Hi, my name is Kraylow and I feel lousy

Kraylow

Recently been diagnosed with Fibro after years of pain, depression, confusion and general craziness.  Been on Gabapentin for about a month now and take high dose cocodamol along with naproxen and nothing seems to stop the pain. So fed up with it and just wondering if anyone has ideas on reducing pain and dealing with the general mental battering we seem to get?

janer1967

Hi there and welcome 

Have you been referred to pain management clinic 

Also some alternative therapy may help like meditation   hydro therapy,  massage etc 

There ars lots members here with fibro have a look in that sectio  or the tips in the pain managemenrs section 

chiarieds

Hi @Kraylow - & welcome to the community. How are you coping with your recent diagnosis of Fibro? It is difficult coping with pain as many members know, myself included. You might like to have a look at the info that Scope has put together to try some things that may help.

Please see: https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/75929/coping-with-stress-low-mood-and-isolation-a-support-thread

LadyL

@Kraylow Hi, sorry to hear you aren't feeling so good. I also have Fibromyalgia.

For me some days are just better than others. The advice I was given was to make sure I took my pain medication on time, and not feel guilty about taking naps as I have trouble sleeping.

Also, it is important to do things that help you to relax as stress can make symptoms worse. Some people find meditation helps, but I just try to do something I enjoy.

Light exercise may help too, but make sure not to overdo it. If you push yourself too much you will likely feel much worse the next day. I usually find it better to exercise on alternative days to give my body a chance to rest and recover, but stretching would probably be fine and even help.

I was given Amitriptyline, but I only take a low dose a few hours before bed. This helps to relax my muscles and help me sleep better straight away. It can also help with your pain and mood but that can take six weeks of taking it. In my case, when I start feeling a bit better, I usually forget to take it and then have to start again if the symptoms get worse. Or sometimes I just have trouble opening the bottle due to my RA (they really need to change the design).

Anyway, I hope you find something useful and feel better soon.

Cher_Alumni

Hello @Kraylow and a warm welcome to our online community.  It's great that you found us.

I'm sorry to hear things have been challenging and I hope the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia can be the gateway to finding the right treatment for you.  Do you have a doctor or hospital team reviewing you regularly?  Also, how's your depression?  I get how it feels like a 'mental battering'.  Chronic illness can be exhausting and often the emotional impact of having an impairment can be as tough as the physical.  Make sure to talk to others if you feel that things are becoming too much.

This NHS webpage on self-help for fibromyalgia covers some of the points @LadyL mentioned, and it might have some different ideas for helping you cope.

Also, do give @janer1967 's idea of asking for a referral to a pain management clinic some thought.

I hope you are doing okay and have a nice weekend coming up.  Please let us know how you get on and I have my fingers crossed your pain levels ease soon.  

Cher_Alumni

Hello @Kraylow and a warm welcome to our online community.  It's great that you found us.

I'm sorry to hear things have been challenging and I hope the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia can be the gateway to finding the right treatment for you.  Do you have a doctor or hospital team reviewing you regularly?  Also, how's your depression?  I get how it feels like a 'mental battering'.  Chronic illness can be exhausting and often the emotional impact of having an impairment can be as tough as the physical.  Make sure to talk to others if you feel that things are becoming too much.

This NHS webpage on self-help for fibromyalgia covers some of the points @LadyL mentioned, and it might have some different ideas for helping you cope.

Also, do give @janer1967 's idea of asking for a referral to a pain management clinic some thought.

I hope you are doing okay and have a nice weekend coming up.  Please let us know how you get on and I have my fingers crossed your pain levels ease soon.