Well Folks, I was right. I have Fibromyalgia. Now I just need to learn how to deal with it. I was changed to Nortriptyline instead of Amitryptiline. I now need to get more Aerobic exercise in, but I get charlie horses in my legs from that. Does anyone know of an exercise video either online or somewhere I can purchase it that is Fibro Friendly? That would really help.
Candi,
I don’t know many of us who are able to actually exercise! Kudos to you if you are and keep it up!
I used to use the Gazelle, you know the glider by Tony Little…loved it but can no longer use it!
Other than that, swimming is a good one too. Heck, just walking is good for exercise, no need to complicate things, just stay as active as you can without throwing yourself into a flare.
Just a bit of a side note, I used to get charlie horses really badly. Do you make sure to stretch your claves before and after exercise? Also a magnesium supplement can help with muscle cramps. Beyond that, as Tina said, swimming can be quite good or just plain ol' walking.
Hi Candi. I am quite a bit older than you, but my aerobics ability ended several years ago. Now, yoga to stretch the muscles and keep them long is very helpful. It prevents them from stiffening. Also a gentle swim class, like warm water aerobics. These are my favorites.
L-Kitty
Hi Candi,
Sorry for the news, but glad you finally did get a solid answer. I feel it does help to know.
I am not a big exercise bug, but walking, stretching and easy movements are best for me, but I am older and have arthritis. You may be able to tolerate much more. Emma is right about the magnesium, it is especially good for the muscle spasms.
I'm sorry for your new diagnosis. God bless you that you can still do aerobics. I used to be a personal trainer, but I cannot work out anymore. I am going to try and start doing yoga...and I try to make myself go for a walk everyday. I do not know of any videos for you...but I do hope you feel better!
Drinking extra water can also help to prevent Charlie Horses, as dehydration can cause them.
L-Kitty, you are the FIRST person to give a real ,and a good one at that, for doing yoga. NOW I get it!
Thanks!!!
Candi,
I'm sorry you're saddled with fibro but at least now you definitively know what's been causing your pain and fatigue. That part is liberating, as you finally have a medical person giving a real diagnosis.
My rheumy suggested Tai Chi for fibro. I've not yet tried it but I do agree that walking and maybe some exercise in warm water would be helpful to you.
Hugs,
Petunia
I was just diagnosed in November 2012 and bought some books on fibromyalgia so I can learn as much as possible about what is going on with my body. I am reading a really good one right now called "Figuring Out Fibromyalgia" by Ginevra Liptan, M.D. She has fibromyalgia and is also a doctor and goes through a lot of different things she has tried. One of the chapters is about exercise and really it is amazing and makes a lot of sense to me. She goes through a series of warm-up and stretching exercises that is a majority of the workout. She said to start out slowly and do 15 minutes warm-up/stretches and 5 minutes of walking, elliptical or exercise bike and then gradually build up to about 20-30 minutes of actual exercise. Almost all the stretching is laying on your back and doing stretches and they seem very mild. She also has pictures showing how to correctly do the warm-up and stretches. She takes them from a book called "Exercise Without Injury," by Ben E. Benjamin. Her book is really great and helping me to understand everything that is going on and everything that is out there to help and it is in layman's terms as well not a bunch of medical jargon.
It is really hard to accept fibromyalgia and there is a lot in your life that changes but I am trying to look at it positively even though the pain really sucks. I wish you the best and I personally have been walking for about 15-20 minutes with a friend who keeps me motivated about 2 times a week so far. I think that is too much to start out with as I have been in a lot of pain after, and now that I came across this warm-up I am going to do this and only walk for 5 minutes until I build up to be able to walk more. It helps if someone is there to help keep you motivated but even doing the warm-up stretches keeps your body flexible and hopefully will help with the pain. There are always people here to help keep you motivated too :-)
Oh I forgot to mention too I was completely sedentary before I got fibro and went on exercise kicks every once in awhile. I have oddly found that my pilates ball gets more use now than it did before. I find sitting on the ball when watching TV is more comfy than my couch and I do random light stretches on it too to help relieve some of the pain.
try doing water therapy. u will have to look around where u live for therapy pools. by me they seem to be in the hospital work out places. water therapy takes place in a warm water pool. u may find one in a ymca. u work out in the water and its supposed to be a lot easier on your body. i hate to be so honest but with fibro u may need to cut down a lot on exercizing. having fibro makes u change a lot when it comes to what u can do. it is very easy to over do it. and if u do over do it u will pay with lots of pain.
if u r planning on doing a lot in a day like an outing of some sort u may have to set aside a day to rest. for me i have to take monday to rest after having my nephew fri and sat night. i have him every other weekend. he is 4 and a very good boy and plays well by himself. and even with that i get wore out.
there is nothing wrong with working out but take it slow and easy. for the charlie horses being low on pottisum can cause them so make sure to eat pleany of foods with potissuim. u can look up the foods on line that have the most potissium. u aslo need to keep up on fluid intake. if u dont like plain water try the mio drops. i just tried a berry one and it was great. there r all different kinds,brands, and flavors.
best fo luck.
As someone else said, stretching is very important and it should be done daily. Magnesium is also important as well as eating a nutritious diet. I found walking works well for me, but I have to make sure I start out slow enough to help get my muscles warmed up first to prevent the spasms in my legs. You can easily alter your speed and time depending on how you feel. I can't handle walking outside when it is cold, though, so use a treadmill for a good portion of the year.
I did Curves for several months a few years ago. I really liked the timed circuit training of it because it was brief enough for a muscle group to not overwork it and give it recovery time in between and you can go at whatever pace you are comfortable at each station. I would have loved to continue if money hadn't been an issue for us. I would go back there again in a heart beat if I could afford to.
I hope you will read my profile, too. I truly believe there is hope for beating fibro. I feel I am getting my life back after making major dietary changes!
Balance! I was diagnosed I Jan of 2012. I fought it by trying to do what I have always done. Jan to June miserable. June to August pretty good, I live on a lake and love to swim. Back to teaching in late August, October flair-up muscle cramps in legs and back from shoulders to waist so bad I took retirement at 56, with no pay out until 65.
Balance is what I have learned and continue to learn. I got a gym membership that has a regular pool and therapy pool. I go almost every day. I swim when I can, I walk the indoor track, I bend and stretch in the therapy pool when I can’t swim or walk. Just this month I have been able to do yoga. I even tried line dancing the other day.(won’t be doing that again for a while! Remember that any activity that raises your heart rate is aerobic exercise. And keep balance in mind. It is so tempting to do a “heavy” workout when you are feeling good but I usually suffer later.
I take Slow Mag magnesium supplement. Magnesium is not absorbed well by the body. This one contains calcium which aids in absorption and releases both calcuim and magnesium slowly thought the day. I just got a similar product at Target that costs much less that Slow Mag ( around $3) ask the pharmacist it’s not prescription but not on the regular shelves.
Everyone is so different yet so much the same. Take your time to accept the diagnosis then start reading thinking listening and asking questions as toy strive to find the balance that will work best for you.
Thank you, Miss Petunia Girl!
L
Thanks for your advice. Especially regarding the slow mag supplements! I will absolutely be trying that! I am going to physical therapy and I am going to get enrolled in water aerobics at the pool they have there!
Thanks Tina! Some days I wake up and feel fine, so I make sure to get things done that require my energy more, like Grocery shopping, and cleaning. I very rarely get the chance to exercise, but when I do, I will be sure to take it easy.
Thanks for everyone's replies! I will take each one of your suggestions and try and incorporate them into my life. I know I am faced with a long road ahead, and knowing that makes me want to fight even harder! I must say I do not like the Nortriptyline I have just been prescribed. I like the Amitriptyline, although I had severe dry mouth. I could hardly sleep last night (the first night I took Nortriptyline by itself) and I had a headache all day. Also, felt really "buzzy" My husband says he's sure that it will get better, but I don't know. I am giving it some time, but I hate taking a new medication!!!