Finally accepting my diagnosis...need help coping

[Althea913]

I have suffered with pain for the last 5 years and just recently was officially diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I've just realized that I have been in denial of this because it seems so vague since there is nothing seemingly "wrong" or they don't really know what causes it. I have been on Cymbalta for a little over a year and it does help but I still have bad days. One of my biggest struggles is that I'm tired all the time. I'm struggling with depression because I don't feel like those around me understand what I'm going through. I feel as if they think I'm making it up or that I'm just lazy. It's difficult to get motivated to do anything. I'm married with 4 children and a dog. I'm currently a stay at home mom but feel very unsuccessful in this role due to my lack of energy and motivation. I'm just looking for a place to share with others who understand and get what I'm going through.

 

[VanGogh]

Hi Althea,

Was wondering about your RX of Cymbalta. Did you start taking it before any " depression " set in? I'm asking because one of my doctors wrote an RX of Cymbalta for me and he always RX's the smallest dose possible since my body does not get along too well with medications that are often RX'd by MH Docs. He did tell me that it works on pain and depression but it sits in my med-chest unopened as of yet.

You do not need to answer this question but have you tried talk therapy of the depression? I personally prefer talk therapy to drugs especially since I seem to have a paradoxical reaction to most medications.

In any event I wish you wellness and happiness....happiness seems to work best for me in most cases.

Peace,
Theo

 

[Althea913]

Theo,
I had depression before my RX Cymbalta. I don't prefer mess either and my body is sensitive as well. I started with the lowest dose and moved up to the next one. When I initially went to the Dr it was for pain and depression/anxiety. That is why they chose Cymbalta for me so they could treat both. It's working well for me. Due to a Dr's negligence I had to go off of it for about 2-3 months and I could see a huge difference in my pain level and emotions. I'm not sure how I would do without it. What exactly is talk therapy?

 

[VanGogh]

" What exactly is talk therapy? " It's simply talking with a social worker, or anyone trained in psychological matters. Psychiatrists used to do this most often until drug therapy became fashionable and Zofoft, Paxil, and PROZAC was RX'd for most psyche disorders like anxiety, depression, bi-polar, etc. The therapists with an MD degree just wrote RX's based on the DX's of the ones who talked only.

Hope this helped.

 

[analyticknitter]

Hi-I am also newly diagnosed and on Cymbalta. I am an ultra-metabolizer of it so I am now up to 90mg with the goal of being 120mg. I hope it helps. I also prefer talk therapy, and have been involved in it for years, but this has taken the wind out of my sails. One of my primary symptoms is fatigue and I'm not clear if the correct diagnosis is really fibromyalgia or CFS, but I'm not sure that it makes a big difference. I just want to get on with my life..

 

[Sagey]

Hi Althea,

I'm glad you came to the forum.Here you can talk when you feel like it,and we get it.

I understand how you feel.Its not an easy disease to deal with.Some medications don't give complete relief,so sometimes we need more than one.

Also sometimes vitamins can help you.I find my VitB 12 sublingual does help me with extra energy.Im also deficient in Vit D so I also take D3 daily and Vit C.A lot of Fibromyalgia patients are deficient in Vit D.
I also started taking a probiotic daily for digestive and immune help.I would talk to your doctor and see what he suggests.Of course trying not to eat processed foods,and eating healthy foods like chicken and fish for the omega fatty acids, is also great.

Having four children takes a lot of energy,so taking breaks for yourself and asking for help is one thing we don't like to do,but we should!
Resting often and pacing what you do during the day,makes a big difference on how we feel.

Some days can be worse then others.You might feel energized one or two days and then feel totally depleted.
I think staying hydrated is another important factor.I remember one week I was weak and wasn't eating or drinking much.I became weak and could barely walk.I went to the dr and I was totally dehydrated.They started me on Intravenous fluids ,right in the office.From then on I'mvery careful about how much fluids I take in,especially water.

I'm sorry your depressed, but if any disease will do it Fibro can. Its frustrating going from a healthy energetic person to one that needs to take it slow.And not get as much accomplished as you use to.
We all have our ways of handling with sadness.I hope u can get help with that.If something doesn't work,don't be afraid to switch and try something else.

I hope your depression improves and you find peace.



Sagey

 

[Lisabeans]

Althea913, your post sounds exactly like me. I have been suffering for over 3 years and just got diagnosed with fibromalygia in July. I too have 4 kids, a dog, bunny, fish and a tortoise. I also have ulcerative colitis which is in remission and possibly an auto immune issues as well. That is still undiagnosed. I do work part time as a realtor and property manager, teach religious prep once a week during the school year and volunteer at lot at school. I am finding it harder and harder to do it all with the pain and exhaustion. This site is a great place to vent. We all understand what we are going through and no one here judges at all. I hope things start to look up for you and all of us!

 

[Tipnatee N]

Venting out your depression here is the best way and the safe place to release the unclear suffocation of the overwhelming problems that you are carrying. Sometime even when no one replied or couldn't giving the answer that I was hoping for , it's still better than letting the thoughts bottling up inside me and destroying me in the process.

 

[Pegleg84]

I've been on Cymbalta for a few months, and yeah, it helps with the day-to-day low-level pain, but I still have bad days. it's helped a lot with my anxiety, but I still get depressed sometimes. It extremely discouraging when you can't do the things you normally do: get to work, walk at normal speed, lie in bed without pain, etc etc. And I don't have any kids or animals to take care of!
As for "talk therapy", yes, seeing a psychiatris/ologist or a therapist who can help work through things can be a big help. I saw a CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) psychologist for a while and it was a big help, teaching actual coping strategies rather than just throwing drugs at it or digging into your past.
Depression can also be (partially) helped with vitamin supplements: B12 and D3 are the best.
Fibro sucks. It's depressing and discouraging. I'd say having those feelings is perfectly normal, but yeah, doesn't help the not wanting to get out of bed in the morning.
Hang in there. Be kind to yourself. And you can always come here to vent all you want.