Doctors are taking fibromyalgia more and more seriously. There's new research all the time about how it's a central nervous system disorder and has nothing to do with psychological problems. Your doctor may very well be up on it. It's worth asking because there ARE treatments that can help. Like I said before, getting the sleep disorder treated will result in significant improvement in the fatigue (NOT laziness at all -- it's actually been proven that the mitochondria in our cells aren't making enough energy, like an airconditioner in a brown out). You'll be amazed when you realize just how sleep deprived you are.
So for that reason alone it would be worth talking to your doctor. There are things you can do in the meantime with OTC meds. Try taking two Benadryl or the equivalent before bed. My doctor and her husband both swear by it. You get some dry mouth but it does promote stage 4 sleep that you need. The next stronger sleep med is Elavil, which was originally an antidepressant but now is used for many other things. It also helps with the stage 4 sleep. Then the next stronger after that are Ambien, Sonata, Remeron (sp?) and others. So there's a lot your doctor can do.
For the aches and pains, there are stronger prescription painkillers that are not addictive and don't make you dopey. IMHO the best one is tramadol or Ultram. I take it with Extra Strength Tylenol. It doesn't get rid of all the pain but it sure knocks the edge off!
And do you take anything for your migraines? (BTW, recent studies have shown that most sinus headaches are in fact migraines!) There are some new wonder drugs for migraines call triptans -- Imitrex, Relpax, etc. You might have to try different ones to find the best for you, but it's WORTH it. I feel MUCH better fibro wise now that I got my migraines under control.
So NO, you don't have to just cope. There's lots and lots of things that help, even though there's no cure. Just like with asthma or diabetes. There's no cure for those either but there's lots of meds and other ways to manage them.
And there are other things you can do on your own to feel better. I highly recommend doing a search on the internet. There's a number of excellent websites with really good suggestions on different types of exercises or meditation that can help. Also, the drug companies have finally started some research on fibro meds so there will be lots of new treatments and (MAYBE) even a cure in the next 5-10 years.
So DON'T give up!!
-------------------- Laura
Keep it simple!
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