I am so sorry it took so long to be diagnosed, it took me around 4 years to get mine and then it has been another 3 of medication trials before I am finally to a level place.
As for not medication pain relief I use, heating pads, walking, rest, ice if i can tolerate it, massage, and ibuprofen. I use the heat on the sore spots to help ease the pain or on the muscles that are really tight to help them relax. I have found that walking around every 2 hours or so helps me to keep from being stiff and causing more pain. Of course rest is just that, sleeping with pillows to prop you up where needed or between your knees to ease the hip and back pain then just sleep the best you can. I use ice packs on sore spots if nothing else works, it can be intense but sometimes does the trick. Having massage done by a good massage therapist is helpful, but I know it can be expensive, so sometimes if you have an significant other they can massage parts for you. Then follow with heat or ice. Of course the ibuprofen is always there to help.
My best suggestion is find the best neurologist, pain management, rumetologist you can find in your area. Those are the type of doctors that will be able to get you on the right medication regiment to help ease your pain.
As I stated it took me around 3 years to find the right set of doctors and medication to get on the right track. I wish you luck!!!
epidural injections, chiropractic manipulation, acupuncture, sounds like me tooD': should I be taking more meds for pain? because YOU sound exactly like me:/ I do tai chi everyday and swim three times a week plus massage a week. No one will give me meds though. Everyone says its made up, I'm 100% fine. I just need help so thank you for that book recommendation I hope you feel better too Kathy<3
Kathy said:
All these replies show you how different each of us responds to Fibro and all the drugs and treatments doctors have us try. By the way, there is no such thing as a "mild" case of fibro, just good days and bad. I thought I wasn't that bad although my life was in the tank. But the first time I took a morphine (MS Contin) and was in NO pain for a while (until I exacerbated things again- cooked dinner, drove to work or something) I realized how much pain I was normally in. Much more than I thought.
After trying quite a bit and still having problems functioning well at work I quit. I tried cymbalta, savella, lyrica (which caused lots of swelling as well as increased stupidity), and gabapentin. I am now on cymbalta which helps some plus morphine sulfate tablets (MS Contin) plus magnesium, potassium, vitamin D, diabetes med, and prilosec for my upset gut. I tried patches (allergic), epidural injections, chiropractic manipulation, acupuncture, etc. What seems to help most is routine pain meds, walking and tai chi. Do not drink any alcohol if you take any tylenol. According to my doc.
I find that for each task I do I have to sit down after each half hour or so, relax, and rest for 20-30 minutes. On foggy days, my husband reminds me to take my pills, and double checks the stove in the evening to be sure all the burners are off. I have cats to pet and meditation or deep breathing for stress.
I also take Norco/Vicoden for break thru pain. I get the morphine and norco from a pain doc/neurologist who does periodic urine tests to prevent abuse.
I went through a counseling program, Take Courage Coaching at takecouragecoaching.com, that taught me coping strategies. The program has us use distraction to help pain and all the usual (meditation, exercise, eat right, drink water, sleep, etc) but the full year of twice weekly counseling sessions helping me through each challenge and crisis really brings it all home and helps it stick. After that year there is also follow-on support. It really helped me reach acceptance. And it's harder to complain (I still do) when I know things I can do that will help my current low.
A mood booster was reading Gratitude Diaries by Janice Kaplan. I can always find something to be grateful for. Like this group of supporters.
The book is on feeling grateful and how gratitude affects us, nothing to do with fibro. Please continue trying new doctors. I was lucky to have a primary care doc who knew fibro but he sent me to a rheumatologist because primary care doctors are not set up to help with pain killers. The rheumatologist after about a year sent me to a neurology surgeon who also practices pain medicine. When pills no longer help he may be able to help with nerve blocks although I doubt it. Fibro affects ALL the body. If he nerve blocked everything I'd have ??? would I still be breathing?
Good luck.
Kathy
LashLopez said:
epidural injections, chiropractic manipulation, acupuncture, sounds like me tooD': should I be taking more meds for pain? because YOU sound exactly like me:/ I do tai chi everyday and swim three times a week plus massage a week. No one will give me meds though. Everyone says its made up, I'm 100% fine. I just need help so thank you for that book recommendation I hope you feel better too Kathy<3
Kathy said:
All these replies show you how different each of us responds to Fibro and all the drugs and treatments doctors have us try. By the way, there is no such thing as a "mild" case of fibro, just good days and bad. I thought I wasn't that bad although my life was in the tank. But the first time I took a morphine (MS Contin) and was in NO pain for a while (until I exacerbated things again- cooked dinner, drove to work or something) I realized how much pain I was normally in. Much more than I thought.
After trying quite a bit and still having problems functioning well at work I quit. I tried cymbalta, savella, lyrica (which caused lots of swelling as well as increased stupidity), and gabapentin. I am now on cymbalta which helps some plus morphine sulfate tablets (MS Contin) plus magnesium, potassium, vitamin D, diabetes med, and prilosec for my upset gut. I tried patches (allergic), epidural injections, chiropractic manipulation, acupuncture, etc. What seems to help most is routine pain meds, walking and tai chi. Do not drink any alcohol if you take any tylenol. According to my doc.
I find that for each task I do I have to sit down after each half hour or so, relax, and rest for 20-30 minutes. On foggy days, my husband reminds me to take my pills, and double checks the stove in the evening to be sure all the burners are off. I have cats to pet and meditation or deep breathing for stress.
I also take Norco/Vicoden for break thru pain. I get the morphine and norco from a pain doc/neurologist who does periodic urine tests to prevent abuse.
I went through a counseling program, Take Courage Coaching at takecouragecoaching.com, that taught me coping strategies. The program has us use distraction to help pain and all the usual (meditation, exercise, eat right, drink water, sleep, etc) but the full year of twice weekly counseling sessions helping me through each challenge and crisis really brings it all home and helps it stick. After that year there is also follow-on support. It really helped me reach acceptance. And it's harder to complain (I still do) when I know things I can do that will help my current low.
A mood booster was reading Gratitude Diaries by Janice Kaplan. I can always find something to be grateful for. Like this group of supporters.
I have done acupuncture and it does help but just like everything else its temporary. I always did my acupuncture in combo with a massage visit or chiropractic visit. This was all before I was actually diagnosed. Ive also done physical therapy. It seems to me right now what helps the most is the right balance of activity and rest, nice heating pads, and eucalyptus Epsom salt baths. I'll be going through the guinea pig phase soon trying different meds to see what helps. Acupuncture is great for migraines and neck pain if nothing if it helps some I say its a in its time with no or less pain
Anita said:
Has anyone ever tried acupuncture? If so, does it work? I'm about at my wit's end with this pain. I take Cymbalta but I honestly don't know how much it helps. I had been taking Tramadol, with minimal success, until my rheumatologist told me to stop it because it could possibly have a bad reaction with the Cymbalta. He also told me to lay off Excederin - just take Tylenol. Obviously he has never suffered from fibro. I'm going back this week to see what if anything else can help. So I'm thinking that I might try acupuncture next.
Hi Jess, there is some very good advice in the replies above,especially the part about discovering what works for you. I just wanted to add that I have found that while any mild to moderate exercise does help my symptoms, swimming is especially soothing. I tend to kind of zone out a little watching the surface of the water while I swim and focusing on my breathing. Maybe I am getting some level of meditation benefit from it as well. I just know I feel so much better when I swim regularly.
Take care, I hope you find something that helps your pain soon.