Hi Lisa:

I have a friend that was just diagnosed as well. 

Be sure you get back with your doc before starting any treatments -- get a Vitamin Scan done (FULL SCAN as well as a FULL CBC) just to be sure this is it!! Sometimes just a quick diagnosis can be dumb for docs to do so make sure your B12 and D vitamins are good.

If you are indeed diagnosed with this Lyrica is a great choice it is a newer beta injection and has less side effects (be sure to read those).

I have heard Humira is good too but it has been known to cause cancer.

Neurontin (Gabapentin) is great for the nerve firing to help with your pain as well as skalaxin.

I sure hate to read that you have fibro I have it too. It's a bad thing to deal with sometimes called the invisible disease. I belong to a great support group I have the link posted on my profile if you want to check it out I don't know what I would have done with the support I get from the ladies there, gentle hugs Bindy

i also have fibromyalgia....i was diagnosed almost 10 yrs ago now and im only 28!!!  i hate it!!!  not only is it painful, but most people believe its not real, that its all in my head....im on serveral medications for it, as well as B12 shots from my doctor every 4 weeks

i also have fibromyalgia....i was diagnosed almost 10 yrs ago now and im only 28!!!  i hate it!!!  not only is it painful, but most people believe its not real, that its all in my head

Larissalle.

yes, that is why I said that it can cause side effects. It can severely lower Vitamin-D levels and when I was taking gabapentin I ended up getting Medication induced parkinsons's disease. I had tremors and a lot of involuntary movements!!! A friend of mine was placed on lyrica and now her memory is so bad that she can't remember something that happened 2 min. ago! It literally gave her dementia!  These medication work on the GABA receptors-however they are synthetic. If you want to try a natural route- you can actually take a GABA supplement or other supplements that will increase GABA levels, this is the better way to go.-There are a lot less side effect with the natural supplements!  guaifenesin treatment can work, but it is not without it's own risks. No matter what treatment is decided on-you will always have to weigh the benefits against the risks. I would suggest that you try vitamins, like vit-D, and get your blood levels of these vitamins stabilized before starting these other treatments.  Electrolyte balance is also very important with fibro as well, and a good why to make sure that your electrolytes stay balanced is to use drinks that replenish your electrolytes, like a sports drink, and also the amino acid Taurine really helps your body keep the electrolytes in the right amounts.  The reason these are so important is because if you are imbalaced than the electrical signals to your nerves get screwed up and either don't reach the nerve or can over stimulate the nerves causeing pain for not reason.  I hope this information is helpful to you, and good luck! :) :) Happy Christmas Eve and Happy New Year.

Hi, Sunlea and Jsking, be careful when taking gabapentin as it is an antiseizure med and will lower vitamin D. If you do take gabapentin, you'll definitely want your D blood level checked frequently, maybe every 3 months till you know how your body responds to it in terms of vit D blood levels. Also, be careful of white willow bark. This is where aspirin comes from.  Aspirin is a salicylic acid, also called a salicylate. I just read some studies that show that salicylic acid interferes with the vitamin D mechanism. It basically keeps the vitamin D receptors open, and what you want is for your body to be able to open and close the receptors for proper functioning.  It is unknown what the biochemical mechanism is when the receptors are left open, but I am guessing that in the next ten years, it's going to be clear that it is one of the causes of fibromyalgia.  Dr. R.P. St. Amand from UCLA has found that people who are on guaifenesin therapy for fibromyalgia have to stay clear of all salicylates that are either in conentrated form, like aspirin and most herbs, as well as any salicylates that are in skin lotions, shampoos, etc., where the salicylates are absorbed by the skin and bypass the digestive system. When they bypass the digestive system, the body cannot bind proteins to the salicylates and exit them out of the body.  Instead, the salicylates dock in the vitamin D (and other) receptors and cause the vitamin D malfunction as I described above as well as allowing phosphates to become trapped in places where they shouldn't.  Calcium then floods in to buffer the phosphates, and it is believed that this is where the pain of fibromyalgia comes from. There are studies that show this. I highly recommend trying the guaifenesin protocol by Dr. St. Amand.  Good luck, and Happy Holidays to you.

well,. mine was too, but i later found out i am vit d defficient.   my sister was also vit d defficient and had suffered many body aches and pains prior to getting her levels right.  I hope, once mine are in check, that I too feel much better.

You should get yours checked.  and read larrisalle's blogs re vit d.. lots of info.

Hello Lisa, I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis.  Fibromyalgia is a very difficult disorder and you really have a long road ahead of you.  I can however make a few suggestions that may help the symptoms some. Supplements and Vitamins are very important with Fibro. Getting adaquate amounts of Vitamin-D, Vitamin-C, Magnesium and all the B Vitamins is a must. The other thing is trying natural supplements that may increase your energy and lessen the muscle/nerve pain. My Naturopathic Physician away places her Fibro patients on a supplement called Malic Acid Complex; it contains-Magnesium, Malic Acid, Curcumin, D-Ribose, Citric Acid, and White Willow Bark. This supplement is specifically designed to increase cellular energy, reduce inflammation, and improve blood flow especially in muscle tissue. If you are interested you can purchase it at: www.swansonvitamins.com and if you get it from this website it is inexpensive, High quality and they have a No Questions Asked, money back guarantee! You may need to take it for a couple months before getting the full effect, however I began to feel a difference in only a couple days! Omega-3 supplements (such as fish oils) also tend to help some and are very good for your heart. Medical Doctors don't seem to have a lot of tools to help Fibro-so that is why I suggest supplements. They may try to place you on Gabapentin or Lyrica, but most people find that the side effects are overwhelming and that they doesn't help reduce symptoms that much. Trigger point injections seem to work for some people, but the relief is short lived. Stretching your muscles and light exercise do seem to lessen the symptoms in the long run, and may slow the progression of the disease. I hope this info. helps-and if you have any more questions- don't hesitate to ask!

Hi, Sunlea, the first thing is to get your vitamin D blood level checked.  Ask for a 25(OH)D test.  Fibromyalgia is strongly linked to vitamin D deficiency.  Per the experts, get your blood level to at least 50 ng/ml, up to 100 ng/ml.  Toxicity occurs at 150-200 ng/ml or above.  See my profile for more info, especially the section on "tips to take to your doctor."  The second thing is to get Dr. St. Amand's book on guaifenesin and see if you can find a doctor to treat you.  The book is called "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia," Warner Books (December 1999).  A Doctor's TV show blogger recommended it, and it provided me the extra relief that I needed after dealing with a long-term vitamin D deficiency.  Good luck and let me know if you have any questions. Larissa