Fibromyalgia and depression

Symptoms & Treatments
1

Hi !

By now, I should know better and should be able to manage fibro well.. But of late, I just want to give up. I am mentally sapped always and even watching mindless television is exhausting.

Sleep is a luxury and I wake up feeling. My doctor as usual reminds me " this too shall pass" and I will be back to my "usual" self soon..I can't think positive thoughts because I do not have any more left in me. I find it exhausting to even talk to my 10 year old son.. let alone be a proper mother to him.

I have moved to a new country early this year - and even though I have some good friends here - I do not feel like meeting any one. I feel that I am a burden on everyone. If I go out for a lunch with friends, that is the only activity I can do that day. I feel drained by the effort of making conversation and looking "normal".

I went to a G.P yesterday to get a shot for my pain and I had a breakdown in his clinic. He said that it looks like as if I am suffering from depression.. and that I am very sad. I asked him if meeting a counselor would help ( my regular doctor has always recommended it) and he said that I may benefit with a counsellor/ physciatrist.He also said that I may need to go on a course of anti depressants to help me cope. I have been on homeopathic remedies for the last 6 years or so and go to see my orthopedist only when the muscular pain is unbearable. I have been under treatment for depression earlier - but that doc was very clear that I am suffering from 'secondary depression caused by chronic pain" and he told the referring orthopedist "cure her of her pain and her depression will go".

I am now very confused. I have exhausted my internal reservoir of mental strength and I have lost interest in every thing in life. I am tired of fighting against fibro and am tired of doctors telling me that they are sorry and they understand- but they can't help me too much.

I know I will alienate everyone if I cut myself off - in the few lucid moments - I am acutely aware that I need to reach out to people - but when my brain is fogged up with pain - I really couldn't care less.

Even wearing clothes is painful.. I can't wear a bra as my shoulders really hurt. I prefer loose kaftans as every bit of clothing hurts. Jewellery hurts..Wearing my wedding ring hurts my fingers, earrings hurts...

My skin is all puffed up.. my hair is listless, my nails break easily..I can continue for ever...

So - along with fibro - am I also on my way to becoming a mental wreck - an apology for the person I could have been? 21 years of constant pain is too much and since I suspect I had juvenile fibro ( I remember complaining about pain all the time when I was a child - and was accused of laziness).

Has anyone here been treated for depression arising out of fibro? I have scheduled an appt with a doc - but now am wondering if it would be worth the effort - after all what can he say or do that would make my life better? How can he help me cope with my pain and all other related ailments?

Answers anyone?

2

Dear Lucy,

I am so sorry that you have struggled with this for so long. Sometimes I think you reach the point where everything in the cupboard of natural treatment just is no longer enough, at least it is my personal experience.

It may be time to try an anti-depressant, then use your own good judgement about a professional to talk to. There are times that my current meds help me tremendously and other times the pain is nearly intolerable and I become so hypersensitive I have to sleep with my feet on a roll pillow as I cannot stand my legs to touch the bed sheet! But I must admit that I have listened to my Internist, finally, and take the pain meds when I need them.

The med that made the biggest difference in my life is Enbrel, a biologic disease modifier, it goes to the source of my problem, and does help the pain. The less pain I have the better I feel mentally and emotionally.

The Internist had tried me on Savella early on, it surely lifted my mood, but I had a rare bad SE and had to discontinue it. I have not taken anything like it since, although was prescribed Valium by the Rheumatologist at night as a muscle relaxer. Some nights it helps!

Pain can put you in a very dark place, my Internist said it is very hard on the body to be in pain long term. You are a very smart lady, perhaps you should talk to him again, and discuss it more indepth.

Wishing you well,

SK

3

http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/fibromyalgia/print.html

Lucy this is the best info that I have ever found on fibro, hope you find it helpful.

4

Answer - YES. Yes, the anti-depressants can help give you quality of life back again and move you away from the apathy from the pain. I'm currently on them and I was one heck of a mess before I started on them. I felt exactly as you did and can sympathize in the extreme with you and the feeling that you haven't the strength to even care about living or to live...I wasn't really depressed about my life but the pain caused me to feel so listless and lifeless and dead inside. Oh yeah, and cranky too.

When the pain gets too bad, I can start feeling that way again, so then my anti-depressants are upped.

Honestly, Lucy, you can't expect your poor body and mind to do anymore than they are doing in regards to coping when they are bombarded 24/7 with the pain. There is only SO MUCH pain one person can take...

So yes, I would say that i think you could benefit from the anti-depressants. While it is true that treating the pain would treat the depression, the reality is that there IS no real meaningful treatment for the pain. But there IS real and meaningful treatment for the depression. There is no reason on earth to put yourself through the mental suffering when help is available and works very well.

My very best to you, Lucy. Stick with it. Feeling better mentally does give you more inner resources for coping with the pain.

Hugs and some nice lemon tea,

Petunia

5

A big thank you to all of you!! It is a relief that I am not alone in this. I have an appt scheduled for Monday - but was not sure if I should go. A couple of close friends feel that I am exaggerating and the acceptance needs to come from within and no counsellor can help me. And that I just want to label it "depression". If I just focus on work and life and live life instead of analyzing it - I would be fine. After all, amn't I better off than the 34 year old single woman who suddenly lost her eye sight or the college graduate who is paralyzed after an accident. I have no answers to these and I end up feeling that I am indeed exaggerating and that fibro is just a convenient cover for my inherent uselessness.

But your messages help me - I may not benefit tremendously from this route ( Psychologist) - but would have tried. And if I can break the depression cycle even a little bit - I can cope with life and life's blows ( other than fibro).

Hugs and prayers for all of us!

6

Lucy, I am so sorry that you are struggling with depression and that your friends are not more supportive. I know from personal experience what he’ll that is and how it seems to multiply during the holiday season. You are not useless and you are not exaggerating your pain. I think a therapist can help you tremendously if you are willing to go and are open to working with her/him. Therapists are good at (usually) making us see another side to an issue without judging. It is very hard to see another side of things when we are depressed. They are able to look at things rationally, whereas we often can not when we are depressed. They also have great ideas and strategies on how to cope with the depression and all the feelings that surround depression. I know you a questioning your decision to go but what can it hurt to try it out for 2 or 3 sessions. I wish you a peaceful weekend filled with sunny thoughts and guidance (from whatever source) to help you through this dark time.

7

Hi Lucy,

Dropping in to say hello! Hope you are feeling a little better. Also hoping that you are keeping a running list of all of the things you mentioned here. I have an Allergy specialist who measures health by the look of your nails, first thing he looks at. Pitted nails were the 'key' to diagnosinig me. BTW, you have mail!

Wishing you well,

SK

8

Hi Lucy,

Thinking of you today, Mike just purchased 2 Roman coins, and posted it on his blog.

Hope you are feeling better and at the Library, where you love to be!

Wishing you well,

SK

9

Oh, Lucy, ma dear -

You need to trust your own psychiatric profession.LOL

Seriously! Get thee to a shrink and onto a/some antidepressants (also, send that idiot - who said that what your're going through is "secondary depression" - a huge hairy rotten raspberry! - (Doesn't this meathead realize there is NO cure for Fibro?)

So:

  • Even if it's only "secondary" - depression treated with the correct med(s) will improve. There are scads of meds out there, so don't be surprised or more depressed if the first script(s) don't work - Keep trying.
  • FMS research has shown that antidepressants also help greatly with pain and sleep problems.
  • Working with a shrink will also help with your depression.
  • And, as my shrink told me; "Most FMSers also suffer from PTSD - join a group." Doing this will also help with your isolation.
  • Rheumy's are great. But, you might also want to see a Pain Management Dr. I am NOT recommending that you give up homeopathy steps that are helping you, just suggesting that you talk over all the alternatives with the above MD.

Do, please, let me know how you're doing.

Warm & gentle hugs

Mama Suz