Newbie de-lurking, various replies

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone!

I joined this list a few days ago. I was dx with fibro about 2 yrs. ago, but

had symptoms for 2 yrs before that. I'm also hypothyroid & type 2 diabetic.

Fibro is the most difficult of the 3 for me to deal with. If one more person

says " you don't *look* sick, " I'm gonna scream! Right now I'm also dealing

with depression too, as an aftereffect of fibro.

I am lucky in that I have a very understanding Dr. who isn't afraid to

prescribe painkillers. I've read just about everything I can find on fibro.

He listens to me and is willing to try new medications that might help.

Re: Effexor/XR -- I took it for awhile (before I was depressed) to see if it

would help with sleep cuz I can't take amytryptilline or any of the

tricyclics. I was less anxious, but it didn't seem to help much. I didn't

have any side effects to speak of.

Re: Guaifenisin -- This did not work at all for me. And I had some

unpleasant side effects.

Medicines that help me --

I take Zoloft now for depression. It works, and I haven't noticed any side

effects.

I take Flexeril at night to help sleep. I usually combine it with a

benadryl. It works well, and I have less stiffness/spasms/ cramping in the

morning.

I take Lortab 7.5/750 for pain, as needed. Usually that's 2 per day.

Other stuff that helps me --

I take alfalfa capsules every day. I didn't think it was helping with

soreness & stiffness until I ran out of it and didn't get any more for about

a month. It helps me, but like most herbal supplements it doesn't work

immediately.

Massage -- the very gentle sort. I have a good therapist who will work on

problem areas. Sometimes she has to work very lightly cuz I'm so sore, and I

have to take meds before I go for therapy if I'm having a flare.

Hot tub -- How I wish I had one! When I've had access to a hot tub, getting

in for awhile a couple of times a day has helped a lot with pain and spasms.

Getting a waterbed was one of the best things I ever did for myself. Now I

can at least stay in bed all night. Before, I couldn't tolerate being in bed

for more than a couple of hours at a time.

Very leisurely walking a few times a week seems to help, or at least it

improves my mood. I like being out in nature, so I usually walk outdoors.

It's very difficult for me to adjust to the lifestyle changes fibro has made

necessary. I've had to abandon almost every hobby/activity I enjoyed, with

the exception of spinning (on a spinning wheel), knitting, and weaving. I'm

angry about this forced inactivity, and trying to figure out how to do some

activities I enjoy without being totally wiped and in bed for 3 days

afterward. I guess I'm past the denial stage, but I'm definitely in the

grieving stage over my body's rebellion.

If you've read this far, thanks for letting me vent.

Ann in TX

[Guest guest]

Hi Ann (everyone)

I joined this list last night, I feel that i was the only person that

feels the same way I do. I was just dx with fibro and bi polar along

with ADD about 3 months ago. I have clinic depression, along with

boardline personality disorder. I know that i had symptoms before, I

had a doc that didn't believe in Fibro, so I went to a different doc,

and that is how I found out the 3 dx. I am on Effexor /xr for my

depression, and seroquel for sleeping. Its suppose to help me to

sleep all nite....get the rem sleep that you are suppose get...

I am going to crazy doc took me off work since October 2001. I know

I am sick of people telling that I am not SICK its all in my head, I

feel that I am a 80-90 yr old woman. I really feel sorry for my kids,

I have a 16 yr old and a 11 yr old. I went on a field trip with my

11 yr old daughter, we went to the st paul captal and the science

museum. all the kids wanted to run up the stairs, like kids do. My

group of kids had to take that elevator to go up and down where we

need to go. I saw my daughters face, she was sooo concerned...about

me she wasn't with her friends, it felt that she was taking care of

me.. I didn't want that. But now I feel that my kids are missing out

of there being a kids..I want to go and do what I use to do. such as

tennis, walking, but now I am in pain all the time, when I get off

the floor I am soo in pain, thats when I feel that a truck hit me.

Well thank you listening to me vent, but I am not sure what I am

doing...cause I feel along.

> Hello everyone!

>

> I joined this list a few days ago. I was dx with fibro about 2 yrs.

ago, but

> had symptoms for 2 yrs before that. I'm also hypothyroid & type 2

diabetic.

> Fibro is the most difficult of the 3 for me to deal with. If one

more person

> says " you don't *look* sick, " I'm gonna scream! Right now I'm also

dealing

> with depression too, as an aftereffect of fibro.

>

> I am lucky in that I have a very understanding Dr. who isn't afraid

to

> prescribe painkillers. I've read just about everything I can find

on fibro.

> He listens to me and is willing to try new medications that might

help.

>

> Re: Effexor/XR -- I took it for awhile (before I was depressed) to

see if it

> would help with sleep cuz I can't take amytryptilline or any of the

> tricyclics. I was less anxious, but it didn't seem to help much. I

didn't

> have any side effects to speak of.

>

> Re: Guaifenisin -- This did not work at all for me. And I had some

> unpleasant side effects.

>

> Medicines that help me --

> I take Zoloft now for depression. It works, and I haven't noticed

any side

> effects.

>

> I take Flexeril at night to help sleep. I usually combine it with a

> benadryl. It works well, and I have less stiffness/spasms/ cramping

in the

> morning.

>

> I take Lortab 7.5/750 for pain, as needed. Usually that's 2 per day.

>

> Other stuff that helps me --

> I take alfalfa capsules every day. I didn't think it was helping

with

> soreness & stiffness until I ran out of it and didn't get any more

for about

> a month. It helps me, but like most herbal supplements it doesn't

work

> immediately.

>

> Massage -- the very gentle sort. I have a good therapist who will

work on

> problem areas. Sometimes she has to work very lightly cuz I'm so

sore, and I

> have to take meds before I go for therapy if I'm having a flare.

>

> Hot tub -- How I wish I had one! When I've had access to a hot tub,

getting

> in for awhile a couple of times a day has helped a lot with pain

and spasms.

>

> Getting a waterbed was one of the best things I ever did for

myself. Now I

> can at least stay in bed all night. Before, I couldn't tolerate

being in bed

> for more than a couple of hours at a time.

>

> Very leisurely walking a few times a week seems to help, or at

least it

> improves my mood. I like being out in nature, so I usually walk

outdoors.

>

> It's very difficult for me to adjust to the lifestyle changes fibro

has made

> necessary. I've had to abandon almost every hobby/activity I

enjoyed, with

> the exception of spinning (on a spinning wheel), knitting, and

weaving. I'm

> angry about this forced inactivity, and trying to figure out how to

do some

> activities I enjoy without being totally wiped and in bed for 3 days

> afterward. I guess I'm past the denial stage, but I'm definitely in

the

> grieving stage over my body's rebellion.

>

> If you've read this far, thanks for letting me vent.

>

> Ann in TX