Help dealing with IC and Fibroymalgia

[mom23sweeties]

Hi,
I will try to make this short... I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 14 years ago. It has been a battle to live with. I was diagnosed with IC a little over 3 years ago. I am having difficulty dealing and treating both conditions. I concentrated on relieving pain for IC for a long time. Then I had 2 babies very close together (one is now 20 months and the other is 5 months) and I stopped all medications through pregnancy and nursing. I have not been on any meds for 2 years. I have had bladder instillations, though. I have let both conditons got so bad that know I can barely function. I am getting ready to stop nursing my youngest so I can try Cymbalta for my Fibromyaglia. I just started Prednisone for the apparent Fibromyalgia flare up I seem to be having. I am to the point where every single muscle in my body hurts; I am having trouble walking and lifting my babies some days. I am a stay at home mother of 3 and I feel like I am doing a terrible job. I am unwilling to take pain meds - my mother battled an addiction to pain killers for 30 years and I am afraid of becoming addicted to them.

I see a urogyno for the IC; I would like to try to find a doctor that knows a lot about both conditions and can treat them together. Anyone see a doctor for both conditions? My family doctor is trying to help me with the Fibromyalgia - he seems to know a lot, but is obviously not a specialist. It's like they are both so bad right now that I do not evenknow which one to treat. I am praying the Cymbalta helps the IC also. IC has done nothing but flare since the birth of my daughter 5 months ago.

Thanks!
MaryE

[SandyRN]

:hi: and :welcome: to the board. I just wanted to ask you about the prednisone...It has always been my understanding that fibro would not be helped by steroids as it's not a true ''inflammatory'' illness like rheumatoid arthritis, etc. So exactly how does it help you? I have both fibro and IC, along with a very long laundry list of other problems listed below, so when I tell you I know how you feel, I mean it literally!

My family doc helps me with the fibro somewhat, and my pain mgmt doctor treats the pain from both IC and fibro with muscle relaxers, pain meds, etc. I have good days and lots of bad days....I stay tired a lot, and sometimes it's hard to get out of bed.

I've been dealing with this for years now and haven't found anything that takes a good 90% of the pain away...but I'm thinking that answer might lie outside the category of narcotic pain meds and rx muscle relaxers...I also have a cymbalta rx but I have hesitated to get it filled because I tend to have manic episodes on SSRI's, and though nobody has dx'd me with Bipolar, I truly believe I am.

Anyway, all that to tell you I get it! Welcome to the board...you've come to the right place!

Hugs, Sandy

[mom23sweeties]

Thanks for your reply, Sandy

You asked about anti-inflammatories... I have taken them off and on ever since I was diagnosed with fibro in 1992. Couldn't tell you with any certainty that they work.. maybe they relieve enough pain that I feel a little better so maybe I think they work. Sounds silly, but probably true.

It is nice to hear from someone who understands what I am going through. I keep a lot of it to myself because no one around me knows what all of this feels like. Plus, I am not one to complain much even if I am on my last leg.

I am a little freaked out about about the way I am feeling right now... it seems like when I see my doctor he goes through the laundry list of questions pertaining to Lupus. I am always a bit fearful of that being the next "diagnosis".

I have tried many of the same meds you are on.. and I also get migraines. I have had a ton of migraines in the last 6 weeks or so. I should have figured that it was a sign of a flare coming up. I cannot wait to start the Cymbalta and hopefully I can start back on my Atarax and other IC meds also. I just nursed my baby for the last time. I was just in tears, but I know I will be a better mom once I get on the meds to control the pain.

I do bladder instillations at home as needed. They usually help for a few days. It was worth the trouble to learn how to do them myself.

Anyway, thanks for the info. Best of luck to you!
MaryE

[SandyRN]

Awwwww, I remember weaning all 3 of my babies, and it always sent me into a crazy hormonal stage! I cried for DAYS and DAYS on end because at that time I felt, 'time sure does fly'....little did I know that in a blink of an eye I'd be sending my oldest to college this year! :(

Its hard to give up that bond with your baby, but you do have to take care of yourself in order to be that great mommy that I can tell you are.

I also am being tested for Lupus, and it seems very likely that's what I have. I go in January for my pap/physical and we're going to check the tests over again and see if they're any different than they were a couple of months ago...everything in my case seems to be 'borderline'...THATS frustrating!

Do you get sores in and around your mouth? Bad sores like the herpes virus on the lips? I had a terrible breakout about a month ago and I felt SOOOOOOOOO awful....I didnt put it together til a great lady, ihurttoo, told me there could be a lupus connectioni in there.

I need to be tested when I'm flaring from whatever pains it is that I flare from, and see if my sed rate is up then, along with the ANA.

Anyway, I hope you feel better soon!!!

Sandy