Advice: Never give up. Never fear to fire a doctor or ask any question. Never fear to get a second, third, or tenth opinion.
Ive found this site useful, and I've found it helpful to take everything *small*. Exercise? Small and slow. Diet changes, if recommended? Small and slow. Our bodies are out of whack,f or whatever reason, and taking things slow and steady is sooo vital for us.

And whine here, because unless they've really got it? Not too many people outside the FM community get the deal about good, bad, middling days, how erratic the pain can be, the fact we don't always know what can or can't trigger a flare.... We're all stumbling along together, so here we are, togehter!

Welcome to the group, and feel free to pop by th edaily check-ins to "meet" people and so on---we post updates, hellos, whatever.

My Hubby gets it, but only after my rheumy lectured him about it.

I just love your advice Leo! You are not alone as Leo said. Although I do not post often, I do come here often. It definitely helps since I do not know anyone else that suffers except for my Mom. Even with my Mom, since she has terrible arthritis too, it is hard. My Mom just reminds me not to push myself so hard.

Husbands do not always get it either since they do not experience it themselves. Although my husband is compassionate most of the time, some days he just does not understand why I do not want to be out late at night, etc. I have to remind him that the next day I will be useless and in pain.

As far as advice, every morning I wake up in some pain in my back (unfortunately I am a stomach sleeper) and I find that a nice walk actually helps. Exercise and yoga has actually helped too. Although some days I definitely do not feel like doing it, I push myself and actually feel better after. A good friend is an exercise partner who is a nutrition counselor so this definitely helps to motivate me. She knows my limits and accepts them.

Your children may not get it too (I have three myself). Just spending quality time with them is important. Do a puzzle, color or whatever they like to do.

As far as medication, can you call your doctor and ask for some samples. I finally went on Cymbalta about nine months ago and at first there was no generic so my doctor game me samples. The generic form came out in January. It has helped with my coping tremendously. I am not familiar with Lyrica but perhaps it has a generic too that you could try. I would suggest trying samples first since a lot of women cannot take certain ones. My Mom, for instance, has a terrible reaction to Cymbalta whereas I have no side effects.

Yes, this is the place to whine because we all get it!

Welcome to the group I think we can all relate to everything you have said, I don't know anyone in my life with fibro which is why I come here for support and understanding.

Last year I started taking gabapentin for fibro I am pretty sure it is a generic, it has helped some with the everyday aches and pains, I hope you find something that helps you soon.

Hugs, Ellie

Welcome Sonyasuns. I, too, visited here for a long time before I posted. I see you got some good advise. I found help getting the price of my meds drastically reduced. If you have a smart phone get the app GoodRx. The pharmacist knows how to access it. Another source is NPSNCCARD.com. This took my Humeria from $3000.00 to $5.00, methotrexate from $125.00 to $5.00, etc.

I hope this helps.

Journeythru - I clicked on the link to the website you posted and it's not showing up. I'm interested in looking at the info about it.

SonyaSunshine - I also come here because I feel alone. I don't log in very often, but when I do, I find that I have at least one message from such a sweet Fibro friend that seems to always be concerned about me. I've been having a very tough time dealing with Fibro and I believe I may have just got my husband to get it through his stubborn brain just how bad this is. We are also dealing with the possibility of having to survive very soon on just one income and have no clue what to do. Dealing with Fibro is very stressful and mine has felt like it is controlling my life. I have only been diagnosed since March, so I'm still trying to learn about it and how to handle it.

couple of things:

Try to get on an even keel regarding your activity level. Don't do so much. (it will dawn on your family that you aren't able to function like before).

No one who doesn't have fibro gets it because they've never experienced its wack-o pain/fatigue.

If you can't work, consider applying for social security disability. Better sooner than later. (it would help if you've tried and failed with other jobs more suited to fibro). You will get medicare.

I use baclofen, methadone, clonazepam all in small doses for pain and trazodone for sleep (25mg).

Good luck to you.

Try not being so active---you'll have less pain.

Welcome to the group!

The Spoon Theory is a good way to explain Fibromyalgia (FMS) to other people. Here is a link:
http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/wpress/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory

It is also like trying to tie jello up with a string....

Pacing is very important with Fibromyalgia (FMS) even if you are having a good day. It is easier to manage if you don't overdo it and pay a huge price with higher pain levels and being stuck in bed for a day or longer. I'd rather pace than make myself more miserable - just saying.

Gabapentin (generic) is a cheap alternative to Lyrica. Not exactly the same but it is effective for nerve pain. What else have you tried? Lyrica is pretty notorious for huge weight gain so I am not a big fan of that medication. It doesn't affect everyone that way but when it does, the weight is very difficult to get off.

Cymbalta is now generic and another medication that is used to treat Fibromyalgia (FMS).

The third medication choice is Savella.

You should also be using a medication for sleep. FMS interrupts the deep sleep cycle with short bursts of high intensity brain activity. Your muscles require deep sleep in order to repair themselves from the days activities. No deep sleep means higher levels of pain. Amitriptyline is very inexpensive and one of the many medications that can be used to combat this issue. Managing the sleep issues associated with FMS is a critical part of treatment.

You are not lazy, a whiner or a hypochondriac. This is a complex illness that is chronic and a real bear to live with and manage. Think about getting your hands on a copy of the book "Fibromyalgia for Dummies." Maybe your local library has it. It is available on Amazon to purchase. It will give you (and your family) a comprehensive overview of this nasty illness and a lot of ways to try and manage it.

As Leo said, we are all just stumbling along together! Take care and enjoy your weekend.

Thank you all for your comments. I have been reading and thinking ohhh that's me.. That's right. It is definitely a change to read things that I can relate too and people who feel like me. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Welcome. Here we do get you and it's a great place to talk with others with same condition.

Nobody in my circle of friends and family truly get's it and they sure do get tired of hearing about it so I try not to complain.

I am lucky that they are very understanding and patient with me though. Wish everyone had that.

Hey K Fowlkes, I know you! ;0). I clicked the link I posted and it worked, weird. Here is a phone number to call, 1.877.890.8077,

Hugs

Talk to your Doctor ask question. You are not a lone. Talking to this group has helped me.

I can tell you from a spouse's point of view, probably the hardest thing to understand is the erratic and fluctuating nature of the symptoms. It makes it even harder for me to understand when my husband doesn't want to complain so he doesn't communicate. I try to watch his movement and facial expression and mood to be able to tell whether he's having a good, okay, or awful moment, but I can't read his mind. I really appreciate when he communicates with me and I never think of it as whining.
What works for my husband is cymbalta, tramacet (it's tramadol and acetaminophen together), and elavil. He has to take the elavil at 6 pm or else he'll be out until 3 pm the next day. Massage therapy and the CPAP machine are also extremely important for him. He's only had he CPAP for a week, but it has made a HUGE difference for the fog and fatigue. Its made a bit of a difference for the pain too but it's also significantly improved his ability to cope. If you're looking for things to help, I would strongly suggest getting a sleep study done.

This feels like a very lonely disease cause most people do not understand it so I can say you're not alone because you have the people here is availing people they can understand give you someone to talk to invent two and ask questions hope you feel better have a pain-free day hugs Shirley

I hope you can talk to your hubs. It is VERY hard for others to imagine what life is like for us. I love my hub, but I do feel totally alone, A LOT. Support from others is very important, one of many reasons I stick around here a lot. (((((hugs))))))

Definitely have your Husband go with you to your Doctor's appointments. It will be very helpful for the both of you.