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I am so sorry to hear you are having such a difficult time right now. I know from experience how hard it can be taking care of a family it's hard to find time to take care of you. I myself to some degree have been through what you are going through right now. I am 29 and I am a wife, mom of four beautiful children ages 9,5,5, and 2 and after having my first daughter I bounced back fine it was a walk in the park but after the twins in 2006 I started having problems mainly widespread pain, and extreme fatigue. Still I was way too busy to go to the doctor and every time I went anyways I got no results. Then right before getting pregnant with my last one I injured myself at work and the pain just kept getting worse and worse. I started to have heat intolerance and shortness of breath (due to increased heart rate) and by the third month in my pregnancy I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and had to take medication all through my pregnancy and my daughter had to be monitored for complications from the medications, but it was either take the meds or die myself. After her birth I thought it would go away but it didn't so I got radioactive iodine.
Meanwhile I was still having pain and back and forth from this doctor and that doctor and I got tired of being tossed around so I stopped going all together thinking it would go away (SIKE). For two years after that I dealt with the pain and ignored everything until it got to the point where I couldn't even walk around a store and shop without being in horrible pain. I finally started going back to the doctor in Feb of this year and with the same complaints, but this time I went to my family doctor and I put my foot down and told her I didn't want any more specialist I asked her if she could test for things related to my symptoms and then once we figured out what was going on then I would go to a specialist. After she reviewed charts over the years and my symptoms she asked if I had ever had any blood work done to look for arthritis (of course the answer was no), She ran blood work for RA and it came back positive and I was referred to a Rheumatologist. After going to the Rheumy after about 1 month I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia as well. I tell you my story in hopes that you can draw so encourage and support.
I have not been diagnosed with depression but if you ask have I ever been depressed YES I think anyone that suffers from any chronic condition, disease, or syndrome at some point gets a little depressed. What get me through it is my kids I look through them and I see life. I love to be around them and being around them helps me draw positive energy from them. On the left hand side of the page you will see tips and resources these things can be rather helpful in helping you cope with the pain and a lot of them are things you can do while you are pregnant. There is light at the end just continue to be persistent as it sounds like you are and no matter how bad you feel don't give up. It's not all in your head and don't let anyone's opinion make you think otherwise. If you think have Fibro try to get into a Rheumatologist they are the ones that seem to understand Fibro the most.
I sincerely empathize with you and I hope you find some relief very soon.
Soft hugsView Thread

Rheumatoid Arthritis can affect the eyes and several other organs within the body. Have you been having any joint pain or morning stiffness, if so you should bring it up at your next appt with your Rheumy? Eye problems such as Episclera (inflammation of the membrane that covers the sclera) or scleritis (inflammation of the sclera itself) are usually complications of the RA. The most common thing I hear about though with RA is Sjögren's syndrome which is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the lacrimal gland which can cause dryness of the eyes and mouth; however Sjögren's syndrome can also come secondary to other autoimmune disease but in some people there is no cause. It sounds like you are on the right track continue to keep you Rheumy in the loop with what's going on with your eyes.
Hope things turn out well!!View Thread

Sorry to hear that you are having so much fatigue but that is something that I can relate too. For me I was just diagnosed with Fibro 6 months ago but I think I have had it at least for the last couple of years. As a matter of fact I think that the fatigue was my main symptom along with the migraines for years before a started to pay attention to the fact that I was in pain all of the time in addition to being tired all the time. I started to see a neurologist which did a sleep study and she told me that I had a sleep disorder. I have a really high tolerance when it comes to medication so I tried a couple of different things until here we are 5 years later and I have finally found something that works for me and hasn't loss its effectiveness overtime.
When I was first diagnosed I was on provigil and I went from the lowest dose to the highest dose as it loss effectiveness overtime. Then I was put on Nuvigil and the same thing happened of course. Finally my doc put me on Nuvigil at the highest dose and adderall 25mg extended release and bingo that was my combination. Then I noticed that when not taking the Nuvigil the adderall seemed to work fine by itself. So now all I have to take is the adderall 25mg and it keeps me going for the day.
I don't have ADHD but apparently with people that have sleeping disorders and CFS adderall and some other stimulants have the opposite effect. For people that have ADHD the stimulant slows them down and relaxes them, however for those that suffer from CFS and sleep disorders it speeds us up a little. I just know that is the only thing over a 5 year period that has worked for me and it doesn't have me speeding around or hyper or anything and just keeps me alert and focus (which really helps with the Fibro fog).
I hope this helps and I hope you get relief soon because the fatigue within itself can be debilitating.
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My heart really goes out to you I can't even begin to imagine the pain you are in physically and emotionally. I have Fibro and RA myself and I can't imagine having diabetes added into the mix. I am not diabetic myself but my husband is and I know that has it's challenges as well. One thing I do know is how it feels to go to the ER and get no help or no comfort for pain. I haven't had any surgeries or anything but I think I have pain similar to what you are describing. It has been all over at different time sometimes on my leg or arm or neck or pain and It hurts so bad that even the feeling of my shirt rubbing against it or someone touching me just makes it worse.
I am not sure where you are located but does your job have FMLA that you could maybe qualify for? I know for me that has been god sent. The company that I work for I can take my FMLA intermitinent so it's not continuous but it does help when I have having flares or bad days and then it doesn't matter what my boss think and It keeps my job somewhat secure. I know what you mean because the exercise thing does get played out afterwhile. Maybe you could get a second opinion to see if you can find more help. Have you looked into a pain managment clinic? If so did that help any?I hope that you find some comfort soon.
Soft hugs coming your way!!View Thread

I am sorry to here that you fell again. Hope you are doing better today. I know I have had many times where I was just really clumsy and just kept hitting myself on things. For me I am always hitting my toes or knees, or foot or hand and elbows. I know that is no comparison to the head but with my RA the last thing I need to be banging up is my joints. Anyways you live and learn. I remember one time I work when I slipped and fell and for about 6 months after that I was so terrified that it was going to happen again so I was really careful with everything that I did. After while A got better with it but every once in a while I get in paranoid mode and I think I am going to fall again. It's funny how the mind works!View Thread


Sorry to hear about you wife and the pain that she is in. I too have RA so I know that it can be a handful. My husband has watched me hobble around for years before I finally went to the doctor and they figured out what was wrong. It seems like you are headed in the right path with the Rheumy. Normally on the first visit with the Rheumy they give some anti-inflammatory and or a steroid to help with the inflammation and pain. Did the doc do x-rays and bloodwork? If so that is a good sign because they usually wait until the blood work and x-rays come back before starting treatment with the RA meds. I do what you to know that treatment with RA is a process it takes time for the doctors to come up with the right combination of meds that work best for your wife's body. I would would agree that her vitamin D levels should be checked because that as well can contribute to her pain. I know for me even though I thought that my vitamin D levels were fine I was seriously deficient when my bloodwork came back. So hang in there and remember that even though the process may seem long and drawn out it does take time with RA. Stay postive and have your wife to keep a pain diary so that she can take it with her to her doctors appointsments. This will help out greatly since her time with the doctor is limited she can address her concerns and get the most out of her visits. Also reseach, research, research. The more you and your wife know about RA is better when going to appointment. Hope this help and I wish your life pain free days.View Thread

Happy hump day to you all ( well for me it's actually my Friday because I work 12 hr shift Sunday-Wed so after today I am off until Sunday; not to brag or anything, lol). Mimi I am sorry to hear that you are still sick I hope that you get some relief soon I can relate to having those stomach issues. I say issues because half the time they really can't figure out what it is. Please let us know how your test goes and I hope all well.
I was feeling awful last at the beginning of the week thanks to God I am having some relief now. I had my vitamin D levels checked about 12 weeks ago and of course I was deficient , my levels were only 10; but my doctor fixed that and put me on 50,000 IU of vitamin D for 12 weeks so hopefully once she checks again my levels will be back up.
I wish you all peaceful nights and pain free daysView Thread

I second you on being sick of taking pills. I have Fibro and RA so on a daily basis without any flares and including supplements I take 10 pills a day just to keep running and if I am flares or having really bad pain the count goes up. I do know the bartibutal does help with the headaches because I suffer from migraines so I have been prescribed that before. I do know that one thing you want to watch out for though is rebound headaches. With the bartibuals sometimes they can cause rebound heads. I don't know about the Ritalin for fatigue but my doc prescribed me Adderall for my fatigue which is also a stimulant ( which I'm pretty sure Ritalin is too). I tell you though for me the adderall does work effectively ( when I am not flaring).
When I am having a flare that fatigue is another story the adderall doesn't even work, nothing does. Just the instructions from the pharmacy when you go to be sure that it doesn't interact with the tramadol. Hope you get some relief soon I know how those headaches and migraines can be (ouch).
Sending soft hugs your way
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