Fibromyalgia

star-pants

They come together in a tablet, you'd find it in the likes of health food shops n that.
Obviously check if it's ok to take, but generally I think tis ok. There are certain herbal things you can't take with meds (like devils claw).
It's not a massssive difference but after time you might notice things are a little better. Little bits count though.

thecelt

glucosamine chondroitin can help, but you have to take it for a few months before you notice anything, the key is to keep taking it, i am taking it again everyday. I gave it up for a while thinking it was doing nothing, but after a few months you def notice it was doing something.

Rather than paying an arm and a leg for all the fancy bottles out there,
i have found that tesco's own brand does the same thing at a fraction of the cost.

Tiriel

thecelt wrote: »

glucosamine chondroitin can help, but you have to take it for a few months before you notice anything, the key is to keep taking it, i am taking it again everyday. I gave it up for a while thinking it was doing nothing, but after a few months you def notice it was doing something.

Rather than paying an arm and a leg for all the fancy bottles out there,
i have found that tesco's own brand does the same thing at a fraction of the cost.

Also, just to note - it can come in powdered hard tablet form or in a gel capsule - I found that in the tablet form I wasn't digesting it properly and the effects weren't very noticable but was told by an accupuncturist to take it in gel form and it now works wonders

thecelt

I have seen the powder version, but didnt realise you could get it in gel capsule format. is it a particular brand or?

Tiriel

I get it in Holland and Barrett - not sure about any other brands!

Anomic

will deffo give it a go . Hope it helps a wee bit. Thanks for the suggestions folks.

thecelt

going back to something previously discussed,

I eased back on the amount of amitriptyline i am taking (as per discussed with doctor), i find its worth taking as it does seem to help, but the dreams are still well and truly wierd!

Chaz

thecelt wrote: »

going back to something previously discussed,

I eased back on the amount of amitriptyline i am taking (as per discussed with doctor), i find its worth taking as it does seem to help, but the dreams are still well and truly wierd!

Thats interesting. Didnt tie my odd dreams to Ami .....

shelly_g

I had terrible Nightmares when taking Lyrica

On amitriptyline now and Dreams are strange but not as scary .... i noticed no matter how many times i wake up during strang dreams Im fallin straight back into it again ... normally i wake and fall asleep with no dream or at least a different one ..

Only found this Thread today ...I have had pain in my Lower back on Right hand side for 3 years with no dignosis yet ...

Also suffer from TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Pain - Jaw Joint) which is killing me at the moment ....

I never heard of fibromyalgia till I found this thread ...

i-digress

Chaz wrote: »

Thats interesting. Didnt tie my odd dreams to Ami .....

Either did I until the celt mentioned it, but I do have some crazy dreams while I'm on it!

thecelt

my doctor said that the dreams werent a sideeffect of the amitriptyline,
but i used to be one of those people who never remembered their dreams at all, its a big coinsidence that I started having such wierd dreams after being on amitriptyline for a bit.

Dunno if the amitriptyline is stopping working or what, have had sore hips again the last week or two and am crippled today with knee and elbow pain!
Hopefully it eases up!

kangaroo

I'm looking at the leaflet now for amitriptyline and it says (amongst a long list!) "dream and sleep disturbances".

star-pants

I tend to have odd dreams anyway, so I didn't really notice when I was on the ami myself, I just remembered being able to sleep! Shame really I'd to come off it.

The temperature has changed a lot the last week or so, could be partially the reason for your flare ups thecelt?

Feel like sawing off my own wrists at the moment myself, driving me nuts!

thecelt

star pants , you could be right, i hadnt thought about the temp change,
I just back after 2 weeks in NJ, USA, so i have had a more major temp decrease

star-pants

Ah so you were nice n toasty over there?
Yeah temperature / humidity etc can affect some people, and won't have much impact on others. I'm affected sometimes, not always by weather changes.
Just drove to Athlone & back (from Dublin) and I'm in bits now, out with the hotwater bottle I say!

thecelt

was nice to once again be able to just throw on shorts and flipflops and not have to look out to see what the weather was like ! lol

Do you have the chronic tiredness, its a struggle to push yourself to get out of bed, dont suppose anyone has found anything that helps with this part of it all?

Judes

I sent off for a book to download via internet - by a sufferer for 30 years - he recommended a dairy free diet - I'm on it 4 weeks now and I'm feeling OK -and will stick to it for a good few months to watch for improvements. You can't cheat - has to be totally dairy free and you can't have "a bit of cheese day today" - no cheese days every day!

Tiredness is a hard one to beat - especially in this weather - I'm at my desk counting the minutes until 17.00 to get home and under the duvet. I'm sleeping really well these days - on Lexapro for almost a year and do pilates in the morning when I awake to stretch and have a mat at work, so I can have a quick stretch throughout the day which helps (office work/typing etc). Try and get out at lunch time for a walk and wake up. And when I get home in the evenings a walk and a stretch. All helps loosen up a bit and with the pain.

I'm hoping to come off the lexapro within the next few weeks - really hoping, depends on what the Rheumatologist says. I still feel pain - it's just at a lower level like niggling versus severe. (May that last). We've all got to stay positive - but I'll let you all know over the months how I fair out on the dairy free - I'm really hoping it's going to turn out to be the miracle cure I've been reading about.

Good luck all! J

star-pants

@thecelt, yeah it's cold again, out with the gloves for driving etc. Last two to three years my hands & feet get cold & numb even if it's a bit nippy, which is frustrating to say the least.
Aye I'm tired most of the time, then again I don't really sleep much either, all a circle probably. Can't seem to combat it, I've tried lots of different things but to no avail, funny thing is sometimes I'll sleep loads if I'm staying in my bfs (like sharing the bed with him) could be he calms me or something I'm honestly not sure. Other nights thought I won't sleep when I'm there either so it's a coin toss lol

@Judes - I hope the dairy free goes well for you! I tried that somewhat and didn't really notice. Also tried no yeast/gluten (because I can't really digest it properly half the time anyway) and that didn't work. I know that feeling of 'god is it home time yet so I can go home to bed', but I never do go to bed when I get home, too early.
I do walk to work and home, and go for a walk at lunch outside to get fresh air. If I'm not too sore I do stretches/exercises and usually bring the dogs for a daily walk. Doesn't really improve things though, I can still be limping home after walk. Then again I'm not on any meds.
I really hope you can come off your meds, I'm sure you'd be happier to not have to be taking them all the time. Fingers crossed anyway

i-digress

I tried the dairy free thing and it did nothing for me. I can deal with the pain, but the tiredness and the brain fog gets me down. I'm having a lot of trouble lately with sentences, I keep saying the wrong word.

thecelt

idigress - yeah having major issues with the tiredness at the moment too!

Snooop

Hi Everyone,

I am 25 and I have arthritis about a year ago I met others through a living well course ran by Arthritis Ireland. I found it great to meeting other's who understood exactly what I was going through. I asked the other people on the course would they be interested in running a support group for people in their 20's, 30's and early 40's .

Its been about nine months in the making but next Wednesday we are having a launch with an information evening where we will have one of Irelands top Rheumatologists Prof Oliver Fitzgerald and also Nurse Specialist Shona Lee .
We will also have free foot scans from tip toes on the night.

It will be held in the woodquey venue ( Dublin City Council) which is across from the Four Courts
http://www.woodquayvenue.ie/.

The evening starts from around 6.15 with guest speakers at 7.15.

Tea & coffee will be provided on the night so that people will have the opportunity meet others with different forms of arthritis including fibromyalgia.

The event is free and I would love if your around Dublin for you all to come along.

If anyone would like more info PM me or mail joinfab@gmail.com

squeakyduck

Hi,

My mum has been told she has fibromyalgia. Her doctor says she should try and be more active as a result of this, but she prefers to stay in front of the telly instead of a brisk walk with her dog. I was wondering if anyone could tell me what exercises she would benefit from? I was considering getting her a little course of training with a local personal trainer to try and help her get a little fit and build up her strength.

Cheers

SD

dlofnep

I had it in my legs. Food with gluten caused it to flare. I don't get it anymore. Sitting down in front of the telly sure isn't going to help. Try swimming, walking, cycling.

squeakyduck

I'm trying to get her to go for a walk with her dog, but she leaves him out the back to play instead of walking. She is very low during the winter time, so getting her out is not easy as she doesn't like people "seeing me like this". Getting her away from beside the fire is next to impossible.

Swimming is out of the question, she has inner ear problems doesn't like getting water anywhere near her ears, cycling...(I've never seen her ride a bike,I dunno if she can, I must check!) and walking is hard hence my question.

Do you think the personal trainer would be of benefit to her? He's a next door neighbor, if I could try and get her into the routine of doing some exercise it might show her how good she can feel after doing some exercise. It's just that sometimes it takes her a good while to stand up, she has to do it little by little and she starts to limp sometimes too.

star-pants

Exercise helps some people and hinders others tbh. If the doc says she's ok to exercise then I'd see no harm in seeking advice from the personal trainer. Gentle exercises, that she could even do indoors if she doesn't always want to go for a walk is a good idea.
I do stretches and some exercises indoors when I'm feeling up to it, but I've always been a big walker so I do go for regular walks with the dogs even if I'm not really able.

So see if the personal trainer can recommend and maybe assess her to see what she's able to do safely and without pain.

squeakyduck

Cheers star pants. I'm considering getting her a few weeks training with the personal trainer as a present for Christmas, maybe some exercise could be her new years resolution, she also has type two diabeties, so sometimes she is quite sluggish and feels cold. I always feel warm and great after a brisk walk, but mum is always one to drive the car even for short distances.

star-pants

Well exercise works for some and not for others, once I keep my exercise gentle and only do it when I'm not too sore, then it's ok. Going out in the cold and walking can be nice but the cold can get into my joints (even if I warm up whilst walking) and that can cause pain later. But I'm sure the trainer will know what to be doing once it's explained to him.

Bidd

Is your Mother's pain controlled? It can be difficult to control Fibro pain. Plus the side effects of the meds can be difficult too.

I understand totally how your Mum is feeling. It is totally understandable. To be in pain 24/7 with no break is hell. Log onto the Forum at http://www.chronicpain.ie/ or even better get your Mum to join-she will get plenty of help and advice both from CPI and on the Forum.

B

squeakyduck

I don't think she is on controlled medication for pain, she's on a lot on anti depressants and blood thinners, I hate her taking all this medication but when I see her when she hasn't taken them I'm kind of glad she does.

She asked me to look it [fibromyalgia] up for her and all I took in from it is that exercise would help. My mum is definitely no gym bunny, she usually walks her little dog down the road and up again but she takes it slowly (as she always has - stops to chat to Tom, Dick and Harry down the road)

I tell her to walk a little bit more briskly maybe break a little sweat, blood pumping etc but when I ask her to walk with me she just breaks down in tears saying she doesn't want people to see her like this. I just wish she would do something as sitting on her bum will probably do nothing in the long run except make her more sore.

EDIT: Just rang her there, when I was talking about the personal trainer all she could think of was threadmills and started to cry. I told her to try and go out for a walk and this was even more tears. She has a voucher for a nice beauty salon from her birthday, I don't think she has used it but maybe a massage will relax her a bit and maybe get her muscles a little looser?

dlofnep

SqueakyDuck - Ask her if any specific foods seem to flare it up for her. Fibro is insanely misunderstood - and I suffered with it for 2 years before realising that it was gluten causing my flares. It's worth a shot. I wouldn't be so quick to taking medication for it. I was given anti-inflamatories, and they destroyed my stomach. I haven't been the same since.