[Abigail207]

Hi I went to my Doctor for a physical yesterday and told her that I have been haveing horrible back pains that then go to my other joints like sholders, hips, knees and elbows. But the pain comes and goses especially when I am stressed and the pain can make me nauseous and keeps me up at nights. Pain relievers don't seem to work on the pain.
I asked her if it could be fibro and so she is doing some blood tests to rule out other possiblities and will start me on medication for fibro if they come back normal. I was just wondering if other people my age have this and if they take any medicaton and if the meds work. I have had some people tell me that they don't.

[jaimie1980]

I don't have fibro, but I do know that weight can sometimes cause it. I would be willing to bet that once you lose your excess weight, your symptoms will go away. I have known a couple gals that were in their 30/40s that had it and once they lost weight they were symptom free! You are going in the right direction, and I hope you have the same outcome they did!

[Riestrella]

One of my good friends who is 24 suffers from fibro, and she found that stress and worry made the pain worse too. I think the thing she suffered with the most was that the medication made her depressed. But the one thing she said that did work was physiotherapy - she spoke very highly of it and it made her feel a lot better. So perhaps that's a route of treatment you would want to look into taking. Otherwise just be careful of the side effects of the medication.

[Initiative]

I have fibromyalgia; I was diagnosed 2 years ago and have been suffering from it for 3. I have all the same problems you describe and it almost drives me crazy. It never seems to end a lot of the time. I've strayed away from regular medications because they've only done me more harm then good. I was on numerous narcotics, antidepressants, sleeping medications... None of it worked for me and only ended up making me feel more horrible than before. The way I see it for myself is that my body is already under a huge amount of stress, that's the reason I'm in pain and aching, and the medications are just another influence putting my body under more stress. Most of the medications made me moody to the point I couldn't function. I now have a medical marijuana card and have adjusted it to my lifestyle. I am actually going to school again and can walk around the block without feeling so drained I need a nap. Hope you feel better and just consider all your options before letting the doctors give you whatever they want.

[Bellamack]

I have fibro, was diagnosed a couple of years after an accident in which I broke my back and neck. I was only 28 at the time. I healed well from the broken back/neck, but I had pain where sometimes my husband could not even hug me, I was sent to a rheumotologist and diagnosed with fibro, that was 21 years ago AND I was NOT overweight. At that time I had never heard of the disease. I have been on several different meds over the years, but they raised my liver enzymes, so I take nothing for it now.

[ticklemepink]

I don't have it but my MIL does & there WERE days she's in so much pain that she couldn't get out of bed. In January, she went to the doctor & got hormone pellets. She swears by it & I've witnessed her DRAMATIC CHANGE. She has more energy & is actually exercising now. So maybe that's something you can look into? She still takes anti-depressants that are supposed to help with fibro. Good luck & hang in there.

[Abigail207]

I will probably give some of the medication that the doctor will perscribe a try but I have a feeling that this is something that I am just going to have to live with, which is realy hard because I have aches and pains like a person much older than me when I am only 21! Thanks for the advice and for letting me wine, somtimes I need to break down a little befor I can build myself up strong again.

[kaplods]

Obesity can contribute to fibro, and can even trigger it, but there's very little evidence that obesity causes fibro, at least not directly, and there's no guarantee that weight loss will improve it (there's a good chance that weight control will help, but there's no guarantee. If you do have fibro, you have to be prepared for the possibility that improvement can be elusive, and that you'll have to experiment to find your triggers and what works for you).

I met a woman in my fibromyalgia support group who didn't experience chronic fatigue and fibro symptoms until after she lost 100 lbs. She felt that the weight loss triggered the fibro, and her doctor agreed saying that any drastic life change seems to have the potential to trigger or worsen cfids and fibro (viruses and other serious illnesses, accidents and injuries, PTSD and chronic sleep deprivation also seem to be common triggers). So while weight gain can trigger it, so can weight loss or any dramatic change in lifestyle.

Weight loss and exercise is important, but you do have to be prepared for the possibility that weight loss (diet and activity changes) or for that matter any drastic lifestyle changes may worsen fibromyalgia (at least, in the short term).

That's certainly true (and frustrating) for me. Any dramatic changes of any type will trigger pain and fatigue flares, so I have to make changes very slowly and gradually. It is extremely frustrating, because learning to push your limits without exceeding them is a tightrope walk that can be really frustrating.

There is a fibro thread in the Dieting with Obstacles forum, which you may find helpful.

[sniperhil]

My mil has suffered from fibro for over 20 years. She would be missing from everyone's life for months at a time bc her pain just kept her in bed. She hasn't had a flare up in over a year and she believes this is due to her going to the chiropractor. She went for twice a wk visits for nearly a year and hasn't had a problem since.

You have to be very careful with all the meds your doc prescribes. Do not just take everything they prescribe without asking what it's for and if it's neccessary. Before my mil's chiropractor visits, her previous dr prescribed medicine after medicine after medicine and my mil wound up in the hospital bc the drugs interacted badly together. She was very ill and stayed in the hospital a few days. She then had to be weened off the drugs to keep her from having some other type of reaction. She was not abusing the meds. She was taking them as prescribed by her dr. I hope that your blood tests come back normal, but if they don't, fibro is manageable. You just have to be creative in your approach sometimes.

[downsizer55]

I have fibro but I am much older than you. In my case I lost the weight but not the pain. Once you find your triggers it's easier to manage. Unfortunately we have to find our triggers the hard way.

[LittleKitty]

I don't have Fibro but I worked as a marketing officer for a physio clinic that had an on staff Rheumatologist for a while before I quit to take my current job. We had a special program for people with Fibro that involved specialized light exercise program in a 95 degree therapy pool. Many of the patients told me it was the only thing that worked for them up to that point. Many even were able to get their insurance to pay for treatment (mind you I live in Canada where the health care system is a bit different than the US). It might be something worth trying for you ladies.

Good luck I have heard nothing but awful things about Fibro and I hope you can all find relief, whatever method you choose.

[tuende]

My younger sister has fibro- she was diagnosed when she was a super-athletic 19 year old. All the aches and pains caused her to have to quit her university's softball team. She's tried every medication out there and I don't think anything has helped her much. However, acupuncture is something that has been a huge help to her. I think it was strange to get used to at first, but she swears by it now! It could be something to talk to your doctor about to help manage the pain, regardless of whether or not you actually have fibro.

Good luck with everything!

[Abigail207]

Thank you all for your advice. I am going to see my doctor in 2 weeks to find out my results. She is usually good about using other options befor using medications, but she has given me neck and spine adjustments and they haven't helped =(.