Fibromyalgia depression fatigue loneliness

Hi, Susu, and welcome!  You know, staying in bed is about the worst thing you can do with fibro.  If you sit or lay too much, you will be stiff as a board and have more pain.  Gentle stretcing exercises and gentle exercises like walking or swimming really help with pain and also with fatigue!  Really!  When I started my walking, I could only go four houses down and had to turn around if I wanted to make it back home.  I was surprised and disappointed but I didn't give up and tell myself I can't do this.  I went out the next day and was able to go five houses and that made me feel better!  I just kept at it and now I walk at least a mile every day, along with taking care of my home...which I count as exercise, too.  If I'm on the computer, I try to get up and walk around about every half hour and that helps keep my muscles loose.

 

I don't take the usual fibro medications because I don't want the side effects.  I use ibuprofen with food, Tylenol, malic acid/magnesium supplements, vitamin D3 supplements, and a prescription muscle relaxer which has made a significant difference for me.  I add the stretching and walking and also pacing myself and this all helps me be in control of the pain.  I've had fibro for decades and have had a full and enjoyable life in spite of this illness.

 

I also have a positive outlook in life.  I don't look at my health problems but instead look at all the blessings I have and all the things I CAN do.  This sure makes me happier and keeps depression away from my doorstep. 

 

Be sure to read Fibro 101...the first thread on the forum.  There are links to good info about fibro and you will learn a lot there.  There are links about the supplements I mentioned above and how they work in the body, a link with gentle stretching exercises you can do sitting down, and also a great link about maintaining a positive attitude when you suffer from chronic pain. 

 

I'm looking forward to getting to know you better.  Don't hesitate to ask questions because we are here to help you.  Hope to hear more from you soon.

 

Sherrine

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Forum Moderator/Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia, Crohn's Disease, Ostomy, Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease, Diabetes, Osteoporosis, Glaucoma, Scoliosis, Ankylosing Spondylitis
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God does not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

The other posters have some great ideas. Malic acid, Vit D and magnesium helped me tremendously. I also stopped eating dairy and white foods-rice, bread, white flour, ect....Those foods cause extreme pain.

If you had diabetes and required insulin to survive, would you use it?
If you had asthma and required emergency inhalers when you have an attack, would you use them?

Medication for fibro makes it easier. The mitochondria in our DNA is screwed up. It gives our body wrong information, which causes pain and exhaustion. The medication helps the brain. Yes, there are side effects. But, if they make you drowsy, chances are you NEED the sleep. I'm not certain where you live-USA or UK. However, since anxiety is a result of our screwed up mitochondria, medication also helps it. The side effects usually work themselves out after you've rested-which your body needs. Would you rather be awake, in pain and have alot of anxiety OR sleepy, less pain and no anxiety-with the sleepiness eventually balancing out?
It doesn't mean you won't go into flare ups. If you are having a bad day, rest. It took me FOREVER to learn that fibro rule.

One thing that helped me was to purchase a notebook. Every night, I list 5 things for which I am grateful. Even if it seems silly-like, "I am grateful to realize my Husband may think I am lazy". "I am grateful for the Healingwell.com forums." It makes me focus on what I have. This is the hardest thing to learn with an illness.

Hi, FLCindy! Not taking medication for fibro is a personal choice and it was my personal choice. I do have diabetes and take medication for that. I have several other illnesses I need medication in order to function but I personally don't need medications that can cause symptoms I don't want in order to control the pain of fibro. My doctor talked to me about Cymbalta, Lyrica, and Savella but I chose to try other ways of handling my pain. Yes, I have fibro but I have found alternative ways to control the pain and that's what I am trying to relay. I've had a full and enjoyable life in spite of this illness and haven't taken the drugs suggested for this illness. Now, if I absolutely couldn't function and it was a quality of life issue, of course I would try the medication. But some people can function very nicely without taking the fibro medications and I'm proof of that. I'm glad that you found what works for you, too!

I hope you write an introductory thread so our members can get to know you. You might get lost in this thread. Thanks!

Susu, this was my first and only forum I have been on. I looked at others but this forum, as far as I'm concerned, its the best one out there. We have members who love to help one another and, as a bonus, we really do care about each other, too. I think you will like it here.

You will get many opinions and you can choose what you think would be best for you to try. It's trial and error as to what works for you. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. But the stretching and gentle exercise seems to work for nearly everyone and we have had quite a few members that have had help with the supplements I mentioned in my first post. I'm hoping you will find the right combination for you soon. Always bounce things off your doctor, too.

Sherrine

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Forum Moderator/Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia, Crohn's Disease, Ostomy, Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease, Diabetes, Osteoporosis, Glaucoma, Scoliosis, Ankylosing Spondylitis
************************
God does not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

Post Edited (Sherrine) : 4/26/2013 4:10:06 PM (GMT-6)

Hi Susu8,

What's helped me get through years of severe fibromyalgia is empowering myself. Doing all that I can naturally to help myself. And I mentioned severe because that is what my rheumatologist declared that I have which makes me all the more proud to have learned how to deal with it.

My rheumatologist also told me I am medication sensitive because I found that when I took many of the different kinds of meds she prescribed for my fibro, they didn't help me. They made me feel worse and they gave me a lot of side effects. I am still in continual pain and I have a lot of tightness plus I still get flares especially when I'm not listening to and taking care of my body. I have to deal with a lot of limitations but I always try to do my best and try to be positive at all times. Here's what I do:

I try and take optimal care of myself through diet, daily light exercise, stretches, supplements, a good night's sleep, and I try to keep my stress to a minimum.

Diet: My fibro symptoms become worse if I eat the wrong foods. I feel somewhat better when I eat the right ones and I sleep better too.

Daily light exercise: To release those feel good hormones and help relieve stress, to keep yourself limber and less tight. Exercise is good for depression issues also especially those walks outdoors.

Stretches: To help deal with the tightness.

Supplements: I take a good multivitamin, krill oil, and vitamin C.

Sleep: I would have a very difficult time sleeping if it wasn't for the sleep supplements I take.

Stress: Exercise helps with this and talking with a good friend. Coming into this forum and sharing also helps a lot.

Due to my back and neck injury along with my fibro, I have to limit how much I do. For example how long I sit and where I sit, how long I stand, how long I walk, how much I lift, and how long I socialize. I've also heard that with fibro a person shouldn't sit or lie around for very long.

I see my chiropractor (who is knowledgeable about fibro) and I sometimes see my neuromuscular massage therapist. These therapists do much more than the ordinary massage therapist.

Good luck to you.

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Fibromyalgia, CFS, MCS, scoleosis, herniated disks, spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, sjorgens, sleep apnea, asthma, allergies, headaches. On a regiment of different supplements including sleep supplements. I eat nutritiously and do not eat foods I'm sensitive to and ever since a back injury triggered my fibromyalgia, I have been doing prescribed stretches twice daily.