Fibromyalgia Part 2

Fibromyalgia is diagnosed on 3 things... if you are self diagnosing yourself (I never did that as I wasn’t even aware of it till my symptoms escalated) then any pain that persists in certain “specific pressure points” for more than 3-6 months will imply that it is fibro. I had shared my symptoms with the doctor and my pain had lasted for a long time, more than 6 months, he had done all my tests and it’s at the exclusion of everything else. It’s triggered by either physical or emotional trauma (both in my case) He prescribed some medicine to diffuse the pain, it’s not a typical NSAID drug ie: (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug) because that doesn’t help fibro patients, it in fact aggravates their pain, I’ve already endured that a lot cuz I was put on those drugs once as most doctors don’t know a proper med for it. My regular GP whom my mother hates (who equally hates her) aided me with a proper medicine. There are only few drug compositions that can help you lead a near to normal life, as in lessen the palpitations and breathlessness... most doctors also run tests to distinguish it from autoimmune diseases like RA 'cuz it “mimics” all these illnesses, but the pain level is higher in fibromyalgia since it's mainly about that, it's the focal point of it. I have each and every symptom which you won’t even find online, it has a broad spectrum which is not entirely explored yet, only the sufferers know what they are going through and we share it in online support groups. It is unfortunately an incapacitating, crippling lifelong illness which entails a gamut of disabilities & unbearable, agonising painful sensations and sadly there’s no definitive cure for it. Because it has no particular test and it can’t be analysed by those who’re not in the medical field, people call it an “Invisible Illness” & it’s easy for some to claim it "unreal". BUT the twitching of the sore muscles and nerves and spasms are VERY MUCH VISIBLE even PHYSICALLY, you’ll be able to see certain body parts jerking, my body trembling at night due to the very scary sleep apnea disorder (unfortunately it causes that too) and you’ll also find involuntary movements, muscle retractions, my bulging nerves twitching all the time which is another classic symptom of fibromyalgia. Sometimes when the pain is too much, my sore muscles also become visibly red. Some doctors & I myself have concluded that certain amount of pain can be caused by hypoxia... well, it is just a speculation and not a proven fact yet.

The medicine is a combination of Amitriptyline & Pregabalin - which is mainly given to diffuse pain in FM patients (to a certain extent) since normal NSAIDs do nothing but aggravate it. Migraines are an everyday thing in fibro & one can't entirely rely on over-the-counter medications like paracetamol & camphor. My meds contain lab made eucalyptus oil which eases out the pain -just a tad bit. Usually it's so intense that even these meds aren't enough and so far, it has no definite cure. Amitriptyline doesn't come under the general classification of "Tricyclic Antidepressants" (which means it is mostly given for acute neuropathic pain, not mental health, it can inadvertently reduce depression or agony this ailment/throes brings about) and hence one doesn't need a prescription for refills, I anyway have atypical depression (something caused due to external factors & circumstances), not melancholic so I don't need SSRIs for numbing me out or levelling the chemical composition in my brain. Pregabalin has to be given in a combination with another antidepressant which can later act as a tranquilizer at night & thus, they've paired it with Amitriptyline which also helps you relax the nerves... Fibromyalgia, is triggered either by extreme physical or emotional trauma (the latter or you can say both in my case due to domestic violence which didn't stop even after being diagnosed with it) the pain receptors in your nerves start acting up after the initial breakdown which happens right at the beginning of this illness, they keep sending wrong signals to your brain and it detects all sorts of painful sensations you can't even imagine... like burning, stinging, itching (which is also signalled by the same nerve receptors), stabbing, hammering, pricking, etc. Every morning I wake up feeling battered & bruised, every ounce of my muscle begs to be caressed, I feel terrible, I GET NIGHTMARES, I once saw that my hand was on fire... at times I feel like my skin is peeling off & it stings even in the most sensitive areas of my body like the eyeballs, waterlines, nail beds, intimate areas, lips, feet, etc. I am groggy, lethargic & perpetually in chronic pain. My vision is blurry, I can't sit up straight or use the laptop... I can't go out like a normal person, due to hot flashes, flare ups, malaise, pain. When a person is stressed out, they lose all the necessary vitamins and hydrochlorides from their body especially when they get worked up over something they're helpless about. They may haplessly pace the floor or cry, and it'll be depleted in the form of saline tears. If it triggers fibromyalgia, their nervous system, after an initial breakdown will start acting up or causing glitches in the body and it wouldn't stop there, it (the nervous system) will perennially remain compressed & this causes a lack of proper blood flow to the body; and these meds (amitriptyline + pregabalin) help us reduce palpitations and pain by regulating the blood flow. They open up the nerve channels and facilitate proper absorption of (depleted) nutrients, vitamins & hydrochloride from our daily food intake & supplements.