How Do You Cope?

I try relaxing by watching my favorite movies or reading a good book. Sometimes I listen to music CD's or go on-line to YouTube and watch funny video's. You know the dumb things you never want to try at home. Most of the time I focus on helping others and that takes my mind off me for a few hours. Then lastly, I take a soak in the tub, then go to bed for a long nap. lol

Love a good movie Watched DJango the other day, gory and violent, but an interesting story.

Soaking in the tub is always a good idea. I think meditation or meditation-related habits are underrated for helping with Fibromyalgia symptoms, or just relieving day to day stress in general. When in doubt, chill out

Ive found the 9 commandments for pain very useful....

9 Diet Commandments for Pain Patients
By Kate Francis
Reviewed by QualityHealth's Medical Advisory Board

Those suffering from chronic pain, such as fibromyalgia and arthritis patients, have reported a worsening of their pain and stiffness after eating certain foods. While it is agreed upon by medical experts that there are a variety of causes contributing to chronic pain, there is growing evidence that diet it one of these factors. For this reason, many patients are turning to diet changes to get relief.

9 Diet Commandments for Pain Patients
Although the research on diet and chronic pain is limited, experts suggest the following may help:

1. Cut back on carbohydrates.
2. Consume plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids.
3. Avoid aspartame and other artificial sweeteners.
4. Avoid MSG and other additives.
5. Avoid or limit caffeine.
6. Avoid or limit intake of nightshade vegetables.
7. Avoid or limit your intake of yeast and gluten.
8. Avoid or limit your intake of dairy products.
9. Eat more fresh foods, and in particular, organic foods.

Experiment with cutting out the suggested foods (either one at a time or all at once) for a couple of weeks to determine if they have an effect on your pain. At the same time, begin to add the suggested foods to see if in fact there is a correlation between your diet and your pain.

Very helpful detoxing, I've come across that information before and it makes a lot of sense. Diet is so hard to keep sustained, but I'm going to give it a try.

Limiting caffeine :lol: :roll:

Limiting... doesn't mean stopping

Pain is the worse for me it keeps me awake well the meds do, the doc gave me sleeping meds they dont work with the pain meds. I have mobility problems as well so, my whole life is about illness. I plod on and take one day at a time, I have SAD so i try my light therapy is the weather is bad. Good weather is sent from heven for me it make me feel better and i can do a little more. Some times you feel you sleep your life away. My daughter as sleep apnea so its hard work not much sleep and in the day i sleep more. I keep on its hard but i get there.

I've had fibro since 1993. I had to grieve my past life, the things that I was no longer able to do, and look at the things that I can still do. When I first got fibro, I went into a deep depression. That was part of the grieving process, which got out of control. I was pulled out of the depression by thanking God for what I do have (gratitude) , and stopped looking at what I no longer have or don't have. I'm at a place where I accept the fact that I have this syndrome. I also have neuropathy (nerve damage) in my legs and feet. This is also where the most pain from the fibro is.

What helps me is taking small walks, a few times a day, healthy diet, vitamins, and not getting stressed out too much. I need to pace myself by leaving earlier when going out and not doing too much physical work that would add on to the leg pain. I take a mild pain medication called Tramadol and Cymbalta (anti-depressant). The Cymbalta helps to give me feeling in my legs and feet. Prior to that, I didn't feel my feet touching the ground and I was afraid of falling all the time. I don't like taking these meds, but they help and work for me. I need to remember that I cannot lift anything over 10 lbs. also. When I go food shopping, I ask the cashier to please bag my groceries lightly. I check the bags before they go into the cart. If they're too heavy, I grab more bags and re-bag items. These are just a few small pointers. I heard a long time ago, that what may work for one person may not work for another. This is a matter of trying things out that work for us as individuals. The exercise, diet, etc. can help everyone.

Is anyone using hot and cold therapy as a method of treatment for the pain? I've read that this can be useful. Using a heating pad is one option, or a cold compress. I'm not sure, exactly, how well these forms of therapy work for someone who is dealing with chronic pain, but I can imagine any relief is better than none.

Yesterday was a really rough day and I am not sure why as I didn't do anything different. I was feeling okay at first but just moving around I was in agony. I took a shower and just doing that took so much out of me. I ended up in bed most of the day sleeping. Feel much better today and rested. Don't understand this illness how I could feel so miserable one day and better the next day. Not going to overdo it today but more in the mood to do something other than lay around or sleep.

Some days I think I cope pretty well... others not so much. Today is a not so much day. My
own fault, I over did it on the treadmill yesterday. I'm very much trying to loose some weight you see.
I found one of my best distractions is working.
I got myself a job with very understanding bosses. It's not physically demanding and generally low stress. I only do a four day week and I take short breaks regularly
there are days where even that it too much.
I'm a crafter and love sci-fi find shows so try to keep myself occupied as much as possible. The distraction technique works best for me.

There are those bad day where the pain is more ditracting than anything else I can throw at it. Today is one of them. All encompassing pain that refuses any diversion tactics.
Crying is my bodies answer to that one
most inconvenient

luckily not every day is your worst day. Then, if the sun is shining I love to be out and about.

I have had fibro for many years and tried many ways of coping for each symptom. I find that heating a moist towel in the microwave and putting it on my muscles for the shoulders which are wonderful with a dose of my muscle relaxant before hand. I also have a tens machine with a muscle massager attached. Which was perscribed along time ago from the pain DR. Sometimes trigger point injections help but don't last long. I also tried lidocain infusions,which only lasted 2 weeks.The lidoderm patches work better. I even use a sleeping pill at night to put me in Rem sleep,with out it I don't sleep at all and my fibro flares up. Sometimes use meds for IBS when flares, and on topamax for occiptal nuralgia.It's been a long road of trial and err to get the right dosage and to each his own. Everybody's body works different. I read the bible for my encourgement and he is my number source to lean on!:-D

I have used both, I really didn't want to try the cold until my physical Thearpist talked me into it. It numbed the pain all right!The next night I used heat.But I was using it because they over did some massage on me.It helped some,but I still had pain.

Unfortunately I am not coping @ all right now. I am going through some horrible stress right now & I do not know howto get out of it. I was under treatment with a brilliant fibro dr. and she left the clinic, next thing I know the clinic closed their doors. I was receiving I.V. therapy that was helping me tremendously. Now, I am absolutely lost in finding out who or where I can go to get these treatments. On top of that my Mother passed away right about the same time I lost my treatments and my family is not an understanding bunch. They are all fed up with me, could care less whether I find help or not. My Baby Brother who I half raised, isn't even talking to me. His wife trash talking me. If it were not for my husband of 38 yrs. sticking by my side I would be gone by now. Need to find a Dr. that will give me those I.V. treatments.

what meds do u use for IBS? I need to find something that works?

I use a TENs machine, try to get up and moving, do Tai Chi, do a lot of plastic canvas and when I can, I like to read. Sometimes the heating pad works too LOL For me it's a matter of what day it is and how I feel as to what will actually work.

I got put on codeine pills to help with the IBS. That and a good balaced diet works best for me. My pain clinic Dr is my main prescriber and he's away till mid March and I've run out of pills. My new family doc won't give me them so now I'm battling the IBS big time again.