Fibromyalgia and RA

[Sandycm]

Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia at the age of 15, my daughter has definitely encountered challenging days. Now at the age of 18, she still experiences days when the fibromyalgia poses more problems than the RA. She takes Enbrel and Methotrexate (when she remembers the Methotrexate) for the RA, and her doctor put her on Cymbalta for the fibromyalgia. Deep tissue massages help the fibro a lot. I'm just wondering if anyone else out there has the combination of these two frustrating, debilitating medical conditions. If you do, what works for you? What doesn't work for you? What words of advice would you give to my 18-year-old daughter? Thank you for any and all replies. I've learned I can't remind her to take her medication or supplements; she has to be responsible for herself. It is, however, very difficult seeing her in pain.

 

[MizzDeeDee]

Not RA and Fibro, but another autoimmune disease and fibro, yes. Many times the fibro is a lot worse than the autoimmune disease. I think your daughter is doing everything right. Deep tissue massage is fantastic for fibro. Some people don't care for cymbalta, but it worked very well for me.

The biggest piece of advice I would give is her understanding her own limitations. It took me awhile to understand what my limitations are and to slow down. I imagine her being so young that it's harder for her to slow down, but in the long run, it's productive. It really can make a huge difference.

Good luck to both you and her!

 

[jcairns82]

I only have fibromyalgia, but it seems like you're on the right track. Massages definitely do help. Personally, I do some gentle restorative yoga, as that is like a self massage.

As Mizz mentioned, she needs to discover what she can and can't do and I would encourage her to even push a little too. Often times, our illnesses stop us from trying many things that we can succeed at.