Fibromyalgia Support Group
You're not alone in your pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. If you're trying to cope with pain throughout your body, sleep problems, general fatigue, or other common fibromyalgia symptoms, you're in the right place. The community is here for you to talk about therapies and share your challenges.
Hi everyone,
My name is Anna, I am 23 years old (will be 24 March 3rd) and I have recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia after about a year and a half of extensive lab work and MRIs and hospital visits. I'm still just unsure this is what it is, probably because it is all so new to me.
I feel like I am so lonely and out here all by myself, even though i am surrounded by a loving fianc (who has been by my side even years before the symptoms started), and an amazing family on my side as well as his. I can't help but feel helpless. No one knows how I feel inside, not even the doctors I go to. I struggle to get across the extreme, and constant pain i feel everywhere in my joints, in my chest, my migraines. My joints will swell badly with flares which are happening almost weekly at this point.
Does anyone ever feel like they are being judged when they see a doctor and tell them their long lists of symptoms? I am constantly feeling this way with every doctor I have seen for this stuff. I feel as if they think I am making it all up, and I just want attention.
My fianc, mentioned trying to find an online support board since people there may know what I am going through. So here I am! :)
-Anna
My name is Anna, I am 23 years old (will be 24 March 3rd) and I have recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia after about a year and a half of extensive lab work and MRIs and hospital visits. I'm still just unsure this is what it is, probably because it is all so new to me.
I feel like I am so lonely and out here all by myself, even though i am surrounded by a loving fianc (who has been by my side even years before the symptoms started), and an amazing family on my side as well as his. I can't help but feel helpless. No one knows how I feel inside, not even the doctors I go to. I struggle to get across the extreme, and constant pain i feel everywhere in my joints, in my chest, my migraines. My joints will swell badly with flares which are happening almost weekly at this point.
Does anyone ever feel like they are being judged when they see a doctor and tell them their long lists of symptoms? I am constantly feeling this way with every doctor I have seen for this stuff. I feel as if they think I am making it all up, and I just want attention.
My fianc, mentioned trying to find an online support board since people there may know what I am going through. So here I am! :)
-Anna
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My cat is going on trial for crimes against skink-anity. SIX in six weeks. Three this last week alone.The crack is maybe 1/4 inche wide. Maybe. Skink skitters past, her paw shoots out, her claw hooks in, she yanks, and somehow, having defied physics... WHAM. Skink-o-rama.Now, don't get me wrong, it's nice that she's a pesticidal maniac, but OMG. Skinks do no harm. They don't come inside. WTF.So,...
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I'm alive, I'm sleeping like a rock, and for some reason I wanted cherry juice so that seems to be helping. (??? Weirdo that I am.)***Infamous therapies over history:1. The Attic. The madwoman in the attic is a motif in literature going waaaaaay back: the nutty female relative is locked in the attic. (See: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte for a grotesquely racist version of it, and Charlotte Perkins...
Second, what you see here are a lot of our *bad* days, but a lot of us have good ones or have success stories (we just had a thread on that recently, in fact)---Emily710 is doing great with her meds, PeaceN2You works full-time, you name it, a lot ofu s are still "doing", even if it is fibro-sucky along the way.
And, before anyone else does, LOL, I'll recommend our "group go-to": "Fibromyalgia for Dummies". Great for us, friends, family, sometimes doctors. (It's a bit of a standing joke to my hubby that I always recommend the book, but hey, he read it!)
Yeah,t here's no way to describe what it's like to have that sense of "this is carving away chunks of my life and plans".... But the good news is, not always progressive, not always untreatable, not always forever (I had 8 years of remission without meds for some reason not even the docs can figure out!)....
Take it day by day, breath by breath, rant and vent and share, and pop by Check-In to meet and greet if you want:-) It's been a tradition here longer than I've been on the board (holy cow, almost 6 years?).... And currently I start it, but all are welcome to read, comment, lurk, rant, whatever.
Welcome to our board:-)
Leo
Swollen joints aren't part of fibromyalgia. Sometimes joints can feel swollen, but objectively they are not. if you have a swollen joint, you should be seen by your doc/rheumatologist to verify. You could have something treatable.
That said, fibro is a tough road. What you're feeling is totally normal.
A lot of trial and error to find out what lessens the pain. A lot of slowing down your life to fit your energy level and so that you don't make your pain/fatigue/overwhelm worse.
A lot of acceptance, especially during flares.
Wishing you the very best.
Fibromyalgia (FMS) is a Neuro muscular disorder. It is a diagnosis of exclusion. In other words, when every other possible source of chronic pain has been ruled out, you have FMS. The mechanism that causes it is not understood. In some people, it can be triggered by high levels of stress, an accident, childbirth, surgery, physical or emotional abuse to name a few sources. There is also a genetic component which is still being explored. FMS can be managed to some degree with certain classes of prescribed medication. OTC medication such as Alleve and Tylenol usually are not effective for the type of nerve pain caused by FMS.
I second Leo's recommendation that you purchase "Fibromyalgia for Dummies." You can find it on Amazon. It will give you a good overview of this complex illness and a lot of ways to handle it. It is also a good book to share with family and friends.
Shakota makes a very good point about your joints swelling. You have something else going on. That type of issue is not part of FMS. Most of us have several health issues in addition to FMS. In my case, I have severe Osteo Arthritis and Degenerative Disc Disease and FMS. You need to revisit the joint swelling issue. Sometimes, it takes a fresh set of eyes to get a correct or more complete diagnosis. You have to be your own best advocate.
Some doctors are just idiots when it comes to FMS symptoms. They don't get it and never will. We have all have at least one bad experience. I've actually fired several doctors for talking down to me or making comments that were out of line. You need to find a doctor who will work with you in a collaborative manner. Easier said than done but keep trying. The good news is that Fibromyalgia was finally given its own diagnostic code so it is now harder for doctors to ignore or not treat.
I've been diagnosed with FMS for 8 years now. It does slow me down but my life is far from over. I've just retooled some of my interests to better accommodate my needs. Pacing is key to living with chronic illness. You have to learn to say "no" and mean it/not feel guilty. By thinking outside of the box and respecting your limits you can still live your life just fine.
I'm glad that you found us. Join us on Leo's daily check in which is full of interesting trivia and other good stuff. You are not alone. Take care.
I have horrible pain in my ribcage, sometimes to the point in my chest where it feels like I am having a heart attack, which I now know I am not from going to the hospital on the first attack. (oops) :/ Apparently a symptom of Fibro, and i have bad muscle spasms as well.
My doctor has put me on Cymbalta for the time being, I don't notice any difference with it. I do have a recheck on Monday (the 25th) so hopefully I will be able to talk to her more in depth about everything.
Thanks again for listening!
-Anna
You don't say how long you've been taking Cymbalta. The longer a chronic pain cycle continues, the harder it becomes to manage or stop. You have to allow a minimum of two weeks or longer before you may begin to notice a change in your symptoms. After 30 days, it might be time to try something else. It takes time and a lot of tinkering to find the right medication combination for each FMS patient.
Take care.
I agree you could have fibro and something else. Sometimes it takes a long time to find the right Dr . I went through several.
That pain in your rib cage is probably costochondritis - it can effect your sternum too. Costochondritis can be a real stinker to put it politely. Many people with fibro get it. It is good you had your heart checked out . New symptoms should be checked out and not just swept under the fibro rug. Do you have a medication for spasms?
A milder one is baclofen.
No single drug has helped me, rather, drugs in combination with each other. Everyone is different, but you'll want to try various drugs and drug combinations until you have some that help you.
YES! That rib cage and sternum pain is really really painful, and ligers for a very long time after the really bad episodes!
For my spasms I take Flexeril. I think it helps to an extent for the spasms, but what I do like about it, is that it helps me sleep when I can't for the life of me go to bed.
I have also found a powder supplement called Calm it is just Magnesium but I take that at night and mix it with warm/hot water, I really like that, it "calms" me down, funny enough.
I still have a very long road ahead of me, and I'm sure I will always be dealing with this, from the sounds of it. So I am very glad that I have found this group!
And, you might consider moving if your noisy neighbors can't be reined in by management. Take care.