Fibromyalgia Symptoms HOME

Hi, Tiana, and welcome. I hope we can help you out a bit.

Chronic pain is one of the major symptoms of fibro. If you suspect it might be the cause, usually a good rheumatolgist is the one to go see for a firm diagnosis. If it's not, they might have an idea on what to check for next.

There are a few things you can do to make yourself feel better in the meantime. If it's possible for you, very gentle stretching helps. Sometimes it feels like the last thing you want to do, and it can ache a bit, but it's helped me more than any medication. Some do exercises in heated pools which can support you. Just be certain to listen to your body and not do too much.

I also swear by hot baths, especially with bath salts. Get some in a scent that you love, or even make your own with essential oils. (Lavender is one of my favorites, but there are recipes online for crazy things like hot chocolate.) Heating pads or heated mattress pads can also help.

Gentle massages are nice, too. Many bath kits have these little rubber-tipped massagers, which can feel really good on the back if done lightly.

Let us know how you're doing, ok? Good luck.

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Hello,
Fellow chronic pain sufferer here...Good suggestions. Therapeutic Massage is awesome and has been very helpful for me...My arms were so bad I couldn't turn a door knob or lift a glass of water and massage (although very painful to get thru) made it possible to function.

Aspercreme with some Advil can help me on some days. I dream of a warm mud bath. It sounds so comforting.

Light stretching in a warm shower is helpful for me too....plus plenty of water to drink. Propel (sports drink) is something my GP suggested too with a good multivitamin.

Good luck to you.

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I would suggest seeing a doc who is well versed in Fibromyalgia. The problem is.. some are clueless and some don't believe it exists at all. I was lucky. My primary doc pretty much had a feeling I had fibro.. he did an immense amount of tests to rule everything out. ie.. Lupus, MS, Rheumatoid diseases, Lyme, etc.. that really is the only way to diagnose Fibro. Mention Fibro to your doc and see what he/she says. If they don't want to consider it, find a new one. Or yes, as someone else stated here.. Rheumatologist. Good luck.

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Hi TianaK, well you will need to be patient and with a little push might be able to get some kind of pain management.

The doctor is looking at finding what is giving you the pain, he may have an idea that it could be fibro, but until he exhaust all tests, you may be in a bit of a pickle, but that doesn't mean that you can't get some kind of medication to calm your pain.

First you need to calmly educate your doctor about the pain you are in, description like:
Some words you might use, pulsing, throbbing, pounding, shooting, stabbing, sharp, intense, pain. Is it throbbing, intense, unbearable, spreading or radiating or agonizing pain.
Do you feel exhausted, trouble, is it frighful or just anoying pain.
Do you have also other symptoms, such as vomiting, shaking inability to concentrate.

Ask the doctor if he understands the kind of pain you are in and the severity and the disruption and the influence it has on your life, ask about your options, would some kinds of pain management help for now, tell the doctor you have exausted all avenue and you are looking at ways to stop the pain.

The best place to start is the local emergency hospital, most will give you some kind of pain medication and ask if you can be refered to a doctor who understand the pain and that can help you and that you have exhausted all options and you are in dire need of help.

If you happen to get a doctor that tells you it's all in your head, tell the doctor that you will not accept this kind of an excuse and that you want some other physician to help you. If there is no action, then take the physician name and tell him that you will complain and promptly do so.

In the meantime, go to the pharmacy and take robax platinium, this will help your muscle relax, take long hot bath, or long hot shower, if you can go to the local gym and use the sauna this will help you, sometime just floating in the water helps. You can also try tylenol for arthritis it helps.

Massages, chiro, physio, accupunctures are a real help in releasing the pain. After a long shower go to bed all wrap up in your towel and bury yourslef in your duvet and relax you may be able to relax to give you some measure of taking care of the pain.

Start drinking lots of water, stop drinking the colas, coffees, and eating the junk food, eat healthy and keep a diary of what kind of pain you have and what you have taken as medication or got a massage etc.

Show it to your doctor then the doctor will have a better idea of how serious you are and that you are suffering from fibromyalgia.

Good luck to you, I know it's not easy to find a doctor in saskatchewan, I'm in ontario and I have problems locating one also.

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Hi everyone

i would just like to say Thanks for all the support and people responding def helps me out!I spoke with my doctor and she said she almost 95% sure i do have FM, but the problem is she is saying that theres not to much we can do for it. I have tried the massage . helps out big time!! see the pain is throbbing , aching. intense that i just lay there and almost crying, . also sharp pains that shoot from my elbow to my fingers. and im soo exhausted. i honestly sleep about 10 hours a night and i still cant seem to get up in the morning. my only other symptom is that i keep getting double vision lots. at least 3/4 times a day and im starting to get headaches that last for hours.and lastly which is kind of embarassing is that i have not got my period in 6 months. and now i have assist on my overies. i dont no if that has anything to do with it. but our health care is so brutal. we dont pay for it but you also can tell. i have to wait 6 months to see a gyno and hopefully nothing happens in the meantime.i am def trying all the great advise thanks everyone once again!!

TianaK

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Hello again TianaK,

I know what you mean about waiting 6 months for some doctor to have a consult with. I'm still waiting for a rheumy and was told anywhere from 6 to 8 months.

My gp has given me medication to help me, with my fibro, but only after I went to her and said look I'm in pain, I've done my research and I really think that Cymbalta could help and told her point blank that I would not leave until she gave me some to start and a prescription.

She gave me a month's supply that she had in her office and asked me to return in a week or sooner if I found that the meds were giving me problems.

Sure enough I was back in her office dancing into her office, feeling 50% better then I ever did. She then gave me another month's supply and again, I had an open door policy to see her if things were getting worse or if I had any concern.

I've been on cymbalta for over 6 months now and it has done wonders. I really do enjoy my time when I'm pain free. I also take trazadone for sleeping and found when I sleep about 10 hours a day I'm feeling much better.

Another thing you should try is Vit A and D, if you have them in your multivitamin you should buy these two individually and take one of each also.

I just read a post that taking vitamin d which you get from the sun, but we fibro people don't have enough of should always take an extra dose.

It should help you with the pain, it won't take all the pain away but you might be surprise to see a difference.

Hope this helps you, and like we all say, you have to be your best advocate when you suffer from fibro, otherwise you will meet many doctors who just won't help, afraid to help or just very adamant that fibro is not real.

By educating yourself and working with your doctor and finding a new doctor you could partner with your health team to help you feel better.

Good luck to you and write/post again soon and let us know how you are doing.

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Hi Tiana - you are not alone in your pain. Sounds like the other comments are right on time. The only thing that really makes me feel better is massage. I take Lyrica and Oxycodone for my pain. It doesn't take care of the majority of the pain though. My doctor also has me on Cymbalta. NOthing really helps totally. At first it was just my back. Now it is in my hips right shoulder and arm, fingers and knees. I have not worked since Feb. of this year. My FMLA ran out and I had to resign from my job because I can not sit, stand or walk for long periods of time without pain. I have applied for disability. We'll see.

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