Hi all,
I am new here and i need some advise. Sorry for the long post below.
So i have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia since about May/June this year (not exactly sure when it was) by a rheumatology consultant (could not wait for the 46 week referral time on the NHS). My doctors have not put it on my records as yet (do not know the reason) until i have an MSK meeting at the GP's (some kind of physio i think).
I have kinda had my head in the sand over this since then, hoping it will go away. I have seen some changes in myself that i know that i have to face it now but i do not know how to or where to start. not only to help me but as you will read my family.
I am on 40mg of Amitriptytline and told to take paracetamol & Ibuprofen to also manage the pain, which is in my hands, elbows running up to my shoulders, across the back of my shoulders, lower back, legs and my knees. The amount of pain varies and not all the time in places like my knees but hands and arms are always in pain. My right hand is always swollen and the more i do (housework, anything physical etc) the worse that gets in being swollen and the pain, along with the rest of my body.
I have a 2 yo and a 6 yo and my partner who is supporting me but putting a lot of stress on her. I can rarely go out on family trips etc. If i do go, i can only manage about 2 hours before i am completely done in and need to come home to have a nap. I require a nap every day otherwise i am not able to support my other half with the kids bedtime and then spending time with my partner in the evenings.
I feel like i am missing out on my children's childhood and time with us all as a family. Even my 2 yo has started asking why i am not going on the family outings and its killing me.
I cut the grass the other week and i was struggling to walk for 3 days after due to the pain. In context, i completely removed all the grass and laid new grass back end of last summer all by hand/wheel barrow, this was not an issue for me to do moving 3-4 tonnes of top soil/grass by myself (with a little "help" from my 6 yo
).
In the morning it takes me 20 minutes just to get everything working (from being locked, like my right hand fingers, i have to force them open and shut multiple times to release them) stretches for my shoulders and back in bed before i can get up.
I have read that losing weight and having a very healthy diet will help so me and my partner are going to do this together but is there anything that anyone has experienced about the sleeping during the day and getting drained from walking around shops etc that has helped them.
I am fully aware that there may not be a quick solution to any of this but at this point i would welcome any thoughts/tips as things are not getting better. I feel like i do not control this yet and it is full controlling my life. I have also noticed that i am reacting very different to certain situations, things that i would have brushed off and not bothered me, now are. Absolutely nothing bad has happened from this but i have noticed it and i do not want to even step down that road(not even a little). I am not sure if this a reaction for the way this is controlling my life and cause i feel like i am not in control of my body.
I don't really know what i can do/start to get control of this but i know i need help/suggestions on what i can do.
Thank you in advance for any advise you may have.
I am new here and i need some advise. Sorry for the long post below.
So i have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia since about May/June this year (not exactly sure when it was) by a rheumatology consultant (could not wait for the 46 week referral time on the NHS). My doctors have not put it on my records as yet (do not know the reason) until i have an MSK meeting at the GP's (some kind of physio i think).
I have kinda had my head in the sand over this since then, hoping it will go away. I have seen some changes in myself that i know that i have to face it now but i do not know how to or where to start. not only to help me but as you will read my family.
I am on 40mg of Amitriptytline and told to take paracetamol & Ibuprofen to also manage the pain, which is in my hands, elbows running up to my shoulders, across the back of my shoulders, lower back, legs and my knees. The amount of pain varies and not all the time in places like my knees but hands and arms are always in pain. My right hand is always swollen and the more i do (housework, anything physical etc) the worse that gets in being swollen and the pain, along with the rest of my body.
I have a 2 yo and a 6 yo and my partner who is supporting me but putting a lot of stress on her. I can rarely go out on family trips etc. If i do go, i can only manage about 2 hours before i am completely done in and need to come home to have a nap. I require a nap every day otherwise i am not able to support my other half with the kids bedtime and then spending time with my partner in the evenings.
I feel like i am missing out on my children's childhood and time with us all as a family. Even my 2 yo has started asking why i am not going on the family outings and its killing me.
I cut the grass the other week and i was struggling to walk for 3 days after due to the pain. In context, i completely removed all the grass and laid new grass back end of last summer all by hand/wheel barrow, this was not an issue for me to do moving 3-4 tonnes of top soil/grass by myself (with a little "help" from my 6 yo

In the morning it takes me 20 minutes just to get everything working (from being locked, like my right hand fingers, i have to force them open and shut multiple times to release them) stretches for my shoulders and back in bed before i can get up.
I have read that losing weight and having a very healthy diet will help so me and my partner are going to do this together but is there anything that anyone has experienced about the sleeping during the day and getting drained from walking around shops etc that has helped them.
I am fully aware that there may not be a quick solution to any of this but at this point i would welcome any thoughts/tips as things are not getting better. I feel like i do not control this yet and it is full controlling my life. I have also noticed that i am reacting very different to certain situations, things that i would have brushed off and not bothered me, now are. Absolutely nothing bad has happened from this but i have noticed it and i do not want to even step down that road(not even a little). I am not sure if this a reaction for the way this is controlling my life and cause i feel like i am not in control of my body.
I don't really know what i can do/start to get control of this but i know i need help/suggestions on what i can do.
Thank you in advance for any advise you may have.