NEW to Group Intro .......LONG

March 17, 2008

Hi,

My name is Penny and I see I have ALOT to learn. I was given a

diagnosis in Dec.07, handed a pamplet called " Fibromyalgia and You "

Given a script for 50 mg of zoloft and some flexaril to take at night

and sent on my way. My fingers hurt today so typing is hard but I

sooo want to be able to talk to some one who understands. I told the

Dr I thought this started when I was PG with my 3 and a half yr old

but when I look back now, I think it was probably about the time I

started wondering why I had bowel and memory problems and went to the

Dr for it. That was in Early 03. My 1st husband then got very ill and

passed away at 37. Needless to say I was not concerned with my health

for some time afterwards. Mental fog was brushed off as depression as

well as everything else I had but had not paid attention too. After I

came out of that. I still had the mental fog I had before my husband

got sick, still had the muscle pain and weakness/stiffness. Was so

bone tired sometimes it was all I could do to drag myself around.

These things come and go. Not long after I recouperated from losing

my husband I remarried and very quickly became pregnant. So I was

told I was older and Pregnant and that was the answer. After I had my

son I was told it took alot out of my body and it would take time. I

feel like I was never really listened too until one day I broke down

crying in the Dr office and told him I felt like he was making me

feel nuts. I told him I could not keep going on like this that there

was something very wrong. I am leaving so much out but gosh I just

can't type a whole lot. I was sent to several specialists. Had an

MRI, Nerve conduction tests and many blood tests. All Normal. Again

me crying in Dr office feeling like a nut because there was no

answer. He then did an exam by pressing on certain point on my body.

Oh My gosh it was sore. So he then sent me to a Rhuemetologist (MS)

and that Dr pressed on the same areas plus several more and had the

same thing. He asked me alot of questions and then left the room and

came back with the pamplet and scripts. He said he had an answer. He

had no dobt I had Fibromyalgia. He said it won't get worse. ( I beg

to differ!!) He also said there was not much to be done but live with

it and that the Meds don't really help much. I had no idea it comes

and goes until I found this site. I thought maybe I had MS even

though I had a diagnosis, I thought the Dr was wrong. Then to top it

all off I tell my sister what my diagnosis was and she said and I

quote " Oh you are going to be one of those that everyone thinks is a

big faker! " Well, that upset me. She said she believed me but others

won't. I thought " great! " Anyhow I am sooo glad I found this site. I

feel like I have arrived at a place where some one will finally

understand and maybe gain some much needed knowledge. BTW when you

have a mental fog problem and you are supposed to take meds regularly

and never have before. How do you cope with that? I forget them alll

the time!! I know the Zoloft is supposed to be taken everday to help.

Does it really help? I am not depressed. Don't want to take something

I don't need. Thanks in Advance and I am looking forward to becoming

a part of this group. I live in Central Illinois just out side of

Springfield.These are my symptoms...

Muscle weakness and pain, joint weakness and pain, bladder

spasms (can help keep me awake at night), mental fog, muscle

tightness, pins and needles in muscles, IBS, numbness and tingling,

headaches. When I 1st wake up in the morning, it is bad. I gauge my

day by the stairs. I have a flight in my house and I have to go down

them to the kitchen. Usually if I have to go down right after I wake

up on a bad day, I have to be very careful. My muscles and joints

feel like jelly and I have to hold on to the rail. Later on my

muscles and joints will stiffen after they wake up and it takes me

awhile to get up the stairs and is painful. Hot and Cold intolerance.

COLD hurts!! Muscle twitches, Heart pallipitations. More symptoms but

can't think right now. Thanks so much for listening!!

Blessings

Penny

Blessings

Penny

March 17, 2008

Hi Penny,

I, too, am new to this group. However, I read your posting and wanted to

address some things you brought up.

First of all, fibromyalgia seems to be related to irregularities in

neurotransmitters such as serotonin. More on serotonin in a minute, but first

the real winner in the irregularities of neurotransmitters is Substance P. Yes,

that is the actual name for the neurotransmitter that causes us to feel pain.

When you prick your finger, the pain is due to the release of Substance P. In

those with fibro, we produce too much of it. This may be caused by

irregularities in the release of other neurotransmitters -- either too much or

too little.

Serotonin is also a problem in the brains of those who suffer certain types of

depression, which is also a concomitant of fibro. Since I do suffer from both

clinical depression and PTSD, I have to take antidepressants. I have been on

three different meds until I was put on Wellbutrin slow-release. Once that

medication got into my system, I noticed subtle changes and eventually the fibro

fog abated some. I still run into the fog but not as severe most of the time.

One thing I have noticed is that if my pain level rises due to non-fibro

related pain, like I'm having to endure right now, then the fibro begins to

flare and act up. Right now, I have a right shoulder that is probably going to

need surgical intervention, but the physical therapy is causing all sorts of

pain. Then, my lower back (L-3 to L-5 the discs are bulging and showing signs of

deterioration and the disc between L-5 and Sacral-1 has begun to collapse

pinching a nerve or two). This has really put me into fibro hell. Not only pain

but something like fog and I feel like I'm moving in some sort of gooey thick

air, but that is only the fatigue that sets in on me.

Thank God there is the VA. Since many of the injuries are as the result of my

service. I see my ortho doc next week for the shoulder. I have been allowed to

see a local neurosurgeon for my back, which will happen in April. My primary

care physician at the VA understands fibromyalgia and all that the syndrome

means to the patient with it. He has me on short-acting morphine (15 mg x 2/da)

right now, but I'm going to talk about something other than the morphine. I am

also on methocarbamol (1500 mg x 4/da) as a muscle relaxer. It works, but I

don't generally feel it for a while after taking it.

I love living up northern Idaho. I love the mountains, the snow, the lakes,

the camping, the hunting, etc. But the harsh winters we have here take a toll on

me. I never used to have a problem with cold weather. In fact, in Korea, I had

to endure -45 weather during the winter FTX (Field Trainiing Exercise -- just in

case you ever see the term elsewhere). I had cold weather gear that worked well

enough. Inside the GP tents with the space heaters, I didn't mind the coolness.

But since my heart attack, I haven't been able to deal with extremes in temps.

So, Penny, let me close by saying, welcome. This group seems to be filled with

caring humans, which makes life a bit easier.

I thank God for everyone who shows kindness.

En agape tou Iesous,

Gene

March 17, 2008

Welcome Penny and all new to the group, I know I've missed alot of new

people and introductions, sorry. I hope you all find this group as

helpful as I have.

God bless and keep you,

March 18, 2008

Welcome Penny. I am Debra V. and have been here for a long time. I certainly

welcome you. I felt the same way when I found this group. I finally had found

others with these bizarre symptoms and felt for the first time like I did not

come from another planet.

EVERYTHING you are telling me reminds me of myself and my own symptoms.

The stiffness is horrible for me in the mornings. Mornings are my worst time.

I wake up 99 percent of the time with pain so bad in my back and stiffness so

bad I can hardly get out of bed. The numbness and tingling comes and goes in my

fingers with no rhyme or reason. All over muscle aches, pure pain in different

places at different times and CHRONIC all over exhaustion.

The fog, yes I have that too. And the irritable bowel problem is so common to

us also.

I take zoloft and have taken drugs in that line for years even before the fibro

hit me. I was rx'ed it for major depression. However, it may help your pain

somewhat because there is a theory that some of the same chemical imbalances

that cause depression are also somehow linked to fibro symptoms.

It certainly does not take my pain away, but if I go off of it I will flare

worse than ever and will not be able to function at all.

Also, just like you, I use to lay the little aches and pains and exhaustion off

to depression. But I learned in later years that it did not always occur when I

was depressed. I could be happy and settled and the pain and exhaustion and flu

like symptoms would take over for no reason I could figure.

Welcome to the site,

Hugs,

Debra V.

Penny s wrote: