Fibromyalgia...?
Question:
Has anyone out there tried anything else or does anyone know of someone who has tried something different that has helped? And if so... What?
Answers:
Have you tried a Yahoo search for fibromyalgia + treatment (OR cures OR remedies)?
My mother suffers from Fibromyalgia also. I think at one point she did some sort of aquatic therapy. It seemed to have lessened the pain a bit.
I have FMS mine is finally under control after 5 years of suffering. the doc. put me on amitriptalin and that is for nerves/sleep/pain and that helped me so much. Once I got my sleep under control my pain was nearly gone. Some people don't have sleep problems with it but I literally cannot stay up late if I do I pay for it for the next 2 days
Fibromyalgia is a nasty disease. I have had it for several years and the pain can be incredible and hard to understand when you eat right and excercise! I use tramodyl to address the pain. It seems to at least take the edge off so I can function. Also.. getting solid sleep is MANDATORY.. I take sleep meds and do my best to get 9 hours a night. This gives the body a chance to heal as micro tears in the muscle fiber occurs very easily with fibromyalgia. Hope this helps.. sleep and good meds...
I've tried many, many, many things for fibromyalgia (including alternative medicine) and the only thing that has helped me is Tramadol, which is a non-narcotic pain medication. My doctor says that it is similar to Tylenol. For some unknown reason, this works for me a lot and its not usually prescribed for fibromyalgia much I am told.
I just talked with my sister tonight and she mentioned that patients that come into their medical office who have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia suffer from parasites.
I actually thought she was kidding, but she did tell me many people have parasites and don't know it. She said some can become so severe they get the elephant syndrome, where the only way to get rid of it is through surgery...
So ask your Dr to test you your partner for parasites and let him know you heard it was brought on by parasites from another Dr, then he'll do the proper testing...Good Luck.
I have fibromyalgia and my symptoms differ from everyone and theirs differ from everyone else's. One commonality is the quality of sleep. Usually, it's poor or when I wake in the AM I'm not refreshed.
I also have incredible back pain; not lower back, my rheumatologist doesn't believe that its skeletal; more that it's muscular and has me on neurontin.
I also have Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain, and I've been researching them both, and related treatments for over seven years.
I'm going to give you some of my sites I've aquired on FMS and a related (though different) condition called Chronic Myofascial Pain.
Also, go right now, and google something called "Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy", check the symptoms and see if they mesh.
Fibromyalgia is a pain sensor disorder. It takes random, normal pains, and blows it WAAAAAY out of purportion. It also turns stupid things like smells (cleaning supplies for me), sound (short, percussive talk), and light (florescent bulbs, computer screens) and causes your body to mistranslate them as pain.
It is NOT an inflammatory disease like arthritis, and therefore CANNOT be helped much by ibuprofin, aleve or asprin. (I call them over the counter M&M's)
He may have multiple trigger points, in that case NO MORE EXERCISE untill he gets them treated by Trigger Point Release massage.
My colleagues and I have a theory that the acute pain (stuff that's not flu-like achiness, chemical sensitivity, and other types of sensitization) of FMS is actually multiple trigger points.
These are small, usually pea-sized lumps of hardend fascia (the opaque organ that separates muscle from muscle, skin from muscle, and muscle from bone. The heart and lung sacks are made of fascia. Fascia= fash-yuh, NOT facial. :-D) that hurt like hech when pressed on, and cause seemingly random parts of the body to hurt at the same time (called reffered pain)
Is he seeing a pain management specialist?
Regular doctors, even rhumetologists don't have the first idea about how much pain affects daily life.
(he WAS diagnosed by one of them, right? Some doctors are lazy, and when they can't find a cause for pain, they automatically say it's Fibromyalgia, which sucks for those who actually HAVE it because it makes it look like a wastebasket diagnosis. If he hasen't seen one, get him there yesterday.)
It might take a while to find one, but he needs one, and SOON.
There are LOTS of treatments for Fibromyalgia, although no cure, and what works for me, may not work for him. Simple as that. What should work, might not do a damned thing!
It has taken my 5 years of trying hundreds of medication combinations, therapies and diet/lifestyle changes to get it right, and good LORD I know it's discouraging, but KEEP AT IT!!
:-D
I'll tell you what's helped me:
Education. I know it sounds odd, but learning EVERYTHING I can possibly learn about it helps me feel less helpless, more in control of my situation. It really does help.
GOOGLE IS YOUR FRIEND! lol
Pain meds. Face it, if you have fibromyalgia and haven't found the miracle cure, you're gonna need pain meds, like it or not. I am currently on Flexaril to help my sleep (which is CRUCIAL for FMS patients. We rarely ever get into that DEEP stage of sleep, and don't have a chance to recouperate from the day. Years of that takes it's toll, bigtime.), Tramadol to help my pain (it really works well for the overall "total CRAP" feeling and most of my pains. Not very good for acute pain though.), and Provigil to help with the fatigue (they give it to narcoleptics and night-shift workers. It REALLY works for me, as long as I have some things to do, else it tends to keep me awake at night)
Luckily, you may only need things like some anti-inflammatories to stop other sources of pain that Fibromyalgia is amplifying.
Physical therapy. Be carefull though, overdo it and you may be in bed for several days, like I just did last week...lol
Go EASY on the exercise. Learn the difference between discomfort and pain. A certain level of discomfort is alright, only for a while though.
Pain is the body's way of saying "HEY! STOP! SOMETHING'S WRONG!" Listen to what your body is telling you!
LOTS of water: it really does help me A LOT. It keeps muscle cramps from dehydration away, and gets all the crap out of your circulatory and endocrine systems!
Plus, it just feels better when I drink plenty of water!
Massage helps a bunch, as does a hot shower. Becarefull not to get too tired though, cause that just sucks the life out of you.
Try as many things as you can, I've never tried accupuncture, but I would love to.
It's gonna be a long, hectic road to getting relief, but if you keep at it, you'll find SOMETHING that works for you.
The biggest thing you can do?
Lots of love and support.
Never question the fact that he hurts, because that is the worst thing I've ever had said to me.
Give him a backrub whenever he needs it, draw him a bath when he gets home, help him when he's tired and confused (which will happen often with FMS), and just be there. That's what helps most of all.
I'll put my links in the sources list, I'll also put your partner and you in my prayers.
Good luck
I am feeling the same way.. I had been originally diagnosed with arthritis.. but the more I learn and read about pain on my own, the more I feel I have Fibromyalgia. Question is, how can anyone be sure?
All I know is that I believe FM to be totally real as I deal with such an odd pain every day. Almost flu like.. the body feels weak all over.. then throw in a few sharp random and throbbing pains.. I've recently add in sharp breath taking back spasms to the mix. It generally takes me almost an hour to loosen up enough to sit & stand up correctly. And I stretch and stretch and still never seem to be able to even touch my toes.. It feels like my muscles are shrinking actually. I am only 37. Yet I feel 90!
Anyway, I am just learning for myself what others are feeling and how they are dealing..
Main solutions I hear so far are eating right and mild exercise..
I am lucky enough to have a pool and try and start my day with a few laps.. ( That is an amazing improvement mentally and physically when I get the time to do it )
So add swimming for sure and keep positive!
We will one day find the cure..
Until then, keep him moving & grooving..
Lots of extra loving helps too~ =]
Things that help: aquatic exercise, sleeping well mandatory, reduce stress mandatory.
Prescription: I'm taking Cymbalta 60mg and since then I feel a huuuuge difference. The mornings now are not so painful.
Also ask your doctor about the new medication: Lyrica
Does your partner drink diet sodas with aspartame if so stop for a week to see if they feel better. Aspartame poisoning can lead to misdiagnosis of Fibromyalgia. drink diet products with splenda. this happened to my wife took a year to feel 100% better. PRAY ALOT
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