Dr with fibro

Lj, when I started getting worse and worse I remembered that fibro isn’t a progressive illness. That’s when I went to a rheumatologist and discovered I now had Ankylosing Spondylitis and sacroiliitis on top of fibro. Too many times we blame fibro for everything we feel.

Sherrine

I sometimes wonder if fibro can progress, but then again, I'm aging and now 60. It seems more effort is needed to maintain my health, strength, etc.. It always helps me to get a check-up and get the doctor's opinion. More often than not, not a whole lot is new; it's just a little more of a struggle. I try to avoid adding any new meds.

I just saw my doctor last week, had a few blood tests, went through past history and meds, and...well, not a whole lot is new, except a little arthritis, some peripheral neuropathy in my feet, and my sciatic nerve is acting up a bit ("leftover" from a much worse flare in March, so I hope it clears up entirely).

And, BTW, Sherrine, yes, I did get a prescription for Robaxin and have been on it about a week. So far, so good! I definitely don't get the fatigue I got from the Flexeril. I take half a tablet in the early morning and sometimes don't need another half til afternoon. So, thanks for that heads up! It really does help and doesn't seem so difficult to deal with.

Lj: This is so interesting! I sure wish they would do further studies on fibro patients and look more into why some seem to get worse and others get better and others not progress. It sure doesn't seem like a progressive illness to me, but I'm sure feeling my age and more aches and pains than I used to!

I'm currently re-vamping my exercise and pushing myself a bit more--not overdoing; just a "gentle" you-can-do-it pep-talk kind of push. Since there are no programs nearby, I have to be my own "coach" and get a little more 'tough' on myself--within limits of course.

Our weather has been so hot lately, with storms in between--more on the way, and wow, does my body detect that! Another wild rollercoaster ride....

If you don't mind my asking, Lj, do you take anything specific for stiffness? I don't know if it's attainable or realistic, but I'd sure like to get off meds and find something a bit more natural--not that things like herbal remedies don't have their side effects or other issues. I'm looking for something for both the stiffness and nerve pain.

I'm wondering how something like Arnicare would work for such pain? I've seen it advertised and interestingly enough, it also mentions it helps stiffness. I may look into that.

My doctor also prescribed Cymbalta, which I've been hesitant to take, especially because the enclosed sheet that came with it warns about eye pressure and glaucoma. Glaucoma is in my family, and one of my aunts went blind from it, so it's something I watch closely. My pressures have been a bit high, but not dangerously high. I hope to keep it there or lower, so very reluctant to go on a med that could raise it.

Stiffness is a huge problem for me... i take an anti inflammatory but even that is not enough ..so i am taking curamed and curamin..curamed in the morning and curamin at night..

I was weeding and mulching some today..so owwww

We are also on the weather roller coaster...its tough..

On a side note.. my eye pressure is only reading off with barometric pressure..i got a bad reading in a storm , and went to a specialist..she said absolutely no problem, eyes very healthy..but it was eye opening to know it reads high in a storm ...sigh

Sherrine: The Robaxin seems to be kicking in well. I feel like I'm starting to get used to it, and it seems a good 'fit' so far. It's prescribed for "One tablet twice a day as needed." I also take Neurontin, so I try to stagger the two by an hour or so--that seems to be working well.

I appreciate your sharing how many tablets you take. Yes! I think it's good to try less, or at least see how it goes. Some prescriptions are so strong and a little goes a long way.

Thanks also for sharing about the medication for the glaucoma (sorry you have that ). It sounds like you have it well under control, though, and it's good you see your ophthalmologist regularly.

Thanks for the Curamin and Curamed info, Lj. I didn't realize there were 2 so similar, even in name!

Ha--I was weeding yesterday for an hour and a half, stopping often to go get a drink of water. When I got in the house, my leg nerves were wacky and probably complaining. But things are good today. I should do more weeding, but it's raining. How unusual your eye pressure reading is higher in a storm, but hey--fibro bodies--we just never know what they're doing, I guess.

Lendi: My stiffness got much worse a month or so ago. I posted on this above. It seems to me (just my thinking here) that the sciatic "uprise' I had started things rolling, but just a guess. Any chance you may have irritated your sciatic nerve somehow, by lifting or something?

My doctor thinks I 'whacked' mine from shoveling. I'm usually pretty careful, but do sometimes get a little carried away when I want to get something done. I've been resting on some ice off and on. It's gotten much better all around from when it started, but I suspect I still have something going on there, as my leg and feet nerves can get jumpy for reasons unknown.

Thank you, Luv. It's always a possibility, that's for sure. It's easy to pawn something off on a disease if it also caused it.

But, my mind is dim, my sleep is worse, definitely more unbalanced etc so I might have that issue but it's not all, a lot of me hurts. My progression, assuming that's what it is, has been fairly slow but gets worse and worse.