[sank9]

hi. new this week to this site. im 45 and have suffered with fibro for 5 yrs now. now on mirtazapine. just hate being in pain and feeling so down. would love to be able to get a good nights sleep. bfn sandra

[Trace]

Hi Sank

I am so sorry that you are suffering from Fibro.
I do not suffer from Fibro, but I have lupus, which is also an auto immune disease and I know the pain that you are going through.

Trace

[whoiam]

sank9, on Nov 7 2009, 07:38 AM, said:

hi. new this week to this site. im 45 and have suffered with fibro for 5 yrs now. now on mirtazapine. just hate being in pain and feeling so down. would love to be able to get a good nights sleep. bfn sandra

Hello sank9! Just wanted to let you know that I know how you feel...I was diagnosed with fibro in 2000 but was told at that time have probably had since I was around 10. As a child I suffered from severe leg cramps. All of my life I have "ached". No one seems to know how I feel until they experince the flu or have a muscle/tendon/ligament injury or arthritis(which isn't the same). I tell them that is how I feel all of the time. As with most fibros, getting the diagnosis was half the battle, getting treatment one quarter and changing your lifestyle to cope was the other quarter.

I have depression/anxiety, suffer from migraines and have the fibro. I have been told that the fibro contibutes to the depression and the depression contributes to the fibro...somewhere in there the migraines effect both (duh!). Anyway, I take lots of meds. I am allergic to codine, morphine and it's dirviatives so I can't take pain meds and don't want to be zonked out all of the time anyway! For the fibro I am treated with Zanaflex, Celexa, Sinemet as well as two other anti-depressants that supposedly work to help fibro. I also take Ativan to sleep. This mixture of medications has allowed me to stay active but getting the right combo has taken almost 8 years. I do stretching exercises daily and get at the least a brisk 30 minute walk in everyday except maybe weekends.

Having a doctor who is knowledgeable in fibromyalgia is something that is extremely important. That doctor can be a specialist or not. I see a neruologist and a rhuematologist. They work with my psych doc to corordinate meds. If your doctor is wishy-washy about fibro, get a new one.

Sleep is so important for both fibro and depression. I don't know if I will ever feel rested, but I sleep at night now without waking to restless leg syndrome, leg cramps, pain in my shoulders, etc. I also had to invest in a mattress that was right for me and I sleep with 2 body pillows for comfort. Getting sleep also helps with combatting "fibro fog" so you don't feel like an ***** when your brain wanders away!

One thing I have learned is not to push myself, if I do I suffer badly! I have to listen to my body and regardless of what I am doing, if it says stop, I had better stop. As they say the pain is real!

Researching fibromyalgia sites and finding one that fits your needs is very helpful. They are also good for getting new information and ideas that may help you. Some also have forums you can join. Maybe you know all of this.

I think just knowing that others feel like I do physically and mentally helps me to cope. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[JLBarlow]

HI Sandra. I don't have fibro but I have RA. So I understand living in pain:(