I'm so sorry you have fibro....but welcome and keep asking questions.

A couple of things come to mind. Keep exercising unless it worsens your pain. If it does, you have to back off but still get some walking etc. done.

Regarding your job. My opinion is to carry on the best you can. People can't always tell how you're feeling on the inside. You will probably have to take a few more sick days but that's better than having to stop working at this point.

Your boyfriend is also affected by your suffering. I would try not telling him (complaining about the pain) about everything that hurts, and all the fatigue etc but rather, choose your words and timing wisely. Give him time/space to adjust. He could read Fibro for Dummies that you leave out stategically.

You do need to have some heart to heart communication around the issue as is tolerated. Be ready to hear from him how hard it is that you can't do this or are hurting all the time.

There are so many things to say.....take care and be kind to yourself

Welcome to the forum!

Fibro for Dummies is a great book for you, family, and all those around you, up to and including your doctors....

And because going gluten free has done a lot ot help your GI issues, I'll come right out and say it. Been checked for celiac and re-checked? The vitamin absorption (malabsorption) from celiac is devastating on health overall, as I know from a friend's deterioration from untreated celiac. So have the docs checked ALL possible nutrient levels? A lot of us have had some luck managing symptoms with nutrition even without GI issues (me among them) so could be your body needs a "tune-up".

Fibro dxs are rough. I was 25 at mine. Young married etc. Ugh. Still married to same guy, still kicking at 43, you will need time and space to adjust so BE KIND TO YOURSELF. And ask that others be kind too. YOu're not asking them to live your life. Just learn you have some new limits, same as if you had to use crutches.

Please, keep exercising. But make sure you alter to accommodate the FM, please. Ex-athlete here, I know whereof I speak because I didn't always and that was plain old silly of me. Water exercises because they aren't weight bearing (but stil good muscle tone and cardio), walking, yoga, pilates, tai chi---- a lot of us have had success with one or more of those. You can still DO. you just have to PACE differently.

Big hugs, welcome to our group, feel free to jump in on check-in to get to know people and our daily little rants and rambles....

Leo

Oh, for your boss's benefit?
FM is a neuromuscular pain disorder. It's not something you believe or disbelieve, like, say, a deity. It is a neuromuscular disorder that causes chronic widespread pain. That's right from my neuro's mouth, so if a neurologist at one fo the top university hospitals in the eastern US says it, odds are it's legit. IMHO. (UVA MEdical, btw. Good neuro department.)

I was dx'd when they still said it was "women with psych issues". I was dx'd by a middle-aged MAN who had it. I got lucky on finding that doc, let me tell ya!

This is a super great group, the best one I've found. It helps so much to have a place where ppl understands. You will find meds that work and ways to cope. (((hugs)))

Welcome to the group!

I also recommend that you purchase the book "Fibromyalgia for Dummies." It is available on Amazon. Like all of the dummies series, it contains easy to understand information. It will give you a comprehensive overview of this complex illness and a lot of ways to try and manage it.

As for exercise, try to keep at it. Tai Chi, Yoga and aqua therapy are all good choices. If you decide to take to the pool, sign up for a water aerobics class for arthritics. The class is a slow pace (very important) and done in a warm pool. Pacing generally is very important.

Sleep and sufficient rest is a critical part of managing this illness. Fibromyalgia (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 one of many choices to address this issue. Sleep and FMS are never a perfect science even with medication. Respect your limits and learn to say "no" without feeling guilty. Take it from all of us that paybacks for doing too much are he**.

Once you get a better handle on how to manage FMS, things will settle down. Ask questions - we are happy to help. Take care and enjoy your weekend.

Hey welcome to the group hun!

I'm sorry your in our boat, but trust me, you're gonna love it here. I have learned more here than in any book, or from any doctor when it comes to fibro.

You're in a tough spot with not a lot of support. My best advice is to not rely upon them.
Your boss...doesn't know it all, if he/she did, then they would be a bit more sympathetic just knowing about fibro.
Leo is right, it's neuromuscular.

As for exercising. Just like the others shared, keep at it girl! I think the biggest thing I learned over the years is how to "unschool' myself when it came to exercising.
I learned that if you want to exercise, then you need to break a sweat. Exercising with fibro means more like "keep moving" but it differs from person to person.

I'm glad you found us here. Not everyone in the real world knows or understands what fibro is and how it effects us. Feel free to post questions/ concerns / and vents! We all understand it!

Thanks for your replies everyone! Hearing other people's accounts of what has helped, etc. is awesome-I do plan on picking up a book or 2 about coping/general info, but first-hand knowledge is irreplaceable. I'm doing my best to keep up with my work, it's going ok, but I can tell I'm slowing down and my concentration is terrible, but hopefully I can work on that. I also plan to talk to my boyfriend about all this but our schedules conflict a lot during the week so I haven't seen him much and it's not a conversation I want to have over text message...I also need to talk to my family a little more. I have been tested for Celiac (twice), in addition to nutrient deficiencies, organ dysfunction, thyroid disease, muscle breakdown, HIV/other STDs, anemia, parasites, and other things that aren't coming to mind; I've also had an endoscopy, colonoscopy, barium x-rays, and a CAT scan. The hardest part of this so far is coming to terms with the fact that I'm gonna have to deal with this for the rest of my life, and that I'm gonna actually have limits-most people my age really don't, and it's not something I'm accustomed to. I'm going to try to keep with running, just shorter distances than I used to and less frequently (2 nonconsecutive days a week instead of 5 days), and I'm also doing yoga once a week and trying to use the exercise bike when I can.

I can't think of any other advice as you've gotten lots of great advice from previous posters but did want to welcome you and let you know that you're not alone in trying to navigate this. Wishing you well

Welcome. I'm fairly new here to and it's my 10 year old son who has FMS. These folks are a lot of help!!

Welcome to the group, it must be tough being diagnosed at 25, I often thank God my firbo didnt start until 45, and by that time my children were all pretty independent and I had tried out a few careers. It doesn't have to stop your career totally, its just a matter of finding a balance of working hours and taking rest when you can, not pushing through the pain and crashing in a flare.
It might take a while to work out what you can and can't do - they say pacing is the trick.

I tried Amitrip on and off for years, but found it made my brain really foggy and I couldn't think clearly, so now I am taking a half tablet of Zoplicone (Imovane) every night for sleep and a mixture of codeine and ibuprofen during the day when I have to work and the pain gets too bad. I also managed to pass a difficult entry exam to a University course, and pass two teaching certificates (including the infamous CELTA) while having fibro and being over 50..so all is not lost! Its a matter of being flexible, realistic (yeah, Im not always) and adapting your life to suit. You can still have a career, but maybe you just have to adapt your goals to something more achievable and gentle.

Its not easy on relationships - Ive struggled trying to explain to my boyfriend too what Fibro involves (we haven't been together long) and why some days I feel fine and can do a lot, and other days I crash. He made an appointment for me with his homeopath and I am trying a course of this at the moment. I don't know if he is going to have the patience to keep on being supportive, things are not good right now and Im trying not to freak out, but in the end, it is what it is, we just have to try and accept it and live the best lives we can.
This group has been a huge source of strength and comfort for me over the years, I hope it might be also for you.

Welcome!
Here's my 2 cents ...... Emu oil followed by Bio Freeze or Blue Goo . Also my psycho meds, Lexapro, Lamictal, Valium , have helped alot with the super sensitive skin and muscle jerking spasms.
Best wishes

Meow,

Hello and Welcome,

I have found in my research on our disease, that it affects everyone a bit differently, which makes it individual as well as communal. We might have some of the same experiences with Fibro, and then a few are a bit different. You can and will be able to do some things that I can't, and vice versa.

My advice (I'm 52)...Try to keep as much of your lifestyle as possible. You must, however, embrace Fibro, as it won't go away and can get very nasty when it tries to dominate your life. Whenever it flares up on me, I dial back my activity, take my medicine, and rest. Yes, it has changed my life, but it has also caused me to have to stop and smell the roses rather than speed by them in a blur.

Fibro can be controlled, somewhat, but it does flare-up if you overdo. And only you can determine what it means to overdo. This disease forces you to examine your body like you examine your animal patients. Meow, it can seem like you're spending a lot of time on self-examination, but during the first few years you will be getting to know your body with Fibro inside it. Believe me, the more you can understand your rhythm, the better you will be able to make good decisions on future treatments & medications.

Good Luck. By he time I got Fibro (42), I had done most of my "Bucket List". Hope you get to do all you want to do, too...despite having this crappy disease.

Purr,
=^.,.^=