When Fibro Kicks, We Kick Back

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?