Finally introducing myself

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone!

Finally getting around to introducing myself after

lurking for several weeks. So far this seems like a

really great group and I look forward to corresponding

with everybody.

My name is , I'm 37 and was diagnosed with fibro

in October of 2000. I live in Houston, TX and have

been married for 13 years to a wonderfully supportive

husband. I probably would have gone off the deep end

years ago without him. :-)

>What are the symptoms?

In no certain order....

General muscle/joint pain and stiffness, chronic

muscle tension (especially in neck & shoulders,

causing pain), fatigue, Myofascial Pain Syndrome,

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, reactive hypoglycemia &

insuline resistance, cognitive problems (fibrofog),

sleep problems, chronic headaches (sinus, TMJ &

tension), sensitivity to loud noises & strong odors

(especially cigarette smoke), Tinnitus, Carpal Tunnel

Syndrome, suseptibility to skin infections & rashes,

heat intolerant.

>Has you illness been diagnosed?

Yes.

>How long did you suffer before you got help?

Approximately 4 years. All spent bouncing from doctor

to doctor.

>Is there a time that you can remember when it

started?

Sort of. I recall going on an extended vacation in

early 1996 and experiencing an unusual amount of

fatigue. It continued to worsen slowly and over time

the muscle pain and cognitive problems began to set

in. Followed closely by everything else.

>Some of us have found lack of exercise we are

overweight. Have you found this to be a problem also?

Yes. Seems like I've done nothing but gain weight

since I became ill. And the anti-depressant I'm on

doesn't help.

>Are you on disability?

Nope, still trying to plug away at my job of 7 years,

though I've cut back drastically on my hours.

>What have you found that helps ease the pain, warm

baths, medications etc.?

Going on Zoloft right after I was diagnosed helped

with the worst of the muscle pain from the fibro.

Cutting way back on sodas has helped as well. The

pain from the extreme muscle tension and MPS, however,

are another story.

>Do you have sleep problems? How do you deal with it?

Yes, I do. I've found that in some instances 3 to 6

MGs of melatonin just before bed can help me drop off

to sleep fairly quickly. (30 minutes or so as opposed

to several hours) Other times, however, I can't get

to sleep until around 3 or 4 am. Or else if I do drop

off to sleep without any problem I wake up at some

un-Godly hour and can't get back to sleep.

>Some have found certain foods causes problems with

CFS or Fibro, have you?

Only in regards to my hypoglycemia and IBS. I find I

feel best when I avoid refined sugars and starches and

eat a diet of protein balanced with complex

carbohydrates and veggies. Indulging in too much rich

or fatty foods can aggravate my IBS, as can

overeating. Initially the complex carbs & fiber

triggered my IBS, but after gradually including more

of these types of foods into my diet I found I had no

problem with them.

>What type of Doctor have you found that has helped

you the most?

So far, none. I'm still on the great sympathetic,

competant, informed doctor quest. Either they're

sympathetic but have no clue how to help you... or

they're apathetic 'specialists' who figure since

there's no known 'cure' that you're on your own... or

they're downright condescending and arrogant.

Hope those answers helped somebody in some way.

Personally I'm still searching for that balance that

has been a consistent thread lately. Recently 'fired'

both my doctors after continually being prescribed

either drugs that made me extrememly ill or else

weren't doing anything more than just heavily sedating

me. So I'm still in the process of physically

recouping from all that and trying to better refine my

diet (read: eat like I should!) :-) Plus trying to

find the right combination of supplements.

Look forward to hearing from everyone!

-

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Welcome! What is it with Texas??? Something in the water? LOL

Missy

[Guest guest]

Welcome! What is it with Texas??? Something in the water? LOL

Missy

[Guest guest]

LOL Nah, I think it's the heat! ;-)

-

--- parrot004@... wrote:

> Welcome! What is it with Texas??? Something in the

> water? LOL

>

> Missy

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

LOL Nah, I think it's the heat! ;-)

-

--- parrot004@... wrote:

> Welcome! What is it with Texas??? Something in the

> water? LOL

>

> Missy

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

LOL Nah, I think it's the heat! ;-)

-

--- parrot004@... wrote:

> Welcome! What is it with Texas??? Something in the

> water? LOL

>

> Missy

__________________________________________________