Saturday, January 24, 2009

Fibromyalgia Questions

After a year & a half of not feeling well and hurting all the time my doctor has diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia. She started me on a medication that sounds like I will be taking for the rest of my life and the end results are the pain & stiffness are more tolerable but it does not come without it's share of side effects. I do not take any other medicines and hope to not have to takes these either.

I am going to see a homeopath on Monday and I am truly excited to see whether he can help me to return to the life & person that I once was (pain-free, happy & healthy with no medications to take). I have been reading lots about Fibromyalgia in an attempt to understand all the why's and how's of it all. So my question tonight to all of you gals & guys out there reading this is....

If you or anyone you know has Fibromyalgia then how do you/they cope or try to remedy it?

Do you live on a heating pad or take excessive hot showers like I do?
Do you take any supplements that seem to help?
At this point I am grateful for any advice on this subject. My goal is to learn to cope and/or remedy this problem as natural and drug-free as I can.
Feel free to leave me a comment or if you have a longer story that you would like to share with me then you can email me at the address that I have provided.




9 comments:

The Wife said...

I wish I had a great response but I've never had to deal with it. I hope someone out there can help ya.

Carmen S. said...

Wow,just following some links and found your site.I have had fibro. for 15 years now. I am on cymbalta which helps quite a bit, and I take magnesium w/malic acid supp., also Mt. Capra makes a supplement called capraflex, which you can google to find. I've found what helps me most is watching what I do. I know what my limits are, and also cut down on sweets and coffee. you can follow the link to my blog and comment there if you want to talk more. best wishes and know you're not alone!

Carmen S. said...

Just wanted to pop back in and tell you good luck with your appt. tomorrow, let me know what you find out.

Katy said...

I just stumbled upon your blog...but i saw this post and wanted to tell you that my dad has fibromyalgia. It has tormented him for years and years. He works inspite of it all though. When he can, though, he lays down and rests. I know he takes some meds...but I also think he uses herbal balms etc having to do with essential oils..? I am not sure of the precise things he uses.
I know it is such a difficult thing to have and I pray you will be able to deal well with it! :)

olivian said...

Fibromyalgia is a complicated diagnosed problem and it is still being researched for possible cures. Treating the disorder using western medicine can be frustrating. This is why many are now turning to old, eastern medicine for an answer. Alternative medicine like acupuncture could hold hope for many people suffering from fibromyalgia. Yoga and meditation is very good for fibromyalgia. It relaxes and stretches the muscles. Visit here and consult http://holisticdoctors.tv/doctor_index_2364.html

Carmen S. said...

I'm so glad your appt. went well for you! Do you mind if I ask what they gave you that works so fast? I went to my Dr. today and found out I have gained 10 lbs(!) since starting the cymbalta 2 yrs.ago!

Granny Sue said...

This is one tough thing to have to live with. I've had friends with it and just getting the diagnosis is tough. I remember one friend who said her doctor told her she just liked to complain! And her with several children, a job and husband and constant pain. I hope you find a way to feel better.

Anonymous said...

I am June's girlfriend from Florida and have suffered with Fibro for about 10 years or longer before I was diagnoses. There are many options you can try that can be found through homeopathic or non-prescription medications. What causes Fibro is the Central Nervous System constantly shooting off signals and making the nerve ending "fire" therefore making the body send out the fluid it needs to "heal" the area. This is where you will find the fibro-bands. You will find when it is time for your period that your bands are worse, when the weather is overcast, they are worse and so forth. You can take over the counter sinus meds to reduce the fluid in the bands and have massage therapy with someone who works with Fibro patients and how to reduce the fluid - but not excessively as this will make you sick. I take Topamax which also helps with migraines, Elavil which allows a non-broken sleep cycle, and Zanaflex which helps the muscles relax. You can buy a heating pad the size of a single bed and sleep on it at night and hot baths/showers help as well. You can buy healing massage oils and massage your bands in the areas you can reach (arms,legs,chest) but use care to not overdue it. The fluid in the bands will be excreted out of your body through your kidneys, intestines and sweat glands. When you feel stressed just close your eyes and "breathe". Try self meditation. The worse things you can do is to not move or to stay inactive when you are having a Fibro-crisis. And try to keep a positive attitude that YOU are not going to let this beast get the better of you! If I can be of any help or just cheer you up let me know. I can also give you a list of vitamins that will help.

Three Crows said...

Hi,

I am new here and found your site through clicking on fibromyalgia in my own profile. I have fibro and also have an interest in homeopathy because it has worked for me for other things. It seems most meds I use now or have tried have effects I do not like. Please tell me what homeopathics you have tried and do you feel they have been effective? Have you continued with them? I love those huge exercise balls, too. I also lie down on tennis balls and softballs on the floor when I have bad spots that need pressure. Or I beg my 9 year old son to walk on my back. He's growing so ast now, that won't last much longer!