Tens machines

Question from a member: Has anyone tried a tens machine please? I am looking for drug free ways to manage my pain?

• I've had a TENS for years, it works on more specific pain and takes a lot of use to build up but generally it does not help my flares.

  
  
• I love my tens machine, helps my back pain enormously and other pain too xxx
• I personally don't find them very helpful. I find those massage chair covers a lot better. xxx

  
  
• The best thing I ever bought is still my electric heat pad with settings x
•  i love my tens machine, but also love my neck and shoulder heat pad

  
  
• It helps me a little.

  
  
• Wasn't any good for me. Heated car seat is my weapon of choice when my backs really painful.
•  It depends on the type of unit. The type of pulse is different on each of them. I get better results from a scaldingly hot bath....
• Not to seem like too much of a freak, but have you tried cannabis? I am convinced that cannabinoid replacement therapy is the best treatment for autoimmune disorders. You should investigate that option (if you haven't already)....
• I hated it!! Did not like the feeling at all!!

  
  
• Never heard of a tens machine....what is it......
•  I didn't like it. It made me feel irritable... Sort of like when there is a noise and you feel yourself getting irritated and then someone stop that noise or turns it off. Tens felt like that noise.

  
  
• you have to be careful. i turned it up too much which caused my back to go into major spasms.
   it's a temporary fix! it feels good while you have it on, just don't turn it up too high...
  
  

  • It is just a distraction, and only works for the moment.

     
  • I have used this device with good results as it help the muscles to heal and regenerate with some relief from pain. It's important to find the correct spots to place the pads and be careful not to have the electrical current cross your heart, ie putting the pads on the left and right side of your body at the same time as it can & will interfere with your heart beat & could possibly stop it. Common sense should always prevail when using any kind of electrical device goes without saying, but worth repeating. I hope this helps. :)

     
  • For muscle spasms I used a product called Fibrosense and what this product does is it replenishes the body with minerals which our fibro bodies don't retain like other peoples do without F.M.S. I used this product for 4 months have noticed a reduction in spasms which literally crippled me with pain to the point of not being able to breath with the exception of tiny gasps of air. Cheers.

    
    
  • didnt work for me at all hospital lent me one for just over a month, was too awkward for me to get the pads in the right position which kept coming off as they caught on my hair, do not ever touch the pads whilst unit is switched on , I did twice by accident when pads fell off, almost shot through the roof, and I dropped unit down toilet twice !!!! not for me I prefer heat pads

     
  •  At times it worked and others no

    
    
  • Massage therapy has worked well for me. (I haven't tried the tens mach.) I try to go once a week to a local massage school where they charge only $25/hr instead of the typical $55+. Some weeks they have specials of 2 for $25.

     
  • Yes I have one and it helps.

   

Tablets

Question from a member: "I seem to take an awful lot of tablets but none seemt o really be helpin me. Is it normal to be on so many drugs? My gp makes me feel like I'm some kind of drug addict"

• A lot of ppl take a lot of drugs. You have to ask yourself, do they help? How do you benefit from taking them? I ask this as i have gradually come off the drugs i was taking and just take pain relief. I honestly think they cause more harm than good, but we are all different and only you know the answer.

   
• It is normal but it is up to you to decide what works and what doesn't. Amitriptyline works brilliant for me buy gabapentin makes no difference at all, I would've been as well taking smarties so I stopped them, no point putting poison in my system for no reason. The rest I tend to take as I need, co-codamol for general pain and if that fails to work then I have nefapam as a back up (I rarely take it) I also have diclofenac to reduce inflammation and again if this fails i then take diazepam (again not often). I have a few others as well. I think the point I'm trying to make is that you can end up with a lot of medication, some for general day to day usage but others that you don't have to take all the time but better to have on stand by for the biggies and any you feel don't work at all you'd be as well stopping. Good luck, I've had fibro 18 years (I'm 32) and its taken a long time to figure out what's best for me.

   
•  I told my gp earlier this year i wanted to cut my pills down to the minimum i could manage on. I now realise that one I cut out I do need so starting back on it and cutting out another with the gps support. Have also told her I am not going to take strong pain relief as it doesnt help and that if she can find me hydrotherapy i would rather try that as it helps. I refuse to allow them to fill me up with f
  Pills i use heat pads, hot baths and positive thinking.

   
•  I feel the same way. If I get ready sick to the point of needing a trip to the ER, Im tired of trying to explain why Im on so much medicine. Im seen by a pain care specialist that prescribes my meds. I also have problems with my stomach & get told that I need off my pain meds to help with my stomach issue. I can't explain to him or family Dr that m in pain. If anyone can explain how to get that members answer & it may help me too!

   
• water therapy is the best for FM!! I do take much fewer drugs then I did in the past when I first was diagnosed. I believe that is because I complained so much of the pain that my Gp tried to get me some relief in the beginning!

   
•  I have come to the conclusion from the amount of research i have done that we can not expect to eliminate the pain completely. I have spent the past 2 years trying everything available and they don't work for many ppl. I don't take pain relief 24/7 either as i always explain, my pain is always a 5/6 on a scale of 1-10, i often have 10 also and find if i take them 24/7 when the pain is real bad, i have no relief what so ever. Does that make sense? Its hard because as individuals only we know the answers. As for explaining pain i find the scale of 1-10 really helps, ppl seem to take notice. So i will say i have pain from head to toe everyday 24/7 in multiple areas, different pains eg aches, neuropathic, joint pain. I have areas where it never lets up like my feet, explain like that then think about the pain scale it does seem to make ppl think, at least it has with me.

   
• I take no pain or sleep medications, due to the side effects and not helping. I hurt just as well without them as I did with them.

Advice for the newly diagnosed

Question we often get asked: Can you offer any advice to someone newly diagnosed, leave yours here :o)

• one day at a time

   
• Research your condition.

   
• Let go of the past and plan for your future. Grieve for what you have lost but dont let it stop you living your life. You can still achieve many things, you just have to find new ways to do them. Learn your limits, ASK FOR HELP and never be afraid to talk to us about how you are feeling. xxx

   
• get all the information that you can on the subject,,,,talk to people who have it,,,,and make sure you have a dr that understands it! and be gentle with yourself,,,my biggest trial in the last year has been trying to accept the 'new' me

   
•  pace youself, try to eliminate as much stress as you can, learn to ssy no to others and rememeber what works for one perdon may not work for others. listen to your body.. .you know it better than anyone

   
• Find a support group and stay as positive and as active as possible.

   
• when i was first told i was afraid to do anything cos of the pain but i started to go a gym at first i was very slow a year on at 4 times a week i can now walk so much better i feel good in myself the gym has really helped me.Hope this helps someone

   
• I really like the advice you share... I was just diagnosed with fibromyalgia last week and it really is overwhelming to be told you have this illness, given a leaflet and sent out into the world... I had been learning to pace myself and take better care... and I was just hoping if I did the right things it would all go away... that some how I could undo this condition... I refuse to be a victim!!! One day at a time... ok, bring it on... (she says in tears...)

   
•  Gentle Hugs Kirby xxx

   
• dont get angry the quicker u accept the f.kin fibro the better take it slow pace urself and develop a thick skin u going to need it x

   
• stay positive! ive found a routine altho extremely hard at times is working for me. trying to get more active little at a time. take it easy i mowed the grass and was down for days. i love being a part of the great people on these fm fb pages. they offer alot of info and help!

   
•  Find a dr that knows fibro well. That's been my mistake.

   
•  Kirby lots of tears. We are here for you :) it's still so hard. I'm learning day by day to take care of me.

   
• @kirby some websites proclaim to have wonder juice/pill and such before u waste money ask someone at this site ok a good wholesome sensible diet stay away processed meat and pastes sauces make ur own i like to bake it theraputic to me .its james not jesse ha not that my mandy dont mind a cake or a sponge now and again ,find a thing u can do that helps like joining a pilates class and make them aware ur disability and also after diagnosis ul be saying och i knew that pain wasnt right or sensation ul mabye have a lot of like de.javu, . and almost spiritual feelings so many things when i watch those blooper t.v series and i watch someone fall over my body reacts to that and i feel pain in my bits lol normal people watch it and exclaim oooh ! but my nervous system so acute, and please never burst a balloon behind me or fireworks lol hope this helps lol x

   
•  Llet your family know what you are dealing with as far as pain levels/fatigue for that day, and how you will need their help. I just expected my family to step up and know what I was dealing with and how I needed help. It made for some miserable people in my house for the first 6 months or so after my diagnosis.

Libido

Question from a member: Has anyone lost their lobido, or when in the bedroom with their partner, do they find it uncomfortable, painful etc.

• Yes, though this can also happen with a lot of meds, as well as fibro itself. I find the problem comes and goes, so just some patience & understanding is needed :)

   
• Yep been there and have got the u-shirt lol seriously I've been with my other half 4 and a half yrs and we were quite active and there was no pain but it's a lot different now

   
• Haven't got any pain - just really can't be bothered - I'd rather sleep!!!

   
•  Im like Abi I cant be bothered sleep is more important.

   
• Me too. Just can't be bothered. I weight up how much extra pain my bones will go thro n sleep always wins lol

   
• Hell, no. I ain't giving that up for any amount of pain!!! : )

   
•  I would rather sleep aswell it takes to much energy that i dont have

   
• hi everyone, it was me that asked the question and thank you for being open with your answers. i've felt like this a long time now when i'm (active) lol and didn't have the courage to ask but the last week (1st time in a long time), i've been in so much pain, it's agonising,
  
  wasn't sure if it was just me in general or the condition that's not helped. i just want to crawl under my duvet and stay there till the pain goes :-(

Fatigue

Question from a member: Do other members of your page find fatigue more of a problem than pain with fibro?

• Yes.

   
• i have both in a big way at the moment. the pain does ease off but im so tired all the time :(

   
• The last few Weeks have been horrible. Fatigue has been bad but then thevpain is worst the more fatigued I get..

   
• Yip.

   
• I can cope with the pain but not the tiredness! Unable to function when the fatigue sets in.

   
• OH MY GOD YES!!!!!!! Pain I can deal with, tiredness I cannot!!! X

   
• Both about the same. depends on what I do the day before and the weather

   
• yes! I cant stand it. Im exhausted all the time. And if i have one day to go to the park or play with my grandchildren i'm down for the count the following day. I went craft shopping one morning last week and i swear for the rest of that week i was totally wiped out. I sooo wish for a magic energy pill. Lol

   
• Fatigue, exhaustion tiredness are for me worse than the pain.

   
• Me too !! Can deal with the pain on most occasions but the fatigue can be relentless !!!!

   
• YES!!!!!!!!!!, I've had chronic pain in my legs from the hip/thigh area since sunday, it's kept me up til early hrs and i'm so tired, it's a vicious circle :-(

   
• PURE HELL guys I knw n I agree xxx

   
• Definitely

   
• About 50/50 for me. I've been having sciatica pain for about a week now. Can't see the doctor until next week.

   
•  I can usually deal with pain, unless very severe but the fatigue is unbearable. If anyone has any tips on how to deal with this, please share. pacing (Drs favorite!) is not enough.

   
• I can deal with the pain if I have to but I can't keep going due to the exhaustion I was always very active before this always on the go but now there are days I can barely force myself out of bed.

   
• Depends on the day but the total tiredness is so depressing as bed is the only answer. Miserable life. Makes me wonder what the point of life is. So much pain which is SO unseen. No one knows how shitty FB is to live with unless they r a sufferer too. Sorry but it's been a bad few days/weeks/months :0/

   
•  Definitely yes.

   
• I found what I ate affected how tired I would feel. Since cutting out wheat I certainly don't feel as tired don't have that overwhelming tiredness as much as I used to, and not sleeping so much in the day now either. Also, I take Vitamin C and also omega fish oils.

   
•  It really depends on the day, because today pain is bad real bad so I have to say pain more problem...

  
  
• I can deal with pain... I have a hard time with the fatigue :(

   
•  im the same could sleep standing up some days im lucky if im awake 5 hours i get a overwelming exaustin feeling and if im somewhere with bright light ie shops my vision goes and i feel i could just pass out and feel totaly ill