How do other people live with it

BJC

I have arthritis and fibromyalgia etc iam in alot of pain I take loads of medication how do other people cope with pain and try to enjoy life how

AlanM

Hi @BJC

welcome to the forum, it's good to see you here.

You have arthritis, fibromyalgia, experience chronic pain and you're on various medications. You want to know how others are getting on in similar circumstances.

You've certainly come to the right place. Feel free to use the search function on the forum to see where people are talking about fibromyalgia, etc.

You can also search our website for up to date information.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/fibromyalgia/

I hope you find the connections you need and look foreword to seeing you in the forum.

Best wishes

Alan

Mike1

It isn't easy and many days are a bit of a struggle, I have widespread OA and other problems and live on Morphine which only knocks the edge off. Part of the trick is to find something you enjoy doing, whether it is reading a book, making models or just sitting in the garden. Surprisingly those are 3 of the things that I do, apart from watching TV from 4am to midnight!! Cuddling my cat helps too. Many people swear by exercising but I am too far gone for that.

Lilymary

I just swear WHEN doing exercise! Oddly enough, I do find hurling abuse at my leg when it plays up, and telling it to behave itself, seems to help, even if only by making myself laugh. (Laughter is always a good thing). In doing so, you are objectifying the pain rather than defining it as part of you. So you’re distancing yourself from it. It seems to help me.

However, fibromyalgia is miserable and all over, and it sounds wretched for you. Mike’s suggestion of distracting yourself from the pain is a good one, even if it is just sitting in the garden and watching it grow and watching the birds and insects enjoying it with you. Look for small pleasures where you can, anything to direct your focus away from your pain. X

dreamdaisy

I am more than the disease and it does not define me. 24 years of PsA, OA and fibro have changed how I live my life but will never change what I get from it. I keep pain relief to the minimum because excessive amounts achieve nothing apart from dulling my brain, I exercise to help the rest of me but not in a gym bunny knd of way, I keep myself distracted with interests, hobbies, keeping in touch with friends who are all merrily doing what they usually do, just as I am. The shielding is a little irksome, gawd knows how it will be in the darker days of winter but I will manage because I refuse not to. I inject meth and humira for the PsA, take either 12/500, 30/500 cocodamol or basic paracetamol to dull the sharper edges of the pain, BP meds to deal with a side effect of the humira, a small dose of an anti-depressant and folic acid. It all helps me to make the most of what I have whilst I have it. DD

frogmorton

Hi @BJC

I am sorry you are struggling 😕 Most of us here are in pain an take more medication than we are happy with.

One of the things we do is to come in here and have a natter to others who understand.

As Mike1 said distraction is key to coping. Find things to do - new stuff that you didn't do before maybe? Arty stuff. This outside the box.

Above all be kind to yourself, rest when you need to and always (if you can) do your range of movement exercises.

Take care

KazandNoo

@frogmorton ,you are so right. Pain,and the meds can be hard,we all understand that here.

I have a range of Qi Gong dvd's,all by the same teacher,the anxiety one is really good.

I was here thinking of what I haven't achieved today instead of what I have done.

We all need to be kinder to ourselves,an online Hotel Chocolat order cheers me up no end!😍

BJC

Thankyou for your input I do try to do things to focus on other things sometimes the pain is so over whelming t's all I can think of cheers bjc

frogmorton

We understand @BJC

Just be kind to yourself if you haven't already been ask your GP to refer you to a pain clinic. they are experts in one thing - PAIN.

Take care ((()))