To K2 from Jen Z.

[Guest guest]

Hi K2,

Welcome to the group. You sound a lot like me in some ways. Like

your " happy go lucky " personality, I'm USUALLY a cheerful and upbeat

person. I'm also a very big clutz, and was long ago given the

nickname of " Grace " . I don't know if it's because my mind and body

aren't always in the same place, or if it's because my feet are too

big for my 5'4 " height (I wear an 8 1/2 to a 9!)-maybe it's both.

Like you, I'm forever tripping, falling, and the like. I was also in

an auto accident, on Christmas Day no less, in 1999.

It sounds like you've really gotten the runaround, and not very good

care, from the doctors you've seen. It certainly sounds like you

have Fibro from your description, but the viruses you had make me

wonder if maybe you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as well. Have you

been tested for the Epstein-Barr virus?

It's a good thing that this PCP is at least discussing Fibro with

you, but unfortunately, she is seriously undertreating you. Treating

you with just Trazadone alone will help a " little " bit, but it's not

going to get you anywhere near being out of the vicious cycle of pain

and fatigue. You need to ask to be referred to a specialist,

preferably someone who treats Fibro patients on a regular basis!

This would probably be a rheumy (definitely not the same one as

before!), but you definitely need someone who knows more about Fibro

than this doctor does.

I agree with whoever said you need a sleep study done. While

disordered sleep and Fibro go hand in hand, there are many reasons

for the sleep disorder itself. It could be sleep apnea, restless leg

syndrome, or like myself, periodic limb movement disorder, which is

sort of like sleep " seizures " . I twitch and jerk in my sleep without

medication, and have hit and kicked my hubby pretty hard a few

times.

If your new PCP won't get more aggressive with treatment, you might

have to look for another doctor who will. Even though you aren't

depressed, one of the first things the doctor should have prescribed

was an anti-depressant. Fibro affects the serotonin levels in the

brain, which in turn affects pain levels. Prescribing an a/d is

pretty much first line of treatment, and one, Cymbalta, has FDA

approval for use in Fibromyalgia.

Another thing you are going to have to learn is to pace yourself, or

you will keep paying the price. Working really long hours and trying

to maintain the Type A personality lifestyle aren't going to cut it

anymore. What they will do is make you worse off than you already

are. You need to add rest breaks into your day, and this one is

going to be hard, let go of that " high achiever " mentality. You can

still be a successful business woman, without paying the ultimate

price with your health. The key is finding the right balance.

Either that, or hire an assistant!

I wish you luck, and if you ever need anything, feel free to write me

off the group. I've had Fibro for over 4 years now, and I've done

tons of research, plus I've learned a lot through trial and error!

Jen Z.

> are my " step-children " . I am vice president of my boyfriend's

> company, and as such work really long hours and am a high-achiever

> type personality.

>

> I've had chronic pain for many years some going back to childhood

> (migraines and primary dysmenorrhea), and chronic neck, back and TMJ

> pain from a car crash in 1980 when I dislocated my jaw and had no

> follow-up treatment, thus it never healed properly.

>

> In 2004, I traveled to Ireland followed by another trip to the

> Caribbean and I caught some weird virus and I started getting

> indescribable fatigue and chronic sore throats and IBS.

>

> I traveled again a year later to California, and the same thing

happened again, and after that I just never got better. In addition,

I've had several small " accident-prone " situations such as falling

while walking my dogs, tripping on carpet and falling on my face,

stuff like that over the same time period.

>

> I've had a frustrating experience getting diagnosed because I tend

to

> be a very happy-go-lucky kind of person and I think doctors have

> perceived this as " nothing wrong with " me. Conversely, I've had

> several doctors tell me I'm " just " depressed, even though I know the

> difference between the physical symptoms I'm experiencing and

> depression.

>

> I've been going to counseling practically my whole life. A

rheumatologist that I went to twice really was awful to me, very

dismissive and would groan and complain when I took out my notes.

>

> Because my cognitive problems I couldn't remember things I wanted

> to tell her. She said there is nothing wrong with me except for a

> sleep disorder. I disagreed, saying that I thought disordered sleep

> is a SYMPTOM of FM, and we just can't agree.

>

> She did, however, prescribe Vitamin D and calcium for pain. It

hasn't helped at all, and actually produces dizziness and flares up

my IBS.

>

> In November, I received the closest thing to a diagnosis: my new

PCP

> talked and listened to me and we discussed fibromyalgia, and she

> prescribed Trazodone which has helped give me more energy during the

> day, but my sleep is still disordered and I'm still in chronic pain

> and countless other symptoms -- you name it, I've got it.

>

> I get flare-ups every day, some days are tolerable, others I can

> barely function. The pain bounces around, and will concentrate in

> one area for a few days or a week, and then move on to a different

> area.

>

> The fatigue is at times unbearable, and at others I hardly

> notice it. All of my episodes are repetitive and somewhat

> predictable. I could go on and on. Glad to be here. Thanks for

listening.

>

> K2

>