I've been going to an Osteopath for awhile now.  I realize how important this type of therapy is to me!  I do find great relief with a weekly to two weekly visit.  Depending on what country you live in, it could be covered under a medical or insurance scheme, so you could be lucky there.  In some countries - too bad so sad!  I live in one of those countries.  My Osteo is amazing though, he's given me a great 'deal', a savings of $10 which is better than nothing and very appreciated.  Mostly because it does bring me some relief.

Originally my Dr (yes the one who said the ever famous "I think you might have a bit of fibromyalgia" - still cracks me up!) didn't even suggest going to an Osteopath for my muscular skeletal issues, but I kept going back with chest tightness, so after quite some time (like 2 years) he had a thought that it might do me some good - thanks Doc!

I have to say I have never looked back.  You have to find a good Osteopath though, one that understands chronic pain, and actually believes that Fibro is a true syndrome.  I ask him questions all the time about this kind of pain, and he is very honest with me.  He says there aren't a lot of answers to why, but they do know that you have to do whatever it is that works for you, so keep trying.  If osteopathic therapy works, do it, if swimming works, do it, if meditation works, do it.  But try everything until you come up with what works for you (bar hardcore drugs of course!!!!).  Although I am sure many have been driven to it!  I'm guessing Fibro in prison would be a tad worse than Fibro out of prison!

Some days when the myofascial pain is very sensitive particularly around my hips and thighs or my shoulders, my Osteo still works on this areas but incredibly gently, because he understands this kind of pain.  I really believe that if someone didn't understand it they wouldn't be so considerate.  So I have to say I hope that I don't have to go forever, or we'll be really broke, ha!... but I will keep going until I can have at least 4 weeks between without feeling that I can't be without.  I usually make a major effort to go right before a work trip so that I have that relief for that time I'm away.  I'm sure that it is my one thing that I won't give up for quite some time.  Thank you my wonderful Osteopath!

An interesting article:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/70381.php

Might be worth a try fellow Fibroees!

So, I've been taking Gaba for a year now.  Ok, so some relief, and strangely when I have maybe accidentally forgotten to bring them on a work trip or just forgotten which maybe has been 3x ever, I felt pretty rough.  What I find very confusing is whether I just felt rough or I felt rough because I wasn't on Gaba?  So I had a look and found this quite interesting website:
http://www.drugs.com/comments/gabapentin/for-fibromyalgia.html
I thought 7.2/10 wasn't so bad and it is great to have some other comparisons i.e Lyrica and Cymbalta (both of which my sister has taken/tried) and had various results.  At least I can see feedback and how other Fibroees feel on the different drugs.  All I know is that I can't be in a zombie state, and I won't ever go back to that again.  

If Gaba is meant to assist with removing the numbness and tingling that hasn't fully worked.  I still struggle with this mostly in my hands... and wonder if this is part of Fibro or something else or something more sinister? (da da daaaah!) Lately though I have had some serious 'fire in the blood' which normally affects me mostly at night, now it enters my daytime life which I am not too impressed about!  I'm supposed to see my Dr again, and have been waiting to hear from him to say he's had contact from the neurologist but find myself imagining myself as a dusty, web encased skeleton before that ever happens!  Does anyone else feel like that?!  Part of me is being stubborn and thinking I should just wait, part of me thinks, here we will go again and I will get noncommittal info, more drugs to try, and more appts or more tests.  Do we all just keep going back to hear that there isn't enough info about Fibro and just keep doing what you're doing?  I dunno?  

My sister had her Rheumatology appt, and another disappointment for her, and I remember going to appt after appt with disappointment after disappointment - ha that is actually funny reading it again, I'll keep it there to see how many giggles I can get!  I wonder what the history of that word is... so I guess she went home and slept she was so upset and was once again frustrated, I don't even think she got a Fibro diagnoses? But after telling her she didn't have arthritis he doubled her Celebrex? (Oxymoron?!).  Also maybe she should walk with a cane, exercise more, eat right and lose weight, which she is constantly doing, her foot goes to the gym more than my whole body and she's 6 years younger.  I tell her that is why she has so many problems getting help, because most Dr's and specialists don't think younger/ish people can have this much wrong with them!!!  I just don't get it and it makes me sad and frustrated for her, as much as I am for me but more for her because she is young and doesn't have a supportive partner!  That is a big deal!  I reckon it can be the difference between getting through each day sometimes!  Find all the support you can get, be good to yourself and keep staying positive!!!  

As I was driving home today I heard this incredible news, the renaming of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - and why?  Because too many people make fun of it?  Or it lends to the idea that people are lazy who have it???

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2015/02/11/385465667/panel-says-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-is-a-disease-and-renames-it

https://www.yahoo.com/health/finally-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-will-be-taken-110728406317.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2949369/Chronic-fatigue-real-disease-Doctors-draw-new-guidelines-diagnose-condition.html

Interesting reading!

Today I thought I would write about itchy and scratchy - um, yeah that sounds a bit rude... but I was reminded the other day that you can never be sure if there is a bug about!  When I first experienced the crawling sensation on my skin, I was laying in bed trying to relax and wait for the twitchy muscles to stop doing their thing... when it felt like something was crawling on my legs, so in quite a hysterical moment I ripped the covers off to find... dah dah dah.... nothing!  This daft scene repeated a few times, and I wish I could say I fell into a heap of laughter - no I didn't - I thought 'REALLY?', is this another thing I have to add to the strange and almost delusional seeming things one calls symptoms, of this confusing and unusual syndrome!

How about the times where you think you have been bit by a bug, just a pinching feeling, and you really are sure it is a bug?  Yeah, well, I have gotten myself into a bit of a state because I was so annoyed with feeling like this - and I have to be careful as I am allergic to many bugs and nearly always have a reaction to them.  So as annoying as it is I have to look down to my legs to see nothing biting, nothing pinching, nothing nothing!  Just my body playing tricks on me.  I remember reading these symptoms (before they happened to me) and I thought it was ridiculous.  But quite often I'll have several days in a row where I feel like my body is being bitten, being crawled on, being irritatingly tickled to find the ghost bugs of Fibro!  Excellent!!!  I'm sure many of you can relate?!  I know its not the worst of it but jeez what a terrible trick to play (said to God or the higher powers above!!!).

Going back to the twitching...  When someone talks about these symptoms individually you might hear someone say it doesn't seem so bad... or if they read about the symptoms and it clearly says not everyone gets every symptom, and or they can be at different times etc, they might think its a small problem.  However - imagine laying there, with muscles twitching, skin crawling, blood on fire, joints killing, restless and unable to sleep, possibly with a headache on those really miserable nights, oh yes and add on the numbing parts if you have them, and BINGO you get a deliriously ridiculous state of affairs!  And one wonders, what to take for them, surely you've been given a list of all sorts from the Doctor?!  Do you feel like a walking pill bottle?  My husband says he's afraid to hug me sometimes because I rattle so much (ha - nah, I really do get lots of hugs!)... but I get what he is saying.  

I have a nurse friend who always asks how I am feeling, and I think she is amazing and wonderful.  I always wonder if she tires of hearing me say I'm alright, this week was a good week, or not (during nasty flare ups).  At least we have sleepless nights in common and share our stories of sleeping pills or muscle relaxers.  I am sure you all have these stories too!  Aren't they fun?  What works best for you?  What doesn't work?  I've heard of constipating stories, zombie stories (that one is mine!), thirsty stories, and all sorts.  It's rather hilarious not to be drug addict and be talking about pills all the time!  

I guess it's just nice to know that there are other Fibro-ees out there that might just know this awful sensation either of creepy crawlies or twitchy nitchy all the live long night (and sometimes day!).  

It may be that the feelings aren't as intense for me now... I know in my last excerpt I said I started Gabapentin, and although the feelings haven't disappeared I think they may have lightened somewhat - although - I can't be sure because sometimes it still feels like there are mega electrical switches being attached onto all of my muscles and soft tissue and they are doing their own thing despite what I want!  So maybe it is a matter of time, or maybe that is all Gaba will do, lighten the intensity... I'm never quite sure because this is the 3rd different prescribed drug that I have taken and I guess I question what is next?  What if this isn't the one?  Dare I try another?  I guess happy drug hunting to all of you!

Off to do some pruning - and I'm hoping tomorrow my body doesn't rebel for it!