Does anyone else here have Fibromyalgia?

It can be insidious and painful. Here is a little about it for those who don't know.


What Are the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia?


Symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

• Chronic muscle pain, muscle spasms or tightness, weakness in the limbs, and leg cramps
• Moderate or severe fatigue and decreased energy
• Insomnia or waking up feeling just as tired as when you went to sleep
• Stiffness upon waking or after staying in one position for too long
• Difficulty remembering, concentrating, and performing simple mental tasks (“fibro fog”)
• Abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and constipation alternating with diarrhea (irritable bowel syndrome)
• Tension or migraine headaches
• Jaw and facial tenderness
• Sensitivity to one or more of the following: odors, noise, bright lights, medications, certain foods, and cold
• Feeling anxious or depressed
• Numbness or tingling in the face, arms, hands, legs, or feet
• Increase in urinary urgency or frequency (irritable bladder)
• Reduced tolerance for exercise and muscle pain after exercise
• A feeling of swelling (without actual swelling) in the hands and feet
• Painful menstrual periods
• Dizziness

Fibromyalgia symptoms may intensify depending on the time of day -- morning, late afternoon, and evening tend to be the worst times, while 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. tends to be the best time. Symptoms may also get worse with fatigue, tension, inactivity, changes in the weather, cold or drafty conditions, overexertion, hormonal fluctuations (such as just before your period or during menopause), stress, depression, or other emotional factors.

If the condition is not diagnosed and treated early, symptoms can go on indefinitely, or they may disappear for months and then recur.
Fibromyalgia Symptoms - Symptoms of Fibromyalgia - from WebMD

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Fibromyalgia affects the body’s muscles, tissues and joints making them tender, stiff, and painful along with other fibromyalgia symptoms such as sleeplessness. A lot of people have fibromyalgia without knowing what it is. They attribute the pain to getting old and a bit arthritic when, in reality, they are suffering from early symptoms of fibromyalgia. There are tests that can diagnose fibromyalgia pain; it can be treated with pain medicine along with mild exercises.

Fibromyalgia is difficult to diagnose as it does not show up in x-rays, scans, or blood tests because there is no inflammation involved.

The diagnosis is made by a physical examination, and there are 18 fibromyalgia trigger points, or tender points, located at various places on the body, which when pressed lightly will experience pain. To be medically diagnosed with fibromyalgia, 11 of the 18 trigger points must be painful when pressed, and the patient must have experienced prevalent widespread pain for at least three months.
Fibromyalgia Treatment: What Everybody Needs to Know | Health Guide Info

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There are various medications that are very effective. Cymbalta (an antidepressent)which works on depression, as this is often associated with fibromyalgia simply because of the continuous pain, Lyrica (a nerve receptor ) which reduces the pain but is not indicated for depression, Savelta (works on the nervous system and acts as a neurotransmitter).

I take Lyrica and find it very effective. No medication takes all the pain away but they do allow you to have a better quality of life.

Exercises are usually stretching exercises, and what I term 'soft' yoga. A good physiotherapist can show you the best stretching exercises to do to keep your muscles limber.

In many areas, there are Fibromyalgia support groups which can be very important to one who suffers with Fibromyalgia. Basically you find that you are not on an island alone......there are many others who suffer from the same as well as chronic pain.

In looking over these symptoms, I find I have them all in some form or another, except RA. I have osteoarthritis and have had 2 neck surgeries and 1 lower back surgery to date.

The best thing about this condition is that they have found out more about it, and the medical community understands it. During the times not much was known about Fibromyalgia, the physicians thought patients with the condition were hypochondriacs or just wanted drugs.

My condition was just actually diagnosed a couple of years ago, and I'm glad it was.
~~Shaam
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There are 9 most common trigger points/tender points. The others are in proximity to them.

Tender points of fibromyalgia exist at these nine bilateral muscle locations:

Low Cervical Region:
(front neck area) at anterior aspect of the interspaces between the transverse processes of C5-C7.
Second Rib:
(front chest area) at second costochondral junctions.
Occiput:
(back of the neck) at suboccipital muscle insertions.
Trapezius Muscle:
(back shoulder area) at midpoint of the upper border.
Supraspinatus Muscle:
(shoulder blade area) above the medial border of the scapular spine.
Lateral Epicondyle:
(elbow area) 2 cm distal to the lateral epicondyle.
Gluteal:
(rear end) at upper outer quadrant of the buttocks.
Greater Trochanter:
(rear hip) posterior to the greater trochanteric prominence.
Knee:
(knee area) at the medial fat pad proximal to the joint line

Fibromyalgia trigger points..

Sometimes our bodies become very sensitive because at a spiritual level we need to take notice of our physical shield. It is screaming for us to pay attention to that aspect. Many people don't understand that an individual is a multifaceted being, and that we are not just simply one thing or another but an amalgamation of our facets, but there are four primary that correspond to the Medicine Wheel compass points of North, South, East and West (Earth, Fire, Air & Water) respectively Spirit, Physical, Intellect and Emotion. People tend to evolve one aspect more so than another, creating an imbalance. This imbalance then forces us to pay attention to that aspect which has been ignored. Fibromyalgia and other types of chronic fatigue & pain diseases are an example of this.

Pharmaceuticals will help to treat the symptoms but you could also try employing some spiritual or shamanic methods to "take notice" of your physical. Treat Fibromyalgia the same way you would any other overload of energy system, try yoga, meditation, tai-chi and kundalini exercises. Use natural waters to alter the flow of your chi by immersing yourself in a rapid stream or swimming in the waves of an ocean. if the improved energy (chi) flow through the body using these modalities helps your bouts. Try eating more soothing herbs that tonify and nurture your system, especially those that up your intake of collagen- seaweed, nettle. By paying attention to your physical aspect you will evolve it and help it to stay in balance with your mental, emotional and intellectual facets.

namaste,
JB

Looking at our physical health as well as our psychical health certainly is needed, especially in this day in time due to the fast pace our lives have.

As a sufferer of Fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and permanent nerve damage from 3 back surgeries in 10 years, I know how hard it is to balance the different things our general health requires.

When I am having a major fibromyalgia/osteoarthritis flare, it is really hard to rise above the physical pain enough to think about my spiritual and psychical health. Once the pain level, once again, becomes a 'dull roar', then I climb out of the hole I have been in and can see the beauty once more.

I have tried many of the methods you suggest, Jayne, and they do help, but a major flare is really hard to deal with. It is downright exhausting. I do love my herbs. The ones that relax me the most and offer healing from the aroma...are rosemary, lavender, chamomile......and I love lemon balm.

I'm sure Sham, just trying to offer some alternatives that might help in some small way.

namaste,
JB

And.....they do, if I can catch the pain before it gets too bad. Weather fronts make it really worrisome too.....lol.

I just deal with it the best I can. If I need to rest in bed a day, I do.....with my laptop, a good book, coffee, and fresh fruit.....lol. No bonbons for me...lol.

I have fibromyalgia. I was diagnosed in the fall/winter of 2009 after having chronic physical pain that lasted for weeks at a time and made absolutely no sense. I felt like I'd been in a car accident and I've never really had any broken bones or intense physical injuries. For me, if I am not monitoring my stress level (emotional, work related, etc) then I will have a flare up. I also find that sometimes I may not have pain but will have intense fatigue or IBS. It seems I either have one of the three.

I too have fibro. I have found that meditation does help. I like to do it when I take my shower in the morning. Something about the warm water and the quiet time helps me mentally and physically. But like Shaam says, those weather fronts can knock you on your butt. There are days where I would feel much better if I could stay home with a heating pad and rest, but I have to work full time.
This past year has really been hard on me physically and mentally and I have felt like I have been ina year long flare. Hope this year is better and I can get a little rest.

Nice to meet you ladies

Mary Beth