Would you send me your email to send you information on the support group I have been connected with for the last several years?  mine is jnokleby@info-link.net   Grandma Joyce  Subject line:  FMS support group request.   

Thank you GrandmaJoyce for your suggestions.  I may look into trying the magnesium/potessium again.  I have taken them both before in different forms, but I have a very hard time sticking to vitamins.  The last set of vitamins I was on they had me taking about 30 pills a day and I hated it so I stopped taking them.  I also didn't feel it was helping me any.  My muscle spams have basically stopped, I don't have them near as much as I use to and I'm not taking any medication for them any more.  The main thing that bothers me now is the bladder problems.  I was up every 45 minutes to use the bathroom last night so today I'm extremely tired.  I'm hoping to get back on the Vesicare as soon as I can afford to because it did seem to calm some of the urges and help some.  I was only getting up 2 or 3 times at night with it, where last night I got up probably 8 times.  I also plan on trying the swimming thing when I can afford the Y membership.  I have just gotten a really good job with great benefits so I'm hoping after 3 months of working I can start looking into things that will help me to feel better.

I have heard that about pregnancy that most those with FMS who are pregnant feel better while they are pregnant.  Maybe FMS has some hormonal link also.  I know that during that time of the month I feel 10xs worse than normal. 

If you would like to provide me with the information to the support group, I'd be happy to look over it.  I'm a part of many support groups on Facebook also.  I just don't have a lot of time to read them much.

Thank you again...

Hi, GrandmaJoyce here, just a few suggestions about the leg and muscle spasms.  I take prescription POTASSIUM daily 20 meq and also I take an otc nightly, then days I swim, I take 2 more in the afternoon. This was through trial and error (some  horrible meds were tried) and adding the potassium, the spams have stopped.  I get blood levels done that show I am LOW in potassium, but you have to be careful as that can toss the heart, etc off by TOO much. Because I am a swimmer, it was critical that I was not having spasms in the deep water, away from people.  Maybe the attention would not have been paid to me otherwise. A little hard to be lethargic on meds and be in 12 foot waters, going down for the 3rd time!    You say the amount of vitamins is large. My vitamins and minerals are all taken as a single component--nothing compounded except for my MALIC ACID/MAGNESIUM. I use high doses. My pastor with FMS gave me this back in 1994 and have used it since.  WONDERFUL!  These are tried, true components over a long period of time. My pharmacist helps me put my 'thing' together, docs all approve.  I also use guaifenesin--suggested by my pharmacist and have used that for FMS since 1997. There are a couple support group websites just for that. I belong and find it wonderful.  If you would wish, email me back here and I will send you the connection. The groups that are world wide are wonderful, you find out what someone in New Zealand is doing, Israel, right in your home state. Besides information, you get friendships, unconditional. You get suggestions to try, shoulders to cry on. Nit picking and back knifing which can happen on sites like this one ARE NOT ALLOWED.  Polite protochol at all times.   You can disagree without name calling.

Hugs, Joyce (PS I am 54 and so remember the days you are going through. My 3 pregnancies were the best times WITHOUT FMS rearing any severe flaring.)