able to recommend a specialist for your condition. Trust me you are not alone, I went through a few Dr's in the last few years that do not "believe" in Fibromyalgia. I am currently seeing a Rheumatologist who has been giving me Gabapentin to help control the pain and help me sleep better (the more you and your Mom read the more you will connect the dots with things that have been symptoms for you outside of the pain). Honestly, I have been on it for 35 days and I am still very "dopey" on it for a good part of the time after I take my daily dose. I have decided that this is as long as I will put up with the side effects when the pain relief is only minimal. So I will be trying something new, don't be afraid to voice your opinion on meds, treatments, etc. Everybody is affected differently on meds, what works for one may not work for you. I wish you well and hope you get to feeling better soon. Take care.

Answer 4

First of all if you have someone who tells you there is no help find another doctor.. The best medicine is yoga and meditation.Keeping the right attitude and eating right also helps.The kind of doctor you should be seeing is a rhuematologist or even a neurolgist may give you a diagnoise.You also may have a different condition but If it is fibromyalgia find a good support group.

Best books to read: Fibromyalgia advocate

Answer 5

There are many things that can be done for fibromyalgia, but there is not one standard treatment. What is difficult about this disorder is that no one really fully understands the cause. Yet, the most current research methods lean towards levels of neurotransmitters. These are chemical messengers in our body that trigger many different reactions. We have many different neurological pathways in our body...for everything from our heart rate, to performing a movement, to sensing pain. It is this latter pathway that is of concern in people who have fibromyalgia.

Our pain response is neurologically controlled. We have a system that keeps us in a relative state of "normal" and one that alerts us to pain. Certain neurotransmitters and other chemicals regulate thesepathways. In fibromyalgia, you might lack a certain neurotransmitter that keeps us feeling "normal" or you may produce more of a neurotransmitter that triggers the pain response. Therefore, your pain response system becomes more easily triggered. It is a very chemically mediated process and is NOT "all in your head." (however, if you do have depression or anxiety, this will further worsen the condition and NEEDS to be addressed). Therefore, medications that regulate this process are often used...often these medications are anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications. Even in the absense of depression or anti-anxiety these medications are often helpful.

The suggestion about aquatic therapy is also a very good suggestion. Exercise is a natural way to mediate your neurotransmitter levels and the water is an excellent medium in which to work...it helps reduce the impact on your joints.

Your doctor obviously isn't comfortable treating FM, and it may benefit you to find someone who is willing to help you.

Answer 6

Hey Gal,
I also have FMS and have had it for about 7 years now. Check out Men Surviving FMS for some detailed information. It's for men, but there are other links and the treatments and ecperiences are very similar between men and women that have this disorder. Be weary of any fix it all right now treatments. I can tell you that I don't know of anyone that has had this happen for them. I know hundreds that have this illness through support groups on the web, etc. MSN groups also has a great support group that has mostly women in it. It's called FMS Support. Check it out and most of all, educate yourself. You have to be your best advocate. SO many physicains have no clue how to treat this illness. Things that work for some don't work for others. That's why there's no "cure all." Best of luck. I hope that you get some answers through this and get to feeling better. I was Dx'ed at 27 yrs old and I thought that was young!

Answer 7

HI. There is hope. I have been living with Fibromyalgia and chronic Lyme Disease for over 10 years. I had spent several years in bed, on the couch, and in recliners. I still live with pain constantly, yet I have learned to manage it. I will share this with you, alternative therapies gave me back my life.

What I have consistently found to be true for me is that nutrition, exercise, and rest are the difference between my being able to function or not. I have also experienced phenomenal results with acupuncture, massage, YOGA, EFT (emotional freedom techniques), emotional journey work, meditation, personal development and walking.

Using nutritional cleansing and replenishing products has not cured me, yet it has changed my life for the better in so many ways. I have better mental clarity, am more emotionally balanced, have renewed energy, sleep better, lost weight and just generally feel better. This in addition to yoga makes a difference. Yoga is helpful because it helps to stretch and relax the myofacial tissue which hardens and causes so much of the pain. Also, the breathing helps detoxify the body. If you can find a yoga studio that teaches a Somatic class, this will especially help.

Antidepressants are helpful also, and certain pain medications. However, if you could explore alternative therapies first, you may discover that you can manage your pain and symptoms without them. There are awesome herbal products that can be helpful in place of them, also.

Believe in yourself and be your advocate. If a doctor does not offer you help, move on. There are plenty of health practitioners who are knowledgeable in FM and treating pain effectively.

Good Luck. You can email if you wish to discuss further.

Answer 8

I think it's great that you have your mom there to offer support. I would recommend talking to your doctor about seeing a rheumatologist (a doctor that diagnoses and treats disorders of the joints and bones and other conditions like fibromyalgia). The consultation with a rheumatologist can be helpful.

In the mean time let the doctor know how much pain you are in because it really concerns you.

Please feel free to e-mail or IM me any time off site if you need to talk one on one.

Answer 9

I see a pain management doctor and a physical therapist. I don't like to take medication. I had to start with baby steps at physical therapy. But as I increased them I am improving. I am supposed to walk for only 10 min. Thats when I start having trouble, then gradually increase the time. I've had to walk to the library lately, were down to one vehicle. I didnt' think I'd make it the first couple of times. It been getting easier and easier. I finally rode my bike 30 blocks the other day. Same thing, started feeling it as soon as I left my place, but kept going. I think I'm even starting to lose weight now. But I dont' know if I will return to work or not. Keep at it.

Answer 10

Hi,

Don't despair. There is help available to you. I just started a group for Fibromyalia sufferers on MSN Groups but I will send you the posting. Sorry it is so long.

I am helping people who have Fibromyalgia, including a good friend, and the results are amazing. She had pain in her joints, weakness, nausea every day, sleep difficulty, depression, anxiety, and felt like she had the flu all the time. She was too weak to go to her mailbox.

She has been using several of the oils for about three months and while she is not strong enough to return to work yet and she sometimes tires easily, she is out walking every day and feels much better. Fibromyalgia is a long term disease and it takes awhile for it to go away, but it can be treated effectively and without drugs. Yes, the treatment is all natural, no drugs with the devasting side effects!! You are too young to go through all of that. : )

Many doctors don't understand Fibromyalgia and they don't believe it is real. They think it is "all in your head" or you are stressed out. But the pain IS real. Again, don't despair. There is help.

With your symptoms, you would benefit from the following oils: Muscle Relax Wellness, Nerve (for nerve pain - the pain from your neck to your fingertips), Body Ache, and Joint Wellness for your joint pain.

Please contact me directly at [e-mail] if you have any questions. I have a list of oils I can send as an attachment if you want it.

Thanks.

Wendy

Here's the post:

Fibromyalgia sufferers, there is a drug free, effective, natural way to manage your Fibromyalgia symptoms. Why be drugged out on expensive medications that ravage your body with negative side effects?

I am currently helping people overcome the devastating effects of Fibromyalgia with these topical oils and the results are amazing. This is not a quick fix or a cure all, but my clients feel much better and have seen marked improvement in their conditions. Just rub the oils into your skin and you are on your way to feeling better.

Joint pain, body weakness and nausea kept one client from doing the simplest tasks such as shopping for groceries and watering her flowerbed. She had lost her job, friends stopped calling, and family suddenly became "busy" whenever she needed help. She had to resort to walking with a cane just to navigate a few steps. She has been using several of the oils for three months and although she is not able to return to work full time yet, she feels much stronger and has the energy to take care of herself and is walking 1/2 mile a day, unassisted!!

Help yourself feel better and be well again!

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