Any Suggestions?
BlueDragonfly - Jan 27th, 2010 3:01 AM
[ Original Post ]

I have recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I am having a very difficult time with it for several different reasons. I have recently moved out on my own because of an abusive relationship so I am starting from scratch with two children by myself with no support. My symptoms have been bad and I'm kind of in a catch-22. I'm taking care of my kids (2,12) while looking for work and keeping the house straight but most of the time I'm in so much pain and so exhausted that I can barely move let alone leave the house to get anything accomplished. I know that if I could just get some sleep that would help a lot but even as tired as I am insomnia keeps me awake despite the sleep medication my doctor prescribed. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I could do so that I can take care of everything I need to do? It just feels so hopeless sometimes.

Comment


 

ptalana - Jan 27th, 2010 8:53 AM

Hi BlueDragonfly, and welcome. I can understand the frustration that you are facing. What meds has your doc prescribed? Are you seeing a fms friendly rheumatologist? This is imperative in dealing with fms, as most primary care docs don't have the experience with fms. Your pcp should be able to refer you to one, if not call your hospitals referal service.
For sleep I take Flexeril, a muscle relaxant while it helps me fall asleep staying that way seems to be my issue. I have found that when I'm able to do my pilates I tend to sleep better. I realize that doing any form of exercise can be undaunting, I only do a 20 min mild form of pilates 5x a week. It's so important to keep the blood flowing, when I wasn't doing these my feet started turning black and blue.
Having to deal with fms and 2 kids on your own, what a challenge! I'm hoping that your 12 yr old is able to help you a bit. Do you have other family around to help and offer you support?
I would suggest as others have mentioned in the past that you utilize all the info in the blue boxes on left side of screen. They contain a wealth of much needed info.
Please feel free to ask any questions, rant, rave, laugh, or cry. We're all in this together, and this forum has some of the most experienced and compassionate people.
Welcome BlueDragonfly , Patty:)


Canada17 - Jan 27th, 2010 9:20 PM

Check out the Diet forum on the right. You will be amazed at what a difference it can make to control what you are eating. Even the healthiest of foods can aggravate your symptoms.

Yeast, white flour, white sugar, potatoes, citrus fruits, and alcohol are the worst for me. Eliminating them increased my energy, helped me get a little more restful night sleep, settled my IBS, and I lost 15 lbs in just two weeks.

In my highly non-professional opinion, I think it is very important for us to get control of our triggers before adding too many medications to the mix. If we can lessen or eliminate some of our symptoms then we may be able to reduce the number of meds we need and possibly benefit from lower doses of the ones we do. That said, don't make yourself suffer, find a good pain reliever that works well for you as you work through your triggers and keep a diary of issues to discuss with your doctor.

Water is important. We need to drink at least the recommended daily intake everyday. However, be careful of the amount of straight tap water you drink. Chlorine often makes our symptoms worse, plus all the other crap they put in the water to "purify" it. Get yourself a good quality charcoal filter or a water cooler if you can afford it.

Stress is like a car accident for us. It creates so much pain. We need to remove ourselves from stressful situations as much as possible. We also have find constructive ways to vent our feelings. Tai Chi is a great way to do this and is easy exercise that will help keep you limber.

Remember to smile, it's contagious. : ) Love yourself. You are not alone and your needs are just as important as everyone else's.