# Fibromyalgia



## geomv (Aug 9, 1999)

Hi to all on this board. You know I'll bet there is a lot of people who have fibro who don't know about this board. I just found it tonight. I take Trazadone, which is a mild anti-depressant given to me so I could sleep. For my "flu" like aches and pains I take Ibuprofen or Buffered Aspirin. I seem to sleep good at night, but no matter how many hours of sleep I get it never seems to be enough and I am always tired. Lately, I've been sleeping 2hours in the afternoon when I get home from work. I only work 3 and a half hours, but thats enough to wear me out. I feel so draggedout I can hardly move to get up to do anything. I used to love winter, I still do,except the cold weather makes me hurt for months. I don't like summer because I can't stand the heat, but I feel better when it's warm. I love nothing better in the winter than to put my sweats on and curl up with my cozy warm blanket. Well, I hope to meet other people on this board. It helps to talk to others with fibro, it's not an easy illness to describe to people who have no idea because there is so many symptoms.


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## moldie (Sep 25, 1999)

Welcome geomv. Glad you found us. What boards do you usually frequent? The ones that I have seen are mostly chit chat and don't talk that much about the issues. It is very difficult indeed to explain this illness to other people. Then you have to deal with others, even doctors, who dismiss it totally as having any relavance, and would just like you to go away and come back when you have a "real disease." I hate the thought of the cold coming too. It does seem to bring on more aches. ------------------


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## geomv (Aug 9, 1999)

Hi to moldie, Yes, Fibromyalgia is not an easy illness to describe to anyone who doesn't know it exists. It's hard to explain because we don't have any physical evidence to show. Except my elbow joints are swollen and have been for two years. That's how the dr diagnosed my fibro although I don't know of anyone else with swollen joints that has fibro. There's no inflamation, just pain and tender points. I was referred to this boardby someone on the IBS board because I couldn't find any place on the internet to talk to anyone with fibro, about fibro. Glad I found this board.


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## moldie (Sep 25, 1999)

The swollen elbows sound more like rheumatoid arthritis, but if you were checked by a rheumatologist, you should have had a blood test that would indicate that. Did they rule out lupus too? Usually over-the-counter pain meds do not help people with the pain of fibromyalgia. The doctor put me on 800mg of Naprosyn twice a day to see if that would help. It didn't do a thing, and that's why he also knew I probably didn't have arthritis. It did help my menstrual pain though, a great deal. This also indicated that the pain I had was not do to an imflammatory process. He said probably the only thing he could give me would be codeine; and neither one of us wanted to go there because of the addiction factor. I am on benadryl at night to help me sleep. I've tried the antidepressants they offer, but they didn't help. I sometimes alternate my benadryl with kava kava. These don't help everyone, but they are effective for me to get into the sleep 4 stage; enough to relax my muscles so they don't ache as much the next day, and so I am not as tired. The only thing that seems to swell up on me is my abdomen, when I am on my feet too long or if I eat foods that I am sensitive to. ------------------[This message has been edited by moldie (edited 10-10-1999).]


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## geomv (Aug 9, 1999)

HI Moldie, I had a complete arthritis panel that came back negative last February. I don't know what the symptoms of Lupus are; in fact I don't know anything about it at all. I have a friend who was diagnosed with it last year, but the dr said it was inactive. She doesn't have any symptoms at this time. I do have many of the fibro problems. It's too bad there isn't a test to diagnose fibro. Well, I've had a long day today, I've become a grandma for the 7th time. We got our 6th grandson at 12:50 P.m. weighing 9 lbs. A big boy!!


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## Sisyphus (Dec 3, 2002)

Hi guys! This is Lefty from the IBS board. Glad you made it over here, geomv. Can we call you geo? LOL!!Anyway, it was interesting to hear about your heat intolerance. That is one thing that is driving me crazy right now. Just in the past two years I cannot tolerate the heat, esp. the humidity at all. Also, your swollen joints sound like my knees!Moldie, you make me feel bad! I have a perscription for codeine that I fill every 30 days. I can go days without it, then I have to have it every four hours for a day. I also do not like the addiction problem, ( I come from an alcoholic family) but I really need it sometimes. These past two days have been those kinds of days....Some days, like today, I feel like I just can't get my pistons to fire. I just want to lay there and do nothing. Then, some days, I feel like I could run a marathon. I hate this!


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## moldie (Sep 25, 1999)

Congratulations geomv grandma once again! That is so cool. I have a feeling I won't be a grandma for a long time, although I am old enough to be one. My sons are 18 and 21 and neither has a steady girlfriend which is okay by me as they are both attending school. Don't feel too guilty Sisyphus, we all have to handle it in a way we can function. I look at the pain as more of an annoyance now, but all our pain thresholds/nervous systems are different. Perhaps there will come a time when I feel I can't handle it. You may have told me before, but how are you sleeping at night?I really hate this fibro thing too, but I hate my yeast problem even more! I hate having to worry about everything I put in my mouth. I want my life to be carefree like it used to be! Sometimes I think this is my punishment for taking the easy way out (birth control) and vanity (antibiotics for acne). Other times I think God wants me to help his people without getting paid, (I love volunteering). Everytime I think I'm better, and think about searching for a job, I always have a relapse. I know it would please my husband for me to get a job again, and help with the finances. I feel vulnerable, and feeble at the age of 47. I know there are people worse off than I am, and that I shouldn't be whining. Everyone around me wants me to work again and be productive, but I'm not sure it's the right thing to do. I guess all I can do is try, and if I can't, I can't. I have made an appointment again for a job search. ------------------


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## geomv (Aug 9, 1999)

Hi, girls, I'm really aggravated tonight. I'm so tired, I don't even if that's the word for it. I've been tired now for weeks and I'm tired of being tired! I take my B-12, 1000 mcg a day, I read last night you can take 3000-5000 mcgs 3 times a week. So I guess I'm not getting enough. I guess I shouldn't be such a chicken and let my dr give me a B-12 shot like she wanted to last winter. Do either of you get the Fibromyalgia Network newsletter? It has some good info in it. I don't know what's worse; the IBS, the pain, or the fatigue. All I know is I'm really tired of all of it. On the bright side my new grandbaby is doing great, he looks like me, poor baby!! I don't tolerate the heat very well, I had a heat stroke 3 years ago. Question.... do either of you have cool sweats? I seem to have had them for months now. I can be cold and still feel sweaty. I can't figure it out. Have you read any books on Fibro? I have a good one I get out and go through every once in a while. It's very informative. I have a tendency to forget what I read soon after reading it so I have to refresh my memory sometimes. I'm not happy to have Fibro, but I was happy when I got the diagnosis. I thought I was a hypochondriac. I think alot of us think that. I am happy that I now have someone to dicuss this with. thanks!!


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## moldie (Sep 25, 1999)

Hi again geomv; I got the newsletter when I first was diagnosed. It was comforting to know that research was being done and was giving this condition legitamacy. There was a large blue pabperback book that I got a chance to look at, but I don't remember the name. I thought it was good. I bought "From Fatigued to Fantastice" because it was written by a doctor who has CFS and works with those and FMS patients. The part that caught my eye was the fact it linked yeast and allergy complications with it, and that fit for me. It also discussed thyroid connection. His ranges are different and not accepted and he treats with a natural Amour Thyroid. It is too new yet. I'm not sure which particular hormone may be connected. It is all very confusing yet, and more studies have to be done. Can you tell me the name of your book? Do you have a support group near you?Yes just lately I feel cold (especially extremities), but yet I'm sweatting under my armpits at the same time (and it doesn't smell good either). I'm thinking this is a hormonal response too. ------------------


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## Sisyphus (Dec 3, 2002)

Cold sweats, yeah....I hate it that I am shivering, yet my armpits are soaked. NEver could figure that out!Sleeping...hmmmmmm, what is that? Last night I went to bed at 10, and woke up with a start at 7:15 (hubby is out of town, slept rite thu the alarm). One kid has to be on the bus at 7:40, one at school by 7:45, me at work by 8. Man, did I fly! And I felt like I had run a marathon in my sleep. I sit here now just longing for a nap, but those do not help me at all!! I hate naps! I wake from them feeling worse than before.Also, I wake up so much because I am having nite sweats something terrible. I soak my pillow, and hair, so I wake up and turn the pillow over, pull my PJ's off.....oh, how I long for a nite to just sleep. And, the codiene doesn't help me get tired. I am one of those who is wired by the medications that make most people sleepy. My best friend, who is a nurse, calls me the exception to every medical rule!


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## geomv (Aug 9, 1999)

Hi girls, Yes you can call me geo if you want. The Fibro book I have is called "Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome... A Survival Manual" by Devin Starlanyl, M.D. It's a good book. There is a support group here in my town, but it's at night about 10 miles from here and I don't want to go by myself and drive back by myself in the dark. I'm not a good night driver. I guess I'll just have to sound off to you all!! And you can do the same on this end. Once again, I came home from work and I had to take my retarded sister-in-law to get a mammagram, I went to sleep in the waiting room, then when I got home I laid down and slept from 1:30 to 4:00. I just can't get enough sleep. I also noticed yesterday my legs are feeling strange again. They get sort of stiff and I feel like I'm walking on wooden legs. Last winter it was real bad, I had an awful time, I hope this feeling just goes away before it gets started. Have you had the "wooden leg" feeling? I thought I was imagining it until I read about the very thing I had. It is typical of Fibro and at those times I think about getting a handicapped plate, but then other times my legs are fine. What symptoms do you have? There are so many symptoms a person can have and all of them aren't present at one time. Sounds like multiple personalities, huh







!! That's why I was thinking I was a hypochrondriac, because of the many symptoms. I think I about had all of them!


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## Guest (Oct 20, 1999)

Geo, I have that book also. Yes, it is a very informative book, but for the life of me I couldn't tell you why. Like you I can't remember things I've read just a short time ago. I've been like this for years. Is this the fibro fog everyone talks about? Also you all are talking about night sweats,and cold sweats. Do you think this could be hormonal? It seems like alot of us are 40+. I wonder if alot of our symptoms are because we are in menopause or perimenopause? I've been doing alot of reading on the subject lately and it seems like alot of the symptoms are the same.


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## geomv (Aug 9, 1999)

Hi, Eskie, The sweats could be hormonal, except I had a hysterectomy when I was 29. It was complete and because I had phlebitis in the late 80's and they thought I had blood clots, no dr will give me estrogen. I don't think I have any hormones. If I do I sure don't know where they are!







When I go into a Fibro fog I can't think or concentrate, all I can do is sit and look like an idiot. Sometimes it lasts only a couple of hours; sometimes it'll last two or three days. It's miserable anyway.


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