Aa
what do i have here
i am 62 years old and in pain always.. when i was 50 i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and a rhematologist said i have arthritis also..it is not just bones hurting me but muscles or tendons or whatever else it is.. i can barely walk.. my feet, knees, hands, arms and all the muscles connected to my bones hurt.. i get terrible charley horses or cramps in odd places but mostly my feet.. when i stretch my body like in morning when you wake up, my bones or whatever lock up for a few moments and its very painful. my right arm is so sore i can bearly raise my arm.. i ache everywhere and now i'm very depressed and fatiqued..nothing my doctor gives me for this does not help.. i have no prescription help and pay myself. i just resort to taking tylenol or motrim occassionally but i don't think i feel any better when i take these..
One inexpensive option to try is increasing your potassium eith through supplemets or eating foods rich in potassium. Charlie Horses and cramping are usually, though not always, caused by low potassium levels. Ibuprophen (motrin, advil) can be taken for the inflammation, and tylenol is for pain. You can try taking one Motrin with 2 Tylenol, or 2 mottrn with one Tylenol (doc's call it the advil/tyleonl flip-flop)
Some foods rich in potasium are: Bananas Oranges Apricots Avocado Strawberries Potatoes Tomatoes Cucumber Cabbage Cauliflower Chard Bell pepper Eggplant Squash Crimini mushrooms Brussels sprouts Turmeric Parsley Spinach Broccoli Tuna Halibut
You might also want to increase your fluid intake some. Dehydration and low potassium sometimes occur together which can cause to muscle pain plus cramping.
Hope this helps!
Some foods rich in potasium are: Bananas Oranges Apricots Avocado Strawberries Potatoes Tomatoes Cucumber Cabbage Cauliflower Chard Bell pepper Eggplant Squash Crimini mushrooms Brussels sprouts Turmeric Parsley Spinach Broccoli Tuna Halibut
You might also want to increase your fluid intake some. Dehydration and low potassium sometimes occur together which can cause to muscle pain plus cramping.
Hope this helps!
thanks for comment.. i do eat lots of potassium but not enough water.. i can't eat lots of things like banana's oranges, or citrisy because of horrible acid reflus.. i can't keep lots of things down.. another story.. i'll try to drink more water if i can remember to drink it.
Dnmh gave you some really good advice. I agree 100% with what she said. On the potassium issue - I have low potassium issues occasionally - when I researched it I found that lima beans (butter beans) actually have higher potassium than bananas! I could not take the pills so I ate butter beans - I love them anyhow. :-) I also like Gatorade.
Good luck, I hope you feel better.
Good luck, I hope you feel better.
I was going to suggest Propel - a Gatorade product that tastes much better! I'm partial to Strawberry-Kiwi flavor, my son loves rspberry lemonade!
Take buttermilk with every meal.Your symptoms are indicative of lack of hydrochloric acid.[stomach acid].Also take one tablespoon of cod liver oil before bedtime every day.It has vitamin A to fight any infection. Vitamin D to enhance calcium assimilation,which you need to neutralize acid.Read the book Arthritis,Rheumatism and osteoporosis by Bernard Jensen Ph.D. Good Luck.
You didn't mention if you are having problem sleeping, although with all that pain you're describing I'm sure it doesn't allow you to get the really good deep sleep we need. We need this deeper sleep so our muscles and tissues can repair. Improving sleep, in my opinion, is the first necessary step in treating fibromyalgia. I understand you don't have a prescription plan but if medication is required, I would look to see if help is available. Do you use a memory foam topper on your bed? They really help!
Do you have a stretching (muscles) routine? I think this is really beneficial. Routine exercise is also useful in dealing with pain and depression. I enjoy walking outside but depending on your physical condition, perhaps something like swimming would work. Some of the local Y's have reduced rates for seniors.
Although I am not against pain killers--in some situations they become necessary, but I would try to keep it minimal. What works for me is Darvocett and I only take 1/2 at bedtime if I'm hurting bad. I know others will differ in opinion and with you and your arthritis, you may need something more. Would PT be an option for you?(short term) One thing about fibro is the less you move, the worse it hurts as our muscles decondition quicker than in normal people. I hope you can find some relief for yourself, there are many things that work for some and not others. We just have to keep on trying.
Do you have a stretching (muscles) routine? I think this is really beneficial. Routine exercise is also useful in dealing with pain and depression. I enjoy walking outside but depending on your physical condition, perhaps something like swimming would work. Some of the local Y's have reduced rates for seniors.
Although I am not against pain killers--in some situations they become necessary, but I would try to keep it minimal. What works for me is Darvocett and I only take 1/2 at bedtime if I'm hurting bad. I know others will differ in opinion and with you and your arthritis, you may need something more. Would PT be an option for you?(short term) One thing about fibro is the less you move, the worse it hurts as our muscles decondition quicker than in normal people. I hope you can find some relief for yourself, there are many things that work for some and not others. We just have to keep on trying.
thank you all. i sleep terribly. i'm up several times and feel like i haven't slept at all.. i am trying to walk a little every day . i've tried taking tylenal pm 2 at night and i dose off for just a few minutes, then i'm wide awake again..i'm trying gatorade and some things suggested here.. thanks all.. i have a whole list of things for my doctor to do..Blood work and what to check for.. he'll probably get upset with me telling him what to look for, but so far, he hasn't did anything other than check for normal stuff..Diabetes, lupus thyroid ect..
In my personal opinion, fibromyalgia is just a fancy name for rheumatism. Blood markers for inflammation of the muscles are usually normal, but in people who have autoimmune diseases such as lupus or scleroderma, these markers normally run low and so if you have a so-called normal level, you may in fact have muscle inflammation. Most doctors,even rheumatologists do not know this but there is research going on about this. In my opinion, fibromyalgia/rheumatism is just the beginning of an autoimmune disease and sometimes markers do not show up until late in life.
is there a test for this? i've just sent my doctor a list of blood tests to do among other things.. I hope i don't offend him but i need answers and they are just not providing them. i'm really tired of them saying Arthritis.. this is NOT just arthritis..i have been checked for arthritis and i did look up sclerderma and a rheumatologist said no.. But what doews he know..lol thanks for response
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