Fibromyalgia and peri menopause/menopause

[headache]

Have you been diagnosed with fibromyalgia or another chronic pain condition and currently going through peri menopause or the menopause? I’m 48 and I would say I’ve been suffering peri symptoms for the past 18 months -2 years but it the past 6-9 months my fibromyalgia symptoms have really gone through the roof:

• anxiety has really increased
• all over pain levels increased
• insomnia (this is probably the most distressing one) I can’t get to sleep at night then can’t stay asleep, it means I’m constantly exhausted
• fibro fog worsened
• eye-sight worsened (not age related) but my eye muscles have weakened and although each eye is serious h perfectly they are having trouble working together
• stress from work, since Sept I’ve only been at work about 6 weeks although work on a whole have been very unsupportive even to the point of colleagues not believing I have anything wrong with me

As you can imagine I am on my knees, I have read studies that say fibro makes going through the menopause worse, I’m on HRT patches but feel they aren’t helping. Already on antidepressants/sleeping tablets and painkillers as well as a whole load of vitamins and supplements. I’m at my wits end feel like I can’t go on feeling like this

Hi I'll answer in the morning :) didn't want to lose your post but off to bed

How long have you been diagnosed with fibro? So many are being misdiagnosed when it's actually hormonal issues which can take some time and altering of doses to sort. I'm 52, full menopause, on patches and tablet, have fibro for forty years (developed aged 12 after having glandular fever), I really suffered for about 6 years with every symptom increasing until I bypassed my gp and went to a menopause specialist, it took tweaking the dose a few times but now I'm much better. Are you on pain relief also? I've been on practically everything usually prescribed for fibro but about 14 years ago my gp tried oxycontin as a last resort and its worked very well for me, I haven't had to increase the dose in that time and on good days I can reduce it, getting my HRT sorted took 18 months in total but made a big difference. If you have a partner I hope they are understanding, that helps a lot.

@headache do you have any sort of prescription for your fibro?
I found high strength magnesium was good for sleep issues during peri. I then went through surgical menopause and my HRT has been brilliant, but I was prescribed gabapentin for my fibro and that has been a life saver. I actually forgot to take it one night last week and was sobbing by morning because I’d spent all night tossing and turning in pain. At one point a DR tried to switch me onto pregabalin but I didn’t feel that was affective at all. I think I feel more human on Gabapentin precisely because it knocks me out at night so I actually gets some sleep, which helps me cope.
Have you had a HRT review? My nurse was lovely, as soon as I said my anxiety was increasing she upped my HRT and then made everything easier to cope with and reduced the stress I was feeling at work.
Sorry you are struggling so much.

I’ve been diagnosed with fibromyalgia for over 8 years but in reality have had it much longer probably around 14 at least. Way before the peri-menopause started.

I’ve also been prescribed everything at one point right now all I am on is dihydrocodeine and naproxen for the pain and citalopram for the anxiety/depression.

I recently was on nortryptaline but it made my face swell swell up. Amitriptyline made me very drowsy in the morning, hated gabapentin and especially pregabalin. Duloxetine was the worst ever had brain zaps up the side of my head and coming off it ouch!

I take lots of supplements so I am not deficient including magnesium gylcinate, vit D, vit B12, vit C, iron, calcium, Ashwagandha is my new one 😀

I had all sorts of lovely scans and a biopsy over the Summer and thankfully everything is ok I just have lovely irregular heavy bleeding. The gynaecologist said I shouldn’t even be on HRT!!! He said either the mini/pill (I was on the for years after the birth of my last DC and had no bleeding but then started to get breakthrough bleeding) or a coil, I really don’t want a coil. I’ve been doing some research and it looks like progesterone could be an answer

The coil was horrendous for me.
Continuous spotting or bleeding, never a day off, for almost a year whilst I continuously begged to have it removed. 2 stone weight gain, huge depression and bone pain.
Amitriptyline was awful for me, kept me awake all night and left me like a zombie the next day.
My colleagues also treat me like it’s all in my head, it’s very frustrating.
Do you know how your Vitamin D and B12 levels are? ‘Normal’ is very different to optimal and I suffer hugely pain wise at the lower end of the normal range.

I just saw this, maybe something like this could help wrt anxiety?
https://foodforthebrain.org/in-pursuit-of-gaba-the-antidote-to-anxiety-this-winter/?mc_cid=074b5d59e8&mc_eid=18d1fc3861

@MEFibroHell i take B12 tablets but I suspect I have problems with absorption. I have done a lot of research into this and since I am vegetarian decided that I need to supplement B12 in my diet anyway decided to inject it myself. So in inject twice weekly now. With regards VitD I take a daily dose to 8,000 IU just to ensure I have optimal levels.