You really have your hands full and my advice to you is to please make sure you take care of YOU first and foremost. Take whatever happens one day at a time and don't let this beat you! You matter. Hugs GB

Pcae yourself, okay? That's a lot for *anyone*. Gentle healing to you.

You need to rest and maybe demand more from the doctors. You sound like I was at the beginning. I was too hard on myself and I had to learn that I can't do what I use to. I must rest and plan things to a T to minimize the aftermath of pain and fatigue. I'm also very demanding with my doctors. I request test and I research every med possible and request to try it. I realize the doctors aren't sure what causes Fibo and don't know how to manage everyones symptoms, but that's when I ask who else I need to see. I see an endocrinologist, rheumy, neuro, and pain specialist. I think this has resulted in me finally getting results. Everyone has different ideas and its good to compare. You can get through this.

I have tried multiple medications and none of them seem to help. I am only 21 and have seen 2 Rheumatologists, I have my primary doctor, a physical therapist, neurologist, general surgeon, ENT, OMT, psychologist, thats not including work comp docs from when I got hit in the jaw so I am seeing a specialist for that as well. What would you all suggest as far as how to better communicate with my doctor about what I need because I feel so overwhelmed IDK what I need.

My suggestion is to make a list of things that are very specific. For example, MY list would be: I am having trouble with stiffness and a feeling swelling in my wrists and hands, I am having trouble with a sensation I call 'low blood sugar'. Keep it simple and very specific. Focus on what you want to fix and how you want it fixed. I personally want to try med marijuana (I live in a very good state for this :) ) and I want to know if there is a supplement I can try that might help with the low blood sugar thing (or maybe it really is low blood sugar?) I have two things and I am focusing in on specifics. Drs like to feel they have helped. Even if you have a gazillion issues, start with just 2-3. Once they have helped with those bring up the next 2-3.

Thank you

The key to a successful treatment is to start to journal your fibro. Keep a medical journal (and they have apps for this now too) of the following as this will not only indicate triggers, but it can also lead you to solutions!

Journal the following:

Daily pain. Jot down your pain level for that day (1-10) List what you were *not* able to do (realistically) because of that pain. (ex: couldn't carry the laundry down to get that done, or other daily living chores like couldn't shower because of the pain).

Sleep: Write down how long you slept and if it was quality sleep or not.

Dietary intake: This is kind of a biggie as some foods will trigger more pain as they induce inflammation or cause more "brain fatigue/fog".

Meds: Write down what you took and if there was any relief after taking it.

Exercise: Write down what you were able to do or *not* do.

All of this will help you and your doctor figure out how to help you better. As I stated earlier, there are apps and websites to help you keep track of this. They seem like a dime a dozen now, but you can just go old-school and keep it logged in a notebook as well. When I was doing mine, I kept it on the kitchen counter. I'd jot things down through out the day or catch up the following day. It took extra effort, but was so worth it in the end.

I discovered foods were a culprit and I began testing them to prove my theories. Sugars and caffeine amplified my pain. In addition to that I stayed away from foods that naturally cause inflammation and have adapted a version of an arthritic diet into my lifestyle.

I also learned that movement helps with the pain levels. There is nothing worse than being in pain and then having your body seize up from no movement at all. (as we like to not move when we are in pain as it's a natural-like reflex to curl up and protect ourselves) But this can be more damaging. So I learned to make myself do at least 1 household chore (dishes or load of laundry) to make myself move. This at least keeps me from enduring "more pain" from seizing up.

And I started experimenting with supplements and logging them. I knew my sleep habits were null, so I discovered (though my own research) that melatonin helps you to fall asleep while valerian root helps you to remain asleep. And the combination of the two are found in OTC sleep supplements. But what worked best for me was popping a 1/2 dose of generic benadryl (which is the active ingredient of most OTC sleep aids).

Other supplements such as D-Ribose & Co-Q-10, along with vitamin D3 help restore some energy.

Magnesium helps with pain, along with epson salt baths. (Both make me incredibly sleepy though, so they are on my Not to Do list during the daytime).

And I also tried the guifensin protocol (that is that musinex stuff). I took musinex one day when I was sicker than a dog and suddenly I was up running around like I didn't have the flu. So I tried it when I had a flare. Sure enough it did produce some energy. I don't do that all the time, but I still marvel at how and why it works.

It's little things like this that have helped me survive my first 3 years of my diagnosis (I'm now going on 8yrs). They are my go to bag of tricks now.

I hope some of this might help you find your solutions on living with fibro too.

Thank you for your help

I hope you can find peace soon. Overwhelmed is a common feeling but it never feels good.

Every day I ask myself what is the most important thing I need to do today? I do that and if I get other things done I'm very happy, but if I don't, then at least I got that one thing done.

I am also 21 and have been dealing with fibro for years now.

For me, I never found a regimen that worked. There was nothing that my doctors did or said that changed my situation. I know that sounds depressing but once I stopped going to the doctors and trying a bunch of meds that sometimes had symptoms that were worse than the fibro pain (and withdrawing, ouch!), I was able to just focus on me.

My doctors can feel sorry for me but they do not understand my pain. Even if they have had symptoms before they do not have them 24/7. They do not see how it wears on you.

I take good care of myself by looking for my own cues and knowing what will help with certain symptoms. It is not easy and it changes daily but I have learned my body enough to know that I can help myself. Just wish I could cure myself.

Again I hope you get your stress under control. As my dad always say, just breathe and start a new day.

Yeah at 21 its difficult. I have had it for a few years. I just want to be able to have a normal life and act my age but I cant