Re: RA and fibromyalgia - warning long post

[Guest guest]

:

Don't ever think of yourself as a pest or a bother

here - we all have been where you are now and we

understand. Don't ever think that your pain is

somehow less, because it is not. We all own our pain,

and do not judge each other.

I am sorry that you are hurting so much. I, too, have

had dx of Fibromyalgia in the last two years (I have

been dx with RA for 8 years, and also have dxs of

Raynaud's and OA), and, actually, for me at least, the

fibro pain is so much worse than that of the RA,

because it is a total body pain. Sometimes I can't

tell where the RA and Fibro start or stop, it all

hurts.

For my Fibro, I have been put on, in the last several

months, a good regimen of medications. I was already

taking Ultracet/Tramadol for my RA pain, and Effexor

XR for anti-depressant, and both of these meds are

also used for treatment of Fibro. I have added

Skelaxin (muscle relaxant) 3 times a day, Lyrica

(nerve pain) twice a day, and Zanaflex (muscle

relaxant) with Ambien CR (sleep pill) to help me sleep

at night. I take the Tramadol 3 times a day too.

These medications have helped, but I still have quite

a bit of pain some days. Today, it is mostly in my

hips and legs, and I need my cane to get around and

take pressure off my left hip.

My first doctor told me when I began complaining of

some muscle pain during my first few years with RA,

that she would not be surprised if there was a Fibro

component too, but she never did any further testing.

She said that the immune system diseases would

sometimes get all tangled up together, and add on to

one another, kind of once you get one, others join in,

and this made treatment more difficult. The doctor I

had prior to my current rheumy, was the one who

finally did the trigger-point tests and dx the Fibro,

and current rheumy, who I have been going to since

last October, has been the one trying with the

different Fibro meds to help me. My RA is under good

control with Mtx and Enbrel, and also Mobic, so my

pain now is more centered on the Fibro for most days.

I know how it is to feel so old - I am 52 and

sometimes I feel 92. Like it has been said, old

ladies whiz by me in the stores. I usually use a cart

to lean on in the market, or my daughter's arm in

other stores, or I have my new friend, my cane, which

helps me at the same time it also embarasses me - I

hate looking like a sick, crippled old lady with it,

but that is what it is, so I grin and bear it.

Anyway, I seem to be rather wordy today in my posts -

the old brain is free of most of the fibro fog today

which is good - some days I just make no sense at all

when I try to get something across or speak to my

family and we play fibro charades all day - hate that

part of the fibro.

Anyway, good luck to you - the Prednisone always

helped me for my pain and hopefully it is helping you

too. What pain pill did he give you? Hope you are

doing better today and that my post helps - hang in

there -

Kathe in CA

> Hi, I haven't posted for afew days, I have been in

> extreme pain and have been to my reg doc 3 times

> this past week. I'm the one who couldn't get a

> rheumatologist to see me because all I have is

> medicare and medicaid. Well, my reg. doc sent all of

> my tests and info to one because they said that they

> make exceptions if the case is bad enough, well good

> news I'm bad enough. I can't get in until March 31

> but at least they are going to help me, I hope. My

> reg. doc put me on prednisone and a strong pain pill

> to try to get me through until then. The reason that

> I am bothering you wonderful people again is that

> with all of my extra problems that I have been

> having for the past few weeks, my reg doc thinks

> that I have fibromyalgia (sp?). Do any of you have

> any experience with this along with the RA and if so

> can you tell me your experiences and treatment of

> this and if there is any relief? I just don't think

> I can take much more of the excruciating pain that I

> have been having lately. I am 37 and feel like I am

> 107. I was in Wal-Mart the other day and was afraid

> i wasn't oing to be able to get out of there and get

> to my car. I'm sorry to be such a pest, I am just

> in so much pain, as I am sure that all of you can

> understand. If this e-mail doesnt make perfect

> sense, please remember I am on owerful pain

> medication. LOL Thanks in advance for your help.

> Very gentle hugs

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

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>

Kathe

" To ride a horse is to borrow freedom. "

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