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AbbyRose

Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2017
Messages
11
Reason
DX FIBRO
Diagnosis
02/2017
Country
CA
State
ON
Hi everyone. I'm Abby. I was officially diagnosed in February of this year by a rheumatologist, but my family doctor put me on Lyrica before Christmas.
I've been in pain for years, but blamed myself for it. I was (and am) overweight, and that's society's first answer to any fat person's health issues: It's your own fault. I also thought that I must just have a really low threshold for pain.

As a kid, every time one of my friends saw a Volkswagen Beetle, they'd punch me in the arm and yell "Punch bug red!" I could never understand why they thought this was a fun game. My arm would hurt for days.

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to take time off work to get my degree, but when I returned in December 2015, my body rebelled. I couldn't stand for more than three or four minutes; I had shooting pains in my feet; I could throw out my back just by walking a few steps. Getting out of bed was so hard. Everything hurt. In my head, though, it was my fault for not keeping in better shape. Other employees who were older than me could do the same job, so why couldn't I? I couldn't cut back on my hours at work because I had (and still have) student loans to repay.

It wasn't until the summer of 2016 when a friend suggested I may have fibromyalgia. I'd heard of it, but didn't know the details. Once I did some research, it all clicked. I went to my doctor, told him what I had found, and he put me on Lyrica.

It's different now that I've been diagnosed by a specialist. In some ways, it was easier for me to blame myself, because in theory, I could fix it. If I exercised and lost weight, I wouldn't be in pain. Now that possibility is gone. I will be in pain for the rest of my life, and that is scary AF.

The Lyrica still kind of works, and I take half an Oxy in the morning to get me moving. I bought a vaporizer online, and on really bad days, I use it. I see my doctor next week, and I'll be asking for a medical marijuana prescription, but I'm in Canada, so it should be legalized sometime this summer.

And that's me!
 
Hi Abby,

Welcome to the forum! I'm sorry you have Fibromyalgia,but this website will be great for support and a wealth of information to help.

I'm glad your Dr prescribed Lyrica it helps with the pain.It has a side affect of weight gain so that is something that might need to be montored because it can cause other unwanted health problems,like high blood pressure.

The oxy is good at controlling pain but sometimes it can give us a false sense of energy,and we might need more to function daily. And then tolerance builds.If your Dr is monitoring you closely that is great. I would just be cautious. Because if you just started your journey you don't want to mask any of your symptoms.
If it controls your pain,great! A lot of Fibromites take narcotics for pain And are respectful of its potency.

There are other medications for Fibromyalgia on the market like Cymbalta,Savella and Gabapentin.
They all have there positives and negatives like many medications.

I find taking vitamins and supplements can help us too.Pacing yourself so you don't over exert during physical excercise is also important.
Even if it's just walking, moving prevents stiffness and pain.

As long as you take control of your own future and healthcare you'll be fine.Fibromyalgia doesn't have to mean that you'll be in pain for the rest of your life.

Being mentally positive is a major part of controlling the physical strains of this disease.

Wish u luck and hopefully you can improve in time.

Sagey
 
Hi Sagey,

Thanks for the advice. Yup, there's been weight gain. My fingers a perpetually puffy, too. I'm also finding I'm much more absent-minded since I've been on Lyrica, and it's negatively affected my job performance. I haven't told management about the fibromyalgia, but I'll have to soon.

I've been on Oxycoset (Canadian name for oxycodone/acetametaphine combination) for over five years for severe bilateral facet osteoarthritis. I haven't increased my dosage in that time. It's only when I'm working that I feel the need to take another half pill. I do a lot of walking in my job, and it's shift work as well. Some days I work 13 hours, and then I hobble home.

Thank you for the welcome. 🙂
 
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