Fibromyalgia

[highwaywomen]

Hey guys,

Hope I'm not getting too personal, but I'm becoming desperate. I have Fibromyalgia and I have been having a flare up the last few weeks. I've had FMS for 8 years (I'm 28) and this is one of my worst flare ups. Everything I normally do (Chiropractor, Reflexology, stretching, diet, heat) is not working. I find that sleep plays a major rule in how I feel the next day. I have been having a lot of trouble with it lately. I only take Flexeril at night and nothing during the day. I seem to be very sensitive to meds and have taken everything under the sun and nothing works, or the side effects are really bad. I refuse to take narcotics, I am usually able to deal with the pain. Sleep and distraction are sometimes key, but both have been failing me lately. Anyways, I am a full time student right now. I am not working, thanks to a family member that is letting me live with them. Anyways, I have been really stressed at school and I think that is keeping me up at night. So the doctor gave me a sleeping pill, Lunesta, and it does work. I hate hate hate taking meds and I've tried stopping it twice now (it doesn't have to build up in your system) and I am usually up all night. Yesterday was a bad day. I didn't take it Friday night, and as usual, I didn't sleep, and had to function yesterday because I promised a little girl I would be at her birthday party. My pain is all concentrated in my neck, shoulders, and chest, although from there it spreads but that is the worst spot. It felt like I had 100lb weights on each shoulder yesterday. I also have muscle spasms all the time, which are worse at night because I'm relaxing. The last 4 days my right eye lid has been twitching every minute or two and it's driving me NUTS!! I have been to my regular doctor and she pretty much told me she didn't want to see me (this was last week when I was confined to bed (for the first time since I've had FM!) because of severe pain) and told me to call my rheumotologist. I got in to her the next day and she told me to continue with the Lunesta and to call back if there were no improvements. She said "Jackie, you're doing everything right!" I thought - "No, I'm not...because why am I in so much pain?". It's a nice feeling when the doctors don't even know what to do for you! Anyways, I feel like I'm rambling to a bunch of strangers, but if there is even one person out there that knows what I'm talking about and has any hints that would be great! I do feel better today because I took Lunesta last night. I plan on laying around today, doing homework, and hopefully relaxing.

Jackie

By the way...I think because of FMS this is why I'm so connected to Stevie. I wrote her a letter (and gave it to her during 'The Edge' walk) and told her that she is my Rhiannon. She sings away pain and brings hope.