Can i get help with looking after a child after being diagnosed with FM ?

Hi Rachael:

When FM is diagnosed after a delivery, the symptoms are often related to an hormonal imbalance... you may want to ask your physician to check your thyroid (TSH, free T3 and T4), progesterone and estradiol, testosterone levels....

Good luck

Joanne

Thank you Joanne : ) .I have another appointment soon , so i will check to see if these have been done or not .

Rachael x

Hi Rachael

Yes it's tough with a young child and having FM. My youngest was very small when I was diagnosed, she's 22 now, so it can be done, and I was a single parent for a lot of that time too! I suggest you speak with your health visitor to see if you would get any nursery help. Take care and good luck with the tests too. VJ x

Hi Rachael, you might also consider checking your iron levels, as if they're low they can really cause a lot of tiredness and fatigue. This would prob just be a daily tablet to correct it, if needed. When tired, perhaps rather than trying to run around so much, focus him with a floor or on top of the bed activity like playing cars in and out of the duvet and around the cushions! Try and get a power nap for 20 mins when he goes for his daily nap? I used to work night shifts and come home to a full day with my son, so would need to synchronise our naps which worked a treat, most of the time! JK

Thank you for your replies and suggestions. I will speak with my health visitor to see if she can advise me on nursery care. The main reason im asking about support is that its not always safe for me to be at home alone with him . One of my symptoms is muscle weakness in my legs and arms , my legs give way with no warning and it takes a while to become steady on them again.

My iron levels have been checked and are ok but my vitamin D is low , i take a tablet for that now.

Its encouraging to hear that you have all managed to find a way to work around having FM ,a little one and work . My son is just starting to try to walk and is everywhere lol . I just really want to get a handle on this for him so he doesn't miss out on anything. xx

Hi Rachel. I really feel for you.I am retired so am able to rest when I need to. My only suggestion to you is to try CoQ10 I started on a higher dose and my energy level improved considerably after about 3 weeks. I am now down to 30mg a day to keep me going! I do hope this helps and you will be able to enjoy your time with your lovely baby.

Hi Rachel,

I have tried many treatments to manage various of my symptoms and, after a very long exhausting journey of trials and failures, I can say that I have found the best "recipe" that works for me. I can't give you more practical advice about how to get help with your child because I do not have one, and I think the suggestions given above are worth taking into account. However, I can share with how I manage to live pretty well with my fibromyalgia and cope with its related symptoms.

There is nothing miraculous in this approach and you may read similar advice given by various health professionals but you may be amazed to find out that combining various techniques and mental attitudes could be the key that opens up new avenues to calm down your symptoms.

I don't really know what is more important to begin with but, in my case, the understanding of the pain physiology and what triggers it coupled with physical exercise (gentle exercise, yoga and pilates ), pacing ( not pushing myself despite feeling tired, sleepy, and so on ) and stress management techniques (guided meditation or mindfulness, body-mind relaxation, trying different breathing techniques- see cirpd on youtube and john kabat zinn ).

It took me many years and many tours of "shopping therapies" to reach the stage of staying or trying to be positive and in control of my symptoms ( keep an eye on the new research findings in fibromyalgia, reading other people's stories, listening to various webinars on chronic pain and fibromyalgia- you can find plenty on youtube, listening to my body needs and being kind to myself).

When I stop searching for any miraculous medical treatment to cure my condition and I truly accepted its permanent presence in my life, the good and bad days it comes along with, I've finally managed to put together all pieces of advice and information received and learnt over many years but tended to ignore, and I felt, to my great surprise, more in control and empowered than ever. At this particular stage only, I was ready to accept and include in my personal recipe medication (low dose of amitriptyline) that helps me to get a more restorative sleep that, in turn, it has a positive impact on fatigue and muscle stiffness. Since then I've started paying more attention to my daily routines, lifestyle, emotions, thoughts, what I eat and I carefully listen to my body and practice my new learnings. I still think there is a lot more to learn and PRACTICE.

Also, you may find helpful to join a support group, and try other alternative treatments such as massage and acupuncture although there is not a STRONG evidence of their effectiveness.

At the same time, be aware that a considerable percentage of healthy women have experienced fibromyalgia like symptoms during their antenatal and postnatal periods, in a couple of earlier studies conducted in this field. However, no longitudinal research has investigated these new developed symptoms in women at a year after delivery.

Take care and have wonderful time with your little one.

Ana