HI Tracy - I know how you feel. When I first got FIbro about 30 years ago, I developed horrible Migraines along with it, when the FIbro flared up in my neck. Are you seeing a doctor about what you are going through? Hope you do.My mornings are always complicated with stiff joints and it takes me a couple of hours to 'loosen' up in order for me to get around. So, you are worse at night too?? I find this interesting, because apparently a lot of us have this problem when the evening comes. I try to stretch gently every day, but I am not always successful because I hurt too much. I used to walk ever day too - but hips are bothering me a lot. I walk about a half a block and then turn around and come home! LOL So, as you can see I don't get too far in my walking exercises. Yes, the pain can stay with me all day too. It's very frustrating to have to work AROUNND the Fybromyalgia. How I feel in the morning will absolutely determine what I am able to do that day. I used to be able to just get up and go and I had lots of energy. Not any more. I really hurt today and thankfully I don't have any appointments right now, so I will need to just stay in and take it easy. I have discovered long ago, that when I am in pain, I can't 'push' through it as it makes the pain worse. My family is very supportive, but when
other people ask me to describe Fibro, it;s too complicated to explain because i involves so many factors. You will really love this website, Tracy. I don't know what I would do without it. You will get great suggestions and wonderful advice and best of all, you have people who will listen to you and understand what you are going through! Laurie
Laurie,
You stole my words. When I wake up, it feels like the aftermath of having been run over by a Mack Truck. Over the years, I have found two things work best for me.
- Take a hot shower everyday at the same time, followed by food intake at the same time everyday.
- Exercise at the same time each morning. For me, I've always had dogs. They need to be walked in the AM and are usually sticklers for time. My current almost nine-year old poodle, wakes up every morning and barks in my face between 6:01 and 6:06 AM. At that point, I get dressed and walk the beast. at this point, I've accomplished two things - maintaining a regular schedule (which our bodies require) and getting exercise in the first thing in the morning (even it is only a ten minute walk, that's ten minutes for your body to shake off the cobwebs and oil up the joints.
Hope that helps.
Marc
Thank you Laurie! Yes I am seeing a Dr., I have been on cymbalta for about 2 months now along with celebrex and trazadone. I feel as though all of it is not helping at all. It's funny because in the mornings when I wake up feeling not bad (which is not often), thats when I know it will be one of those days when the pain worsens through out the day. I have had fibro for about3 years now. The areas that started hurting then progressing to more parts of my body and my symptoms are all making sense now! I have no energy at all, and could sleep any time of the day. I always have pain in upper back around neck and shoulder blades...it's awful and never goes away! I am only 42 and I honestly feel somedays that my life is over!! I work full time as a dental assistant 4 days a week. Thank god it's only 4 could never do 5. I have no choice like alot of other ppl and have to work! It is so comforting knowing I have ppl like you to talk to! Is there anything that you took for your migranes to help they are awful! I want to cry at times but it even hurts to cry!
Tracy
Hi Tracy - As far as your Migraines, can you give me a little bit of history about them and how often you get them. Also do you get sick to your stomache when the pain gets really bad? I need to know these things, then maybe I can help you with them. As far as your pain in the neck,shoulders and back, this is where I usually feel pain almost 24/7. Lots of Firbros have this problem in those areas - but I am not sure why. As I mentioned, what happened to me last night and fainting, the areas of the spasms were neck, shoulders and back. Weird! There is so much we need to learn about our illnesses, Tracy. I plan to be much more assertive this year in getting the answers I need to help me to feel better. I don't have a problem confronting people, but I think I allowed, for a little while, to let the FIbro kind of take over and I might have been feeling sorry for myself. Which is the worse thing I can do! I fully understand what you are going through in regards to your work schedule. It's not easy and I truly commend you for trying to move forward and do what you need to do. Many people always say have a smile on my face and they can 'hear' happiness in my voice. What they don't know, well.....it's behind closed doors. I can cry a lot when I am sore - sometimes to the point of literally sobbing! Somehow, I get through it and as I said before, this website has been a Godsend for me. Gentle hugs! Laurie
Hi Laurie...thank you for all that. Mt headaches never cause vimitting so far but nausea yes! Your right I have pain in all those spots 24/7...it's horrible. Today I felt good.....but very down had a few cries! Just one of those days again. Thank god I am having the chance to meet ppl like you and talk about all of it. Certainly makes me feel better! Now I am really down over the acne on my face...god I look 15 again! Don't want to go anywhere! Hope your having a better day
Hugs Trace
Hi Tracy - You will meet a lot of great people here, I promise! Whatever you might be upset about or whatever may be going on with you, we are here for you. As far as the acne on your face, have you had acne before?? Are you able to go to see a good Dermatologist about it? It could be hormonal too. There are days I don't want to go anywhere either. Sometimes I look like 'crap' when I get up in the morning after a hard night of tossing and turning to get comfortable. I wish I could help you as far as what's going on with your skin. It could be from stress maybe?? Having Fibro is stressful enough as it is. Many changes go on within the body with Fibromyalgia. I have had to deal with a lot of changes and sometimes i get so overwhelmed that the only thing I can so is take care of one thing at a time. Please know that you are not alone, Tracy. I get so much information from this website, that sometimes I write them down to show my doctor. I have something to get up for every morning, besides my family, and this is this website. For years I felt very isolated because it's very difficult to explain to someone what Fibro is. I always tell people that Fibro is a very complicated and complex disease. We have no choice but to deal with this, Tracy. However, the WAY we deal with it is what counts. Whatever you need to do to feel better.....go for it. If you feel like sleeping for a few days....go ahead. It's okay to feel the way you are feeling right now. No one is going to judge you and best of all - you will get such fantastic information from all of us that you will be able to use. Gentle hugs, Laurie
Laurie your such a sweet person and I thank you so much for your support! Funny how you can be terrible one day and the next feel so good. Just such an awful thing to deal with on a daily basis. My face has cleared up quite a bit so much happier about that! Do you sometimes feel very sick on very painful days like your gonna throw up! I felt very naucious on Thursday lasted most of the day and had alot of pain in my upper body. Just wondering if that is normal. Hope all is well with you and I am so glad I joined this site.
Thanks again
Hugs
Tracy
Hi Tracy - yes, there are days I do feel nauseous when I have Fibro pain. Our bodies will have days when pain just doesn't agree with our stomache and we feel sick. Don't forget, we have chronic pain and this will happen at times. Also I suffer bad headaches when my Fibro acts up in the neck area. I get mirgraines because of it. If they are bad enough, well.....there goes my stomache again. LOL I do have Meds for the migraines, but it's a very old medication, meaning the pharmeceutical companies are going to be phasing it out soon. This worries me a little, but I see my Doctor in a couple of weeks and I am going to see what else is out there for me. When I first got the FIbro, I was in my 30's. It was pretty much centered in the hips areas. But as the years went on - it started to just spread everywhere, and then it went to my neck. When my neck gets inflamed, I can't turn my head left or right OR up and down, and it's a miserable way to walk around, just being able to look straight ahead. Take care of yourself Tracy. We all need to do this, to get through the days. Like I said, do whatever you need to feel better. I took a 3 hour nap today, because I was in a lot of pain last night. I feel much better now. HUGE gentle hugs! Laurie
Tracy,
Forgive me for butting in on your conversation, but could you possibly have something else going on? For instance, I suffered from nausea on and off for several years and it turns out that I had a stomach ulcer that was causing them. Just a thought to talk to your doc about the nausea if it continues.
Quiet hugs,
Petunia
HI Petunia - I do have Divirticulosis, but the pain from this is much different then being sick when the Fibro gets really bad. The nausea from the Fibro doesn't happen very often and it has to be pretty badfor me to feel sick. The latest one was that night when I almost fainted from the spasm in my upper back. I take a really good nausea medication when this happens and it calms down my stomache.
Laurie