I’m 19 and I was just recently diagnosed. I’ve had the symptoms for as long as I can remember but everything has gotten progressively worse since got shingles at 17. I have almost constant pain, extreme fatigue/no energy, severe GERD, irritable bowel, irritable bladder, depression, and extremely high anxiety. Bad days outweigh the good and I’m almost always in a bad mood because I always feel awful. I feel like no one understands, cares, or takes me seriously and it’s so frustrating. And I don’t want to go on a medication because I don’t want to deal with the side effects… Any natural methods would be greatly appreciated! Or anything to know that I’m not alone in this daily struggle (:
You are definitely not alone.
I have used Bowen therapy to help with the pain. It is gentler than a normal massage and focuses on releasing trigger points that cause radiating pain (not the same as tender points). It was too hard for me to manage the pain without medications but I wish you the best of luck.
Thanks I’ll have to look into that. Does anyone know about Amitriptyline? My doctor is pushing it.
Amitriptyline is an anti-depressant that my doctor prescribed to help me sleep. I believe doctors also prescribe this as they feel we are depressed. Always the question comes up did the depression start first and then the fibro or is it the other way around. With me I know 100% that the fibro came first. WebMD has some good info about the medications and if you google things you can read up on Amitriptyline.
I am not a doctor and if you have questions related to this it may be a good idea to discuss it with your doc.
One natural supplement that I am using is Melatonin which helps with not falling/staying asleep, if you have either of those issues. It has worked wonders for me, and I rarely have major sleep troubles now. And I love that it is all natural!
Hi Victoria and welcome. No, you're definitely not alone in all of this but my am I sorry that you got the curse called fibro so early in your life. But then, a cure will probably come down the pike while you're still fairly young, so that's the good news.
I use Salon Pas Patches for pain relief. They're over the counter and fairly inexpensive (4-6 bucks) and do help some with the pain. They soothe as soon as they go on and I like to put several on in the same area to get maximum benefit. Someone else here said that Ben Gay just put out a product called Zero that also is good for fibro pain relief. I haven't tried it yet so don't know how well it works but it's a thought.
Please do come back. This is a good place to share your experiences with others who understand exactly what you're going through.
Hugs and nice hot tea,
Petunia
Hi Victoria,
You DEFINITELY are not alone! Feeling so sick that you get angry/depressed/irritable, and then feeling even sicker because of your mood -- it's a vicious cycle, and a totally normal part of having a chronic illness.
If you don't want to rush right into the medications, there are many different treatments and things you can try first that help tremendously for others. In addition to the other great advice that's been given, another is exercise, which no one wants to hear!! I need to take my own advice, because I don't exercise, at all anymore. It hurts! One thing I want to try is Yoga, or something similar, because it's low impact and easier on our bodies, along with the mindful benefits it provides. The hard part is getting started!
Amitriptyline is one of the old anti-depressants that's mainly given for sleep in Fibromyalgia patients. Since FMS patients don't get restorative sleep, that is one of the most important things to work on in order for our bodies to get some healing.
Good luck, and keep us posted on how you're doing!
Hugs-Renie♥