I've been diagnosed 3 years ago but now my pain is worst, can't be on medication for it cause what I am taking. Only using heating pads and I cry every day. I don't know what else to do, yesterday my doctor said I need to go into physical therapy and pain management. I can hardly walk most of the time, if I do after a few hours I'm too exhausted and in extreme pain. Does anyone have any suggestions for me. Please, I need some type of relief till I can find a physical therapist. I can't stop crying.
My Chiropractor has told me that 10 minutes of heat immediately switch to a bag of frozen peas for 10 minutes. I was very surprised by the results. It helped. But he also told me that using heat for more than 20 minutes at a time will damage new cells. He also said that electric blankets interfere with the body's electrical system, he told me to stay away from them entirely.
I would say you need to find a Doctor who is not afraid to treat you. They are NOT easily found, but a good Doctor is everything to us. Helps if you have a good Primary and a good Rheumy.
Thank you so much, I see my Primary tomorrow, and she is going to get a ear load from me. I see so many doctors and it is so hard just to have her fax over blood work. But I am going to see about finding pain management I have been on a list for over a year now and no one is accepting new patience but I do need something for the pain. My shoulders are killing me. And I am tired of crying all the time. I will try what you said, I need all the help I can get..at this point I don't even what to live like this. :(
Considered the arthritis swim at the YMCA? It's in warm water, ask her about that, it may be the most soothing thing you can do for your body right now. You'll need a Dr slip to join. BTW, not everyone who takes these classes are old either, you would be surprised!
If you can stand for a little while a hot shower might help with your pain in your shoulders. My shoulders, neck and ribs is usually where my pain is the worst and in the morning after a shower I feel less stiff and less pain.
Also I notice if I stay in one position for too long I start to hurt so try to move into different positions to help with stiffness and pain.
I have also started mindfulness which helps with pain management in that I think of the places that do not hurt and focus on them. It is surprising how much it helps.
I hope you get relief soon.
Oh, I agree! Hot baths and showers really help, and you have to keep moving, the longer we stay rooted the stiffer and sorer we will be!
WELCOME !!!
Hi Cynthia, I’m so glad you have found us, you will get so much love, support and understanding from everyone, we all try to help each other as best we can.
I’m so excited to see you live close, I can share with you some things that help me…
Amherst Physical Therepy on Deleware in north buffalo, has a heated pool, I have been there for physical Therepy , your dr, script just has to say warm pool PT, if you can’t find it send me a message & I will give you the number. It’s I hike for me, since I live in south towns, but well worth the drive. Gentle exercise in a heated pool really helped a lot !! I can tell you more about it if your interested.
I also see dr. Gosy for pain management, he is also a neurologist and has helped me for years with migraine issues & lately pain. He seems to understand fibro, and is great to work with. I can’t take pain meds either, but he has been great to try and find something that has helped a bit.
I wish I had more , except that mild exercise, diet modification, massage , lots of supplement, and tons of rest, as well as my friendships & support here, have all helped me balancing fibro so I can function somewhat.
It’s always a learning process, modifications as stress pops up in life, and a positive outlook that things will get better !!
Hugs & blessings
dee
Thank you SK, I have a appointment with University of Buffalo..who offers pool therapy that my doctor suggested, and they do accept my insurance. I'm not worry about age group :) Im not that young, 44 to be exact. I love everyone..Hugs and thank you for your help and support.
Thank you so much DPL I was talking to this wonderful lady last night thru chat and she suggested that I do that too, and so I did for 20 minutes, I already had taken my medications so I went straight to bed..was tossing and turning alot but I did get some sleep. Having another bad day today, I was giving a cane to help me get around, by my insurance, it made me very sad to have to use it..but what can I do? If I need it I need it. Thank you for your help I really appreciate it, Hugs
Hi Dee,
Thank you for the welcome :) I saw my primary today and was put on tramadol 50mg 2 times aday for the pain, and have to speak to my physiatrist and have her wing me off of zoloft and put me on Cymbalta, I did call a physical therapist on deleware and was told that their pool wasn't warm enough...don't know about the correct temp for that, I live in North Buffalo and that would of been perfect for me. So I call University of Buffalo on Main street which is very close to me too seeing I live off of Hertal ave, I have an appointment with them on Friday and they do take my insurance. As far as pain management I was told to call Dr, Gosy I have his number so I will be calling him first thing tomorrow morning. Also today I was put on Vitamin B12 500mg Vitiman D 1000mg and also Co Q-10 100mg...Wow was shocked at the price of that stuff, my insurrance doesn't cover it :( but I got it anyway. Im having another bad day today..I just want some relief so I can get things done. Thank You so much for all the information, I really do appreciate it.
Hugs and Blessing to you too :)
Thank you so much Patricia, I am willing to do what ever it takes to get relief or get rid of it all together, seeing it was possible for you, I have a question for you...I had a hysterectomy almost 4 years ago, do you think I should call my obgyn for hormones? Could this be one thing that is causing the pain to be so bad? I am very interested on what you have to say and where can I buy your book? Can I get it online or Barnes and Nobles? Thank you so much in advance, Hugs..Cynthia
Hi Cynthia, I left you a message, if you go to your page on the right is an inbox, please check it out before you schedule your appointment with dr. Gosy,
Also, the best book to get ( in my opinion ) is prescription for nutritional healing, Feel Rite on Deleware has a copy, take a look at it. At least the other Feel rites ( in Williamsville, & orchard park ) do. You can look up anything including fibro and it list the most important supplements to take. This book has everything from migraines, CFS, lupus, arthritis, if its out there Phyllis Balch has researched what works best for it.
I do think our hormones play a role, which is why I have decided to see an endocrinologist, but it’s only part of the picture, fibro is very complex.
Hugs & blessings
dee
Just wondering does anyone here have a big problem with memory loss? Mine is terrible, I can get up and head into my room or anywhere in the house to get something and by the time I get there I had forgotten what I needed. Its driving me crazy, does it have anything to do with FM or am I just loosing my mind? Let me add, I live in a 3 room house, not much space and its really getting to me.
I hope you are feeling better now and I am the same way. I don't want to admit I have to use things to help but if I don't I am only hurting myself at the end of the day so I am going to use what I can. I decided this week I am going to get an ergonomic mouse, keyboard, and something to help sit up in bed when I am reading as it is hard for me to hold my arms up to read a book. Hope your week is going much better and gentle hugs.
Hi DPL My husband got me a bed rest pillow with arms, and its really nice I can sit up and read in bed along with a lap table. You can get them at Bed Bath and Beyond for 24.99 or just type in in ebay and I believe they are the same price, but of course shipping is extra. I did find out that Walmart carries them too. Same price but little less in quality. What I have to read is my tablet so everything is loaded in that and I have a stand to hold that up as well. Hope some of this will help you, I'm having alot of pain in back today with stiffness along with burning. I have been able to move around without my cane, which is great. I'm trying to get some work done around the house, but I am taking breaks along the way. How are you doing today sweetie? Big Gentle Hugs
Before I went to pain management I was a mess of pain and fatigue. Now, I am not back to normal but some people can not tell I have an illness at all. I have reasonable management of my pain in comparison to prior treatments. I am still hurting a lot but have found balance in my activities to keep the pain controlled with the meds I use.
I would absolutely recommend pain management. It has been helpful in stability of my pain.
Remember folks, fibro is a life-long illness. If there was a remedy for it, then the doctors and pharmaceuticals would be all over the remedy. Also remember that we need to be careful about having flare ups if we start taking unknown substances or not taking the meds we're on. Always check with your doctor before you jump on the bandwagon of a new cure or remedy. Be safe and be smart!
Hugs,
Petunia
Oh dear, I'm so sorry that you're in such horrible pain! I know how you feel too as my knees hurt non-stop and I can barely walk. I ice them non-stop as soon as I get home from work. I also put over the counter pain patches - Salon Pas - on them. I usually put 2-3 in the offending area. They do help some with the pain. But check with your doc first, as they do have some ingredients that might be a problem even though you don't ingest them, you put them on your skin.
I got cortisone shots from my orthopedic doc and they did help - until I went to physical therapy, which brought all of the horrible pain back. A pain mgmt doc could give you cortisone shots, if you can take them. But make sure he sprays some anesthesia on first. I don't know if they'd help you but they're worth a shot.
Do you wear soft knee braces? I do and they help to manage the pain somewhat. But I can't wear them all day because I get very sore.
I'm just curious - are you double jointed? A lot of people with fibro are and it seems to me that they're often the ones in the worst pain.
I hope you find some relief in our responses to you. Don't forget that you don't get "cured" from fibro. It's always with us so we have to find ways to manage. I answered a thread maybe a page or two back saying that we have to learn to pace ourselves and use accommodations to make our lives easier. That too will help some with the pain. Don't be afraid to use the mobility scooter in stores. Or a cane. Both are blessings to a person with fibro. Make sure you take PLENTY of rests as you go through the day. I need to stop and regain some strength on a regular basis at home. Eating also helps. Take naps if you can, as they help with exhaustion and fibro fog. Stop writing checks and do on-line banking, if you're finding it too hard to handle getting bills paid. See if your pharmacy has a drive up window. Mine does and it's a lifesaver. Call your bank and ask for the balance if you're too tired to go in person and don't do on=line banking. These are just some ideas to help you out. Believe me, I had to learn the hard way to make accommodations. It hurt me to accept that I was handicapped by fibro but yes, I am handicapped by it. That doesn't mean crushed. My brain is fine.
Gentle hugs to you. Good luck!!!
Petunia
No, you aren't losing your mind, it's the fibro and it's hit most of us too. I always was kind of spacey due to ADD but the fibro has definitely made me more so! I think that fatigue makes our memories even loopier. Please don't worry that you're losing your mind. You aren't. It's just that the pain signals seem to "jam" in our minds at time, making us feel very forgetful. And that darned fatigue also is a little devil in the memory dept., as I said.
I have to agree, Lyra. Between the pain mgmt and my orthopedic doc, I've gotten the most relief. Not forever relief but at least some for a while.