Fibromyalgia....?

do you have it and any tips on what works

thanks everyone for so much info...i was diagnosed in sept 06 but have refused medication as i have seen the long term effects of such,has anyone tried alternatives....i feel im 2 young to be in bed early etc..and am continuing to work full time but its getting difficult....i believe this condition stems from on going stress.

You hurt all over, and you frequently feel exhausted. Even after numerous tests, your doctor can't find anything specifically wrong with you. If this sounds familiar, you may have fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain in your muscles, ligaments and tendons, as well as fatigue and multiple tender points 鈥?places on your body where slight pressure causes pain. Fibromyalgia is more common in women than in men. Previously, fibromyalgia was known by other names such as fibrositis, chronic muscle pain syndrome, psychogenic rheumatism and tension myalgias.
Treatment
In general, treatment for fibromyalgia includes both medication and self-care. The emphasis is on minimizing symptoms and improving general health.

Medications
Medications can help reduce the pain of fibromyalgia and improve sleep. Common choices include:

Analgesics. Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) may ease the pain and stiffness caused by fibromyalgia. However, its effectiveness varies. Tramadol (Ultram) is a prescription pain reliever that may be taken with or without acetaminophen. Your doctor may recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) 鈥?such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or naproxen sodium (Anaprox, Aleve) 鈥?in conjunction with other medications. NSAIDs haven't proved to be effective in managing the pain in fibromyalgia when taken by themselves.
Antidepressants. Your doctor may prescribe antidepressant medications such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline (Pamelor) or doxepin (Sinequan) to help promote sleep. Fluoxetine (Prozac) in combination with amitriptyline has also been found effective. Sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil) may help if you're experiencing depression.

Some evidence exists for a newer class of antidepressants known as serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors or dual uptake inhibitors, which regulate two brain chemicals that may transmit pain signals. Studies have found that duloxetine (Cymbalta) may help control pain better than placebo in people with fibromyalgia. Small trials of venlafaxine (Effexor) suggest the same, though more study is needed to confirm these findings.

Muscle relaxants. Taking the medication cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) at bedtime may help treat muscle pain and spasms. Muscle relaxants are generally limited to short-term use.
Pregabalin (Lyrica). Pregabalin may reduce pain and improve function in people with fibromyalgia. Pregabalin, an anti-seizure medication that's also used to treat some types of pain, is the first drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat fibromyalgia. Studies show pregabalin reduced signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia in some people. In one study, about half of the participants taking the highest doses of the drug reported at least a 30 percent improvement. Side effects of pregabalin include dizziness, sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, blurred vision, weight gain, dry mouth, and swelling in the hands and feet.
Prescription sleeping pills, such as zolpidem (Ambien), may provide short-term benefits for some people with fibromyalgia, but doctors usually advise against long-term use of these drugs. These medications tend to work for only a short time, after which your body becomes resistant to their effects. Ultimately, using sleeping pills tends to create even more sleeping problems in many people.

Here is a REALLY good site about this. U can get personalized help and advice here.

My sister has this horrible condition and has found that pacing herself really is important.........allowing for the fact that if she does too much one day she will pay for it in the following days. Effective pain management...pain killers, TENS machine etc....talking to other people with the same problem, eating a healthy diet and most important of all getting enough rest!
All my sympathy.

My sister also has this and was put on amitriptyline (low dose) as it is great for reducing muscle spasms. She also got help from a chiropractor and uses heat on the area too.

I just read on amitriptyline today and it is an antidepressant.

I advise you to do a search on Brain Talk Communities. It will show you a site with a url of hastry pastries. This forum is provided by Mass/Harvard and has many many medical forum and fibromyalgia is one of them. Check it out for it is full of information from people that are experiencing your condition and many others.

Good Luck!!

I have fibromyalgia. My dr told me to avoid any artificial sugars and I take Lyrica and have a strict bedtime schedule. I also try to exercise everyday. When I do find myself to tired I take naps and take it easy. I have found that since I avoid the artificial sugars and take the Lyrica I feel much better. The strict bed schedule is the way it is since I feel much better when I go to bed earlier ( I go to bed around 9 and give myself an hour to relax and fall to sleep) and get up earlier. The later I sleep the worse I feel. I also take a muscle relaxer every night to help my rigid body relax and gives it time to rest.

Hi,Ive had a similar condition(haven't actually had a complete diagnosis or name to put with my illness) I'm affected in my joints and spine,general apathy,tendency toward depression,stiffness in general limb groups,poor appetite,feeling of flu type symptoms with aching muscles and feverish feeling and low energy levels,doctor has me on a variety of meds which includes- durogesic patches(morphine) for prolonged pain-Bendroflumethiazide this is an anti-inflammatory,Ramipril for unsettled blood pressure,Ferrous Sulphate for low iron,Citalopram for depression and lastly Ammitryptilene at night which is a dual purpose drug its mainly used to ease muscle pains/spasms and also can help lift depression.This illness took hold of me initially in 1997 whilst on holiday in Crete,first symptoms was crucial extreme diarrhoea/burning fever,unable to hold even small sips of water down before rushing to loo,so anyways to cut the story short I came home and things really got worse,the 1st week home I had extreme back probs which rendered me immobile,then as time went on I had swelling and spasms in the knee and ankle/sole of foot,the feeling was like walking on nails and knees was so weak I could hardly stand for any short times when washing at sink etc etc,gradually after around 18months things slowly improved and was able to return to work,although I just wasnt at full fitness I could do short days as I was self employed,things were going pretty ok till November 04,one evening after work I was rudely awakened around 5-6am with massive surges and spasms of pain in both lower legs,was like that feeling when you wake with bad cramp only this was constant and in both legs,tottally in torturous pain and agony for the next six weeks,couldnt use my legs wotsoever and slightest trial on them rendered me nearly unconscious with pain,so the next six weeks was spent in bed totally immobile and helpless even had to adapt a change in toilet habits,the pain left my legs but just couldnt get away from the stiffness and aches in most of my joints particularly my back and side of ribcage region,to summarise, I now attend a private physiotherapist and recently joined a small yoga group,I continue to have good days along with bad,at times im just unable to do things which at one time I took for granted,I believe a balanced diet,good sleeping habits,and gentle exercise(when feeling up to it) all helps along with a supervised medicine intake,but unfortunately there isnt two cases ever the same and what will work for one person could be unsafe for another,each case is fully unique and certain meds will work great for some and give others very bad side effects,all in all I would recommend to see a personal physiotherapist at regular intervals,Ive had 2 catscans done last year and the only info i was able to get from this was that I had bad case of imflammation along the spine which explains the bad flare-up in legs,lastly my most recent diagnosis was that I have reactive arthritus and ankylosing sponddylitus, apparently wotever strain of virus I caught in Crete that time in 1997 triggered all the symptons and problems that occured since and is actually more common than a lot of people think,young males who travel are more at risk than females.Males carry a certain gene thats very easily triggered when abroad.Sorry this account is so long but hopefully there is some useful info you have found from reading it.
Wayne (34)

Fibromyalgia makes you feel tired and causes muscle pain and "tender points." Tender points are places on the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms or legs that hurt when touched. People with fibromyalgia may have other symptoms, such as trouble sleeping, morning stiffness, headaches, and problems with thinking and memory, sometimes called "fibro fog."

No one knows what causes fibromyalgia. Anyone can get it, but it is most common in middle-aged women. People with rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases are particularly likely to develop fibromyalgia. There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but medicines can help you manage your symptoms. Getting enough sleep and exercising may also help. i dont have it!!

you can buy a book about it from your local chemist, most chemists sell them, because my mum had it and she had a book about it. can it be passed on thru the family?

this is often a misdiagnosis-more likely its some type of infection causing it like borreliosis / lyme disease (that goes for people with ME,MS,and a multitude of other problems not well understood within the medical community).

www.health-reports.com/fibromyalgia.html

I was diagnosed with the condition over a decade ago. Stress definitely can affect symptoms. It seems that more type A personalities develop this condition. After years of go, go, go, our bodies say enough. You can improve your health without drugs.

The key is good quality sleep. (Lack of exercise was a badly promoted myth a few years ago.) Use your bedroom for sleep (and sex) only. NO TVs, etc. Get a good mattress, darken the room and sound proof (ear plugs). If you have a partner, they could also be affecting the quality of your sleep - snoring, movement, etc. Go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time. Figure out what is the right amount of sleep for you. Everyone is different - 8 hours is just an average.

Eat healthy and regularly. If you do not feed your body good food you are not giving it the nutrition it needs to heal and to stay healthy.

Pace yourself. Even on days where you feel better do not over do it. Develop an "exercises" regime. I do not mean training for a marathon or anything like that. Start slow, stretching routines. A walk around the block every third day (or whatever works for your body) and increase very slowly as you get better. Fibromyalgia or not, exercise is important for many reasons - maintaining flexibility, strength, stamina.

You have other medical conditions look after those because they could be contributing to the worsening of your fibromyalgia.

Develop a routine and delegate household chores. Find ways to minimize the work load. For example don't just cook for one meal. Cook extra to freeze for several meals. See if you can order your groceries and have them delivered.

Work is a more difficult thing to deal with. This depends on the type of work and what kind of boss you have. If you have a boss that is caring, talk to them. See if you can take longer breaks but stay later. Can you do some of the work from home/bed? You may need to take some sick leave.

You did not get sick overnight, but with time and patience and developing good habits you can improve your symptoms.