princess and the pea/firbromyalgia

Hi Everyone!
Yesterday, I left you with my life style change in my journey of healing. I could just tell you things you could try, like meds, exercise, good sleep, meditate, diet, etc., and you could try any or all of them.

But the truth is, everyone is an individual and each person may have the same pain, but the treatment might be different for each person. So I shall begin with one style change at a time.

When you have established that you do, indeed, have FMS, you need to know your own body very well.

However, the first life change you need to make is to get something or some way to help you get deep good sleep for at least six to eight hours every night. If you want meds, they are all trial and error. You would have to ask your doctor to start you on something that not only helps you sleep, but is also an anti-depressant (not a tranquilizer) It's important to know the difference. An anti-depressant is a serotonin re-uptake medication, which helps increase the serotonin levels in your body. This is very important for your pain and well being.
The tranquilizer will only alleviate the anxiety.

The reason this is a life style change, is that you may not want to take meds. Some people need only take them for a few years or less, until they can make other life style changes that help them. Some pain will always be with you and you will have to learn how to cope with the residual pain. You can do whatever you want to do. That part is in the mind and you do have to train your mind to overcome the myths and sometimes overcome what the doctor tells you that you can and cannot do.

It's your life. It's up to you how you live it. Living with the sensitivity of your skin, muscles, bones, nerves is not easy. Life changes do not come easy. But I guarantee you, that if you take one step at a time, it will all come together and you will work out, play tennis, play golf, walk, swim and do whatever you want to do to have the quality of life that you want.

I cannot stress how important the first step is. which is good sleep with an anti-depressant. I, personally have always done well on Clonopin. A lot of doctors don't like to give that medication, but you have to find the one that works for you. This one works for me and has for many, many years. Although, I must tell you that there was a time when I did not need the meds to sleep well. Later I will tell you how I accomplished that. This period lasted for about 4 years, until I had my next physical trauma and invasive surgery which left more pain, everywhere in my body, than can be imagined.

Each time there is a physical or emotional trauma, you will have more pain. Stress causes the chronic pain that aches so much, and is so insidious, that we cannot stand another level of pain, and we are told that we have a low pain threshold. The truth is that because we are in constant and chronic pain, we cannot take another measure of added pain.

But it can be overcome eventually and can be kept to a level that is hardly noticeable most of the time. Some of it you just get so used to that you don't notice it, when you are living your life.

So start thinking about how you want to live your life.

Get some good sleep, and will talk tomorrow.
Shirley