female only fibromyalgia

[Charlene K 1]

Tina, thanks for the kind words of support! I'm proud of my six years! :w00t: And I wish you luck with the rheumatologist! Mine has been fabulous! My oncologist was the one who recommended I see a rheumy rather than just my family doctor, and I'm so glad she did.

Charlene, I have IBS, and it is common among people with FM. If you are having a lot of acid, you should definitely consider a slight unfill. I just had one about a week ago (-0.5 ccs) and it made all the difference in the world. The acid is gone.

Hostbody, FM often mimics Lyme disease, which is why most doctors nowadays will test a patient for Lyme before giving them the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. I was tested twice for Lyme.... and for MS, Lupus, and a whole host of other diseases. That's why the diagnosis of FM is considered a "diagnosis of elimination." Unfortunately there is no blood test for FM, so they have to eliminate all other possibilities. And I totally agree with you -- everyone needs to be their own health advocate!!! :thumbup:

Oh, and regarding pain meds... I mispoke before... I do take pain meds (Vicodin) for breakthrough pain only, but that is very rarely now. Thank goodness! :sad:

Thanks for the info. I will talk to my WL doctor about a slight unfill. I am still in the denial state. I took a stomach relaxer this morning then the first big cool front blew into Houston about an hour ago. I am cramping big time. All those adhesions from previous colon surgeries are fired up. I had IBS till my first colon surgery about nine years ago. Then it went away until last month. My adhesions are so bad the doctor would not do bypass on me......the band was my only choice. Even though I have lost half of my weight.....I am at a plateau. I took a metabolism test last month. You breathe in a machine and it reads the calories you take in (resting metabolism). It wasn't good. I only burn 1300 calories a day. So, in order to lose a lb a week I can only eat 1200calories. Now I have to deal with taking more medication. I hope I can still lose. The GP yesterday said something about takine Savella. Does anyone take it? What are the side effects? Is it an antidepressant? I have taken a low dose of xanax for years for my adhesions. It does help a little for the anxiety , but not for the pain.

[want_so_bad 0]

charlene- i am on savella. have been for, well, since i started this thread. maybe a little over a month? not quite a month? i know a few people on the thread have mentioned being irritable after starting it. i didnt notice that. sometimes i seem like i am in a fog. like i just cant quite think clearly. but not all the time and i dont know if that is because of the savella or not. i think for me its working. i dont seem to be having as many bad days. i am still tired and cant sleep very well though. who knows?

[taz 2]

I didn't do well on Savella. I am still on Lyrica. When I added Savella I couldn't think at all. I took it for 3 days. I would take it in the morning. The day I stopped I had the shakes in the afternoon. It really scared me. I still can't remember things. Has anyone had this experience. Does fibro damage memory? Is there any permenent damage to memory from meds. I don't see my origional doc until January. I've tried the internet but I'm not very good at doing this...I'm still somewhat inexperienced with computers. I'm learning so I guess I'm not a hopeless case. Maybe I should call my pharmacy.

Thanks for listening. I went on a short trip with a friend over the weekend and it really helped. I didn't realize I was so stressed until we left. I had very little trouble with fibro. We laughed so much I guess I realeased a lot of natural endorphines. Fun is nice. :thumbup:

Tina

[SpideyMom 1]

Taz and Want so bad, what you very well might be experiencing is called "fibro fog." :thumbup: It is a problem that naturally happens just from having fibromyalgia. I've had it from the beginning, but some people don't develop it right away. Just like the symptoms of FM, it can ebb and flow. It is the worst when I don't get a good night's sleep or I'm having a flare-up. When that happens, I can't remember things -- especially where I put things (grrrr) -- and I cannot "find" words when I'm speaking. That's embarrassing. I'll be talking to someone and suddenly forget an everyday word, and there will be this long pause before either I can remember it or the other person interjects and says the word. I feel like such a dunce when that happens! But, people who know me understand.

And, yes, certain medications can make the fibro fog worse. I found that although Lyrica helps me, but if I take more than 150 mg. a day, I have a very difficult time concentrating at work and finding words. And that's a problem for me, because I'm an editor! :laugh:

Hang in there... together we can help each other. :smile2: Glad this thread was started!!

Edited October 21, 2009 by SpideyMom
typo

[taz 2]

SpideyMom, I'm glad this thread was started too. I can see how fibro fog could affect your work if you were an editor. My fog just seems so much worse since I tried Savella. It could be I just need to try lowering my Lyrica a bit for a while. I'm glad to hear it is normal (whatever that is) to forget words. It seems lately I can barely hold a conversation. Maybe I'm just getting paranoid since we hear so much about dementia these days. I think I'll just relax and accept that it is normal for fibro. Take care.

Tina

[SpideyMom 1]

Tina, I know, it's frightening when you first start experiencing fibro fog, because you do start thinking about dementia and Alzheimers. But, not to worry, it is a real condition linked to FM. Here is just one of many articles written about it: How Fibro Fog Clouds Thinking and How to Break Through It - Chronic Pain - Health.com

Cheers! :thumbup:

[taz 2]

Thanks, SpideyMom.

[taz 2]

Hi, all. Well I've tried two rheumatologists and they both said go to a pain management center. Anyone been to one?

Tina

[Charlene K 1]

Hi, all. Well I've tried two rheumatologists and they both said go to a pain management center. Anyone been to one?

Tina

Yes, I go to one for herniated disks in my lower back. I have had several epidural cortisone shots in my back. They work. I wish I could go to him for this IBS. I am on Librax and Levsin which have helped. The doctor is going to start me on Savella when I get back from Hawaii (40 yr. Anniversary). Do you know how that medicine works?

[farmgirl10 0]

Hi everybody!

Wuda been here sooner, get lost in all these forums!

Terrible fibro aches today! went on a 2 mile walk..spose that cud be why. Hurt before I went, now hips n knees are in severe pain. Took some Tylenol, nothing workin yet.

I was banded 11/6/09. Have lost some weight, not sure what don't have a scale n don't get first fill til Dec 7th.

[Charlene K 1]

Hi everybody!

Wuda been here sooner, get lost in all these forums!

Terrible fibro aches today! went on a 2 mile walk..spose that cud be why. Hurt before I went, now hips n knees are in severe pain. Took some Tylenol, nothing workin yet.

I was banded 11/6/09. Have lost some weight, not sure what don't have a scale n don't get first fill til Dec 7th.

Down here on the Gulf Coast we are used to damp and warm. A cool front moved in this evening and my body is aching. The adhesions where my port is placed really hurts. Sometimes I hurt where the band is placed. Oh well, can't give into it because I have 25 coming for Thanksgiving. I have the cornbread in the oven right now for the dressing. I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! "NO Pain, NO Gain"...........whoever thought that up didn't have Fibromyalgia.

[Marine mom 3]

I have had fibro for 20 years. I started on Savella in September,and it has changed my life. I was nauseous for the first month, and an increase in Migraines, but the decrease in pain, and the positive feeling from the increase of norepinephrines has made me a different person.

I had tried every antidepressant out there for the fibro, and every one before this left me agitated.

Hope you don't mind the post from a newbie. I am just amazed at feeling decent for the first time in years.

[Charlene K 1]

I have had fibro for 20 years. I started on Savella in September,and it has changed my life. I was nauseous for the first month, and an increase in Migraines, but the decrease in pain, and the positive feeling from the increase of norepinephrines has made me a different person.

I had tried every antidepressant out there for the fibro, and every one before this left me agitated.

Hope you don't mind the post from a newbie. I am just amazed at feeling decent for the first time in years.

Thanks for the info. I went to the dr this past week and got a script for Savella. I decided to start it after Christmas because I did not want to deal with side effects and stress at the same time. I went to Hawaii two weeks ago and when I got into the 80 degree weather I did not have aching. It was so nice. I did have IBS in the high altitude plane ride, but I had Levsin to control it. I hope we keep this thread going because I need support. This stuff makes me crazy. I am tired of complaining to family in friends.

I hope all of you have a Pain Free Christmas. Merry Christmas!

[SpideyMom 1]

Good luck with the Savella! Let me know how it goes. I'm reluctant to try if it increases the Migraines. I have enough troubles with those already. I take a combo of Cymbalta, Wellbutrin XL, and Lyrica for my fibro. My neuro wanted me to decrease the Lyrica recently, and when I did, my fibro started flaring up again. No fun!!! So, now I'm back up to the dose I was on before the flare, but I'm still flaring. I guess it takes a while for the flaring to go away once it has started. Every little thing hurts -- like something very small that dropped on my toe the other day felt like a hammer had fallen on my toe. The pain is immense!

I also get a lot of bruising when I flare. Does anyone else have this? Seems odd.

I was really hoping I could do away with these meds once I lost a bunch of weight, but I can see that they are here to stay. At least I was able to cut the dosage on most of them.

Hang in there, everyone! :biggrin: (((Soft, gentle hugs to all!)))

[Charlene K 1]

I haven't started the Savella......going on it New Years. I have never had a migraine....my head is the only thing that doesn't hurt. I don't have bruising. I mainly flare up when the weather changes which is every other day in Houston. Today is a good day, but rain is expected tomorrow.

Happy New Year All!