Nurses with Fibromyalgia

i have the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. i also have chronic fatigue, add, adrenal insufficiency and depression to go along with it.

therapies and docs...docs and therapies.

i see a neuropsychiatrist, and my family practice doc. any other docs thrown in the mix for whatever issues reports are given to both those primary docs.

my medications have changed over the years, just as i have changed over the years. i've gone thorugh almost every anti-depressant on the market, i have chronic pain that can be so bad as to immobilize me, up to needing dilaudid for pain control at times. i need help getting to sleep, i can't focus due to the add, so i take a stimulant, i have fibrofog, etc.

the best treatments are the ones i'm in charge of; taking vitamins and minerals, getting enough exercise, keeping my weight in control, using my light box for light therapy, trying to keep a routine schedule- you know, all the stuff we are all supposed to do. routine is actually the best thing for an fm'er.

but i have to admit that when i have a flare, i have trouble keeping my routines together.

if i get other illnesses, the treatments for them can knock my fm out of control.

i've done aquatherapy, walking, weight lifting, tried acupuncture, tens(can't do it anymore), massage, electrostim(hate it), pt and more stuff that i can't even remember anymore. i was diagnosed officialy in 1997, but i'd had it for a very long time before that.

i have wonderful periods during which i feel like i can take on the world, but there aren't alot of those. most of the time, i feel medicore at best.

this past week has been a wonderful period. i feel prety good, and hope that i'll stay that way for awhile.

any questions?

helga

I too was diagnosed with fibro, and I tell ya being a nurse I HATED that diagnosis, because I feel that it is a "catch all" for "we don't know what it is," the main thing was I have RLS as well, and it was keeping me up all nite an making me miserable, so they put me on elavil, which helped me sleep, but I didnt' take it when I was on call, cause I was afraid I wouldn't hear the phone, and then I became toxic from it, I've always been into herbs, and i went to a health food store, and I've been on "Wellness FORmula" it's vitamins an herbs, and I tell ya I feel better, sleep better and have a better outlook on life. For me the antidepressants and all the meds they wanted me on, just made it worse, Now don't get me wrong it hasn't CURED the fibro, but I feel better about it and can get thru my day, because I DON"T WANT THE DIAGNOSIS!!!

I was just diagnosed with fibro in March. The only treatments I'm on right now is citalopram (which I had taken before the fibro), multivitamin and B complex, and ultracet. I have a rheumy and a GP who knows nothing about fibro. I was wondering what people do to cope with the stress of nursing and how they get through a day of work.

calla,

what you need is to find a local fibro support group. the folks there know who in the community are great at treating fm/chronic fatigue....

where are you located? have you tried looking up the national fm websites to see if they have a doc locator for your area?

you can do a number of things to help your gp understand fm by giving her/him a list of websites or by sharing any books you might have purchased?

if you like, contact me @ [email protected] and we can talk.

helga