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Fibromyalgia symptoms
...pain is common to all, but other symptoms vary
“What
are the Fibromyalgia symptoms that your are suffering from?” a friend asks, wanting to understand what you are
living with daily.
You response might be - “Pain, I ache all over. My joints hurt. My
muscles ache. And I am oh, so tired.” That might be the what you say first.
But
then, after some thought you say - “Fatigue, never feeling rested, energy levels that don’t return after rest, muscles that seem so
very weak.”
Then…
“…insomnia,
lack of sleep, inability to get to sleep or stay asleep.” And let’s not forget … “…restless leg syndrome, where the legs twitch,
jerk and feel creepy crawly all over." (Try to explain that one to somebody - legs that
you can’t keep still, … just because you can’t. And then there is… “Oh, I forgot, what I was going to add here…oh, that’s right…memory
problems.” You
can’t find the right words to express what you want to say, details are elusive, new information seems to leave as quickly
as it comes…they call it fibro fog or brain fog…a lack of clarity that doesn’t seem to go away.
It is so embarrassing, because before all this started, you were so smart and quick witted. Now,
you feel lucky just to stay in a conversation And… “…I get these headaches all the time. My shoulder and neck feel so tight that
my head feels like it could pop right off my shoulders…” “And if that woman wears that
perfume again I am going to scream. The smell almost feels like it is eating away at the inside of my nose.
Chemical sensitivity, make some chemical odors almost unbearable to breathe in. I don’t remember
feeling like this before. I even used to like wearing perfume myself, but now, it is almost intolerable."
"The
doctor thinks I might have a yeast overgrowth called Candida.” And… “I wish my jaw would loosen up. The muscles are so tight
I can barely open my mouth to put a fork full of food in. I try to stretch the muscles by open my mouth
wide, but it doesn’t do a thing to relieve the tension. The doctor called it TMJ or *Temperomandibular
Joint Dysfunction Syndrome.” And… …“my
doctor told me take some pills for my depression, but I can’t seem to swallow
them. It is like I have a lump in my throat that I can’t get rid of" ..."and that depression,
it just seems to get worse and worse and worse. People don’t believe I am sick, because I look normal.
My life is so changed and I can’t seem to do anything about it. Some say I am JUST depressed,
but I am depressed BECAUSE of the Fibromyalgia and all the ways it has affected my life." "The widespread pain changes from day
to day. Some days it’s unbearable, then it lets up a little. I am just beginning
to think that I am starting to feel better and the weather changes and it is right back again...and
then there is the weight gain." How in the world did that happen. I haven’t done anything different. I
am not eating more. And I can’t seem to get the weight to come off.” “Oh,
and did I tell you about the... * Nausea * Dizziness * Skin sensitivity * Mayofascial Pain * Morning stiffness * Chest symptoms * Dysmenorrhea and changes in my menstrual cycle * Cold symptoms, like Reynauds * Ringing in the ears * Breathing problems * Vision problems And did I mention… “THAT I HURT ALL OVER!”
That
is not an uncommon response from a person suffering from Fibromyalgia syndrome.
The symptoms
that make up the syndrome are as varied and diverse as those who suffer from the syndrome.
One day you may have one or seven symptoms that are dominant
and by next day another two or ten symptoms take the forefront, and these are just a short list of what individuals suffering
from fibromyalgia experience day to day. It is an ever changing syndrome, day to day, week to week, the ebb and flow confuses you and leaves you feeling that
you are fighting a losing battle. But you are not. First
you get a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia, based on the symptoms that you are experiencing. Then your doctor begins to treat the individual
symptoms using a variety of approaches - medications, diet, exercise, lifestyle choice recommendations and
counseling. The treatments
begin and, as the symptoms continue to change daily, frustration increases. That’s because
the is no magic bullet that cures Fibromyalgia symptoms. Then the real search for a cure begins... ...searching to understand the syndrome, the treatments,
the reason this all started in the first place. You look for others who understand what you are experiencing. You
look for the “experts” who have joined together in support of those suffering daily with Fibromyalgia symptoms. Just trying to make some sense of this seemingly uncontrollable grab
bag of symptoms called Fibromyalgia syndrome becomes all consuming. You try to maintain your life, to continue with some normalcy. But every
day is an effort. Everyday. Once some of the questions are answered, once you see that this mix to symptoms is what makes up Fibromyalgia, then
the search for treatment options are on. If you are still reading this, still looking for answers, then trust that you are on
track. First you have to gain the knowledge of the Fibromyalgia symptoms that make up the Fibromyalgia
syndrome. Then you can begin to track those Fibromyalgia symptoms. Begin to see what affects them.
What causes them to come and go, to get worse or get better. The next step is to begin to look at different treatment options. Keep an open mind. Limiting
your options, by limiting your treatment approaches, will slow or reduce the speed at which you move down your path to a cure.
But you also will need to take a logic approach to treatment, so that you can determine what treatment approach or
approaches reduce or eliminate Fibromyalgia symptoms. Don’t try everything at once. It
will be difficult to identify what is working and what is not. Too many different treatment approaches will just confuse you. So, try to
create an approach that is slow, yet steady. Evaluating and making adaptations as you go, and as you learn
more. You can cure Fibromyalgia.
A cure is possible. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Learning about your Fibromyalgia symptoms
is a great place to start. Realizing they are just that - symptoms - is important and focusing day to
day on decreasing or eliminating those symptoms through thoughtful life, nutritional and treatment choices will move you forward
on your path to wellness.
I cured myself from fibromyalgia. So can you.
Remember to go to the FREE Worksheets page, print them out and get
started! The worksheets have been designed especially for you, to help begin to collect the information and data that
will be a valuable assist in helping you to make solid, well-informed decisions that will help in creating your
very own personal Fibromyalgia treatment plan.
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