First let me apologize for my whining, I am desperate! I need help like yesterday. I am in so much pain (I know all of us are) and no one is helping me. I have no support of any kind, my family doesn't understand they think I just want attention and I have NO friends. My doctor appears to be sympathetic, but won't do anything except keep sending me to physical therapy (been there literally 12 times or more in the last 2 years) with NO benefit at all. I have had upper back pain since a bad chiropractor experience 5 years ago and every doctor I've seen for it says there is nothing wrong it's just Fibro. I can barely move my right arm and I'm right handed, it's starting to affect my left arm, the pain goes down my right leg, into my chest making me feeling like I'm going to vomit and all I get from the doctor is there is nothing they can do because there is no cure for Fibro. I'm trying to hold down a full time job and take care of a disabled husband (who doesn't believe I'm in that much pain so won't support me at all). I struggle to shower, brush my teeth, get dressed, use a computer, sit upright, forget trying to cook a meal, and grocery shopping...OMGoodness! I'm embarrassed to say this and I can only do this because you don't know me, but the only reason I'm alive today is because of my 15 year old son. If it wasn't for him, I'm terrified to think about what I would do. I could live losing my legs, but not my arms! Think of all the things you couldn't do for yourself anymore if you can't use your arms!
Wow I feel embarrassed about whinning after reading your post. I wouldn’t know what to do either. First of all you need to go to another doctor a reumatologist. They will give you the test for fibro & probably give you lyrica savella or cymbalta. If those don’t work they will give you other medication until they find something that helps you. I don’t know how you can work take care of your children and a disabled husband!! Thank goodness your son is helping you. I would ask your boss if you could work less hours then start filing for SE since it takes about 3 months.
My pain is my lower back & legs but my arms are okay. It must be really hard to do anything with so much pain in your arms. I mean we are constantly using our arms for so many things. To get relief even for a few hours I would ask my doctor for a steroid SGT. I had that done in my back the other day. & I was in heaven with NO pain for about 4 hours!! I had forgotten how great it felt to walk without moaning & groaning with every step
Good luck & keep me posted
Hi hopeless,
I agree with Aloha, a Rheumatologist is the Dr everyone in this site should be going to for the best possible treatment, especially if your present Dr only returns you to PT which does not help you! He may be okay to go to for the flu, but he isn't doing much for you otherwise.
Sorry you are not being supported by your family, it is not right, but not uncommon! There may be a support group near you, and of course, there is nearly always someone here.
My best advice to you is to learn all you possibly can about Fibromyalgia, get to a Rheumatologist, and take care of YOU! Give a little less of yourself away!
Hugs,
SK
hi! please, NEVER apologize for whining when you have fibromyalgia. you have every right in the world to whine and cry and break down. and if you ever need a shoulder to cry on feel free to message me. i know what its like to have no one help you, no doctors believed me a few even said to my face "suck it up and you need to see a therapist". i used to go to physical therapy, i may only be 16 but i know what youre going through... it only caused me more pain and after a while i gave up, just like i give up on everything else. if you ever feel alone, know youre not and im right here by your side. its kind of scary because i have the exact same pain as you, i know youve probably tried all of these things but im going to tell you a few things that help me.. putting rice in a long sock and heating it up in the microwave and rolling it on wherever hurts the most. also, cutting up ginger you dont eat it or anything make them semi thick and heat them up in the microwave for a little, put it on your stomach with a heating pad over it.. it works amazing for stomach pain. emetrol is a great tool for naseau if you get that btw, doesnt interact with medications. im sorry youre going through this struggle but you will get through it, peoples minds will change and you should be here to see it.
Thank you all so very much for your kind words! It feels weird knowing that someone actually believes I'm in that much pain. I think I've seen every kind of doctor on the planet Rheum, Othro, pain management, and I'm on so many meds it looks like I'm eating Skittles for breakfast. The area I live in is monopolized by one large hospital system, so I'm stuck unless I want to travel. The biggest problem with that is that I just started my job a little less than a year ago and can't ask for the time off because I'm afraid I'd lose my job. I LOVE this job! Another thing that stinks is that we have 3 people of on FMLA and so, dummy me, offered to take on extra duties to help. I guess some of my pain I bring on myself, but there has to be a way to help make it tolerable.
Hi, u are not hopeless, you are burning the candle at both ends, I don’t know how you can manage working??? I know you love your job, and that’s what makes it so hard… I know from experience I worked in pain pushing myself to shear exhaustion … It got to the point that I just couldn’t go on… Fibro won that battle but not the war … So I’m in transition learning to deal with, no money, no health ins, my career ??? Well for now my job, I’m not giving up that I will not ever be able to work again. It’s been 6 months and not working has not made me better, however I can focus more on fighting this war. If your Dr wants to keep sending you to PT, ask for PT with warm pool therepy, that treats fibro, not regular PT. tell your Dr. There is plenty that can be done for fibro… Sounds like he is clueless & you need to find a dr. That knows how to treat fibro!!!
We do believe you have pain, and we understand your pain, sounds like you need to start taking care of you !!! I had to apply for FMLA when I was working , don’t worry that there are other people on it, it will protect your job, and give you the days off you need, I was taking one day a week for prob the last 5 months I worked, but I had 2 different dr. Give me FMLA, one for migraines & one for the herniated discs in my neck. My employer hated it, but it allowed me to work part time, while keeping my full time benefits & position.
I’m so sorry you husband does not believe you are in that much pain, they see us pushing and pushing ourself and they just don’t get it… I have been out of work for 6 months and still no one really understands the pain, how can they, if you think about it… Unless we sit them down and really explain it… Even then for some reason they just don’t get it.
I saw a pain specialist whom Iv been seing for about 7 years now for migraines & my neck, and he said " we have to find something to get this pain under control" when I told him about my elbow pain he said I know that’s the fibro… It was so nice to have someone understand and want to help, it gave me hope.
You have to keep looking until you find the right dr, and the right combination of treatments, I am finally starting to function better than I was 6 months ago…I also found a PCP that knows a lot about fibro, he told me he had lots of ideas that could possibly help me, I started a gluten free diet, per his advise & I see him in 4 weeks, many have had great success with Rheumatologist … Keep looking
I go to pool therepy ( warm ) I saw a homeopathic dr., I go for message, and chiro, treating and living with fibro is a full time job…
Hang in there your not alone
We all care & understand
Hugs & blessings
I wanted to say "THANK YOU" again to all of you for helping my through yesterday! Emotionally I'm feeling a little better today, still just as frustrated, but not crying my eyes out today thanks to you and this site! I'm trying to find a Rheum doc in my area that handles Fibro, if not then I guess work will have to give me time off to travel to Philly to see one (I hope not car rides hurt). THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! LUV YOU ALL!
Gentle Hugs!
Wow, I'm so sorry that you're up against it like this. For one thing, your doctor isn't doing beans for you. While it's true that there's no cure for fibro, there certainly are drugs that help us cope. They take the edge off at least.
I think it would be most helpful if you tried to find another doctor in your area. You can ask on the discussion board (starting a new thread asking for it would probably gain you the most attention) and see if there's anyone in your area who knows of a good rheumatologist and/or GP. A rheumatologist will run a bunch of blood tests to see if you have anything else along with fibro (since fibro likes to invite its little friends, the autoimmune diseases, over to play in your body.)
If that doesn't work, try and locate a local fibro group in your area (Meetup lists all different kinds of groups meeting in specific areas) and write and ask if they can offer any help. If all else fails, google the word "Rheumatologist (or General Practitioner if you want to start with one) in ______(insert the name of your area)___ and then add the word "Fibro."
Example: Rheumatologist Boston Mass. fibro
Once you find some doctors, google a specific doctor's name, along with the word "ratings" or "reviews." Hopefully you'll find some reviews that give you an idea of how others like the doctor in question.
I just wrote in another post that I think physical therapy isn't of much use (if any) with fibro unless you have something else with it, like tennis or golf elbow.
Please continue to come here! We'll help you in your struggle with fibro! We know how you feel. We understand the lousy doctors, non-comprehending family, fleeting friends, terrible pain...we've been there and done it. And hopefully have some wisdom to help you with.
Hugs and some nice hot tea,
Petunia
I feel your pain totally. I am new to this site and I need a place to vent as well. I was diagnosed about a year ago and while I am happy to finally have a diagnose I do not feel like my current path is helping very much some days.
The extreme arm pain is really starting to get to me and effect my job, my sleep, and my motherly duties. I lay in bed and toss and turn and take cymbalta, and lyrica, and tramadol, and tylenol, and ibuprophen, and melatonin. I hate taking pills but what can you do when you are in so much pain..expected to do so much...and can't sleep? You can't just give up on life.
I am frustrated like you. All this pain and little relief makes a person go mad. I feel like I am going crazy cause my arms will be burning when I go to bed and all of a sudden out of nowhere and by doing nothing I will get shooting pains through my syatic nerves and it doesn't make a damn bit of sense.
I lie to myself and tell myself that it is in my head and it will all go away, but after years of progressive suffering I know it is only getting worse..not better.
I think that it is hard for family and friends to understand what we are going through and that makes it all the more frustrating...they try to be supportive but it's hard for them to believe that your hurting so bad in one area one day, and the next it might be a whole different area. Despite your diagnosis and trying to explain to people what it is, they look at you like your some kind of hypochondriac and these things are all in our head or something.
This disease/disorder is so debilitating. I pray all the time that I can just keep on with my job as I am the bread winner in my home. I pray that I can get through at least till my kids graduate.
I wish I could hug you because it's so hard to find someone to sympathize unless they themselves go through the same things. I know your pain hun. I hope we can find some answers and some relief on this site. If nothing else just some understanding would be helpful.
I hit a rock bottom like you seem to be... I cried about 20 times a day, good and bad cries, and I was moments away from driving my car into the hospital walls so someone would talk to me!!! But I finally got into a psychiatrist who diagnosed me, and gave me a rx of Welbutrin and Cymbalta, and I really felt better after the 2nd day...
It's hard for me to wrap my brain around how a psychiatrist can help me. I've been on Cymbalta for about 7 years, but it doesn't help. Unless the psychiatrist can take the pain away and tell me that I'm going to be able to live a semi-normal life I don't see how they could help me. I'm glad they can help others like you, but for me I think it would just be a waste of time and money that I really don't have. I'm very happy you found help!
They just help organize your brain and emotions, especially when your at a bottom... Don't get me wrong, I am still in pain everyday, but the Psychiatrist was paid to listen to me talk for an hour and that's the only way I finally got a diagnoses after 3 years. So in that sense he was a HUGE step for me, cause before that I was going to my family Dr every 3 months (and I do not have insurance) and getting no where but shoulder shrugs and a bill. Your mental health is important too, I was literally going coo coo, but even though the physical pain was still there, my mind got less overwehelmed and just kinda cleared my head and did like a mental reset! Good luck:(