Hi, Kathy and Mary Jo,
I was diagnosed with fibro. about 6 years ago, by a physician assistant. I had complained to my doctor for a number of years and started to feel like maybe I was crazy. This girl (PA) took extra time to actually look at all my symptoms and work through them with me. I guess my doctor was too busy to spend that much time with me. Anyway, it was a relief to find that there are others out there!
Everything that I have read says that consistency is the best thing to help. Eating good foods, keeping regular hours of sleep, and not overdoing it when you are having good days. I tend to start something when I feel good and then have a hard time stopping (to eat or rest) before I start to hurt.
For ten years, I have been on a regimen of muscle relaxers and pain meds. I rarely take the relaxers and have to donitor myself with the pain meds. The Dr. only allows a certain # per month, so I have to monitor myself. Some days, I use the RX 3 or 4 times, when I have overdone it (like weeding my flower beds or working on the computer too long). Then I have to slow down my activities so that I can manage without so much RX so I will try to do without for a few days. Yes, we do need our meds but the Drs. just want to make sure that we are not addicted. It does happen. Oprah had a housewife on who took pain meds 2 & 3 at a time, just to prevent pain. Things like that make all doctors check their patients who have persistent pain.
Some drugs do weird things like Mary Jo said and are totally worthless for the pain, like muscle relaxers. Sometimes an antidepressant can work wonders where not so much pain med is needed. Drs. still don't know enough about fibromayalgia to really do more than just try to help but at least they are beginning to recognize the disease (and acknowledge that there are alot of people who have it).
Good Luck in your search for a better quality of life! It can be somewhat managed, at least most days I think so! Trish (babyquacker)
