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,
My names Christine and I'm going to see a rheumatologist on August 6th to see if I have fibromyalgia. My doctor referred me but I always have pain on my skin especially when the threads in my clothing start coming apart, some of my Jean shorts irritate the lower part of my back, I'm always tired even though my psychiatrist put me on some sleeping pills. But question, has anyone personally been evaluated for fibromyalgia by a rheumatologist and how did that go and what did they do. I'm a little nervous about it.
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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...
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We're all troubled.WSo, to remind ourselves we're not at rock bottom (this is a reverse optimism thing I learned as a kid):We are not living on the island of Krakatoa when the volcano goes boom!Yeah, okay, that sucks.***Toay in 1942, Pierre Laval announced that the way to free France was for Germany to win WW2. Pierre did not win a lot of friends. When the war ended, quite quickly he was tried...
These days, neurology has taken over dealing with Fibromyalgia patients. Some rheumys still see Fibromyalgia patients. They will need a general health history, do a brief exam and probably order blood work. If you’ve had recent blood work get a copy and bring it. That may expedite things.
There are 3 primary medications used to treat this complex illness. Cymbalta, Savella and Lyrica. None of us are on the same medication cocktail. Gabapentin and some other old school drugs are used too. Only certain classes of medications work for the type of pain caused by Fibromyalgia. Tylenol, Advil etc. generally don’t help. It takes time and tinkering to find the right medication and dosage. Don’t expect instant results when starting meds. It will be a few weeks before you may notice any relief. The longer a chronic pain cycle continues, the harder it becomes to stop.
In addition to medication, you should have a sleep study done. Fibromyalgia interrupts the deep sleep cycle with short bursts of high intensity brain activity. You’ll need a sleep study to determine if you have underlying issues in addition to Fibromyalgia. Your muscles require deep sleep in order to recover from the day’s activity. No deep sleep means higher levels of pain. You will probably require a med for sleep too.
And, your Vitamin D levels should be looked at too. Low D can cause widespread pain.
If you do get a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia, pick up a copy of “Fibromyalgia for Dummies.” It’s our recommended book on this board. We are always happy to answer any questions. And, we have a daily check in for anyone who wants to share. Take care and let us know how things went with the rheumy.