Re: New diagnosed - a few questions

[Guest guest]

Wish I could answer your questions, but I think we are all different. I have

had it for about 8 years and in the last year I feel it has gotten much much

worse. I also have arthritis and heart disease. Being 69 I should expect

this stuff, I know. I am a music teacher (piano) so I can work as much as I

feel like. I know lots of fibros are on disability. I'm like to treat with

natural means also. I don't take narcotics and I watch my diet. I also take

fish oit and red rice...along with all the other vitamins. Some times ....like

now because it has rained for almost two weeks) my pain is pretty tough, but I

try to self-hypnotize and meditate. I really truly don't know how long yours

will take to get bad or if it will ever get bad! Wish I could be of more

help. Good luck, Camilla

New diagnosed - a few questions

I was recently diagnosed with FMS which finally makes my variety

of symptoms make sense. I am low to moderate in the pain department,

but don't know if I can expect it to get worse since some of the

symptoms have only been present for the past few months. My questions

are:

1. I work full time and am my sole source of financial support. I am

interested in hearing from people (looking for reassurance basically)

that you can exist with this condition and still hold down a full

time job.

2. I personally am not a pill popper. I prefer to try to address

problems with nutrition, exercise, etc rather than just treating

symptoms with pills. I am very prone to side effects of many

medications and in most cases would rather deal with the illness than

the side effects on the cure. Are there any known eating habits or

activities that help FMS?

3. How long did it take from the time your symptoms began and were

diagnosed with FMS until the symptoms leveled off and you knew what

degree of FMS you were dealing with? I realize that this conditions

gets comes and goes in waves, and am told that it is not a

progressive condition and eventually get to a point where the it

doesn't get much worse. I've had some symptoms for years and the

other symptoms that made it look like FMS just showed up about 5

months ago. At what point will I know that it's as bad as it's going

to get?

1. While it is wonderful to share our experiences with everyone on the list as

to what treatments do and don't work for us, pls always check with your dr.

Some treatments are dangerous when given along with other meds as well as to

certain health conditions or just dangerous in general.

2. Mental and verbal abuse (for those that are only dealing with one or both

of these) can damage just as much or worse than physical abuse. This should not

be tolerated, not even once b/c once is one time too many. If you suspect that

this is happening to you pls get help.

Have a nice day everyone.

[Guest guest]

> 1. I work full time and am my sole source of financial support. I am

> interested in hearing from people (looking for reassurance basically)

> that you can exist with this condition and still hold down a full

> time job.

>

> 2. I personally am not a pill popper. I prefer to try to address

> problems with nutrition, exercise, etc rather than just treating

> symptoms with pills. I am very prone to side effects of many

> medications and in most cases would rather deal with the illness than

> the side effects on the cure. Are there any known eating habits or

> activities that help FMS?

>

> 3. How long did it take from the time your symptoms began and were

> diagnosed with FMS until the symptoms leveled off and you knew what

> degree of FMS you were dealing with?

Ok, There are so many varibles and you will experience things different

then my experience, but I will be glad to share.

1. I worked fulltime during much of the time that I have had fms, I got

progressively worse and gave up on fulltime in March 2003, I have worked

part-time ever since. I could still work fulltime if I had absolutely nothing

else

that needed doing. Do you have kids at home? How complicated is the rest

of your life? I have a husband who works a lot and a 13 year old daughter, a

house, ect...I also like to do other stuff. I look at it as a glass of energy

and

how much does each activity take.

2. I eat fairly well, take vitamins, stretch, exercise, and I had to take

meds.

I started with Celebrex in 2000 and added amitryptiline in 2002, because the

pain kept me awake and I had awful sleep. In 2003, I dropped the Celebrex

and now take Ultram(Tramadol). I stopped eating MSG, aspartine, artifical

colors and flavoring, sulfites, and most junk food. I still like my daily

coffee,

however.

3. My symptoms began in 1996, I was diagnosed in 2000 and I still have not

leveled off. Every year, I am sicker. Sorry for the non encouraging answer.

Good Luck with this, and please post any more questions you wish.

Penny G.

[Guest guest]

Penny, that was a very thoughtful and helpful answer. I don't take any of

those additives either. Love, Cam

Re: New diagnosed - a few questions

> 1. I work full time and am my sole source of financial support. I am

> interested in hearing from people (looking for reassurance basically)

> that you can exist with this condition and still hold down a full

> time job.

>

> 2. I personally am not a pill popper. I prefer to try to address

> problems with nutrition, exercise, etc rather than just treating

> symptoms with pills. I am very prone to side effects of many

> medications and in most cases would rather deal with the illness than

> the side effects on the cure. Are there any known eating habits or

> activities that help FMS?

>

> 3. How long did it take from the time your symptoms began and were

> diagnosed with FMS until the symptoms leveled off and you knew what

> degree of FMS you were dealing with?

Ok, There are so many varibles and you will experience things different

then my experience, but I will be glad to share.

1. I worked fulltime during much of the time that I have had fms, I got

progressively worse and gave up on fulltime in March 2003, I have worked

part-time ever since. I could still work fulltime if I had absolutely nothing

else

that needed doing. Do you have kids at home? How complicated is the rest

of your life? I have a husband who works a lot and a 13 year old daughter, a

house, ect...I also like to do other stuff. I look at it as a glass of energy

and

how much does each activity take.

2. I eat fairly well, take vitamins, stretch, exercise, and I had to take

meds.

I started with Celebrex in 2000 and added amitryptiline in 2002, because the

pain kept me awake and I had awful sleep. In 2003, I dropped the Celebrex

and now take Ultram(Tramadol). I stopped eating MSG, aspartine, artifical

colors and flavoring, sulfites, and most junk food. I still like my daily

coffee,

however.

3. My symptoms began in 1996, I was diagnosed in 2000 and I still have not

leveled off. Every year, I am sicker. Sorry for the non encouraging answer.

Good Luck with this, and please post any more questions you wish.

Penny G.

1. While it is wonderful to share our experiences with everyone on the list as

to what treatments do and don't work for us, pls always check with your dr.

Some treatments are dangerous when given along with other meds as well as to

certain health conditions or just dangerous in general.

2. Mental and verbal abuse (for those that are only dealing with one or both

of these) can damage just as much or worse than physical abuse. This should not

be tolerated, not even once b/c once is one time too many. If you suspect that

this is happening to you pls get help.

Have a nice day everyone.

[Guest guest]

--- In Fibromyalgia_Support_Group , "

Basically I'm pretty screwed if this gets to a disability stage for

me. It's just me,

myself and I. I own my own house, do all of the housework, yardwork,

snow

removal, etc. My days are pretty much back and forth to work and then

whatever needs to be done around the house the rest of the time.

Nothing

much else goes on, so I'm hoping that I can deal with it if I pace

myself. I don't

have the option of working part time since I would lose my medical

benefits.

I can get disability from work, but it wouldn't come close to

covering the bills,

and I don't have anyone who can help me out. I sure hope I get some

more

optimistic answers!

I've read some information that suggests that FMS is a result of

toxins in the

environment and that the body is just so overwhelmed over time that

it gives

up trying to combat everything and pain is the result. I was always

very

healthy, never had so much as a cold over the past decade. Since I

started

working in NYC, (shortly before 9/11) I started catching every cold

in sight and

now have this. I'm starting to think there's something to it.

Thanks for the input.

> 1. I worked fulltime during much of the time that I have had

fms, I got

> progressively worse and gave up on fulltime in March 2003, I have

worked

> part-time ever since. I could still work fulltime if I had

absolutely nothing

else

> that needed doing. Do you have kids at home? How complicated is

the rest

> of your life? I have a husband who works a lot and a 13 year old

daughter, a

> house, ect...I also like to do other stuff. I look at it as a

glass of energy and

> how much does each activity take.

> 2. I eat fairly well, take vitamins, stretch, exercise, and I

had to take meds.

> I started with Celebrex in 2000 and added amitryptiline in 2002,

because

the

> pain kept me awake and I had awful sleep. In 2003, I dropped the

Celebrex

> and now take Ultram(Tramadol). I stopped eating MSG, aspartine,

artifical

> colors and flavoring, sulfites, and most junk food. I still like

my daily coffee,

> however.

> 3. My symptoms began in 1996, I was diagnosed in 2000 and I still

have

not

> leveled off. Every year, I am sicker. Sorry for the non encouraging

answer.

> Good Luck with this, and please post any more questions you

wish.

> Penny G.

[Guest guest]

Hi ..... well I control my body with eating lots of veggies, nuts, seeds,

berries. That helps me avoid a lot of swelling. I avoid sulfites, which have

caused me a lot of hassle. Get rid of soda pop in your diet, no aspertame,

watch all chemical intake. I think this is if not caused by the invironment,

at least exacerbated by it. You have to take care of whta you have cus there

is no one but to take care of you. \

Soda pop leaches the calcium and minerals from the body, stops the body from

assimulating them... coffee does too a bit, but not as badly as soda. If you

smoke. Stop. Do all those things to help yourself. EAt as naturally as you

can......cut the canned, boxed foods as much as possible.. and note the

difference. These things have helped me more than any medicines. dash

Re: New diagnosed - a few questions

--- In Fibromyalgia_Support_Group , "

Basically I'm pretty screwed if this gets to a disability stage for

me. It's just me,

myself and I. I own my own house, do all of the housework, yardwork,

snow

removal, etc. My days are pretty much back and forth to work and then

whatever needs to be done around the house the rest of the time.

Nothing

much else goes on, so I'm hoping that I can deal with it if I pace

myself. I don't

have the option of working part time since I would lose my medical

benefits.

I can get disability from work, but it wouldn't come close to

covering the bills,

and I don't have anyone who can help me out. I sure hope I get some

more

optimistic answers!

I've read some information that suggests that FMS is a result of

toxins in the

environment and that the body is just so overwhelmed over time that

it gives

up trying to combat everything and pain is the result. I was always

very

healthy, never had so much as a cold over the past decade. Since I

started

working in NYC, (shortly before 9/11) I started catching every cold

in sight and

now have this. I'm starting to think there's something to it.

Thanks for the input.

> 1. I worked fulltime during much of the time that I have had

fms, I got

> progressively worse and gave up on fulltime in March 2003, I have

worked

> part-time ever since. I could still work fulltime if I had

absolutely nothing

else

> that needed doing. Do you have kids at home? How complicated is

the rest

> of your life? I have a husband who works a lot and a 13 year old

daughter, a

> house, ect...I also like to do other stuff. I look at it as a

glass of energy and

> how much does each activity take.

> 2. I eat fairly well, take vitamins, stretch, exercise, and I

had to take meds.

> I started with Celebrex in 2000 and added amitryptiline in 2002,

because

the

> pain kept me awake and I had awful sleep. In 2003, I dropped the

Celebrex

> and now take Ultram(Tramadol). I stopped eating MSG, aspartine,

artifical

> colors and flavoring, sulfites, and most junk food. I still like

my daily coffee,

> however.

> 3. My symptoms began in 1996, I was diagnosed in 2000 and I still

have

not

> leveled off. Every year, I am sicker. Sorry for the non encouraging

answer.

> Good Luck with this, and please post any more questions you

wish.

> Penny G.

1. While it is wonderful to share our experiences with everyone on the list as

to what treatments do and don't work for us, pls always check with your dr.

Some treatments are dangerous when given along with other meds as well as to

certain health conditions or just dangerous in general.

2. Mental and verbal abuse (for those that are only dealing with one or both

of these) can damage just as much or worse than physical abuse. This should not

be tolerated, not even once b/c once is one time too many. If you suspect that

this is happening to you pls get help.

Have a nice day everyone.