Hi!

[quiara]

Well, I haven't mentioned this community on dw_community_promo yet, but some people are noticing it exists and seem to think it's a good idea. I'm glad!

I thought I'd write up some things I've found to be helpful in my dealings with fibro. I was diagnosed not terribly long ago after a long bit of eliminating other causes and there are some co-morbid conditions that complicate things. But overall, I've found that several things help.

• Stretching: I find that yoga and just focused stretching tend to be easier to do consistently, even on days when I hurt the worst, than, say, treadmill or biking or walking would be. Stretching is something that can be tailored to how I'm feeling; it can be intense or gentle and I find that more often than not, I feel almost immediately better after spending at least 10 minutes doing focused stretching and breathing.
  
  
• Medications:: Specifically for fibro, I take neurontin (gabapentin) and tramadol. They have, in my case, very few side effects and the benefits are incredible. I find my pain is substantially reduced and it doesn't make me feel high or stoned to take them. I also take citalopram (celexa) and trazadone (desryl) for depression/insomnia and they help as well.
  
  
• Music: And, on a related note, dancing to my music. I find that my pain is always worse if I happen also to be fairly depressed and vice versa. So alleviating one often helps with the other. If I notice I'm drifting toward a darkened state of mind, I'll pick some music that makes me feel good and after a few minutes, I get up and move to the music and eventually I'm dancing. It's exercise, it's a mood elevator and the endorphins help control pain. I'm a fan.
  
  
• Daily pain/trigger journal: I keep one of these to identify patterns. It's a paper journal I keep with me so I can note where I hurt, when and what things might have contributed to it. I can take these to doctor's appointments and i can read back over them and see what things may have helped and what things may have made things worse.
  

I know that these are things everyone may already know, but it's stuff that has helped me live better. What are some things that have helped you?

Comments

Just Wanted to Say Howdy!

[eener]

I just joined DW mere minutes ago. I set up my account and started browsing through the communities, and found this one. Yay! A small comm with a big subject that has daily meaning to me. I look forward to reading posts and connecting with others with this frustrating condition. I have stuff to do, at the moment, but I will be back. :D