Recently diagnosed but not new to pain

[greg6661]

Hi everyone so i was recently diagnosed with fibromyglgia after many months of tests to rule out everything else it was a shock but also a weight off my shoulders to find out why I was in so much pain I also have severe peripheral vascular disease and heart problems and on top of that I'm a single full-time dad and would like to ask how people suggest to cope with the unbearable pain that is fibromyglgia? Every morning I wake up it's the same neck pain shoulder pain back pain it never seems to end the doctors have put me on pregabalin but it doesn't seem to help and the fatigue is awful does anyone have any practical suggestions on how to live like this? If it wasn't for my children and thought of them being alone I'd just jack it in and keel over but what scares me is one day they'll be all grown up and not need there dad anymore so I'll have no reason to carry on going through this escapade they call life. I'd be interested to know someone else's thoughts and advice how they cope ect thanks for reading

 

[sunkacola]

Greetings to you, @greg6661 and welcome to the forum.
One place you can start in terms of getting advice on how to manage fibromyalgia is this post:

S

Thread 'My advice for managing fibromyalgia (especially for newcomers)'

Jul 21, 2020

I am not a doctor or anything, just a person who has lived with fibromyalgia for several years now and has done a lot of research and trial and error experimentation. What follows is just basics. There are a lot of variations. You will find your own versions of everything I say, as this is not a prescription and there are no guarantees. But I believe that if you can do these things, it will improve the quality of your life.

First thing to remember is that Fibro is not a death sentence and if you learn how to manage it, it will very possibly not always be as bad as it is now.

I was at...

• sunkacola
• Replies: 29
• Forum: General discussions about fibromyalgia

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I think the most important thing to know just at first is that what works for one person may or may not work for you. So read what other people are doing, and try things. Ask all the questions you want and we will reply. But do your best not to get discouraged if something, or many things, that you try don't work for you. It's a balancing game and a matter of experimentation, finding out what works best for you.

Are you under a doctor's care? Are you taking, or have you tried, any other medications? There are many that are prescribed for fibromyalgia. There is no one medication that helps us all, and some of them can have unpleasant side effects, but some are known to help some people. Again.....it's a matter of experimentation.

Here are a few things that are beneficial to everyone:
Improving your overall health by eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise. What constitutes a healthy diet varies; for some it is vegetarian, for others it is meat. Exercise needs to be something you enjoy and that you can do consistently without causing yourself even more pain.
Pacing activity and not overdoing it.
Getting enough restful sleep.
Maintaining as best you can a positive attitude.

All of the above can be challenging. We are here to help in whatever way we can, and to offer our own experience, advice, and support. You are not alone, and the people on this forum really want to help each other.
You have a lot on your plate, being a single dad. Many others here also have a lot on their plates, and we are all managing the best we can. Some days, we all do better than other days. Be kind to yourself, take care of yourself the best you can and know we are here for you.

 

[JamieMarc]

I would focus on sleep first, which may help with pain as well. Many fibro sufferers don't get enough deep sleep which can cause all sorts of problems. Rather than post the three classes of medications or supplements than can help with deep sleep, I think it would be best for me to refer you to The Fibro Manual by Dr Ginevra Liptan, focusing on the rest and sleep chapters first. Dr Liptan will tell you this herself in the book. For me, magnesium and a muscle relaxant (I also take clonazepam during the day for anxiety) at bedtime works well.

In addition, I suggest finding the right mattress. Medium firm seems to be the most popular choice for back sufferers. If you can't afford to replace your mattress, assuming you need a new one, add a mattress topper, medium firm. Find a pillow that help keep your spine aligned from cervical to lumbar/sacral. I like microbead pillows, but mine are so old that I switched to a shredded memory foam pillow by Enerplex. You can add or remove the memory foam to suit your needs.

Incorporate stretches and yoga into your daily life for muscle and spine health and pain relief. Let go or reduce stress in your life as much as possible. Be active as much as you can. Sitting or standing are often painful for me whereas moving is therapeutic for my pain. When sitting, use pillows strategically to keep the spine aligned. For me, a firm pillow placed at the center of my back works best when sitting in an armchair or straight back chair.

These are just a FEW of the hundreds of things you can try. I hope you will update us on your progress, and depending on how you are doing, we can recommend more things to try depending upon how things stand with you.