After my first very serious and recognisable fibro fog incident (looking back I had many, I just thought I was tired - which I was - but it was so much more than that (that's so obvious to me now).  So off to the Doctor I went and expressed to him that my pain from my back hadn't entirely disappeared, and I told him about my fatigue and pain during the night, and this of course included my hand numbing (which as you may recall was diagnosed as carpal tunnel).  Also, I was constantly dropping things... My doctor who is a lovely man, a very busy man, has always been attentive and wonderful to our whole family said to me (again feel free to laugh because there are a lot of funny things that people have said to me on my journey), "it sounds like you might have a 'bit of' Fibromyalgia."  I was not entirely sure at this point if that was even possible?!  A bit of? From what I read on the internet, you either had it or you didn't, and you just dealt with flare ups.  So he decided in particular for sleeplessness he would give me Norotriptyline, and Tramadol for pain.  So off I went thinking I'd be all better soon because I only have a 'bit of' Fibro.  Ok sweet! 

Enter tachycardia!  I was happily thinking that I was on my way to being healed, when I took my medicine before bed as prescribed and out of no where started having tachycardia.  This was not a pleasant surprise... after a few ambulance calls and trips to the hospital I was sure that I wasn't on my way to better health at all, in fact, I was getting worse.  I chatted with my sister because she had tachycardia and even a surgery for her heart issues, and thought it must be genetic or something! It always seemed to happen mostly during the evening or bed time, which I thought was mighty strange.  After several months of this, I went back to my lovely Doctor who referred me to a neurologist to check out my numbing issues and so forth.  In the meantime I looked at the fine print for Norotriptyline and side affects on the internet, and it stated heart racing (in particular if mixed with opioids) which I queried with the chemist, who then confirmed this!!!  I was a bit perplexed why I was allowed to take them together in the first place.  However, these things do happen but I guess they don't happen to everyone?!

Off to the Neurologist I went.  Apparently she came highly recommended, a lovely lady who is from USA and living in the Land of the Long White Cloud!  Smart lady! No seriously - if you like warm weather most of the year which seems to suit FMS and CFS and arthritic sufferers, this is one of the great places to be... I digress, sorry!  I explained my story to the lovely Doctor of nerves, and after my big long explanation of all my fibro fog (I didn't call it that then as I wasn't familiar with it, my husband called/s it clumsy!), numbness, tingling, etc, she did all the MS physical tests (finger to nose and all) and said that it all looked good, she wasn't worried that I had MS.  Whew!  Her diagnoses is that I was utterly, and truly, majorly sleep deprived!  After years of sleep deprivation, the kind of healing sleep you need to function properly, she said the brain does go foggy, and strange things happen.  The most important thing before we could go forward was to get me sleeping properly, deeply and getting that healing sleep.  My hand numbing, confirmed that she thought even after surgery 1, that I had carpal tunnel (so surgery 2 to be organised).  How do I get to sleep properly?  Amitryptiline!  

So off I went with my new prescription, all positive and sure that THIS time it will be my road to recovery from --- wait for it --- sleep deprivation.  So if I get some long, snuggly, healing sleep I will be FINE FINE FINE.  Yes indeedy. No questions asked being the positive, look on the bright side of life (I feel a song coming on) attitude!  I promise to continue, but for now I must watch my husband cook our tea (ha ha ha ha ha!)... he's amazing!