Fibromyalgia advice

swanny1

Talk to your Gp about Fentanyl (Duogesic DTans Patches) you put one on your upper arm every 3 days, been on them for the past 6 months and a massive improvement in pain relief. No more waiting 4 hours to pop a few pills and then finding they don't do much, these patches don't get rid of the pain but offer a slow release keeping the pain down to a much more acceptable level

poohbear59

I use gabapentin, amatriptyline to help me sleep, co didramol (8 a day) tramadol on bad days/flare ups, chiropractor as often as I can afford and an electric heat and magnetic pad which I use every night to stop the spasms in my back. Not sure about the magnetic bit as I just wanted a heat pad to replace my old one. I also go to the pool and do hydro exercises every week. Can't swim as it kills my back/neck. You will know what I mean.

I have a tens machine but haven't ever been able to manage it. My first pain clinic appointment is in January. The first I have had and I was diagnosed 6 years ago.

nearlyrich

I can't take amitryptilyne either it makes me a zombie too, I manage on Ibuprofen during the day and cocodamol at night, that makes me sleepy too. If things get too bad I just go to bed early and relax. I don't cope well in the cold and damp of winter so this cold snap is really taking it out of me.

I have a full time job which can be tricky but it must be really hard managing a small child and fibro on your own OP hope you manage to find some relief.

ShelBell

Thanks everyone. My OH is back at home now until atleast after christmas so that is a big help. He still works everyday obviously but he's here for the kids bedtimes which makes a big difference. The fibro seems to have calmed down a bit now, just having lots of problems with spinal damage, waiting to see a neurosurgeon for that in a couple of weeks. Hopefully once that is fixed things will get easier.

samdvf

I have had fibro since early teens, I was 12 when I was first hospitalised although I didn't get a decisive diagnosis until I was 25! I spent a lot of years on massive levels of drugs (and I still am,) but this last year I have been struggling with cancer too.

The bonus of this (yes theres a bonus) is that I can't eat much and for a long time I was fed ensure. Through this I found out I have mild coeliacs.

Its common for fibro and problems with wheat/gluten to be intertwined. No one ever told me though until I brought it up after trying a soggy butty after months of hospital goo!

I would suggest anyone with fibro to keep a diet diary, gluten stays in my system for up to two weeks increasing my pain throughout my body. If I have had a totally gluten free month my pain levels are so much more tolerable.

But gluten is a tricky one.... eg diet coke is gluten free but tescos own diet cola has gluten... so be very careful when keeping the diary.


and good luck! Fibro is such a pain in the ....... everywhere!

xxx

soolin

samdvf wrote: »

I have had fibro since early teens, I was 12 when I was first hospitalised although I didn't get a decisive diagnosis until I was 25! I spent a lot of years on massive levels of drugs (and I still am,) but this last year I have been struggling with cancer too.

The bonus of this (yes theres a bonus) is that I can't eat much and for a long time I was fed ensure. Through this I found out I have mild coeliacs.

Its common for fibro and problems with wheat/gluten to be intertwined. No one ever told me though until I brought it up after trying a soggy butty after months of hospital goo!

I would suggest anyone with fibro to keep a diet diary, gluten stays in my system for up to two weeks increasing my pain throughout my body. If I have had a totally gluten free month my pain levels are so much more tolerable.

But gluten is a tricky one.... eg diet coke is gluten free but tescos own diet cola has gluten... so be very careful when keeping the diary.


and good luck! Fibro is such a pain in the ....... everywhere!

xxx

Sorry to be pedantic but you can't have mild coeliacs, you either have it or you don't as it is a physical abnormality of the villi and therefore easy to diagnose via a biopsy.

You do not however have to be a coeliac to be intolerant of gluten. I am the opposite, I am a coeliac but gluten never upset me (it does now though as my body has learnt to be intolerant due to a gluten free diet). If you have a proper biopsied diagnosis of coeliac then you can get a whole range of GF food on prescription.

Also if avoiding gluten be very careful to take proper advice as there is a lot of very poor information out there about what is and what isn't gluten free. There is also the issue in the UK that foods marked as suitable for coeliacs are allowed to contain gluten in small quantities, whereas in most other countries they would be deemed unsuitable for coelaic sufferers.