Living with Fibromyalgia

Living with fibromyalgia can be very difficult, but managing the disease simply depends on knowing how it affects you individually. For me, the worst part is pain management. It is difficult to deal with the pain, particularly since I no longer can get the regular massages that helped so very much. When I first was diagnosed, I worked for a bank, and massage therapy was covered by my insurance. That is no longer the case. For a time, I had a massage therapist that bartered with me, and I was able to get massages from her in exchange for helping her with her horse farm. Unfortunately, where I live now, I don't know any massage therapists that would take barter as an option, and my insurance does not cover it.

However, it is still possible to manage the illness with medication, yoga, a regular sleeping schedule, and managing your daily level of exertion. When I find myself having a bad pain day, I take a flexeril (half if I have things to do), and I do yoga daily to keep myself flexible. I go to bed every night at 11pm, even most weekends. I do chores that require me to do a lot of physical activity (like vacuuming, or mopping, or gardening) one per day, and I rest after each one before doing more chores, like dishwashing, or dusting.

I go to the doctor regularly for checkups, and am working on losing weight per my doctor's advice. I am on a special diet, both to lose weight and to get myself healthier. But the biggest part of managing fibro is managing sleep and managing pain.

Sleep is difficult for most people with fibromyalgia, and I think that a lot of people assume that you should go to sleep when you are tired. It is actually a lot better for people with fibromyalgia to set up a schedule and stick to it. Get up at the same time every day, and go to bed at the same time every day. If you are not tired, lay in bed and read, or watch TV until you are unwound enough to sleep, but get into the habit of being in bed at the same time daily. It will help your body get into the habit, and it will make your sleep troubles far less troubling. Certainly, with fibro you will never be completely free of sleep disturbances, but everything that you can do to manage them will make your life easier.

Valerian, melatonin, and chamomile herbs can all be used on a temporary basis to help you achieve a more restful sleep as well if you prefer not to use medications, or you can see your doctor for a temporary sleeping pill. Lunesta, Ambien, and Rozerem have all been used with success to treat the sleeping disorders associated with fibro, but of course your doctor will decide which one is the best for you.

As to the pain associated with fibromyalgia, that is a very individual decision. Some doctors will treat the pain with medication, some will not. Most will agree to treat you with a muscle relaxer, such as Flexeril or Soma, and certainly these drugs are very helpful when the pain becomes unbearable. Some doctors will even agree to treat their patients with more aggressive drugs- but many refuse, for various reasons. This will be a journey you and your doctor will have to take on your own.

Certainly, however, doing what you can do on your own to treat your pain is a good thing, and that is why I recommend light exercise, particularly yoga and other stretching exercises. They really do help, and they will keep your muscles limber and flexible, which will discourage the worst of the knots that all fibromyalgia sufferers deal with.

I wish you luck in creating your own fibromyalgia coping strategy. Living with fibromyalgia can be very difficult, but managing the disease simply depends on knowing how it affects you individually. For me, the worst part is pain management. It is difficult to deal with the pain, particularly since I no longer can get the regular massages that helped so very much. When I first was diagnosed, I worked for a bank, and massage therapy was covered by my insurance. That is no longer the case. For a time, I had a massage therapist that bartered with me, and I was able to get massages from her in exchange for helping her with her horse farm. Unfortunately, where I live now, I don't know any massage therapists that would take barter as an option, and my insurance does not cover it.

However, it is still possible to manage the illness with medication, yoga, a regular sleeping schedule, and managing your daily level of exertion. When I find myself having a bad pain day, I take a flexeril (half if I have things to do), and I do yoga daily to keep myself flexible. I go to bed every night at 11pm, even most weekends. I do chores that require me to do a lot of physical activity (like vacuuming, or mopping, or gardening) one per day, and I rest after each one before doing more chores, like dishwashing, or dusting.

I go to the doctor regularly for checkups, and am working on losing weight per my doctor's advice. I am on a special diet, both to lose weight and to get myself healthier. But the biggest part of managing fibro is managing sleep and managing pain.

Sleep is difficult for most people with fibromyalgia, and I think that a lot of people assume that you should go to sleep when you are tired. It is actually a lot better for people with fibromyalgia to set up a schedule and stick to it. Get up at the same time every day, and go to bed at the same time every day. If you are not tired, lay in bed and read, or watch TV until you are unwound enough to sleep, but get into the habit of being in bed at the same time daily. It will help your body get into the habit, and it will make your sleep troubles far less troubling. Certainly, with fibro you will never be completely free of sleep disturbances, but everything that you can do to manage them will make your life easier.

Valerian, melatonin, and chamomile herbs can all be used on a temporary basis to help you achieve a more restful sleep as well if you prefer not to use medications, or you can see your doctor for a temporary sleeping pill. Lunesta, Ambien, and Rozerem have all been used with success to treat the sleeping disorders associated with fibro, but of course your doctor will decide which one is the best for you.

As to the pain associated with fibromyalgia, that is a very individual decision. Some doctors will treat the pain with medication, some will not. Most will agree to treat you with a muscle relaxer, such as Flexeril or Soma, and certainly these drugs are very helpful when the pain becomes unbearable. Some doctors will even agree to treat their patients with more aggressive drugs- but many refuse, for various reasons. This will be a journey you and your doctor will have to take on your own.

Certainly, however, doing what you can do on your own to treat your pain is a good thing, and that is why I recommend light exercise, particularly yoga and other stretching exercises. They really do help, and they will keep your muscles limber and flexible, which will discourage the worst of the knots that all fibromyalgia sufferers deal with.

I wish you luck in creating your own fibromyalgia coping strategy.