Hi im new to this forum but not to fibro.I was diagnosed in January of 2011 but pretty sure ive had it for longer.The pain is excruciating all the time and lately has been getting worse with bad muscle spasms and cramps.I also have sciatica so its very hard to walk long enough distances without a cane make that short distances as well.well. Im thinking of getting a crutch as i would get better support i was told.I feel embarrassed using any support so i normally limp heavily to the shops and back but ive decided to put my pride away and im going to use it permanently from now on until i get the crutch.Im on lyrica,paxia and anxicalm at the moment which takes the edge of the pain for a while.Thanks for listening to me :)
Hello and welcome! I am so glad you found this site and I hope it will be beneficial. I learned quite a while ago to just do what I need to do to make life easier and not feel embarrassed. Well, sometimes I still get a twinge of embarrassment but then I stop and think about how I feel if I don't do things at my pace and that embarrassment ends. I find by the end of the day I have a ton of trouble walking without some support. Anyway, just a quick hello and a welcome! Hugs!!
Yes i have decided to use aids for walking permanently.I'm on 300mg of lyirca a day but doesnt seem to be helping much.
Hi and welcome to a wonderful place full of info and support. I agree with the other posters that it might be embarrassing sometimes, to use mobility aids in public, but we have to do what we need to do secure our safe mobility as well as it enables us to maintain some independence. Sounds like you have positive strength for dealing with some of these challenging issues, hugs. Glad you found us. Have an awesome day.
Hi Mandy, Welcome to the group. It is a wonderful group of people who are so supportive and caring. I was diagnosed in April this year but I too have had fibro much longer I am sure of it. I was diagnosed and a little over a month later I requested a cane from my doctor to help me with support, especially walking and getting up and down when I don't have my service dog Yogi with me as i can't always take him with me to work. I do home-healthcare and some of my clients have dog allergies.
Again Welcome and feel free to message me anytime.
Sending Gentle Huggs your way.
Kaseygirl
Thank you.I have a couple of canes i bought.One is is red with white polka dots
hi there my names lee I'm 36 any I have been suffering since 2006 and I walk with a stick everywhere cause of the pain don't feel embarrassed don't you worry what others think good luck
Thank you.Im not going to let others rule my life
Hi, mandy. Welcome to our special family. I am sorry you have such pain that you need to use support. I know it can be difficult to come to terms with relying on something other than yourself especially out in public. I hope you’ll find this story encouraging… When I first starting taking public transportation in the big bad city, it was very hard for me to convince people to allow me to sit down in their place. I looked healthy, young and able-bodied and, darn it, they were not gonna move for me! Well, I decided a cane was in order in more ways than one. I figured it would either be support as I am climbing up and down public transit stairs or my signal to others that, yes, that’s right, you need to move please. Girl with cane needs to sit! 
And, cute… I had no idea they made red and white polkie dots canes? I love it.
Laurie
Hi Mandy,
I am sorry to hear about your leg pain. I would like to share my experience with you. I am not telling you this so you can run off and do what i did. It may not work for you. Everybody has a different body. Two years a go I developed horrible back pain. I had tramadol handy so I would use it but the pain in my back grew worse and then it did develop into sciatica. It was so bad I was limping and I could barely walk. It was like someone was hammering up and down my spine. The lower back pain was a nightmare.I went to a neurologist and asked for a shot but he thought I was jumping the gun and he put me on gabapentin. The pain in my back was lessened and the pain down my leg decreased. It was better. My sciatica was not preventing me from walking. I was in a much better place because at least the pain did not feel like torture down the thigh. My back pain did come back so he increased the gabapentin and it helped. But I wanted to be active again and the sciatica would pop up again and again and limit my standing time. So that whatever I was doing I had to stop and sit down. I got an epidural. Great relief and now I am in physical therapy. Instead of walking 15 minutes on the treadmaill, I can do 40 and 45 minutes. I have been in physical therapy for 2 months now and sciatica pain is still there but it is mild. I think you may want to consider trying a different medicine or ask about options available to you.
Im on lyrica and paxia a form of morphine.i dont think exercising will improve it.
No, exercise won't help it.
That was after the other three items-gabapentin (first dose amount), gabapentin (second dose amount), and epidural. I could only do exercise after those 3 treatments.
Mandy,
I read in a scientific study that gabapentin worked better than other meds for 2 patients.
"PubMed.gov Pharmocotherapy 2008 (3)397-402
The first was a 32 year old man with severe shooting pain in his left leg that was later diagnosed as sciatica.The patient was treated with acetaminophen,nonsteriodal antiinflammatory drugs, narcotics (morphine). He reported limited pain relief. He was then prescribed gabepentin 300mg/a day and his leg pain substantially improved"
ive tried gabapentin and didnt work for me
I am sorry Mandy, to hear that. I don't know what to suggest.
Thats ok .im on a waiting list for a neurosurgeon for my back to investigate whats wrong with it.
I am sitting here and my sciatica is kicking up. I think its a sympathy pain. I was actually hoping for greater success with the epidural than I got. The real benefit was being able to be more active. My neurosurgeon said if this does not work then it is surgery. But I am very scared of that. I have heard so many sad stories.
My mother recently traveled to New Mexico and she lost her cane while she was there so she had to buy a new one. She found one that had beautiful carvings and paintings in it. Whenever she meets new people they are so awed by the cane and compliment it. It's a great conversation starter.
Sorry to hear your sciatica is acting up.I dont mind about surgery i just want my back fixed.Sounds like an awesome cane! i really wish i could get an appointment with a neurosurgeon soon.
I think your cane needs to be orange Laurie, after a certain cat . . . Lol. Gotta look for the humor in all situations.