greetings from MI by the lake

[snapdragon928]

I have been diagnosed with CFS butI think my symptoms corrolate more with fibro myself. I have also been diagnosed with central pain syndrome and diabetic neuropathy. I have been suffering in pain since my thirties, and I am fifty four now. I had spinal stenosis diagnosed about eight years ago or so and had surgery to correct. Ive recently had more symptoms and I am in physical therapy. I find this very tiring but relaxing in a way, Ive been saying I think I have fibro for years but the dr doesnt want to diagnose me with that. I have a pain clinic appointment but not until June when I hope to get a definative diagnosise. I take Lyrica and rebaxin, just started Lyrica again after gabapentin stopped working. I hope to try cymbalta if the Lyrica stops working again. I dont have a severe enough amount of fatigue to really qualify e for CFS I dont believe but sometimes I get bouts of time when I just cant stay awake even if Ive slept all night to the point I was sleeping through dr appointments while the dr was talking to me. Which prompted her to do testing for lethergy. I have frequent insomnia. I also have been known to sleep over twelve hours with bouts of short awake times. I have stomach pain and chest pain at times and chronic diareha. So I believeI have IBS. Most of my problems started after taking a single dose of avelox.

 

[Nick]

Hi,

I think it’s important to have a diagnosis either for CFS or fibromyalgia. In my opinion, it’s not necessary to have an official diagnosis for both of the syndromes because people suffering from CFS are treated virtually with the same medicaments and other treatments as the people diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

Since neither CFS nor fibromyalgia can be cured, the core of all the treatments for these syndromes is to find the medicaments or non-medicamentous treatments that help to relieve the pain, decrease the mental suffering, and help the patient sleep better, and it’s also essential to find the most suitable exercises for individual physical training.

I think the most important thing regarding the treatments is that you have a doctor who listens to you and in co-operation with the patient tries to find the most suitable combination of drugs and non-medicamentous treatments.

 

[snapdragon928]

She does listen to me well. It was the dr before her that diagnosed me with cfs. If it's treated the same then her plan hopefully work. I will keep my pain clinic appointment as I hope to get some shots for the pain as the meds tend to wear off after awhile. I'm in PT right now, it's helping and the lyrica sometimes helps, sometimes not and I have a hard time sleeping when in pain. I've learned to sleep when I can. Not always possible due to appointments and such.

 

[Nick]

I’m happy to hear that you’ve found a doctor who’s listening to you. Sounds like you’re a good team. I know the feeling when the pain is keeping you awake at night when your body should be recovering from a long day at work or school. Sometimes the pain (most often in the muscles of my legs, arms, and rib cage) keeps me awake for the whole night. A new day, challenging in so many ways, still refusing to give up.

I’ll keep on fighting to eventually reach the level of physical and mental condition that allows me to work in the field that I’ve chosen. I hope you’ll find your way to a better health as well. You just need to continue working hard and keep your head up despite all the challenges. It ain’t always easy. I’m sure you can still learn to manage the challenges of fibromyalgia, you can learn to live with this troublesome syndrome, as long as you believe in yourself and you get the support you need for your everyday life.

 

[snapdragon928]

thank you for your warm response. I am finding the Lyrica a big help and sometimes the support hose at night for the pain in the feet and calves. I can finally sleep. Lately I have been exhausted but i find getting out of the house helps. Working on getting an emotional support cat to help me with the depression that comes with a chronic illness. When I house sat my daughters cat I found the cat helped me tremendously with emotional support to deal with the pain. Especially since I live alone. Wish me luck. I sent the paper work to my dr to fill out today and have a cat in mind that belongs to a friend of mine.

 

[Nick]

I think it’s wonderful that Lyrica and the support hose are helping you to sleep better. I find it also helpful when I get out of the house for a short walk when I feel like I’m unable to focus for example on writing. After a walk outside I can think much clearer. I’m certain that regular physical exercise is beneficial for people with fibromyalgia and those of us trying to overcome depression.

I’ve had a few periods of depression in my life and I suffer from mild to moderate, chronic anxiety. I find it sometimes difficult to motivate myself to get up, grab the sneakers, and go get some exercise. Those days when I manage to overcome the initial lack of motivation, or the fear of getting hurt once again, I usually feel much better than those days when I’m not going out for a walk, or when I’m not working out my muscles.

Besides going out for a walk, I like to ride my bicycle or shoot some hoops. I love playing basketball with a friend or a few friends. I enjoy also spending some time shooting hoops and practicing my moves alone if no one has time to come with me. The only problem is that I’m very prone to injury. Especially my fingers, elbows, ankles, calves, and knees are often hurt. When they’re hurt, it takes a variable, but usually rather a long time for them to recover.

I’ve noticed that whenever I’m doing some sports or working out my muscles, I’m almost completely free from anxiety and sadness during the physical exercise and even for 2-3 hours after the exercise. The physical pain caused by fibromyalgia makes it of course sometimes impossible to train your muscles, so when you’re having a bad day, when you’re in a severe physical pain, it’s better to let your muscles recover and see how you’re feeling the next day.

Good luck with getting the emotional support cat! I think it’s a great idea. I’m glad to hear that having a cat in your house, keeping you company, has helped you deal with the pain.

 

[snapdragon928]

Physical therapy I'm doing is grueling, but I feel relaxed when done. The riding machine and the squats angle board are the worst pain wise while doing them and that day I'm more sore. But it relaxes me too sometimes especially the table excersices. He or she usually press and rub massage my muscles at one point or another and that helps. They always try to align my hips.