Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Before you can understand the treatments used for fibromyalgia you must have an understanding of the disease. Fibromyalgia is a disease that is not well-known throughout the medical profession. It is linked to arthritis but the symptoms are different. Unlike arthritis which affects the body’s joints this disease affects the muscles. Parts of the body can become tender and sore to the touch due to the muscles in these areas not receiving enough oxygen.
Fibromyalgia symptoms are different for each individual and can seem to disappear completely only to return at a later date. Many times the symptoms will be worse at certain times of the day like in the mornings and during the late afternoon. The weather conditions can also increase your symptoms; damp rainy weather or extreme cold can increase the pain a person feels. The amount of stress that you deal with contributes to the symptoms along with the amount of physical activity you encounter.
Fibromyalgia Symptoms
There are a lot of symptoms that are associated with fibromyalgia which is the main reason it so difficult to diagnose. Below is a list of a few of these symptoms.
• Muscle pain, spasms or leg cramps
• Insomnia or waking up still feeling tired
• Always feeling tired and having little energy
• Being sensitive to one or more of the following, light, sound, noise, odors, foods, cold and medicines
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Upset stomach
• A feeling of anxiety or depression
Fibromyalgia Treatments
Finding a treatment that works for a person suffering with fibromyalgia may be rather difficult. Everyone is affected differently and what works for one person may not benefit another at all. In looking for a treatment you want to find something that will help to reduce the pain making it easier to function. You also need a treatment that will help to decrease the feeling of fatigue and one that will help increase your sleep. Some of the treatments used are listed below.
• Medications
• Exercise
• Diet
• Rehabilitation
If you suffer from fibro the best way to treat this condition is by setting up a program that allows you to get enough rest, avoid as much stress as possible and eat right. Understanding your condition and having a set program as part of your fibromyalgia treatment will help you deal with this disease easier.
It is important that you speak to your doctor to get a correct diagnosis of your fibromyalgia symptoms and to enable you to receive proper treatment.
Tips and Advice
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My wife was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a few years ago and our lives were changed forever. I am developing an online community for people suffering from fibromyalgia. The online community, “You’re Not Alone†( http://fibromyalgia.ning.com ), will allow members to participate in fibromyalgia-related discussions in the Forum, share their thoughts and ideas in their blog, and post their personal photos and videos. There is no cost to join. Members of the site follow a simple process to create their profile page, which they can later customize including a profile photo and additional details about themselves. I created the project while participating in a Landmark Education leadership program. Part of the coursework was to create a project that benefits the community. When I had the opportunity to create a project that would make a difference in the community, it was only natural that my wife’s illness would be the inspiration.
i have severe burning feet for 3 months no amounto f changing shoes , exercise x.rays B12 shots nothing can show a reason do you think fibro may be a cause thanks karen any advise would be helpful it’s driving me nuts.
Hi Karen, I have been dealing with health problems for last 20yrs and in my travels have learned that burning feet is caused by the liver. Ask a good herbalist for herbs for it or ask at your local health food store as they always have a professional there to help. I hope this helps you. Take care, regards, Heather
I have been told i have FMS for over 8 years now. My first doctor said she was sure i had PMR/TA - polymyalgia rheumatica with temporal arteritis. Although she sent me to a rheumatologist within 24 hours he refused to even listen to my symptoms becuase of my age. I was 29 at the time. PMR/TA is taught to doctors as only occuring in over 50 year olds. After years of suffering and being ignored I have determined that FMS really is untreated PMR/TA in under 50 year olds, but an associated unclassified form of gout is active at the same time. This gout is what causes Karen’s burning pain in her feet. It is also the cause of the stabbing, piercing pain that is felt in the muscles and joints. I have found the only way to remedy the gouty symptoms [and this works if you are strict and follow it] is to eat a very low purine diet. Pretty much exclude all purines in your diet. The rapid onset fatigue that feels like it is drugging you after eating, is caused by a moderate load of ingested purines. You can take guaifenesin 300mg/day to help excrete the gouty crystals. Dr Paul St. Amand of UCLA-California has been treating FMS patients with this medication for over 40 years. It causes some symptoms in the detox period [1 mth for every year of illness] but when you get past this, there is no morning stiffness, not stabbing pain and a great degree of increased energy. The gouty symptoms of this double layered condition are very much part of the daily difficulty in functioning. Take calcium and multivitamin supplements daily with a meal, and use melatonin at night if sleep disturbance is bad.
Hi I have had FMS for over 15 years now and am on medication to help the pain and sleeping pills to get a bit of sleep. I have found it very hard to take it all in and also have had many of my friends turn their backs on me saying it is all in my head and only want the pain relief and sleeping pills plus other ones I also take as a addiction like a drug addict. Does anyone else have this problem I am alone in this and have found myself more at home rather than going out as hate the remarks I get from these people. What do other people with FMS think about this?
Bye for now.
D Gibson
i am 38 y.o and have suffered for 8 years,going to a rheumatoid specialist didnt even want to know me,,i think alot of people think it is in your head…..believe me they are all wrong …let them feel the way i do everday and then have an opinion!! i dont sleep ,tired all the time ,cant lift anything and cant take any medication for it because i am allergic to everything… only us sufferers know how we feel ,it just gets a little tough trying to prove something you cant see…….
After almost 4 years of being undiagnosed researching this disease makes me think I might have it. I would love to know if anyone can recommend a doctor who spealises in Fibromyalgia in NSW. Please contact me if you can offer suggestions
Having initially contracted Ross River Virus and having symptons and ongoing blood tests over 2 years the R/R no longer showed up in any blood tests but many symptons persisted.
After seeing doctors again ,going to a rheumatologist and undergoing bone density tests,blood tests etc the diagnosis guessed i think as nothing shows up in tests was Fibro ,the specialist who seamed very uninterested then prescribed a couple of tablets Mobic & Diopethen to help.
These tablets appeared to help for a while with the sleep & aches & pains associated but now don’t seem so good .
Anyone have some secret weapons they can suggest because if i feel like i do sometimes now at 45 what the hell am i going to feel like at 55-65.
Hi Gavin
I too was diagnosed with Ross River Virus and Barvon Forest Virus about 5 months ago and I too had blood tests and Xrays. I was given Mobic,they helped for awhile but i don’t take them anymore. If you find some secret weapon please let us know the outcome. I feel like c..p all the time. Tired,cramps,lethargic,burning feet,aches and pains and swelling of the feet.
i have suferd fibro for some time and at 43 was sick of the pain ,lack of sleep swollen joints etc but still have to work ,going to see rheumatologist next feb is the firt avail apointment doc tried me on just about every thing . about 3 week ago started taking panadol ostio and that definitly has helped not a fix but least it gets me through the day
I have had the following symptons for nearly 15 years, 59 years old. Wake up feeling tired and lethargic nearly every morning, even if I get a good sleep. Muscles feel very tired and heavy and in the arms have a slight burning feeling. A lot of the time my head is thick and dizzy and I find it hard to concentrate. Previously I was a body builder but even when I have a few good days and try to do a very light workout the next few days I am very tired and unable to sustain any sort of reasonable program except for walking, which still requires me to push myself. What do you think?
stop eating purines. they are implicated in gout diets. also avoid salicylates in medicines and topical creams/beauty products.
My rheumotologist who initially diagnosed me with lupus (SLE) about 7 years ago prescribed 10mg of amitriptyline for me when I later reported getting pain in my shoulders at night which was preventing me from getting comfortable enough to sleep. He told me that I had fibromyalgia and the pain I was getting in the shoulders was a result of sleep deprivation as was the fibromyalgia. Anyway, the amitriptyline worked brilliantly for me. I’m still on it years later, now on 25mg per day but it definitely does help me with sleep and I have not had that awful pain in my shoulders at night since. I still have other fibromyalgia symptoms at times but getting enough sleep is a big key to minimising this.
Hi, My name is Christa and I have been suffering fibromyalgia since the year 2000. It has changed my life forever as I am constantly in pain and suffer fatigue, which is effecting any social life I may have otherwise enjoyed. I have no labido, and sometimes the pain is so severe I take a cocktail of medication, without the consequences of possible death, just wanting the overall muscular pain to go. I am at times suicidal, but I have found that if I eliminate stress from my life, the pain improves, but I do take a sedative daily to allow me to deal with lives daily dealings. I am more sentative than I used to be, and not many people understand the symptoms we endure daily. I know I should exercise but with my fatigue and living alone, it provides no incentive to attempt to cook or otherwise lead a more positive life. I listen to my body and it requires approx 12 hours sleep a night. For all of you, I do understand your pain.
Hi my name is Joanne and I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2000 after 5 years of me continually going to my doctors and complaining of fatigue and consent pain. After being diagnosed I requested a second opinion. Dr Stephen Hall from Cabrini (Melbourne) confirmed that I have fibromyalgia. He suggested that I go to Cedar Court rehabiliation where I learnt alot of things like pain management, meditation. When I get burning in the legs from the change in weather,I find that when I ice them they settle down. Only when I get a severe flare up do I take any medication. I also have a massage once a fortnight to help keep me moving. The best thing that I have do is to research and try to understand what fibromyalgia is. A good book is Fibromyaligia and Chronic Myofascial Pain a survival manual by Devin Starlanyl and Mary Ellen Copeland. It is very interesting but you might need a medical dictonary to help you out. I actually thought I wouldn’t be able to ontinuing with my ballroom dancing or any exercise. But I found that if you pace yourself you can do anything you want.
hi crista, reading your story helps me by knowing im not insane as i feel very much the way you do, i have no quality of life, i dont enjoy my life as its full of pain, tiredness, i sleep alot as i get tired just doing the smallest things, i take medication as well at any time not caring if i wake up as what do i have to wake up to another day of pain, depression ect,,, i also have no labido, i dont enjoy my life, but i dont want pitty of anyone i just wish i had a normal life. take care crista… and thankyou…
Hi Crista, I can totally empathise with you. I have had fms for 20+ and know only too well how the constant chronic pain affects ones life. I have gone from it affecting my body in certain areas and my life sometimes to it affecting all my body and spending most of my time in my room and feeling trapped as it is so painful to do anything. I take no medication these days as I felt that it only caused further complications. I do now though use a cpap machine at night and am actually sleeping properly for the first time in 30 years. I feel so frustrated that the medical profession are so ignorant on the subject and just want to prescribe drugs to people. I have become quite cynical and trust neither the doctors who I see as mere script writers and the drug companies who I feel are only interested in the mighty dollar. If only they could look beyond pills and try alternatives, run some trials using other ways to heal and regenerate. I suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. I wont go into the whys and wherefores, suffice to say that I am starting to feel that those who suffer from fms somehow have lost the ability to let go of pain….I am talking here about pain on all levels. I feel that the trigger in our brain that allows us to let go of pain has somehow been interrupted and that we store all our own painful memory (and for some, that of the world… its’ sadness and injustices,) in our bodies and it then presents as inflammation and pain. Am I making sense to anyone. I would love to know how many sufferers have been abused, how many feel that they are empaths,- meaning that you are affected physiologically by others’ pain,and how many of those who fit this description, find it difficult to let go of painful situations and events.I would love feedback, am I the only one who feels this way? I sometimes want to scream and lead a mighty crusade of all us fms sufferers that society and family for that matter ignores. I would love to scream loud enough that people would hear me and maybe take a real look at this and start doing something about it. For you Crista and all of you who suffer, know that you are not alone, that there are others who feel as you do usually people with “A GREAT CAPACITY FOR FEELING” I wish you all some relief no matter how it comes.
Hi does any one know of a support group in Perth wa
Is there a support group in Victoria?
there are several FMS support groups in and around Melbourne. the best place for a list of them is to call Arthritis Victoria and they will give you the groups and the contact phone numbers for each. good luck. the FMS groups are well worth attending.
Hi Mick,
I was diagnosed after 2 yrs (4 yrs ago)after every test possible to see what was wrong with me. I used to be full of life and very active with sports. All my life I have been filled with abuse starting when I was very young but had the ability to overcome and think I was becoming stronger all the time, this seemed to pull me through, so when I grew into an adult I had learnt to take anything. I am a firm believer that stress is the main cause of this illness. I suffered a messy divorce and my second life was filled with lots of love but a hell of lot of work as my partner had his children with him. I looked after 7 boys and worked full time, after a few yrs of this my body started to ache all over, sleep deprived, loss of memory, rash, dry mouth and my liver readings were sky high and not one test could tell me why. Finally I was diagnosed and have tried every natural method going, I am nearly 50 now and just want to give up, everything seems to be such an effort and I am sick of pretending I am fine when I am hardly coping (this is taking all my engeries up). I am going to go to my doctor (Who just wants to prescribe medication) and need to talk to her. I am in Brisbane so would love to hear from anyone who could point me to a person or doctor who is experienced with FMS. Whilst I appreciate the above reading, it does help knowing that our symptons are real and some people do understand.
After reading all the symptoms of fm i know i have it .Evertime I go to the doctors and talk about the pain (which is chronic and debilitating), he tells me it is unrelated pain due to my arthritis, and osteoporosis.I feel like its all in my head. I walk my dogs regularly and when i arrive home I am exhausted and aching. I always thought exercise was good for you. As i drive a lot for my job and if I am in the car for more than an hour my knee’s and elbows ache, I have had ex rays on both and told there was nothing wrong with them. I take lots of medication and need an anti-depressent to sleep.
I also get sick of knocking back social activities because I know how I will feel later. I do feel sorry for anyone that has this, its dreadful!
Thank you everyone for your stories. I have suffered from fm since my heart attack 2 years ago. I had spoken to my doctor about my problems but she had thought it was related to my new heart meds. A girlfriend (who has a friend with fm) suggested I may have fm and when I spoke to my doctor about this, she gave my a few pressure point test and said it looks like it. The new sleeping tabs and pain killers do help. I have remedial massage once a week as I am a dance teacher with 5 classes a week. Last year I tried a course of acupunture. 2 days after the first treatment I woke up pain free and was jumping out of my skin. I was so excited. Unfortunately the pain came back within a couple of days and even though I had another 7 treatments I never got the relief again.
After now having regular massage treatments I am giving the acupunture another go as my body has lossened up a bit and hopefully will respond to the treatment better. I will let you know how I go. I take every natural remedy available, so I know I am trying everything to help my body.I don’t want to give up my dancing but if I don’t get any relief soon it may be my only option.
Following ross river, glandular, brahvs & After 10 yrs of neck, shoulders, back being smashed up, cant get dressed, make a meal, drive a car, have any normality am diagnosed with fms. Drinking to try to kill the pain, no help from drs with the pain or sleep. Continuing to eat everything I was allergic to resorting to alternatives for any diagnosis or pain relief. All made it worse. Everything about life made it worse. Cfs kicked in hard. Still the unrelenting pain, wish Id never heard of fms, all the drugs or naturals to help it made it worse. All the trite comments, dropped by family & friends, abuse by boyfriends, mcs kicked in REAL hard, tried to make the houses after houses after houses OK to live in, now living in a car, I cant control one thing about my life, lie in a car screaming in pain all day, now doctors do think I should have some pain relief, 60 mg ms contin doesnt even make a dent in it, because of the mcs very difficult to get food, to weak to cook it, not that I have a stove in the car, theres no point to this. No government assistance at all & theres not a friend or family who care that Im lying in a car almost starving to death. I can take vits, after excruciating lessons that I couldnt take any herbs or any of the other rubbish naturopaths give you. To say nothing of the fms drugs including antidepressants.
Meditation doesnt work & besides that after 17 yrs Im sick of it. Suicidal doesnt even come close. How do you have no stress when you live in a hot car & have to keep the windows wound up because of the smell of petrol, grass, trees, people.