Well Friday I was give the news that I have been dreading/waiting for, I have officially been diagnosed with fibro. Dread is obvious but kinda glad to finally know what the hell is going on and can start treatment for it. Current plan is working up to 1200 mg neurontin with a daily exercise program of swimming, light weights and tai chi.
What I currently deal with:
Hot flashes, flu like body aches, light and sound sensativing, mood swing, rage, crying jags, paranoia, forgetfulness, and confusion. Just for the fun of it, my body also thought it would be fun to have herniated discs, recovering from my second back surgery.
I do have a history of drug use, 15 years clean, so my choices of pain pills is restricted to OTC by choice.
I would welcome any tips, thoughts or ideas on what to expect and what works for you.
Sorry you are up against so much, sounds like you are on the right track, at least according to the AMA idea of things. One of the OTC things that actually help my bad back is 'Sports Cream', available at most drug and grocery stores. Just do NOT use this with a heating pad. Myocalm is a supplement given me in the beginning of my journey for muscle spasms, there is also a PM version of this available. With all ideas, clear this with your health care provider.
Hope this is of some help to you! Thanks for posting!
Ibuprofin. I swear, it helps me better than anything else. Not that it's a cure all. But it helps. I also use Salon Pas patches. They are sold over the counter and cost about $4-6. They really help to sooth the site and if you wear them for a while (and put more than one in the same sore area) they do help with the pain.
I'm sorry that you've joined the fibro group. It's certainly not a fun group to be in but I guess the good news is that it won't kill us. Although we may feel like it is on some days. Fibro can do many, many things to us, all of what you've discussed plus lots more. It's an "adventure," to be sure, because you never know what trick it will pull out of its hat for you each day.
Sure seems like a LOT of us have herniated disks plus fibro.
I'm sure lots of others will join in and offer good suggestions. I'm just dead tired at the moment so can't think too well.
Nice to have you on here with us and please don't be afraid to ask questions or ask for help.
I can TOTALLY relate! It seems like EVERYTHING is hitting you… You CAN’T control what your body is going to do, BUT you CAN control what you DO for your body… The ‘therapy’, swimming and exercising, etc. is important. Vitamin supplements can help too. I’ve been taking a B-Complex vitamin for a month now and it MUST be WHY I’m feeling better…
I have a history of drug and alcohol abuse (self medicating)… Although the pain meds were prescribed by my doctor,… He had me on… Oxycodone, methadone, Norco, liquid morphine, Xanax… AND I STILL HAD TERRIBLE PAIN!! I was also drinking wine on top of all that!! Yeah, I’m blessed to still be alive! My ‘Pain Doctor’ just kept ‘numbing me up’… Let me tell you… That’s NOT the answer! I went to rehab for 30 days to get off ALL of that… It messed me up and now I have a year if sobriety. PAIN SUCKS!! it can affect EVERY piece of your life!
I’ve gone to acupuncture and holistic therapy… It’s not instant, but if you can stick with it, it WILL pay-off!
Please feel free to ask me ANYTHING! We all need to support each other!!
Much love,
Diana
Hi PaPaJim, Im so sry you have been given this dx, it’s not easy… One of the best books I invested in was Perscription for nutritional healing 5th edition, it has every treatment for every symptom & it’s so worth the money… I have also seen over and over again how pain meds have little affect and have to be continually increased and then they don’t help at all… I’m not sure why this happens, but I have heard it so many times.
Stress reduction, mild exercise, died modification, supplements, for some massage, heating pads, acupuncture, yoga, warm water exercise… These are some of the non medicine things we can all try.
Talking with others that understand has also been so helpful
Hi PaPaJim. Congratulations on 15 years clean. Good for you. Sorry you have to deal with fibro. I've had one back surgery. I feel your pain. I use Lyrica, two different antidepressants (very small doses) and clonazepam as needed for the fibro. It's a trick getting the meds worked out, but you'll get there. You don't need narcotics to get through this. It's like dee says, they don't work anyway. Good job with the exercising. Keep that up at whatever rate you can.