When the fog rolls in how do you deal with it?

Well, I think it is safe to say that the weather is playing a major role here. We are all tired and in pain from the cold, or up and down weather. For the brain it helps to do puzzles like crosswords or Sudoku. I wrote an article on that here: http://www.healthmad.com/Aging/Short-term-Memory-Loss.71150 I am tired all the time too. I don't make dinners very often. I find that if I don't sit at the computer then I will fall asleep. I do try and get on the treadmill every day. Yeah, it's exhausting walking 3.5 miles in an hour but it sure feels good (though I'm in pain at night and in the morning but the way I figure it, I'm going to be in pain anyway). I love to be able to watch my TV shows and work out and build up a sweat. It is good for the mind as well as the body. The only way I can think of helping with fatigue, besides getting as much rest as possible, is watching the foods you eat. A lot of sugar will make you tired. Eat healthily and drink lots of water. Are you on an anti-depressant (usually prescribed to fibromites)? Fatigue is a symptom of depression. Anti-depressants are not necessarily prescribed for DEPRESSION! They are prescribed for fatigue and brain fog and pain in fibromyalgia patients. I spent the first five years of my illness lying around feeling sorry for myself. I didn't get any better that way. Once I started being proactive I started to feel better. You could also be lacking in Magnesium and B Vitamins. I take Mag-Citrate (Magnesium/Malic Acid), B-Complex and Cal/Mag/D. When I first started taking the Mag-Citrate I noticed an amazing difference in my pain levels. When I went without it not too long ago because it was sold out in the stores in my town that sell it, my pain levels increased. Once I got back on it they decreased. I'm not saying I'm not in pain but I'd rather be on Mag-Citrate and have less pain than when I'm not on it. Also check out this article I wrote on coping with fibromyalgia. http://www.healthmad.com/Conditions-and-Diseases/Fibromyalgia-Helping-You-Cope.48638 I ran a support group for several years and have heard from plenty of professionals. I have my illness managed as best it will be. We can't get rid of our stressors completely, but they are the number one cause of this stupid illness! Good luck!

I hate to respond this way, but as I was reading your post, the thought "at least it's not just me" ran through my mind. I hate that you are dealing with all of this. Fibromyalgia is one of those things that no one can really understand unless they also have it. I do have it and things have been really rough the last few weeks. Your doctor's response really just sets me off. If it were him feeling the way you do, he definitely wouldn't want someone to just pat his hand and say get used to it. Being a medical professional, I can almost guarantee he would demand that his symptoms at least be treated so he would have a quality of life. I teach and when the fog comes in, it takes all of my energy and will power just to go to work and make it through a day presenting lessons that are usually second nature to me. Thankfully, I built a really good database of notes for all of my classes before the Fibro-Monster go ahold of me, so I can go in on a bad day and more or less read the notes from the page. But---I hate doing that. I want to be the dynamic teacher that made learning interesting again. Now, I am just a run of the mill teacher. I know what you mean about the feeling heavy too. Lately my arms have felt like weights hanging from my shoulders. Another thing that is bothering me is my head/neck. This will sound crazy to most...but here goes. You know how your head sits atop your neck and most days you just don't give it a second thought. It is connected and that is where it is supposed to be? You don't go around having to think to keep your head up or realize how heavy your head is? Well, the last several days, my head feels so heavy...it is like it is weighting my neck down. I can't wait to take a break every couple of hours to just lay down and rest to relieve the pressure my head exerts on my neck. How weird is that? Anyone else feel that way? I wish I had some good ways to cope. Tonight I decided to fill the bathtub up with hot water and just lay there. When I told my sister that I was taking a bath, she ridiculed me saying I had already had one bath and one shower today --did I really need to take another. She has also been on me for not feeling like getting out of bed last weekend. I know I shouldn't lay in bed from noon Friday until 3:00 PM Sunday, but I just couldn't muster up the energy to get up. Hope you feel better soon! I need warm weather to get here!

I really don't think that a p[at on the hand is going to solve your problem! How condescending of the doctor. I would be outraged. I am sure that you have sourced all info you can on the Internet but perhaps there is a specialist somewhere that can assist you? do you belong to a group of people who suffer from this? I am just trying to think of ways that yo9u can cope with day to day living. I am so sorry that you are going through this but do not take this lying down and try to be pro active about your treatment. I really feel for you and pray that you will be able somehow to get the fatigue and pain lessened. God Bless.