to want to not feel like an eighty year old at the age of thirty?

[fuckedoff]

Name-changed because I'm being incredibly serlf-pitying.

I suffer from chronic pain, have done for years, but only recently pushing things with the doctors. Some tests have been done and apparently ruled out arthritis type things, so I've been given the backup catch-all diagnosis of Fibromyalgia, which basically feels like they've given up looking for a 'reason' for my constant pain and exhaustion.

I'm currently taking pregabilin, 100mg twice a day, aiming to increase it to 150mg over the next couple of weeks.

Some days, like today, it's just not enough though. I had a late, lazy morning and only took my meds at midday, instead of their usual 8am, and am aching again already.

I know I've pushed myself too far this weekend - was out on Friday night at a wedding reception, and today have built a shoe cabinet and a bookcase, but surely any normal 30 year old would be able to do that? So why can't I?

Fucking hate feeling like an 80 year old. stamps feet

Not so much an AIBU sorry, but a rant. If anyone happens to know the best thing I could be taking alongside these to get me through to bedtime, feel free to suggest. I have paracetamol, cocodamol, codeine, bog standard ibuprofen and diclofenic in the cupboard. Also have some amitryptiline I may snaffle at bedtime if allowed.

I'm sorry :(
I have a chronic condition that so many times when I've compared myself to others thinking I should be able to do that! And its made me feel awful. Although its hard make a conscious effort to stop these negative thoughts and comparing yourself to others.

Sorry - sounds shit. My best friend suffers with fibromyalgia/ME and has had years of being passed around. She's finally getting somewhere with antidepressants that help control her sleep quality (though she is not depressed and not saying you are) but she still has to be careful about her activity levels. It hasn't stopped her building a business she loves and having a full life, but it's been a hard road to get there.
So YANBU, and I encourage you to persist in getting help.

Hi sorry to hear you're feeling shitty. As a fellow sufferer of chronic pain I totally get it. I'm 40 and I feel the same way, I've had two very low key days on the beach and now I can't move. It's so depressing, I've also been written off, I'm allergic to meds that could help so am just expected to keep doing exercises even though they hurt all the time. I have two toddlers and I just can't foresee anything better for myself.
You have a shitload of meds though! I hope you get some rest.

You have my sympathy too, I have RA and quite possibly Lupus as well and yes, 33 year old feeling like an 83 year old. Take small wins, do what you can, and know that someone, somewhere is working on a cure

You have my sympathy, chronic pain is horrible. I'm currently bedbound with my M.E and fibro and it's so depressing and frustrating when you just want to feel normal and like you are part of the world again.

I hope your meds help. When I am at a higher percentage I find heat and cold can be useful for certain pains, or taking a long soak in the bath.

Sympathy from me aswell, I've hyper mobility syndrome and have been suffering painful joints since I was a child. Now has progressed to arthritis in most joints. Some days are worse than others, but I agree that its shit being my age and being unable to cope with a standard day out with the kids without being high as a kite on painkillers and limping along like an old woman by home time, and suffering for days afterwards.

Fellow Fibromyalgia and arthritis sufferer here. I'm also on Pregabalin after coming off Gabapentin but it doesn't seem to be working.

I lost my last job to this horrible condition. I am 25. I have a DH who tries terribly to understand but can't. I have two DC's who don't understand why mummy is angry and short tempered and can't do all the things they want.

I feel like I'm trapped in an old woman's body every day. I just want to do a hard days work and sleep but I barely and rarely sleep much.

I have no advice. I am struggling myself but you are not alone.

Another fibromyalgia sufferer here too. I'm 29 and was "diagnosed" last month after several months of to-ing and fro-ing between different doctors and nobody pinpointing why I feel crap All The Fricking Time.

The most frustrating thing is how easily I am worn out and how long it takes me to recover from the most straightforward of exertions. Three years ago, my middle son spent the evening in A&E. I got home at 4am, grabbed a couple of hours sleep then went to work for the day. Two months ago, the baby spent the evening in A&E. I got home at a similar time, went to sleep but when I woke up in the morning, I couldn't move or talk. It took me two days to recover.

Hey, fuckedoff, not surprised you named yourself that. I think there are more chronically ill massively fed up 30 year olds than you'd think!

Have you been tested for joint hypermobility syndrome? That seems to underlie a lot of supposed or actual m.e./fibromyalgia/ibs. If you are English, you can ask your GP for a referral to this world expert Rodney Grahame, quoting the English "choose and book" system to your gp which will allow you to be referred no matter where you live in England.

I think even when fibro etc sufferes are found the have hypermobility underlying their chronic pain and fatigue, there is not a cure as such but as i understand it many are offered hypermobility specific physio which can help.

Thank you all so much for your replies. Just hearing that others experience the same makes me feel much better. Not that I would wish this on anyone, but it often feels like such an isolating place to be, doesn't it?

katieinthesunshine your post really interested. A friend has mentioned Hypermobility to me before (she has Ehlers-Danlos) but I didn't think too much off it because, as much as I know I am kinda flexible - just pay for it later lol, I didn't think my joints were excessively hypermobile. I just did the Beighton Scale thing though and surprisingly could do everything but the hands on the floor when bending knees (as I'm not particularly fit at the moment haha) Is that not normal?

I live in Scotland, not sure what difference that makes? Any idea what my next step - if any - should be in that case? As lovely as my GP is, I don't want her to think I'm some kind of neurotic hypochondriac