Just diagnosed...pls help!
Godhelp - Dec 7th, 2009 2:41 PM
[ Original Post ]

Hi all,

I am so glad to find this forum. i just got diagnosed after suffering for 14mon after the birth of my first child. It started out with the rebound insomnia when i stopped taking ambien after 3mon of taking it everyday. Then the pain merges one at time. I believe my sleep issue brought up this condition at lest for me. But i am still not convinced that my symptoms are from FMS. I still feel there is something else going on. Currently, everyday i wake up with stiffness in my neck, shoulder and all upperback. Then my head will start to tighten up along with my neck, when this happens, my eyes will start to get red and muddy looking and i end up getting headache which is most similar to tension headache. I also have lower back pain, and sporadic shooting pain that is coming from my arm and calf. I also don't get into deep sleep, so i am always tired even though i get 5-6hrs sleep a night on good days. I am very frustrated and depressed as a result of that. my life is perfect other than this condition, i have a good husband and healthy boy. My main symptoms is basically this tightness(stiffness) as if someone putting my head in vice and neck. I also have vitamin D deficiency(18). Is this the only thing that is going on with me. i don't know which doc to go to anymore, i am so frustrated with all of them. I break down crying in the rhemutologist(sp?) office the day she diagnosed me with FM by tender point test. How do i break this vicious tightness cycle? Please give me your advice.

Thank you so much!

Comment


 

Termesue - Dec 7th, 2009 6:09 PM

All I can say is RESEARCH! You are your own advocate! When no one will listen, look it up and print it out. They(docs) believe what they can see and read. You are not alone.


Fantod - Dec 9th, 2009 7:42 PM

Hello Godhelp and welcome to the forum!

I am sorry to read that you are having a difficult time right now. Fibromyalgia (FMS)is a disorder of the central nervous system that causes widespread chronic pain. The mechanism that causes it is not understood. There is no cure but it can be managed with certain classes of prescribed medication. FMS is recognised by the National Arthitis Foundation and the Center for Disease Control.

The problems with neck and shoulder pain that you have described are not unusual. Many people with FMS have this symptom which is usually associated with Myofacial Pain. Take a look at the blue boxes on the lefthand side of this page. You should find the information about it under "associated conditions." Are you aware of grinding or clenching your teeth at night? You may need a bite splint to relax your facial muscles to help resolve some of the pain. You'll have to find a dentist who specializes in TMJ (now called TMD). In the interim, ask your doctor for the Flector Pain Patch. This is not narcotic and does not get into your bloodstream. It works wherever it is applied. You can cut them up to make them last longer. That should help a lot while you investigate other causes.
You could also ask the rheumotologist about getting some trigger point injections in your neck and shoulders to break the pain cycle. If you decide to do that, have someone drive you and bring an ice pack. It is not the most comfortable thing I've ever endured but it did work once I got over the discomfort from the injections.

It can take quite a bit of time and tinkering to find the best combination of medication and dosage to make you more comfortable. The longer a chronic pain cycle goes on, the harder it is to manage or stop. It is not a perfect science by any means as all of us are affected differently. Don't waste your time and money taking Tylenol or any other OTC pain medication. They don't work on the type of pain generated by FMS. The rheumotologist is the best person to treat FMS. You might want to consider getting a pain specialist too (I have both).

One of the reasons that you are so sore and achey is the lack of restorative sleep. FMS disrrupts the deep sleep cycle with short bursts of high intensity brain activity. Your muscles need deep sleep in order to repair themselves from the days activities. No deep sleep means higher levels of pain which rapidly becomes a vicious circle. Anitriptyline is usually prescribed for sleep issues associated with FMS.

You should be eating small high protein meals throughout the day. This will help with your fatigue issues. Stay away from deep fried foods, lunchmeat (nitrates) and anything that contains an artifical sweetner including Splenda.
Any of these items will probably increase your pain levels. If you require an artifical sweetner, use Truvia or Sun Crystals which are made from the nontoxic Stevia plant. You can find these items in the grocery store.

Take some time to read through all of the information in the blue boxes on the lefthand side of this page. There is a lot of good information which is easy to understand. We are all here to help you through this. If you have further questions, need to vent or any other concerns, please let us know. Take care and God Bless.




Wiccad - Dec 9th, 2009 8:27 PM

I agree do alot of research, there are plenty of helpful things like eating anti-inflammatory foods and ones high in anti-oxidents. It does not take away the pain but it knocks it down a couple of levels. There is no quick fix for this unfortunately it's all about time and trying new things. The meds will be the toughest part to go through. I've had it for 10 years and have not been successful in finding something that works. Good luck to you and I hope your path will be different than mine.