Fibromyalgia
 

Anyone else here with fibromyalgia. I am just curious if your little furbabies are "in turn" to your flare ups. Jasmine and Prissy will not leave me at all on my bad days. They are glued to me. They have to actually be picked up and taken outside to do their business by family members because they will not leave my side during these times. They are so loyal. I love them so much!

I have fibro and Lupus. I had a 14 year-old Tabby that was "in tune" with all my bad days. He would stay by my side and be a good boy until I seemed to be doing better.

Prince is my 11 month-old Yorkipoo, I got him when the cat passed. I think Prince is too young to sense my bad days, he always wants to play. There are some days, like today, where I had to stay in bed all day and he was a good boy keeping himself entertained until I got up.

I feel really guilty that I'm not able to run and play like other mommie's so I try to shower him with love, comfort and (healthy) treats as much as I can.

I have fibromyalgia and diabetes and my furbaby is exceptionally good when I have bad days. He seems tuned into everything. Yorkies are amazing animals. I have had several different breeds of dogs but none were like the Yorkies I have had. They even look wise.:)

It is good to know both of you. I have had a flare the last several days and been in bed and surfing the web. My furbaby girls have been so loyal to stay by my side. They give me so much comfort, companionship and love. I know what you mean Princemom when you say that you feel guilty that you can't run and play with them, but you know that they still love you the same they are just satisfied being with you. I have fibro and radiculopathy. How long have you both been DX'd with the FM, lupus and DM? Again it is good to meet you both!

I've had Lupus for 20 years and (diagnosed) fibro for the past 10, although I feel I've had it longer.

When I had my Tabby it was okay if I didn't feel up to playing because my cat was independent; as long as the food bowl was full and there was a warm sunny place to nap he was fine.

But dogs are different; they need walks and to be able to run around. And Prince loves attention - ALOT of attention all the time. The days I have to stay in bed are the times when the guilt kicks in.

I was taking Lyrica (forgot the dosage) but my insurance stopped paying for it so I take Gabapentin but it's not as good. I'm looking to try Sevilla and see how that works.

I was DX'd in 2004, but like you said prob. had it for much longer. Yes, I agree, sometimes I do feel guilty because I want to get up and play more with my girls, but they seem to be happy with me and they sure do get a lot of attention since I unfortunately can no longer work. I haven't been able to try Lyrica due to the Topamax that I take for my migraines, but I have been reading up about Sevilla. Keep us informed if you try it. I take Cymbalta and Flexeril that has been very beneficial and Requip for RLS and a sleeping aide plus pain meds as needed, so far I am doing pretty good with the regimen that I am on. If you don't mind my asking why wouldn't the insurance pay for the Lyrica? I hope you have a good night.

I have Fibro and RLS. I have one girl (Jenna) that doesn't leave my side when I am hurting. I was just Dx'ed and still trying different meds. Alot of them make me vomit or very sick because I had gastric bypass 6 years ago and don't have enough stomach or intesine for them to work right. This is all new to me and I am trying to learn all about it. At times I feel really hopeless...

I'm not able to work either. I try to hold down a part-time job but for every 1 day that I work I'm in bed for the next 2 days recooperating.

I used to have terrible migraines then I had a spinal tap; now I rarely get even a headache. I also take sleep meds; either Lunesta or Tylenol PM (quick release gel caps). My insurance would no longer pay for Lyrica because of the cost and told me I had to try a cheaper drug (Gabapentin) for 6 months then I could go back to Lyrica. Dumb huh? :mad:

Good to hear someone is on something that works for them. Hope you continue to do well.

how did the lyrica work
 

when you were taking it? I evidently have to have everything else fail first before I can try that. I take topomax, tramadol and lexapro. I also work 12hr shifts. Right now I'm on day 3 of a 5 day stretch of 12hr shifts and they are not straight days, they are all different hours. Needless to say, I have some not so good days.... oh yeah and synthroid for the dead thyroid... arggh.. hard to go for disability while you work and hard to quit working when you can't afford to go without the paycheck, how would I afford the dog dresses, I mean really :eek:

How much Tramadol do you take and how often? I was only given 36mg twice a day. It is not cutting it at all. I go back in the morning to talk to the doctor about taking it more often or something else. I really dread going. I don't feel like I have found the right doctor.

I am afriad of the Lyrica because I heard it can cause massive weight gain.

I think
 

it's 50mg 4 times a day. I'm at work and don't have the bottle with me. I carry my day's supply...lol The topomax is 100mg twice a day. So, I think the tramadol is 50 4 times. Needless to say, the combo of fibro fog and drug fog doesn't make my brain function at maximum capacity and shhh. I'm a 911 dispatcher... how scary is that?!??!

ya think when I kill a caller, they'll let me have disability???

My original
 

rheumy thought I had Lupus, all my tests were positive for that. But then they went negative. Lupus is a cagey disease. My current rheumy has never been able to get a positive so she is sticking with fibro. All I know is that so far no regimen really works. I just live with pain, everywhere. The Lexapro is a new fix and it ain't working. Prednisone worked pretty good. I have chronic fatigue but no one seems to be able to address that. A doctor gave me provigil for that, works great on midnights but the rheumatologist was horrified.

yeah, weight gain scares the heck out of me too. Pain can't get better by adding more weight to the joints, I wouldn't think...

nana911
I worked in the medical field for a very long time before I had to quit and apply for disability. I know what you mean, it is difficult to go without a paycheck at first, but if you ever come to the place where you can't work any more you won't have a choice anymore. This FM is really difficult on us at times and I agree the fibro fog is a challenge too. My biggest pain lately has been in my hips for the last week, it is finally letting up some. Gentle Hugs to All

I've had Fibro for more than 10 years. I take Naproxen and Gabapentin. And that still doesn't eliveate the pain. I am on disability for my mental health problems. The pain I feel from Fibro plays into my major depression. When I'm really bad, most of the time, and just stay in bed, all three of my kids snuggle up close. My lower back and right leg is what is giving me the most pain. So walking my kids can be difficult especially when my 30 lb Cocker Spaniel wants to go a different way.

it's the weather change....absolutely the worst... oh well... my dh broke his neck 5yrs ago and did a spinal cord injury, so he has central cord syndrome, you have been in the medical field would know about that. 'tis a challenge, took mr oven mitt hands and chronic severe pain 2 1/2 yrs to get SSDI. So, I know that fibromyalgia would be an uphill battle. I'll keep working until I don't know... I have no time on the books, I'm sure you know about that too...LOL it's all relative. can always be worse, my furbabies are healthy and keep us amused, and we can sit up and take nourishment. We have a roof over our heads and are warm and worry about too much food in our bellies... god knows it could be worse....

Yes, I agree it can always be worse. It also took me a few years to get disability. I was shocked when I finally had to quit work. I had planned on retiring just like most people. However, just like you said, we have a roof over our head, food in our bellies, many blessings. Gentle hugs to everyone.

Hello ladies, there is definitely help in knowing others out there feel the same way! Especially when no one understands how I feel, even me:)

I was diagnosed with FM this year, although I have had pain for as long as I remember. Actually the "real" pain started when I was pregnant with our youngest. The pain was so bad I could hardly walk somedays. I am now on Gabapentin and it helps some. My Lily has gotten my through some tough times! Especially when I can't sleep, she is always there awake with me and I can get my mind off the pain by snuggling and stroking her. She got me through the last trimester of my pregnancy as well as the first year of Suzanna's life. Our Yorkies are a blessing!

Finding a good doctor is so hard. My Mom finally cornered a friend and begged him to take me on as a patient after having a series of horrible doctors, the last of which told me my pain was from streached muscles and anxiety:we're #1:

anyway there is hope! And actually I read a great book called Hope and Healing for Sufferes of Cronic Fatigue and FM. I really found the advice valuable, she is a doctor who only deals with these two issues. And the advice about taking supplements has really helped. Omega3+joy:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Ok heres a good question...
If you had the body of your dreams what would be the first thing you would do pain free???

personally I'd run!!!!!! Run with my kids my dogs, my husband. :p

I was also diagosed this year with the FM have been diabetic for 21 years. I've hurt for along time but chalked it up to getting older and being on my feet for years doing catering. Got out of that kind of work 20 years ago and am in an office now. Having alot of problems but now its with my hands,legs, eyes and back. My problem is I don't know if what I am feeling at times is the diabetes or the fibro. I would like to have someone to discuss this with. I am so confused!!!!:confused:

You are right, Lupus is a hard disease to diagnose because it can mimic many other things. Please be careful with the amount of Prednisone you're taking and the length of time you are on it. Most of my problems aren't from Lupus but are due to the side effects from taking large amounts of Prednisone for years. For the past couple of years I have refused to take Prednisone so my doctor has nothing else to prescribe. And you will have some weight gain with Prednisone. Talk to your rheumy about Benlysta when it becomes available in Jan/Feb. It is the first (and only) Lupus drug and will probably be given to treat Fibro.

I understand about your fatigue. When I get up in the morning my body feels like I've been working in a field somewhere all night long. If I could have one wish it would be to have enough energy to get through the day. I can deal with the other stuff.

Oh me too!
Somedays I wake up in shock at the body I am in... then I remember. I have very small children so I have to get moving fast:thumbdown Aparently everyone is hungry in the morning:confused: who knew LOL;)

Lily,
If I had a pain free body............I would run! I have always loved the wind hitting my face. I haven't been able to run in years. However, I remember several years ago when I was so bad that I couldn't get out of bed and we had to get me an electric scooter. When I finally got outside with the scooter I went as fast as I could to feel the wind against my face, it felt so good. I am so thankful that I am able to walk most of the time now.

wjones,
Boy, DM and FM together that can be very difficult to say the least. I use to teach diabetes education so I know how hard that can be at times. How are your blood sugars doing? A lot of times when you are stressed or in pain your blood sugars will be effected, but I am sure you are aware of that. Do you have an endocrinologist? I imagine at times it is difficult to tell when it is the DM or FM on certain things like neuropathy/RLS.

I am glad that we are all finding each other here, this syndrome/disease (whatever they want to call it today) can be very difficult to deal with and although I would never wish this on anyone, it is great to be able to talk to others who know what I am going through and can also give advice on what works for them. I know since I was DX'd in 2004 my meds have been changed a few times to get them "fine tuned" to work for me. I know of only one other person with FM and that is my cousin who lives in another state, so again, I appreciate talking to each of you here. Gentle hugs to you all and thanks for sharing.

pain free body...hmmm
 

I was never one for running... I always let the boys catch me anyway.. What I would love to do is just get up and down off the floor or ground. You know, down on all fours, play with the dogs or grandkids. Get up without the knees feeling like I'm on broken glass or needing someone to literally pull me up, or my legs asleep within 2 minutes. Yeah that, jumping down on the floor or grass at will.

My BS aren't so good. Mostly my fault. I quit smoking 5 weeks ago and since then I have gained 9 pounds. Keep telling myself its better than smoking. Yes, it is difficult to tell which is which when I start hurting. Especially leg pain burning etc. I do have an Endocrinologist but after several years of telling both my GP and the Endo that I felt like I had been hit by a truck my GP finally sent me to a Reumatologist and that's how I found out about the FM. I am only taking naproxen as i am afraid to take alot of meds. I also have COPD. It sucks to be me!!!! So far I feel fortunate that I don't have further complications with the diabetes. The FM seems to slow me down the most.

I feel the same about finding others on here to talk with! And Yorkie lovers to top it off...that way I know your all not crazy LOL or should it be that I know you are crazy....crazy for your little furbutts!:p

Has anyone checked out the book I mentioned.. Help and Hope for suffers of CF and Fm? It really has helped me, especially if your doctor is not up on the up of FM.

How is everyone feeling today? you know I think I may start a group on here for FM suffers look for it ok!

Ok I started a group
Here is the link
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gro...omyaligia.html

wjones,
Wow, Congrats on quitting smoking, that is a tough one! I quit ten years ago and I also gained a few pounds but it was better then the smoking. Boy, and COPD also, you really have a challenge, I am praying for you girl. Pray you have a good day today.

Lily,
I haven't read/bought that book yet, where do I get it? I think the group is a great idea, I joined it....really don't know what to do there/how to yet, but will learn.

Nana,
What was I thinking that running was so fun...........I should have let the boys catch me to...........LOL

((((gentle hugs to all))))

Yeah, just wished I'd have gotten wiser younger. I am going to go to Barnes and Noble to see if I can find that book. I tried to stay off the internet until I was diagnosed. Initially I was afraid I was imagining alot of it. Such strange symptoms. I can imagine alot of folks were like me and thought they had MS or cancer that was making them hurt or clumsy. I am still not sure if my symptoms are the diabetes or the FM but at least I found out that there was something else wrong with me. i know it sounds strange but I did find some comfort in knowing that.

I know you can buy the book from www.amazon.com Also here in Canada at Chapters/Indigo.

My doctor actually recomended the book to me

I went to my PT yesterday, and he said he thinks I either have fibro. or arthritis. I made an appointment with a neurologist for next week. Does anyone know how they tell the difference between the two?