Hi I am new to the board and have been having some new symptoms!
I have started having problems with stiffness in my hands and feet after use! Now when I put shoes on my feet, legs and back hurt! I have tried different shoes with no relief!
I have not ever had this problem with my fibromyalgia! I have had pain in my hands but this is different and now includes my feet!
I can not tolerate most drugs so I ma not sure what to do!
Most rheumatologist do not want to see you for fibro anymore so I ma not sure what ot do!
Hello, I am sorry you are experiencing this difficulty. My hands get stiff and swollen feeling as well. I soak them in very warm water with Epsom salt, this helps a little. I also just ordered Epsom salt lotion to try to see if that will help. Do you have a doctor you see? If so, I encourage you to talk to them about this, it always a good idea to run new symptoms by your MD. There are a lot of general doctors / family doctors that will manage Fibro, you could call around and ask the office staff if the MD manages Fibro. I see a family MD and that works just fine. You could also check Neurologists, some Neurologists work with Fibro patients. Please keep us updated on how you are doing. Hugs!!!!
Hi have you tried gel or memory foam inserts in your shoes?
I have major problems with my back and sciatica. Fybro hit me and arthritis in knee so I had to look for a better range in footwear
.I don’t know where you live buying shoes on line is a bit dodgy. If you can look for a brand that will cushion your feet or hold your feet in the right position like Birkinstocks. This is the only way you will prob help your back /feet/shoe problem. Gentle Exercise with your hands clenching and unclenching. Massage a good hand cream or oil into hands at night and put cotton sleep gloves on. Not just good fot softness. And lastly Arnica Gel
massage gently into any part of the body which you have problems with. This is the magic gel everyone swears by. Not cream gel’
Hope this helps you a little bit, please keep in touch and let us know V ex pharmacy tech
I'm sorry you are having this issue. I have a lot of trouble with my feet, ankles and lower back. Thankfully my current meds seem to be helping, before I went to the doctor I could not even weight bear on my left foot it felt like glass stabbing it. I found drinking more water and avoiding sodium helped. Also, always wearing supportive shoes. I hope you find something to help soon. {{{hugs}}}
Hello and welcome, I am fairly new and don't post much either. I was very surprised when I called 2 university hospitals and neither sees fibro patients. I was referred to a rheumy group but can't get in until Dec 8. I have been hurting so bad for about a month and don't know what to do. I don't have swelling but I feel like my shoulders and buttocks muscles are in a knot. Heat helps me but I don't think that would work with swelling. I hear the epson salts help. My husband has neuropothy in his feet and carpel's tunnel in his hands and the soak helps him. I am going to look for the lotion, never heard of it. I hope your GP can be of help to you. Cathy
IT sound like what happen to me last year that when i doctor did some blood work found out i had Rheumatoid Arthritis i goes hand in hand with FM for some reason
Hi have you tried gel or memory foam inserts in your shoes? I have major problems with my back and sciatica. Fybro hit me and arthritis in knee so I had to look for a better range in footwear .I don't know where you live buying shoes on line is a bit dodgy. If you can look for a brand that will cushion your feet or hold your feet in the right position like Birkinstocks. This is the only way you will prob help your back /feet/shoe problem. Gentle Exercise with your hands clenching and unclenching. Massage a good hand cream or oil into hands at night and put cotton sleep gloves on. Not just good fot softness. And lastly Arnica Gel massage gently into any part of the body which you have problems with. This is the magic gel everyone swears by. Not cream gel' Hope this helps you a little bit, please keep in touch and let us know :-) V ex pharmacy tech
I would definitly go see your GM. They can check those areas to make sure that there isn't something else going on (like artharitis) and then help you from there. I went in to see my GM last month because both of my feet were hurting at the big joint on my big toes and it was causing me to walk funny, which made me hurt other places. He took some x-rays, couldn't see anything so he sent me to a specialist who said I don't have enough space at those joints and will eventually have to have surgery on both my feet. In the meantime though, we are trying out different inserts for my shoes so we can hold off on surgery for as long as possible.
I've never heard of the gel, but soaking does help, especially now that it's cold outside.
I too had problems with my feet and it turned out not to be related to my fibro--I have flat feet. Once I knew that and got orthopedic inserts for my shoes I was fine. I now wear only Birkenstocks as they do the same things as the orthopedic inserts.
This may or may not be your problem but like Auburnm I would suggest going to your doctor and having him/her check this problem out.
I sure am having problems posting things here. If my partial reply is showing, please ignore. I was just going to say that when first diagnosed, Birkies were just about the only shoe that I could wear as a bank teller. But I can no longer wear them because they are too hard for my feet and actually cause more pain for me. They are terribly expensive to try and fail. Perhaps a supportive tennis shoe with a memory foam sole might help. It would be a cheaper item to try first.
I had a very painful problem with my shins during the summer. Epsom salt soaks were really helpful.
I found the Epsom salt lotion on Amazon, I just ordered it yesterday. There were a few options but the affordable one was around $7 and was made by the same company that makes Epsom salt. Just fyi.
cjoney7 said:
Hello and welcome, I am fairly new and don't post much either. I was very surprised when I called 2 university hospitals and neither sees fibro patients. I was referred to a rheumy group but can't get in until Dec 8. I have been hurting so bad for about a month and don't know what to do. I don't have swelling but I feel like my shoulders and buttocks muscles are in a knot. Heat helps me but I don't think that would work with swelling. I hear the epson salts help. My husband has neuropothy in his feet and carpel's tunnel in his hands and the soak helps him. I am going to look for the lotion, never heard of it. I hope your GP can be of help to you. Cathy
The best thing you can do is to find a really good massage therapist, particularly if you can’t handle drugs. I’ve found ones who will even work on a sliding scale. It is the single best investment I’ve ever made. The key is to get a good one who understands pain… So you might have to do a little digging.
The epsome salts are great. The key ingredient there is the magnesium so I’ve purchased magnesium oil and slightly dilute with water and then use all the time.
As another member said - it might be an orthodics issue and unrelated. But if you are getting in both hands and feet it might be connected. I too get swelling in both. But sometimes it’s correlated to walking a lot in unsupportive shoes or even not enough sleep.
Massage has helped both. And my massage therapist has been teaching my boyfriend how to do a few things so that he can help me when I’m feeling a lot of pain.
I have a really high arch and tried inserts, orthotics from podiatrist (very costly and after wearing for two weeks gradually getting used to them, painful bunions formed), I ordered a pair of orthoheel tennis shoes and they helped so much! I saved to get slippers because walking around barefoot is horrible for your feet in the house. Am now on my second pair in 5 years. I believe I ordered from QVC but got my last pair from Zappos - much cheaper. Always gradually get used to any insert or shoe because you’re not used to it.
I agree with others - check with your primary physician first up see if there is something else going on. Hope you’re feeling better soon
I can feel your pain as I have fibromyalgia also. I was diagnosed in 2010 but am sure I have had it for quite awhile. I hurt from my head to my toes and it is especially bad when the weather is damp or cold like in the winter time. One suggestion another with fibromyalgia gave me was to use an electric blanket set on low and cover with it when the pain is bad because it is hard to find a heating pad to cover every ache and pain. It does work. Although this has nothing to do with the pain you are feeling be prepared for weird flare ups such as everything stinking really bad, no taste, everything you eat, including sweets, makes your mouth burn like you have ate hot spicy foods, tongue feeling numb, flare ups of pain in just certain areas of your body like your fingers, toes, wrist, etc that can also include swelling. You may have had some of these already but when they started happening to me I did not know what in the heck they were until a friend with fibro explained them to me. Can you take Aleve, or the generic brand? This is what I take first thing in the morning, two of them and though they say 2 pill will give you 24 hour relief from pain it does not so sometimes if the pain is really bad I take another one in the evening. They do not kill the pain but can take the edge off of it. Hope this information helps you. Gently cyber hugs.
I have had similiar feelings in my hands and feet. There are days when a shoe will hurt and be uncomfortable and I feel that I just can't stand it on my foot. MY back and legs hurt too. I will get pain and muscle spasms running down my leg. My hands swell awful and feel stiff from that. I get that a lot. I have had no relief. Not sure what can be done. For me, I think it is just another aspect of fibro to deal with. I m actually on drugs. I take both Lyrica and cymbalta which does decrease the pain a lot!! but doesn't help with flare ups and doesn't prevent anything with my hands and feet. I wish there was an answer.
So sorry about your new symptoms. It does seem like this disease always has something new to throw at us. I have no specific suggestions--but my all-purpose go-to is acupuncture. If you have not tried it, do so. If you are receiving acupuncture, be sure to tell your practitioner about your new symptoms. They might require new methods.
I'm sorry you're experiencing such difficulties. I've had fibro for 23 years (plus lupus, diabetes and a host of other conditions) and have had problems with my hands and feet too. The type of shoes you wear is critical. I know you said you've tried various shoes. Have you gone to an orthopedic doctor specializing in feet. Even a health care center where they make lifts and such have information about getting custom made shoes. I know they helped me.
Ask your doctor to test you for Raynauds. I have that along with Fibro and a variety of other health issues.
It is good t have a good support system in place. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Debbie
I have had a lot of problems with my feet which is attributed to both Fibro and psoriatic arthropathy and its often hard to know exactly what affects what. Foot wear is essential and I’ve found the best for me are sketchers go walk 2 range which I’ve bought online through amazon. When the soles of my feet are really bad I roll a fruit squash bottle filled with very cold water under my feet repeatedly, which some how just relieves my soles from a certain amount of pain. Hot water can be substituted if warmth works best for you. Since I started taking Gabapentin and also increased dose of Amitriptyline the stabbing pains in my toes are a lot better.
Try your GP for suggestions on treatment options and don’t take no for an answer. You need some relief and its their job to try and find some way to help
Hope you get some relief soon x
V ex pharmacy tech