So sorry. My husband and I both have fibro, and it is really tuff. Fortunately, our kids are grown which makes it easier.

I have had fibro for quite a long time and have found some things that really work.

The fog gets better if you don't eat certain things: Gluten, processed food, refined sugar, corn syrup, all fake sweatners (use honey instead), and stay away from Dairy & meat with hormones or antibiotics.

Also, I have been using the Pall Protocol and it has helped quite a bit. Pureformulas.com has the cheapest prices. You can find a description of the Pall Protocol and nutricology.com. Just put the search term Pall in the search box.

Also, I have been using something called Sodium Dicloracetate which has helped a lot. It repairs cells, especially the Mitochondria, from the inside out. You can find it on Amazon.com.

His fog seems extreme - did he start a new med? See a neurologist after the seizure.? I agree with a second opinion - also maybe a sleep study - I was really out of it before I had a sleep study and was a lot better after I got my CPAP. Seizures are not a fibro thing - I hope he had a work up for that.

I also worry for you - it sounds like you have a lot on your shoulders and also the post partum depression - do have family or friends that could help out with your children or things around the house or both - you have to take of yourself too.

I was diagnosed with Fibro about 2 years ago. I have been trying several medications throughout this time, but only recently started to accept it the diagnoses. I recently joined this group because it's so important to have information from people with Fibro or dealing with it.
I read all the replies you've received and the members of this group have given you such great advice and information. I do agree 100% with a second opinion, as well as the sleep study and I would definitely follow-up on any info you can get about the seizure.
I really just wanted to say that I'm thinking about and praying for you and your family.
Hugs from me!!

Agreeing with second, third, and fourth opinions---the fog is extreme, the seizures are *not* FM in any way shape or form I can think of, and docs need to rule out a LOT---celiac disease, absorption disorders (some vitamin deficiencies long-term can cause dementia in extreme cases), and did he suffer any injuries to his skull or spine?
Tests that must be done if he had a seizure---
EEG
sleep-deprived EEG
MRI
CT
full bloodwork for electrolytes
cardiogram (heart gitches can cause seizures in a few cases)
(I have epilepsy,w as dx'd at 19, I had to go through all that and still do now and then to be sure and safe).

And, yes, get him to a counselor. He's going through a LOT. He needs a safe place where he can show weakness without feeling he's letting you or his kids down.

And take care of YOU.

Also, if he worked in some industries, exposure to some toxins and so on can cause some pretty gnarly symptoms, so that's always worth asking (my dad was exposed to PCBs and Agent Orange, for example, through his work).

Good luck and we are here for both you and your hubby! (We do have men here---they probably lurk more than post, but they're around.)

Hugs to you all,
Leo

Thanks again everyone for all the responses. I was worried no one would read my message because it was so long! It means a lot to me that you took the time to read and respond.

He was diagnosed with Fibro by a rheumatologist. He has seen a neurologist about the seizure. The neurologist doesnt have an explanation for the seizure, other than lack of sleep can actually cause seizures. Between all the different doctors hes seen, hes had a lot of tests a CT scan, a lumbar puncture, a lot of blood work checking for various things (infection, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, I dont even know what else). The rheumatologist reviewed all of the tests and did the tender points exam (which Im learning now might be an outdated exam, but I think it was just one part of his diagnosis process he seemed pretty thorough in listening to our story and reviewing the history).

I was satisfied with the diagnosis until I read some of your comments. What is the fog like for most people? Does it interfere with conversations, concentration, etc? To someone watching the person, does it look like theyre not really there? Is it difficult to form sentances during the fog? Im wondering if his fog is worse because of the seizure he had. It seemed that all his fibro symptoms got worse after the seizure. Ive heard that a specific event (a trauma, infection, surgery, etc) can trigger fibro to start do the same type of events also trigger fibro to worsen?

Im thinking his fog might be more severe because hes still not sleeping well. The last 3 nights hes taken a sleeping pill (sublinox) to try and get his days and nights fixed, and what Ive noticed is hes awake all day now, and the fog doesnt seem as severe, but he also never seems to get as alert either (before this, he was usually fully alert for a couple hours each day).

I want to ask how do sleep studies work? Do you have to sleep in a strange environment, with equipment attached to you? And does the exam itself interfere with your sleep? What do they do with the results of a sleep study? If they already know your sleep is poor, and the sleep study confirms it, what does that change? His next appointment is in a couple weeks, so I will definitely ask about the sleep study then.

He has been diagnosed with depression and anxiety too. Those symptoms (the mood changes, irritability, tearfulness, etc) all started after the fibro. As youve probably all experienced too, all this has been really hard on him emotionally.

He has found that massage therapy helps him a lot. Hes also on Cymbalta, tramacet, clonazepam, and celebrex. All these medications are pretty recent. He started the Cymbalta 3 weeks ago. Some things have improved hes a lot less irritable and his mood is improving. But Ive noticed in the past few days since he started the sublinox, his mobility seems worse. His gait looks like an old man walking. But the other thing that the dr said is to start really small with exercise (5 min walks each day) and work his way up gradually. He said that people who start too fast with exercise usually give up. So since Thursday hes been going on a 5 min walk outside every day. He also does errands with me, like going to the grocery store. I have noticed a shift in his thinking, from I cant do anything because I hurt too much to I have to do this even though I hurt.

I mentioned about diet to him, but hes not ready to accept that. I think he feels hes experienced so many losses recently, the loss of food he enjoys would be too much. I dont know if hes quite ready to do whatever it takes. He wants to give the medication more time and work on the exercise aspect before trying too many other strategies. I think thats probably a good idea because changing too many things at once could be overwhelming.

As for counseling, I havent been able to convince him of that. He said counseling is for couples who cant talk, and we can talk, so he doesnt think its necessary. But I think he may be more open to it once his fog lifts some.

As for me, I am extremely overwhelmed, as you can imagine. My post-partum depression was well managed, but for the past few days (since his diagnosis) I have felt myself slipping back. I feel a lot more anxiety and am more tearful. I guess I was still hoping for a diagnosis with a cure, so the diagnosis was hard for me to hear. My mom is extremely supportive emotionally because my dad has a brain injury, so shes been through what Im going through as a caregiver. She lives 3 hours away though. Ive also called on my church support group in the past couple days to help me by babysitting so I can sleep or exercise. Im trying to remain hopeful and optimistic but its pretty hard!

I only have a minute,...
You are doing so much that is good and should be proud of yourselves for having taken all these steps already. Anxiety, pain,and depression are normal results of lack of sleep. Research had shown this with healthy, normal, young volunteers. You wil see that as he sleeps, all three symptoms will improve. I am not a physician but my experience suggests that he is on a lot of meds and that clonazepam in particular could make him very sleepy and foggy because he does not have a primary diagnosis of anxiety. I would ask his doctor if it could be phased out slowly after he has been on Cymbalta for a couple of weeks. Cymbalta s first effect is likely to be on sleep.

I would also encourage you to ask the doctors if he could stay in 30 mg for 3 months before trying to increase the dose. People with fibro are very, very sensitive to meds and Cymbalta can take 4 months to totally kick in, ie to work maximally on the pain. People often increase too soon, get side effects, and discontinue before the medicine had had a chance to work. Not just me saying that, my fibro specialist at the university taught me this.

Diet later. He will be glad to make adjustments when he sees things working. Look at the antiinflammatory diet by Weil. Similar or same to the anti candida diet. Rather than giving things up, Many things can be replaced .... Gluten free bread, and such.

Hug.

Kudos to your husband for going on errands and 5 mins walks! A positive change!

Why so many meds? It is a lot for his body to adjust to. I am really wondering why his doctor prescribed Celebrex, that is an anti-inflammatory, not effective in fibro for most people and together with Cymbalta really hard on your stomach. Am also wondering what country you live in and what the age of the rheumatologist is....

The only med I took for fibro is Celexa to deal with pain and anxiety; was on that for over a year. I gained 52 lb on that stuff and was super, super tired all the time, to the point I had trouble functioning. I stopped taking it (weaned myself off) and am so much better. Don't spend a lot of time in Lala Land any more and so far lost 30 of the 52. It did help somewhat with the pain and anxiety, but I rather control those on my own than be doped up. I do have Tylenol #2 and Tramacet for those times I really have had enough of the pain.

Diet really helps though, but your husband is not ready to tackle that yet. He will get there. Encourage him to read this board; he can lurk as Leo calls it....haha. It will be a good alternative to counselling.....

Good for you to ask for help from your church! You need to take time out for yourself and look after yourself....sooooo important.

A sleep study is usually done in a clinic. Around here, the technicians will also come to your home and set up the test. I have no idea if there is a cost difference. The clinic rooms are like hotel rooms. You can bring your own pillows, sheets, blankets or anything else that make you more comfortable. You also wear your own sleepwear. Yes, there will be equipment hooked up to the patient. It doesn't matter if he actually sleeps or not. The point is to find out what is going on with his body/brain that is interrupting the normal sleep cycle. Having a sleep study done, will pinpoint the exact problems that he is having with sleep. In turn, the doctor can prescribe sleep medication that would address his specific issues.

I suspect the deepened fog you have noticed since he started taking sleep medication is still due to flat out exhaustion and the medication. He may have a hangover effect from the med which should lessen once his body starts to adjust to it. He needs to be drinking a lot of water, not soda or coffee to flush his system properly. He has a huge deficit in the sleep department which is going to take some time to resolve. Fog can interfere with the thought process and speaking. Most FMS patients will tell you that we never, ever feel rested regardless of the amount of sleep we get. But, over time we've kind of adjusted to it and have learned to respect our limits. If FMS was an Olympic sport, we'd all have gold medals.

As for counseling, keep after him about it. Get his doctor to order him to go. You need an emotional break. Tell him that. Keeping the lines of communication open in any marriage is important. It is doubly important when there is a chronic illness. You are not the great and powerful OZ.. You can't fix everyone's problems nor should he expect that. Given the health issues that you are dealing with, a request that he go to counseling is not unreasonable whether you talk as a couple or not. Cognitive Behavorial Therapy will give him tools to cope with his illness so you can have some breathing room. If all else fails, start the process together and then let him go by himself. I can't stress this enough.

Stiffness when walking is not unusual. I have days when I can hardly walk and then the next day, I'm proceeding at a good clip. I have a cane, rolling walker and wheelchair to use as my fashion statement/s as needed. (I have several underlying health issues.) The stiffness is probably due to the sleep issues. FMS interrupts the deep sleep cycle with short bursts of high intensity brain activity. Muscles require deep sleep in order to repair themselves from the days activities. No deep sleep means higher levels of pain. Most of us are extremely stiff in the morning which sort of resolves itself during the day.

Any type of trauma from something as simple as injection to a fall may cause what is called a "flare" in FMS patients. Changes in weather affect most of us too. Pain and overall symptoms will increase for a while. There is no specific time frame, the flare may go on for weeks or only a few days. So, it is possible that his seizure has made things worse for the time being. As others have said, I'd get a second opinion on that.

I'm so glad that you can ask you church group for help so that you can nap or do something else. You need it. I'm very worried about the toll this is taking on you. Things are going to get better but it is going to take some time. Do whatever you can for yourself to catch a break. Take care and God Bless.

I am on Cymbalta and know it took a good 3 months for it to start working. So, there is hope that his pain will diminish some.

As for the "fog" you describe, you say you are talking then he "isn't there". Is the neuro sure he isn't having more seizures? I know people that have seizures and don't have the big grand mal where their body is completely involved, some have just eye involvement. It is worth asking the doctor about.

Good luck to you and your young family. Hoping you get some rest and can feel better soon too.

Hi! I will "reassure" you as it were and say at my worst a year ago my fog WAS that bad. I was teaching high school, and I could no longer teach. I couldn't make it through lessons, I couldn't remember student names without the use of an app on my iPad. I had a lot of non-fibro issues going on as well, that have boiled down to Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and some other autoimmune disorder (whether it's RA, Sjogren's, or Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder is up for debate), and chronic migraine. And I am what they call a slow metabolizer for a whole host of medications (thank you genetic testing!), which means I can't take most meds used for fibro, or pain in general, b/c even a small amount is like an overdose to me. But, what meds I can take have been life-savers!

My dr looked for meds with sleepiness as a side effect, and that tends to help me overcome insomnia most of the time. I take vitamin D (5000 IUD) b/c without it my levels plummet within a couple of months...I had a level of 8 (my dr wants me at 50!) at my worst. I take a B12 supplement, 5000 mcg once a week to maintain my level, which was also low. I can get hemiplegic migraines and Alice in Wonderland migraines, so I am careful to avoid my triggers and Topomax is a godsend in preventing them & managing some of the fibro neuropathy. Plus 2 muscle relaxants.

Anyway...I am not back where I was. Definitely a new normal. But feeling hopeful. Especially with my meds for my autoimmune illnesses kicking in. Hopefully, your husband will find his balance soon! Wishing you both peace.

Oh, and seconding diet! Gluten, dairy free here. And trying to be as whole foods as possible...when I feel like cooking!