Fibromyalgia - South Elgin,IL

Hey there-

You have gotten some great responses already but I wanted to share my story with you...as a fellow Fibro sufferer.

I was diagnosed with this 15 years ago...back when Docs thought it was all in your head. Because of it's reputation, I tried desperately to put it out of my head and just tried to manage. I did this successfully until I had my children. I was 18 when I was diagnosed and so it was easier to manage before all of the hormone changes and when I was younger. Slowly but surely, it started to take over my life. After my 2nd child (in Feb 2007), I had just about had enough. I had *no* energy and was miserable with pain. My back hurt so bad that everything exhausted me...even brushing my hair.

After a long road with other issues, I finally talked with my Doctor about it (a fairly new Doctor) and he prescribed what I call nothing short of a miracle drug. He started me on Lyrica and within 2 days I felt like a new woman. It took a couple more days before I really started to count on it but holy cow. I am a new Mom, a new wife and a new person. I cannot stress to you enough how much better I feel and how much my life has changed.

Please feel free to contact me at anytime if you want to talk or want more information. I know what you are feeling and what you are going through. You have gotten through the worst of it. You have a diagnosis. Now it's just time to focus on finding out what is going to get you your life back.

Hope this helps.
N.

Hi E.,
i have seen patients with fibro over my 14 years (recently retired to wsahm) as a massage therapist. Some patients did well with massage but the ones that did the best did relaxation, massage , light exercise for circulation and dietary changes.
The body can heal with those tools...and time and patience!
Happy healing...
I do work with some patients now just with nutrition and have resources if you are interested...i know others have mentioned that too so i don't mean to repeat. It is frustrating to get a dx but keep your chin up there is hope!
Www.yourdailyservings.com

E., have you tried seeing a chiropractor for your fibromyalgia? If you go to one make sure they do a lot of soft tissue work and physical therapy, not just adjusting. You need it all done to help, and it does help alot. Acupuncture also is very effective for controlling the associated pain. One more thing, caffeine causes inflammation in the body which will only make you hurt more, so I would lay off the caffeine if I were you. BTW I am a chiropractor in Villa Park and I treat women alot with fibromyalgia as mentioned above and they do feel MUCH better. Give it a thought and if interested let me know if you want my help.

I have several clients (I'm an exercise physiologist) who I work with that have fibromyalgia. All of them are using a combination of exercise, nutrition (there are many foods that aggravate and inflame), and acupuncture to help relieve the pain and keep their energy levels up. The first thing you need to do is ELIMINATE CAFFEINE as it is one of the worst things for your condition. Starting the day off with a 10 minute or so walk and stretching will help you get going in the morning. This is also helpful throughout the day. Most of the people I've worked prefer the holistic approach rather than meds. Dr. Li at Synergy Pain Institute in Naperville has done wonders for my clients with acupuncture and nutrition guidance. Good luck...it's a tough road, but manageable with lifestyle changes.

Hi E.,
I have a background in nutrition and have worked with several clients that have received wonderful relief from their pain and exhaustion through nutritional supplementation.

Please send me a message if you'd like more information or shoot me an email at ____@____.com

Hi E.,
I'm very sorry about what you're going through right now. I remember being so sleepy during my first pregnancy that my hubby drove me to work because I had a fear of falling asleep while sitting in traffic. However, my situation was temporary and yours is much more serious.

May I extend an invitation to you to hear from a business partner of mine who was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Lyme Disease? Jacque does a very special wellness conference call on Tuesdays at 7:30 EST - on Autoimmune diseases [i.e, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, etc. It's quite an informative discussion and you will learn what most Doctors DON'T tell people suffering from these conditions!

You can reach me at ###-###-#### or via email ____@____.com if you're interested. It's free and since it's done over the phone, you won't have to leave your home.

Be blessed
M.

Unfortunately this is a subject I know about firsthand. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia about 6 years ago. My symptoms were like yours, so much pain, couldn't sleep but was exhausted, weird sensations in my legs, drank too much coffee, etc. I took too much OTC pain meds and found out that the more pain meds you take, the less able your body is to fight its own pain.

Also, try not to drink much caffeine because it's a trigger for more pain and short term solution.

Long term stuff that has worked for me:
1). Nortryptiline 75 mg per day (prescription) - it's a combo anti-depressant, pain med, and regulates sleep. Haven't tried Lyrica myself but that might be good too.
2). Exercise vigorously 3-5 times a week and really work up a good sweat. Vigorous cardio releases endorphins, helps with sleep, and you excrete toxins. Also good for improving your energy.
3). 400mg magnesium & 1000 mg calcium in addition to my once a day vitamin. Magnesium helps ease my pain and stiffness.
4). See a physical therapist or consider some type of rehab program that will help you get in control of your body and any posture issues you may have. I went to the Rehabilitative Institute in Chicago for their 30 day outpatient program for my fibromyalgia which is where I learned most of these tricks and I asked my doctor put me on a medical leave of absence in order to do the program at RIC, and not lose my job.

I got my energy back, have less pain, and regained hope for the future, and enjoyment of the present. It took ALOT of effort and a serious time committment but it was very worth it. I went on to get married and have a daughter. Now I'm chasing a 2 1/2 year old. It really can get better.

You might consider consulting with a certified hypnotist. You can learn self-hypnosis & relaxation skills to manage your stress & discomfort levels.
Also you can find a hypnotist or a class to learn EFT. EFT is being taught in hospitals like Swedish Covenant & Resurrection as a way to alleviate any kind of physical or emotional discomfort.
Check out emofree.com for more info & case histories.
Wishing you wellness.

Agree with the other posts, there certain foods that will cause more inflammation in the system. I know a friend who saw a naturopathic MD www.vitalhealth.org who learned about all the foods that were exhaborating her symptoms. They were gluten, soy, dairy, caffiene and a few others. I would get your thyroid checked as well as a complete blood work on food and enviromental allergies. Changing your diet and adding light mind/body exercise will be key into your road to recovery and hopefully getting off of pain meds. I know my friend has found relief once she got her diet on track.

Best wishes to you.