Long term back issues and Fibromyalgia

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Jrardon

New member
Joined
Mar 18, 2020
Messages
5
Reason
DX FIBRO
Diagnosis
03/2020
Country
US
Hello, I am and early 30s female. I have had back issues since I was in high school. Early MRI and X-ray showed beginning of disc degeneration at age 17. Now at 33 I have “advanced degenerative disc” in lower back. Since August 2019 I now have a ton of other issues including pain in all joints- back, Knees, shoulders, elbows, heels, neck and especially hips. I also have muscle twitches, Extreme muscle stiffness in the morning and at night. Just a normal day of work at my desk job is too much, by the time I get home I am miserable. I have a small house and by the time I am done cleaning it I can hardly move. GP thought Lupus. Went to Rheumatologist and they said it is isn’t Lupus- most likely Fibromyalgia. I am awaiting the final blood work results for final diagnosis but I am worried. If it is fibromyalgia... what medications work for pain?? I have fatigue too but honestly I can deal with that at my age, it is the pain that is truly horrible. I am curious if anyone else started this journey with back problems that turned into fibromyalgia?
 
Hi there,........as far as medications go, you just have to experiment and find what is best for you. Sorry, but there is no one or even four medications that work for everyone. One thing really helps one person, but does nothing for another. The best is to get a good sympathetic doctor who will prescribe something different for you if what you are taking doesn't work, and definitely stay away from any medication that contains opiate ingredients. For your second question - many people had back issues before developing fibro, but certainly not all.
 
You just described the progression of the miserable life. Add multiple other symptoms, no quality of life, inability to work (took 4 years to get disability)...it’s all just too much. To much to even elaborate on because it makes no difference. Yes, I am down. I just try to get by 1 hour at a time. Been that way for a long time!
 
You just described the progression of the miserable life. Add multiple other symptoms, no quality of life, inability to work (took 4 years to get disability)...it’s all just too much. To much to even elaborate on because it makes no difference. Yes, I am down. I just try to get by 1 hour at a time. Been that way for a long time!
 
Hi, I agree with others. A good sympathetic doctor will help you to find a medication/s that work/s for you. I got fibro and severe IBS after food poisoning in January 2018. I have been on a very restricted diet, as much anti-inflammatory as possible, since the beginning; unfortunately, it is not a complete cure. I also have bulging discs in my lower back and DDD in my neck. (my dr said it is genetic). What really helps me with joint pain is supplement Boswellia/Frankincense; I also take turmeric, but it does not do too much good for me. For fatigue, I use d-ribose and acetyl-n-cysteine. For healing, I try to use food and supplements as much as I can, but sometimes meds are the only answer. My advise, educate yourself as much as possible, stay positive and safe.
 
Hello, I am and early 30s female. I have had back issues since I was in high school. Early MRI and X-ray showed beginning of disc degeneration at age 17. Now at 33 I have “advanced degenerative disc” in lower back. Since August 2019 I now have a ton of other issues including pain in all joints- back, Knees, shoulders, elbows, heels, neck and especially hips. I also have muscle twitches, Extreme muscle stiffness in the morning and at night. Just a normal day of work at my desk job is too much, by the time I get home I am miserable. I have a small house and by the time I am done cleaning it I can hardly move. GP thought Lupus. Went to Rheumatologist and they said it is isn’t Lupus- most likely Fibromyalgia. I am awaiting the final blood work results for final diagnosis but I am worried. If it is fibromyalgia... what medications work for pain?? I have fatigue too but honestly I can deal with that at my age, it is the pain that is truly horrible. I am curious if anyone else started this journey with back problems that turned into fibromyalgia?
Hi - I've had chronic back pain for about 23 years (from an injury from when I was 16, I'm now 60 this month) and the doctors spent the last 23 years trying to alleviate my pain. I finally had spinal surgery on my neck last summer and it has helped a lot - the doctors overlooked my neck all this time because all the discs in my lower spine are damaged too and I was getting a lot of pain down legs, into my hips, etc. Regarding Fibro - my doctor raised it with me about 2 years ago and I ignored it because I was already on pain meds and following all the stuff I learned about pain care and living with pain and I was sure that I needed surgery. However, after my surgery this year I was pain free for the first 6 months, until I went to physio and they injured me - after that the pain was widespread and I went back to my doctor and again he diagnosed Fibro - so now I accept it. I still take pain meds, but a lot less than when I started 23 years ago - it was a long process to find what combination of medications worked for me and didn't "drug" me. Now I am going off as much as I can, but still need to follow all those protocols I learned over the years about self care, meditation, relaxation and stretching (yoga). My foam roller is my best friend - it hurts but it helps, just like the stretching. The Fibro flares when the weather changes or I have stress (like now) but I keep on getting up in the morning. My motto to myself is "Patience is a virtue", and I have had to learn to be patient with both myself, my body and my doctors. I hope this information is of some help for you.
 
Hi there,........as far as medications go, you just have to experiment and find what is best for you. Sorry, but there is no one or even four medications that work for everyone. One thing really helps one person, but does nothing for another. The best is to get a good sympathetic doctor who will prescribe something different for you if what you are taking doesn't work, and definitely stay away from any medication that contains opiate ingredients. For your second question - many people had back issues before developing fibro, but certainly not all.
Thank you for your response. I was officially diagnosed today and the doctor wants to start with Cymbalta first, and possibly add Gabapentin later. I have read mixed reviews for Cymbalta so I am
Hoping It helps.
 
Hi, I agree with others. A good sympathetic doctor will help you to find a medication/s that work/s for you. I got fibro and severe IBS after food poisoning in January 2018. I have been on a very restricted diet, as much anti-inflammatory as possible, since the beginning; unfortunately, it is not a complete cure. I also have bulging discs in my lower back and DDD in my neck. (my dr said it is genetic). What really helps me with joint pain is supplement Boswellia/Frankincense; I also take turmeric, but it does not do too much good for me. For fatigue, I use d-ribose and acetyl-n-cysteine. For healing, I try to use food and supplements as much as I can, but sometimes meds are the only answer. My advise, educate yourself as much as possible, stay positive and safe.
Thank you! I am definitely interested in natural methods. I have heard that yoga can help I hope to get well enough soon to try that. Also acupuncture is something my doctor mentioned.
 
Hi - I've had chronic back pain for about 23 years (from an injury from when I was 16, I'm now 60 this month) and the doctors spent the last 23 years trying to alleviate my pain. I finally had spinal surgery on my neck last summer and it has helped a lot - the doctors overlooked my neck all this time because all the discs in my lower spine are damaged too and I was getting a lot of pain down legs, into my hips, etc. Regarding Fibro - my doctor raised it with me about 2 years ago and I ignored it because I was already on pain meds and following all the stuff I learned about pain care and living with pain and I was sure that I needed surgery. However, after my surgery this year I was pain free for the first 6 months, until I went to physio and they injured me - after that the pain was widespread and I went back to my doctor and again he diagnosed Fibro - so now I accept it. I still take pain meds, but a lot less than when I started 23 years ago - it was a long process to find what combination of medications worked for me and didn't "drug" me. Now I am going off as much as I can, but still need to follow all those protocols I learned over the years about self care, meditation, relaxation and stretching (yoga). My foam roller is my best friend - it hurts but it helps, just like the stretching. The Fibro flares when the weather changes or I have stress (like now) but I keep on getting up in the morning. My motto to myself is "Patience is a virtue", and I have had to learn to be patient with both myself, my body and my doctors. I hope this information is of some help for you.
This is very helpful- I appreciate you sharing. I would like to try meditation. I know that part of my problem is I am so tense and worried all the time about the pain ( and other stuff that I cannot control)
 
This is very helpful- I appreciate you sharing. I would like to try meditation. I know that part of my problem is I am so tense and worried all the time about the pain ( and other stuff that I cannot control)
Stress definitely aggravates Fibro symptoms. To the degree that you can lessen or remove stress from your life, it will help. But of course no one can remove all stress, and these days with the whole world turned upside down and people dying by the tens of thousands all around us, economies collapsing, the world going crazy, everyone who isn't insane or in a coma feels worry, anxiety, fear, sadness, or any combination of the above, and none of us can change how things are. For me, this time or chaos in the world is causing my depression and anxiety to peak daily and it's sometimes very, very hard just to get through the day.

I think if meditation works for you, that's great. It never was my thing because I have never been able to sit and meditate for any appreciable period of time - I have to be moving. So I practice a moving meditation and dance two to three times a week instead. Hiking in nature also helps me. You may need to experiment to find what works for you and it doesn't matter what it is as long as it is healthy and works.

With this disorder, you have to be your own advocate and your own researcher, and your body is your laboratory. No one can tell you what will work for you, so you have to be really proactive, and that is not at all easy for a person who is experiencing chronic pain and fatigue! It's really hard. We are all much tougher people than most people give us credit for, just because we carry on in the face of this. I have actually wished that I could, just for one day, make another person feel in their body what I feel in mine. Then they would stop criticizing and claiming that we are exaggerating! Most of them would just collapse if they had even one day of what you and I go through almost all of the time. So always try to remember that you are strong.
 
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