I have fibromyalgia and it is getting more and more painful and the pain is every day.

[TheOriginalFAB]

At the moment it is mostly 2 of my fingers, one arm and my knee which is giving me a lot if pain and especially when I drive. I don't want to be popping pain killers as the pain is bearable, I just wonder if there is anything more natural I can do to help myself?

Its sounds like you may be doing too much?? if so perhaps you need to pace your activity with more rest - especially anything involving the muscles you mention.

Otherwise there are a few natural things that can help a bit, but with FM it can vary from person to person with what works for us.

before I list those though, I learned what I think is probably a very important lesson at the pain clinic - that is that PAIN IS A STRESSOR & stress like over doing things is our biggest enemy -

so where as I was like you in not wanting to pop pain pills like sweets, in fact I wasn't helping myself, because dealing with pain flare ups effectively in the short term, helps stop it becoming chronic IYSWIM - so DO take pain meds when you need them - its important to stop it getting worse.

Also these can help....

Adequate, but not too much sleep - 5HTP can help some people with this

Lavender & Roman Chamomile Aromatherapy Oil can also help with sleep (pillow or bath)

Magnesium supplements &/or Epsom Salts baths - Mag helps your body regulate stress & pain signals, so you cope better - it can also help with migraine.

Clary sage aromatherapy oil rubbed in (in a carrier oil) or in a bath can also help - its a natural Euphoric, so lifts your mood, which raises endorphins - the bodies natural pain killers - its also a natural pain killer.

Black Pepper or Ginger aroma oils can help with muscle aches (in a carrier or bath)

Paingone Pen works for some people on localised pain - £50 aprox from Boots etc - I LOVE mine

Tens machine - again swear by mine - Lloyds pharmacy often have offers on them

Good mattress & pillow - I have memory foam & its made a HUGE difference to how I feel on a morning.

Black Cherry concentrate has been proven to reduce pain, not cheap, but if you can afford it - & it tastes good too - I tried it, found it helped, but not enough to justify the price.

Acupuncture can help - its been proven to be good for FM in trials & I found it good.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage helped me even more

Myofascial release massage also helped - just a shame I can't afford regular treatments on these any more - if you can then try all 3

Sauna helps

Careful graded gentle exersize, especially things like, swimming yoga or pilates - as hard as it sounds - exersize IS very important to us or things can get worse.

Vitamin D - have you been checked for deficiency??? - its common with FM & your GP can give you supplements - or get out & get plenty of sunshine

& most importantly - Laugh lots, learn to laugh at yourself & your "fog" moments, don't panic when your brain shuts down - relax for a few minutes & try again -

& EDUCATE YOURSELF - despite what your GP might say, not EVERYTHING is going to be FM - I'm only learning now with a new GP just how much they can fob you off with, even when they seem good - since my GP went on Maternity leave, I've been diagnosed with a few other conditions that have been previously blamed on FM, but weren't & are treatable - its only taken 8 years

I am on 2 lots of medication so would need to check if I can take anything else.

My GP didn't diagnose me but a hospital doctor did. I was sent for physio, she said she couldn't help and that was that.

I have been doing a lot more lately as I have been feeling so much better mentally and more able to cope. Maybe I need to pace myself more. There is always so much to do though.

I will be making notes of all your advice so thank you very much for that.

No problem glad to help :)

Drugs.com is a good place to check drug interactions, with herbals etc

& get your GP to refer you to a pain management clinic or an M.E. - they can be a big help & are far more geared up to dealing with us - some can even prescribe acupuncture -

& yes its VERY easy for us to forget when feeling well & over do it - its what they call "the boom - bust cycle" - sadly one its very important we break - took me a long while to get my head around that one & I can still "slip" from time to time

good luck :)

So what would your advice be? I am in a getting the house sorted mood at the moment so do I need to do a lot less in terms of time per day? I get stressed if the place is a mess and it is helping me the fact that I am getting every thing under control.

try doing 20 -30 mins & then resting for the same - that tends to be how I need to do things - but you may get away with longer stretches than I can - but I don;t think any of us can risk a whole day

Sorry my Dd illl so have to go, I really wolud advise a M.E clinic referal - treatment protocol is pretty much the same

This Site is good resource for all Fibromyalgia related info

the site above is a national one, run by suffers for suffers - they will be able to point you in the direction of your local support group - which will have all the info on what help is available near you

hope that helps

Thank you very much.

Hope your DD is better very soon.

Hi FAB, how's it going?

I've had about 4-6 weeks of 'better' but I'm heading back into 'pain' again atm

My hands, my feet owwy

KatyMac - sorry to hear you are in pain again.

My main problem at the minute is my right knee and some fingers. Driving is uncomfortable but bearable.

My hands are all down the side by my little finger

It's awful - knees can be bad too (my brother has awful knees - osto arthritis)

What shall we do? Whinge together?

Thanks Fab - she's doing okay - waiting on our GP to call, as its looking like German measles - which is weird as she's meant to have had that pre immunisations

Adding to the above - I would advise taking it easy & pacing more as already said, but as you are organising your house, I would also suggest sitting down & planning that so as to help yourself for future

I'm in a bit of a state myself at the minute so hopefully will make sense in saying - place/organise things to make life as easy as possible for yourself

for example - in my kitchen I have kilner jars in cupboards & shelves - ALL the ingredients I use most often are easiest to get to without reaching, bending, walking or stretching - same with my cooking tools etc etc - so taking as much effort as possible out of everything you ever need to do

same with organising washing & every other household task or any work you do at home - plan to expend the least possible energy & least bending & stretching you can

I'm hurting a lot today too - everywhere really, we've had stormy weather threatening for a while, but not quite happening bar the odd shower - barometic pressure is a bit of a killer for us & sadly not one we can do much about :(

Hi every one.

Just got back from really good osteopath appointments for my son and daughter. Shame I have a horrendous pain in my stomach below my breast .

Plan a very quiet day today. DS1 has gone to work with DH so I might have to go and get him but other than that it is just DD and DS2.

I will do them lunch in a bit and then minimum tidying.

I have moved things around after emptying 2 cupboards yesterday and I have put them back with the things I use most at the front. Daft how little things like that make life easier.

I was hoping to go visiting a friend and her children sometime this week but no mention of it so probably not.

Hope everyone else is okay.

The pain feels like stitch but I haven't been running.

FAB - have you been tested for Helicobacter Pylori - its a blood test - don't be fobbed off with a stool test as its not always accurate

I ask as after YEARS of the same pain you describe, not able to lay down/sleep on my left side - along with supposed IBS & GERD & a weird problem no-ne seemed to know what I was talking about - in that on moving, bending or stretching in certain ways it felt as if something got hooked up on my ribs, leaving me feeling sick & in agony as if I'd just been whacked hard in my stomach - after heart tests & lots more - ALL of which over the years end up being been blamed on my Fibromyalgia & M.E. diagnosis

I get a new GP - who sends me for a test as she is surprised I haven't had one - its apparently VERY common

it came back POSITIVE - I've just finished the course of treatment, during which ALL of those symptoms including the chest pain disappeared - I was so used to having them I'd actually lost sight of how badly they affected me - sadly after just over a week they are coming back, so seems the treatment wasn't strong enough - reading up on it, that often happens - so not too worried, but I am sure, as is my new GP that its been the cause of a lot of symptoms -

so I'd recommend you looking into it :)

No, I haven't. My GP does not like people to google and every time I have been with a problem I have been sent away to see how I got on and really had to argue for tests to be done. I don't have time to be ill! I want to sleep though.

www.hpa.org.uk this link was given by a friend who works for the NHS dept that tests for these sort of bugs - I've not read through it properly myself yet, but should tell you everything you - & your GP need to know & see another GP if they still won't listen

for you

Thank you for that. I have sent the link to DH to get him to print it out in bigger text so I can read it. I feel a bit sick and it has reminded me I had gastroitis a while ago.

Just did the assessment on NHS Direct and it says I need to speak to my GP straight away. This was after I said yes to pain in my groin. I had pressed down a bit to see if it hurt and then it felt like I had just bled out. I so want to sleep right now but have children here so can't.

How are you FAB?

The pain did go but a few minutes ago I had a couple of biscuits and in the same place as the pain earlier today I felt like it was on fire.

My knee and fingers are still aching.

How are you KatyMac?

Fab you might want to look into cutting out wheat, at very least temporarily & then cutting down - if eating a couple of biscuits affects you in that way, then there is a big clue to the cause in that.

I've been tested for coeliac & its come back clear, but I find that not eating hard to digest foods, like wheat if I'm going through a rough patch helps a lot - I can eat it at other times, but again find if I eat a lot, it will affect me badly & can cause a flare - same with diary - red meat too if I wasn't pescetarian - that & dreaded food additives, especially aspartemine

I've generally become very chemical sensitive & find avoiding them helps a lot - I use vinegar lemon & bicarb for cleaning for example - they don't call it over sensitive everything syndrome for nothing - might be something to think about too

Though typing that is reminding myself I'm not doing myself any favours with my own diet right now - pain killers doing zilch & I'm dealing with a flare from hell after physio & then a day out with DD where I dared join in on the flumes etc - think I need to go dig out my none wheat flours for a while :(

Hope you are both feeling better today

Goodness, I didn't realise reactions could happen so quickly. I never put them together.

I was tested for coeliac disease and GP said I didn't have it. I had a while of eating breakfast and needing the loo immediately. IBS was in my mind but no to that as well.

I was looking forward to a cinnamon whirl later too.

I'm OK

I bit dispondent about a day off that never happened & off to the physio to see if we can do anything at all

Interesting if yours turns out like that?

I hope you are feeling better.

DD and DS1 have just screamed at each other and gone off slamming doors. .

It's odd isn't it; I have had back pain for 25yrs & exercise is going to remove it.....apparently!

Tired after being manipulated