good evening everyone ... most of you know me already as the caregiver to frank (aka weegot5kiz) who has MS ... i am also part of the welcoming committee ... never dreamed i would be on this end of the treads ... yeah i know i have a world of dx's which now all of them fit neatly together ... fibromyalgia ... apparently i have had this for awhile but like so many other illness that have multiple symptoms it is difficult to dx as the doctors seem to treat the individual problems ... i didn't even know the wide range of symptoms until coming here and becoming friends with someone who has fibromyalgia ... i can say i am glad to have a dx finially as everyone thought i should see a psychologist ... you know ... the "it's all in your head" answer ... at the same time i am scare as i don't know alot about this illness yet and have no clue as to what the long term outlook is ... anyway, thought i would introduce myself some more and see if anyone has some insight into this illness

Hi Debbie; it's good to see you posting again.

I don't know whether to say congratulations, or I'm sorry!

I hope you realise that I mean that with the nicest intentions. I'm sure you're pleased in one one that you've finally got a diagnosis, and to finally be told that your symptoms were not in your head after all.

At the same time, FM is not a nice diagnosis to have. From what I read you might have some aching muscles in the times ahead, but I daresay you already know that. Probably pain was one of the symptoms that forced you to seek help in the first time.

I don't have FM, but I wanted to let you know that I'm here for you should you need a listening ear or a shoulder to lean on.

Hopefully some-one will be along soon who can give you all sorts of fabulous information.

hugssss hun, My mom has the fibro, has had it for years and years!! hugsss and love, sarah

Hey, my friend...thanks for all the time you spent today listening to me vent! Your the best!!

Hey Deb! Welcome back. Boy, do I understand FM. Living w/it is like being in a magic show; you never know what's going to get pulled out of the hat at any given time.
can rear it's ugly head at the most inopportune time, much like Frank's MS.

The internet has alot of info on this illness and I found it very helpful when I was first dx'd. I have some other autoimmune illnesses, which seem to have surfaced after the FM dx, but could have been there prior~ who knows.
I also have a benign MS DX~ which is perplexing in itself.

Just keep trudging along, learn what works for your body and as much as I despise saying it~ accept it and don't let anyone tell you ''it's in your head'', b/c it's in your body. You will continue to be the same person you always were; adding an FM DX will not change who YOU are; it will change things, but your'e still Deb. One more reason we all need NT, b/c everyone is here for their own personal reasons.

PS: I also see a Rheumatologist for this.

thanks guys or should i say gals ... anyway thanks for being so understanding and supportive ... my doctor is treating this at this time but if it gets worse or out of his control he will send me to a rheum. at the moment he feels he can treat this and save us money at the same time ... i started the lyrica 2 weeks ago and i increase today to 2 tablets .... i am hoping that this works to relieve the pain that seems to hit about mid morning ... frank says i seem to be sleeping better, not jerking as much as i use to ... still, i can't remember a day with no pain doubt i will either ... just want it tolerable so i can take care of frank and the house as i should ... anyone got a magic wand???

glad the doc is finding some relief for you...I too was diagnosed with
fibro a couple of years ago....its no walk inthe park.but
a good md will make it tolerable.

Hi Deb,

Sorry you had to join our world of Fibro.. I have had it for many years and have been on tons of different meds including Lyrica.. It is good to finally have a name for all those symptoms.

A lot of fibro sufferers also get depression, not the other way around.. You get depressed realizing how different your life is. Fortunately antidepressants help with the pain and the depression too....

If you can tolerate Lyrica it is very helpful for a lot of fibromites, unfortunately I had to quit after 7 months, developed a reaction to it.

Also watch out for weight gain, it is a huge side effect but levels off after a while.

Learn to pace your self in everything that you do, when you feel good. Don't over do it.. there is a wonderful post floating around the web called "the spoon theory" It describes our life in a nutshell, and it is good reading material for those who think its all in your head. It was written by a women with Lupus but has been edited for Fibro.

If allowed I will post a copy here, need moderator permission as I am so new to this site.

Pm me if you want to talk about it privately.

Oh and I'm one of the Few guys with Fibro, seems it affects mostly women.

(((Deb))) Sorry you've joined this club!

Say, I noticed in your siggy that you are working on weight loss. As doc said, one of the more common side effects with Lyrica is weight gain -- just so you are aware.

One thing I do know is be prepared when you have a very active time. Such as if you mow the lawn, or garden, or just doing whatever that is strenuous. You almost have to count on dealing with your activity the next day!

A big thing about fibro that really bothers me is the sleep problem. I haven't been able to sleep without an aid for years. At present I use Trazadone which works pretty well. Also has the added benefit of working along with my other antidepressant.

Big gentle hugs.

Nice to meet you Doc! A man with fibro! I haven't met one yet.

Here is a link to that spoon theory you speak of. http://butyoudontlooksick.com/the_spoon_theory/

And here are some 'spoon' stories in the forum at the But You Don't Look Sick web site. Very interesting. http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/bo...e0d2bad942ae40