Hi there *waves*

[GingerSnaps614]

Hello. I'm new here. I was just diagnosed with fibromyalgia this past Tuesday. I have been suffering since the beginning of March. 3/1/13-3/29/13 I tapered off Seroquel and Zoloft, which I was on for two years, Feb 2011, after the Renfrew Center forced me into taking it - refusing to treat me if I didn't oblige. Being young and scared, I caved.

The meds were supposedly for depression nos, generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD, and eating disorder not otherwise specified. I don't disagree with the diagnoses; I say "supposedly" because I'm fairly certain they just threw pills at me because I was difficult and they sedated me. I wanted to know why they were doing everything they were and why they wanted me to do the things they wanted me to do. They were a horrible treatment facility. But that's beside the point.

The meds were causing problems and not at all helpful, so I talked to my current psychiatrist about tapering off. I had the support of him, my therapist, and my primary, and was under their care. I went through horrendous withdraw for six weeks. In the first week of my tapering/withdrawal is when the fibro symptoms appeared. The rheumatologist who diagnosed me said that the fibro could have appeared any time in the last two years, but I wouldn't have known because the antidepressant masked it, as that is a treatment for fibromyalgia. I am in pain everywhere, joints and muscles and head. I get weird sensations, feeling like parts of my body were replaced with ice water off and on. Sometimes it feels like there's literally ice water being poured on my brain. I twitch and shake. I sort of black out sometimes; my vision goes black and everything spins. I always catch myself, but it's scary. My anxiety has been really high. I have trouble remembering things sometimes and I have a lot of trouble focusing on things. It's been really easy to overstimulate me.

I very much do *not* want drugs. Especially considering the reactions I've had to them so far (bad or no reaction at all, nothing good). My rheumatologist advised aquatic physical therapy and exercise on my own, which I am all for and hopeful about.

I'm just looking for some people who understand. I have plenty of friends with fibro, but since I know how it is, I don't want to constantly harass them with all of my questions. Not that I want to harass you guys haha, but at least you decide whether or not you want to talk about it, whereas if I text my friend, it's kind of rude not to get back to me.

So... hello.

 

[mariposa]

The meds were causing problems and not at all helpful, so I talked to my current psychiatrist about tapering off. I had the support of him, my therapist, and my primary, and was under their care. I went through horrendous withdraw for six weeks. In the first week of my tapering/withdrawal is when the fibro symptoms appeared.
[snip]
I very much do *not* want drugs. Especially considering the reactions I've had to them so far (bad or no reaction at all, nothing good). My rheumatologist advised aquatic physical therapy and exercise on my own, which I am all for and hopeful about.

Hi there... I see you waving :smile: and I would have answered this intro before but I didn't see it. I hope you'll get lots of support here.

I'm glad to hear that your therapist, and those others you listed backed you and can offer support, too. The withdrawal sounds awful. :sad:

I wish you luck with the aquatic therapy... I've heard good things about it. And good for you for not wanting all those drugs they're trying to throw at you. Doctors shouldn't be able to "insist" on certain drugs... well, probably unless it's something that they know is life-threatening and then they'd most likely have to because of ethics.

 

[GingerSnaps614]

That's how I feel about drugs. I absolutely do not want them, BUT if I would die without them and that's the ONLY thing to keep me alive, yeah, I'd take them. But since this is not the case at all, I'm not starting with drugs!

I start my aquatic PT tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it. We'll see what happens! If the pain becomes unbearable for me, I've read some good things about transfer factor and oddly enough Mucinex for treating fibro. I'll read more about it, and if I find anything super helpful, I'll post <3

I realize I'm really lucky to have doctors that listen to me about this. Probably helps that I'm not asking for meds. I've definitely had my fair share of doctors being *******s in the past, unrelated to anything fibro because I didn't have it yet, and more recently in the hospital. F***ing neurologist in the hospital (thankfully not mine!) told me "it's all in your head." Cool; I'll kick you in the nuts and while you're writhing around on the floor, I'll tell you it's fine, it's just all in your head. *hmph*