Acupuncture

Hi, I'm Jayne and I'm new to the group. I've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and sicca syndrome. I have some pretty severe symptoms especially vertigo and various brain vibration/dizzy symptoms, fatigue, brain fog, anxiety and depression, pain, severe insomnia. I've recently gone through lots of pharmaceutical tries and have gotten really sick. I'm currently off of all psychoactive drugs and am down to just one med, gabapentin. I've been recovering for some time now from the effects of all these meds. Many muscles have been affected, including legs and eyes.

A nurse had recommended acupuncture for the medication withdrawl symptoms, and I have found it successful in reducing symptoms, along with a supplement protocol I am following. The healing process is very slow. As I become more active during this recovery, I am finding the extreme fatigue and body pain, (you know the kind that makes you feel like you were hit by a Mack truck) I am also experiencing gastrointestinal problems that I am in the process of medically evaluating.

Has anyone had acupuncture treatments for any of their similar or related symptoms/disease ? My eyes have now been opened to the extreme dangers of pharmacology and need to stay away from it for a while to stabilize and recover from damage by it. I am trying gentler therapies and would like feedback on what has worked.....

Sorry to hear that the pharmaceuticals didn't work for you. I guess I've been very lucky that way. I can't say I've tried acupuncture or pressure though I have had some luck with the joint pain with yoga and occasional massages. You may want to try searching the discussions for that topic.

Hi,

I've had acupuncture treatments for joint pain and muscle contractions. Acupuncture does help, but I prefer acupressure massage therapy. Acupressure massage therapy is a much gentler treatment but if I want faster pain relief, I ask for acupuncture.

When my fatigue has me lying flat on my bed, unable to sleep, staring at the ceiling, I find meditating while lying on my back relaxes my body and helps relieve some of the fatigue.

Try searching YouTube for some simple Tai Chi exercises. Tai Chi is a gentle form of Chinese martial arts. The exercises suggested before practicing the form are good range of motion for the arms. Usually these exercises are done standing, but the exercises can also be done seated.

Hope some of this is helpful.

Hi Jayne:

I think your vertigo can be related to your ears. My ENT diasgnose me with ETD dysfuntion and I think it due to dryness frmo Sjoegrens. That can cause vertigo, dizziness and tinnitus. I thought rining in my ears developed when I started on gabapentin reason why stopped the medication. I switched to lyrica and that made it worse plus I had my first episode of vertigo while on lyrica. Then I quit lyrica too but ringing and ear troubles hasnt subsided. Now I am only on planquenil and I have dymista to treat my allergies which helps a bit with ETD. I used have tummy troubles but better now that I switched to antiimmflamatory diet. I go to a naturopath and she is helping me with diet changes as well as supplements. My energy is better less muscle pain or fatigue and less flares.

Liz, thank you for your reply and info. I've looked up etd. Read about it on WebMD. I'm going to assume that is not my issue, I'm sorry you are having to deal with it. Has it resolved? I've seen ent and audiologist...and don't have the symptoms most of the time of "fullness"; my hearing test came out excellent. The ringing is very loud though. I am now on 700mg gabapentin. I haven't related it to my tinititus, though it could be an issue. My pt just did some work on me on thurs to reset my vestibular system which she thought may directly reduce the ringing(least of my issues, and something I don't have a problem living with, its all the other symptoms!!!) anyway, it made the ringing worse! I have /FLUTICASONE PROPIONATE that I use for my allergies, I think it may be the same as your dymista. I have trouble with my eyes and nasal passages being completely dry! I've been waking up in the night with eyepain from the dryness. Just using generic lubricating eyedrops, occasionally pataday eye drops, and my own misxture of saline spray for my nose/throat.

What I've found out since this posting is that I have a diagnosis of Vestibular Dysfunction. I found a physical therapist that is working with me, and found out is has been caused by medications. She explained my particular issue is systemic from the meds and whatever else is going on physiologically. It is more difficult for her to treat because there are so many factors with my system, unlike many other vestibular cases that she has worked on that have one main cause, such as trauma or dysfunction of inner ear or eye only.

The gabapentin has cause some dizziness in the past, though it is much different than wheat I am experiencing now. It was such a relief to find this therapist who has dealt with issues like I have been experiencing. She explained that there is a whole host of crazy issues that occur from this dysfunction of the ocular nervous system, as well as my body trying to reregulate itself from the meds I was on. A lot of damage has been done, and it has been a long long year that I have been struggling with on the most extreme level of challenge. I am glad to say that slowly I am getting better, and experience phases of symptoms in waves. They seem to last weeks to months.

I have also met someone since my posting that has explained to me his experience with severe medication issues, both from a professional perspective hearing from patients, and from his own personal experience. He also confirmed what I had heard and read that it often takes a year for the body to reregulate to a better place. The symptoms and experience feel devastating, and I guess can...I won't go there right now in my note.

It has given me comfort to know what is going on, and I haven't learned it from the dozen or more doctors that I have seen. It has come from physical therapists, and others who have experienced issues first hand. I have been very persistent and am glad I know a little more now, enough to have therapy. I was told that without intervention, there would be no improvement of my devastating symptoms. I still worry that too many things are going on, that the therapy insurance will run out before I am recovered, that my body won't regulate enough for a full recovery because too many other issues are connected,,, that the process is going to go on so long that my life as it is won't be able to sustain my illness...it has just been a long haul of years of trials with meds. I thought they were improving my life, but looking back, perhaps in the very short term, but then the side effects were probably worse than the disease. Hard to tell, but I am now with recommendation from docs, trying to establish a baseline again. Oh, yes, I was initially told by medical community that baseline would be established in a number of weeks....ha! dig deeper and you find out that it can take a year or more for many people.

If you are still reading, I was very interested in your experience with naturopath. That is something that I have been considering. I don't know if there are any that are worth there salt that take insurance, or worth the sacrifice of coming up with cash. Someone found me a program using oral supplements that has helped with some of the symptoms.I may be doing all that I can for my body, and the rest is a matter of time and patience. I have been learning much more to have patience, but really struggle with my suffering. I'm so hypersensitive to others suffering right now, I'm overloaded! Its not just my suffering I'm carrying, but others as well. It is so strange.

How did you find your Naturopath? Does you N have any resources that could help find a top one in the Athens/Atlanta Ga general geographic area? I am especially interest in your note:

I used have tummy troubles but better now that I switched to antiimmflamatory diet. I go to a naturopath and she is helping me with diet changes as well as supplements. My energy is better less muscle pain or fatigue and less flares.

Would you tell me more about your experiences with this? Thanks

Unfortunately Naturopath is not covered by insurance. There is the Autoimmune Paleo diet that you can look up in internet to help you and you can follow. http://www.practicallist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Paleo-Diet-Food-List-and-Plan.pdf. I prefer to go see my Naturopath because she too can give me herbs or supplements that will help in addition to diet.

I want to add two thingsā€¦the first is always the caution that herbs, etc can be very powerful and have an effect on your system (and interact with other things you are taking). Natural doesn't always mean safer so please be careful.

Second was that you mentioned struggling emotionally and are finding yourself hypersensitive to others as well. It may help to talk to a professional to work through some of this. Its pretty common for people with our issues to become overwhelmed a little bit. Addressing it early really helps in the long term.