Fibro and fatigue - help

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longtimer

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Joined
Feb 5, 2020
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84
Reason
DX FIBRO
Diagnosis
02/2020
Country
CA
State
AB
I was recently diagnosed with Fibromyalgia - I went to see the doctor just after the New Year, with such intense fatigue I could hardly lift my arms. I'm already a chronic pain sufferer, so I have pain meds and I already practice relaxation techniques. My doctor told me that for Fibro I should exercise and continue to practice relaxation/meditation. So I have been dutifully exercising on my stationary bike, and with 1/2 lb weights for two days on and a day or two off, and I am getting stronger and more muscle mass, but I am TIRED all the time. Is there anything else I can do to help relieve this fatigue?
 
I totally sympathise with you. I have tried exercise but afterwards I feel even more tired than usual. I'm trying to find an exercise that helps but doesn't tire me or make the pain worse. I have been told that tai chi is good but I am still looking for a daytime class as evenings are a no go for me - I am shattered by then!
 
Thanks for your comments... at least I'm not alone. I don't like to jinx myself, but I do think that my pain is improving through the exercise. My muscles almost seem "happy" when I'm doing it, it's after the workout that I crash (and to be honest before the workout I am often torn between going to bed or exercising, and I really have to push myself to exercise. ) So if I feel better for a couple of hours pain wise, maybe its a worthwhile trade off - I hope that the exhaustion will improve - it's pretty devastating.
 
longtimer, I get what you are saying. I often have to push myself hard to get the exercise I need to get. Never used to - working out or going hiking or doing anything else really active was my favorite thing. The fatigue is just part of life when you have Fibro. Each person has to experiment to find out what works to balance exercise and fatigue and pain. It's a lot of trial and error at first, but I found once I learned really to listen to my body I am able to do better at that. Even so, since Fibro is capricious, you can't always predict accurately how things will go on any given day.
best of luck to you
 
Exercise, pain, and fatigue is really a conundrum. When I started exercising again, I took it slowly and really paid attention to how I was feeling. I still pay attention to how I’m feeling anytime I head out for a workout. I scale according to pain and fatigue levels, but I always go. The exercise has improved my pain levels as well as my mental health. Some days I get home, shower, and lay down for a nap. Honestly, I am fitter than I have been in years because I consider exercise as “medicine” My stamina has improved as well. It’s hard to get started, but I think you’ll see benefits if you stay with it. I laughed when my son dragged me to CrossFit as walking drained me. It was an effort to get out of a chair. Two years in, and I’m running, biking, weightlifting, and doing push-ups and pull-ups.Whats really important if you have Fibromyalgia is stretching, foam rolling muscle knots, and warming up before you exercise. Then when you’re done, cool down with more stretching or yoga so the lactic acid doesn’t settle in and cause more pain. Another gentle introduction to exercise is a Bone Builders class. If you can find one in your area, it’s a gentle strengthening with weights and resistance bands. It’s designed to improve osteoporosis and balance, but I think it’s an excellent guided way to get back into moving. I teach classes twice a week in my town. Keep moving anyway you can.
 
Thanks Mainegal - that is encouraging news. A friend suggested keeping a log to keep track of exercise progress so that I can see progress in real time. I will keep at my program, and hope to add swimming as soon as I can. I do stretch after every workout - really yoga, and I couldn't live without my foam roller. And once the weather gets better I will get walking again (though we are to have more freeze and snow this week... ugh. Thanks again.🙂
 
Hi can you tell me if you feel week with fibro.
I havn't been diagnosed but i do have some strange symptoms, i,e, leg weakness, tingling, siatica, back pain, not sure if its that mind.
Thanks
 
Oh, I couldn't tell you - I've had two surgeries on my back, so it's hard for me to distinguish one condition from another - I do get weak arms from compressed nerves in my neck - but I can't say it's from Fibro or from the condition of my spine. I think, from what I gather on this board, that Fibro is a multi symptom condition and your doctor is the best person to determine what is going on. I do know that spinal problems are equally difficult to diagnose - my doctors all focused on my lower spine for years until they finally looked at my upper spine and realized I needed surgery up there. Pain can be hard to figure out - I suggest writing down your symptoms and then seeing your doctor. I've had multiple tests to rule things out, until Fibro became the diagnoses - I have multiple painful trigger points all over my body, and I have extreme fatigue. Also - ask someone whose been on this board for a longer time than I, I've only been on a couple of weeks really - though my tag is Longtimer, I've only just been diagnosed in 2020.
 
Oh ok , thank you for your help x
 
I started Bone Builders Classes and it helped enormously with my fatigue and general sluggishness. I started at the first of the year and then had to stop because of the COVID-19 quarantine. BB is the only exercise that was easy and didn't make the problems worse. This loss of my energy is really hard on me because I used to be very athletic and did many sports. But at least I found BBs.
 
Fatigue is a nightmare! It paralyzes you both physically and mentally. It causes you to feel worthless and depressed thinking about the things you could usually do and the things you will never be able to do.
 
My girlfriend has MS and she says there is a really good exercise program for MS sufferers online that she thinks might be good for fibro sufferers. I can't remember the name of it, but it is probably easy enough to find. It encompasses all levels of ability.
 
I totally sympathise with you. I have tried exercise but afterwards I feel even more tired than usual. I'm trying to find an exercise that helps but doesn't tire me or make the pain worse. I have been told that tai chi is good but I am still looking for a daytime class as evenings are a no go for me - I am shattered by then!
Qi Gong is more of an exercise form of TaiChi and I’ve been taking Qi Gong classes online for the last 3 months and they are wonderful for me. I’ve tried finding classes locally but haven’t been able to. I’ve also tried a couple of dvds but had trouble following the instructor. I’m not fatigued afterward and I don’t develop tigger points as I do with some forms of exercise. I also walk for cardio exercise a couple of times a week even though I am often spent afterward. I found the classes on YouTube and liked them so much that I have a membership on the site now for more variety. You may find that the free YouTube sessions are enough for you. The channel is QiGong for Vitality and the website is the same. No affiliation, I just like that I can follow easily and also the way the instructor puts it all together. I hope this helps!
 
Thanks - I tried Qi Gong a few years ago, but couldn't do the movements due to a bad back. I have two DVD's, but maybe the classes you are doing are better to follow. I might just give it a try again. I still practise a couple of the movements in the stretching relaxation series that I do everyday.
 
Thanks - I tried Qi Gong a few years ago, but couldn't do the movements due to a bad back. I have two DVD's, but maybe the classes you are doing are better to follow. I might just give it a try again. I still practise a couple of the movements in the stretching relaxation series that I do everyday.
I have issues at L4 & L5 so I have to watch my back, too. No twists at the waist or bending from the waist, for example. I modify as needed. I find I can do most of the exercises in most of the routines without too many changes.
 
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