Fibromyalgia and Exercise

Hi everyone,

Just thought I would join in here. I had a Hyster. in Oct 2003, and have been doing alright.
However, just for the last few months I have been aching so bad! Hands, wrists, feet, hips, back, shoulders, neck, you name it, it hurts!
Also, when I wake up in the morning my whole ribcage hurts so much, I find myself breathing shallowly to keep my ribs from expanding.
Anyone with Fibro, recognise this rib thing?
Also, how do you get a diagnosis for Fibro? Are there tests?
Sorry to be such a whiner, but I have HAD it with this pain!

Marja

Also, how do you get a diagnosis for Fibro? Are there tests?
Hi there, no there are no current "tests" for this, however there are several ways to be diagnosed. We have several trigger points that are very painful to the touch. If you have several of them plus other symptoms, and have ruled out other diseases: lyme, lupus, MS etc. you may have it.

I got diagnosed 7 yrs ago. We used to have a support group at my church... I miss it. I am in a flare too right now. 7 weeks out from TVH. Also suffered from cytomegalo and epstein-barr for the past 6 mos. Uggh! I love the days and weeks when I forget about it!
's (gentle ones),
Deb

Hey,
I had to go to a rheumatology they are the only ones that really can tell that you have it. No there are not any test for it. Before I was told that I had Fibro . My Doc had run many tests on me he thought I had signs of MS but the thing was nothing would ever show up on the test no matter what test we did.He also had me se a nerve Doc still got no were on that either test showed fine. Well then He set me up with the Rheumatology . How that works is they go bye 7-14 differnt spots on your bad that gets pain bad and can last for a long time and goes away for a bit then shows up some other part of the bad. I hate to say it you live with chrinc. pain the rest of your life beleave me I sure do at time.There are many things that can help with releaf they also eating cernt things helps also. If you think you might have something like this I sure would ask your Doc about it if he says no then keep checking around a lot of docs dont really no much about it.Its been around for ages but use to be told it was something else from many reports I read when I was learning about it.
If you need more info let me no. Also few good web sites out there for suport also. Do some checking and lots of reading.

Take care
beckd_72
Has it

Hi,
Thanks for your reply.
I just had the results of a test that tests for arthritis. It came back negative! Is that test positive when you have fibro?
I am also really wondering about the rib / lung pain I am having. Is that a part of fibro??
Marja

Hi Marja,
Usually all the tests you have including ones for arthritis come back neg. All that have fibro have different symptoms. No two are alike in their pain. Most have similar symptoms when it comes to the fog and being tired though, and most are super sensitive to pain... ie. someome that gets pinched with fibro will hurt more from that stimuli. Our bodies react different to pain. So where you hurt in the chest area, my mom hurts in her legs, and I hurt in my neck and back area. There are some really good books out there. I will try to contact an old friend to get you titles to look for. Get lots of sleep... the stage 4 kind if you can, that will help lots. Most of us with fibro don't even reach that stage and wake up tired. Hope this helps some.
Deb :0)

My Doc Told me along time ago that the best thing to do is before you get out of bed in the mornings is to strich your toes. The thing about Fibro is we are differnt then other people who don't have it because it takes longer for our body to heal.Lately I have been going to a Chiropracticer. I think he is one of the best that I have been to.He knows a lor about people like us that have Fibro.Before he even does my back hw streachs my lags and helps releave some of the tenson in my neck bye rubbibg my forhead.IO have a lot of differnce lately bye going to him.Our weather has been acting up here a lot of hummitty has been here that really got me in Flam.

With my Fibro it started on my left arm and neck I hust so bad and got really week I couldnt do anything with my arm back them that was back around 4 years ago.Then it went to my lag what really started scarring me was when it mover to both of my feet.I got to a point I couldnt even hardly walk or stand no longer then 10 mins maybe even if that.Now with then the past yr it has move up to my right right and back and up my neck some times I cant even hardly move my head side ways.
Ok enough of that for now.Just running my mouth LOL.Just needing to vent some on my life.

i too have fibromyalgia, along with systemic lupus, and chronic fatigue syndrome. my hysterectomy is scheduled for 9/26/05 and i am scared as to how i will feel after surgery. i also have found that swimming makes me feel worse. i forget who wrote something about lung pain, but i have to say that before i was diagnosed with the lupus i was in the er with a pain in my chest and back. i hurt when i took a deep breath and i couldn't lay down. they thought i had pluresy (sp), but my chest x-ray was negative. they asked my if i had lupus, but at the time i said no. my dr says that after my surgery, my recovery can be 12 weeks because of the meds i take for the auto-immune disorder. i truly understand how you feel. basically you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, and you feel like people think you are crazy and a bit of a hypocondriac (sp). good luck

I was just diag. with Fibro a few days ago. Still reeling from it. I am 5yrs post hyster in Jan. I wanted to start swimming, I don't know what is the best? Is there food I should avoid. I cut wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy down on the caffiene and drinking tons of water. I don't feel good to exercise. What is the best and for how long?

It's very confusing at first, but it is manageable. There are no special diets to follow, but many people feel better if they avoid processed foods as much as possible. You have to work up on the exercising, and walking in a warm pool will probably be better to start with than swimming. I find that it bothers my shoulders if I swim.

There are more people with fibro than you would think. The best thing to do is to be informed. Visit the Arthritis foundation and buy a book called Making Sense of Fibromyalgia. It's a bit technical and you probably won't be able to absorb it all at once, but it helps. They have several others, but that's more of a judgement call, they're more like workbooks. I also have a book calld Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial pain by Devin Starlanyl and Mary Ellen Copland which is also good and I use it more than the other.

I would be careful about other books, but there are many. There is one out there that claims to "cure" fibro in five weeks-definitely not true. Also, check around, there will probably be support groups in the area. They may help, but some of them have the reputation of being whiny and not helpful.

As bad as you may feel, it's not the end of your life, just the start of a new chapter that you get to write


Diana

Thanks! I wouldn't believe a book that says they can cure it. It isn't something you just"cure". I was told, no dairy, caffiene, tomatoes, potatoes, green peppers or eggplant. and to drink Pomegranite juice? What 's up with that. no fat, sugar, no honey, no red meat, no processed fooe. on and on. I guess you have to do what works for you.
Thanks fof the info. I wrote down the names of the books. Thanks so much. Maybe I'll go to Curves and start on an easy regimine.
Write soon.
Shireen