please help!

Hi iv been with this fibromalgia now for ten years iv had no help and think its shocking the way you get treated with this always thinking something else is happening and the pain is horrible i hope you can get some help from somewere but i never good luck hun liz 

i have had fibro since my early 40s and for six yrs just put up with the pain because i didnt no what was the matter with me , and tje docs just kept fobbing me of,

when i finaly collected enough info after months of searching the internet to find out what was wrong i came across fibro and all my symptoms matched and armed with the info i went to doctors and finaly got a diognoses with a specilist.

iv done it so far with acupuntrue to control digestion and anxiety , and supplements and homeopathic remedies to keep pain at a managable leval

i found reflexology better than acupuntrue , but my lady has retired cant find anyone eles in my area,  keep moving gentle walking everyday, even if it hurts because if you dont you will get stiffer and sorer i no ,

iv found sad lamp good for depression

and heat patches for stiff shoulders, and back

if your interested in supplements colloidal gold is excellant, also oxylift , and one of the best for pain is soaking in magnesium salts ,and spraying magneiusm spray on to your body and rubbing it in , the right mattress topper helps at night.i also take q10 b12 and a multi vit spray.

Hello...I have been diagnosed fibro three years now, its very painfull as your partner knows. The Rheumatologist put me on Pregablin it worked for a few months then my body must have got used to it. I asked and asked the doctor to take me off them and give me something else as I were getting bad side effects ie dizzy spells, hallusinations, feeling of being drunk ,increased my weight,to say a few. He said no, as the Rhemy says they work well. So with that I weaned myself off them and lost 12 lb.. I only now have Paracetamol that takes the edge off and also Oramorph that wirks well too. I went to see the Rheumy last week as I am loads of pain all the time night and day and are taking the Oramorph like pop. So I am now awaiting the result, as he thinks I may have ME also..great news... 

Hi Tina, No I have not tried epsom salts. Is that for taking or bathing? if the latter I do not have a bath, only a shower.

Hi, I too have lost my quality of life and career but I have been proactive in finding out how to acheive the best care I can. I currently have Gabapentin for the nerve pain, it's a drug used in conjunction with another for people with epilepsy but studies have shown that it is also useful in the control of nerve pain. I also have Amitriptyline which I take at night, it is also useful for nerve pain although it is technically an antidepressant. The dosage for neuropathic pain is much lower than it is for depression. I have recently come offf morphine which was a terrible experience, one not to be repeated. I know the morphine dulled the pain but it was not particularly useful in the long-term for me. Often Tramadol is prescribed and many other people I've spoken to with Fibro report good results. Sadly it made me itch terribly so is not suitable for me. I recently completed a pain management programme at The Walton Centre in Liverpool. This was useful and I have found that stretching on a regular basis (starting very gently) has increased my range of movement as I tend to be very stiff and sore around my shoulders, neck and arms in particular. They encouraged gentle aerobic exercise and I found that I was ok on the exercise bike but the cross trainer was one movement too much. I also had the opportunity to take part in the hydrotherapy sessions and found these most liberating as I could move so much better in the water. Again it was gentle exercise taken at your own pace. I have swum since but the public sessions are too busy so I have spoken to my GP's practice nurse and have now been referred to the Lifestyles team for exercise on prescription (or whatever they are calling it now) My first appointment for assessment with the team is next month.

Chronic pain has to be treated differently to acute pain. The chronic pain of Fibromyalgia is pain that does not indicate an injury and, whilst very difficult, movement is essential. At first the pain does increase but with perserverance it does settle. I'm not saying that it's any sort of cure but I do view my pain in a different way. I don't fight it anymore as it takes too much energy, I accept it's there and live with it. I practice Mindfulness, this is a technique where you live in the moment. I think that there are links to the CD's that The Walton Centre provide on their website, as far as I know they are free to download.

My boyfriend has recently been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia too, what are the chances of that! He has it in a milder form than I as he has still been able to work although he puts in less hours due to the fatigue. I have highlighted to him the importance of not over doing it as that just starts the 'boom and bust' cycle. The boom being taking advantage of a good day and doing as much as possible only to find the next day you can hardly move and are so generally fatigued, the bust. I do still find this frustrating as I was such an active person and worked long hours too. Now I find it an achievement if I can wash up a sink full of dishes.

I have had the occupational therapists over to assess me and have a perching stool and grabrails where I need them. I also have a blue badge now as I am limited in the distance I can walk before I experience severe pain. 

Have they sent you to see a rheumatologist? These are normally the people who deal with Fibro. That said, I haven't seen one yet as I had a spinal problem and was under the neuro team as well as the pain consultant and between them they suggested the best path for me. I'm waiting to see a neurologist now as my head constantly aches and often become a migraine. This has stressed my body so the Fibro has flared and I am typing this from the prone position. I must admit that my hands ache typing but I think it's so important for those of us with this condition to support each other. 

I suffered with depression following the loss of my father four years ago. I have not come off the Venlafaxine yet as I fear sliding back down that dark hole of despair. I am a long way off that now but will only reduce and cease the meds when I have the pain of the Fibro under better control.

Finally I think that humour is the best medicine. The other day when my boyfriend was over we both decided to head for the kitchen at the same time. We had been sitting watching a film and were both sore and stiff. As we hobbled towards the kitchen he got a little twinkle of mischief in his eye and offered to race me. We were walking like a couple of people considerably older and slower than we should be. I accepted his challenge and we both continued at the same pace, laughing our socks off. I did attempt to pump my arms harder back and forth which only resulted in louder bursts of laughter from both of us.

I hope you and your husband find what works for him, try not to get downhearted as it doesn't help. Keeping stress to a minimum is always a good idea as stress is one, if not the biggest trigger to pain.

There is no quick fix but with determination and persistence you will get there. I hope I have been of some help.

Kindest regards,

Gin