OOS and Fibromyalgia

Never Give Up Hope!

After some years working as a Court Stenographer I contacted Occupational Overuse Syndrome which in two years became Fibromyalgia in all four body quadrants.

The first year I was not diagnosed and spent most of it resting with widespread pain and major exhaustion. I was referred to Dr Evan Dryson, Northern Regional Occupational Health Officer, who was of enormous help. He put me on a low dose tricyclic anti-depressive drug which improved my condition immediately with the help of anti-inflammatories and di-gesic painkillers.

I was now able to start exercising which has been a long, slow process with many steps backwards after one step forward. This involved walking and swimming .

Today, after 4 years I am able to walk for an hour daily. this is briskly with the occasional 5 minute rest to give my muscles a chance to ease. I am able to do many things I previously could not, i.e. walk my dog on a lead, needlework, go to a movie, dinner etc. Gardening which was one major passion is now back in the picture. I still have periods of flare ups, during which I limit all activity, use Deep Relief (an ibuprophen gel available from the chemist), for muscle pain and the use painkillers. Thankfully the flareups are getting shorter and the good periods of remission longer.

Over the four years, I have regularly taken magnesium capsules (Blackmores), a multi vitamin, and a B and C group vitamin supplement. This helps the fatigue. I use heat for muscle pain and ice for nerve pain. A foot spa filled with cold water is a great relief for feet.

With the help of the Auckland Fibromyalgia Support Group and the OOS groups in Auckland and Christchurch, I have been positive at all times with a "I’ll beat this" attitude.

I found the humdity in Auckland really made my condition extremely painful, but as I now live in Christchurch with its wonderful climate, I am now much better.

Exercise is a daily must. Without it I do not sleep as well and the pain levels are higher. I feel I am in control of "it" now, not "it in control of me", which was the case for the least three years. Relaxation is also very important . This takes 20 minutes lying down and systematically relaxing all muscles from your toes to your head, which really helps pain and fatigue. Just writing this article is a major step forward as I have not been able to write for any period for the last 4 years.

So yes - life will improve with careful management. Paul Davidson, M.D.'s book on Chronic Muscle Pain Syndrome gives the following guidelines:

• R - rest and relaxation
• E - education
• T - therapeutic muscle training
• R - responding to stress
• A - analgesics, anti-depressants and other medication
• I - independent exercise programme
• N - NEVER GIVE UP HOPE.

He also gives an excellent set of stretching exercises, which I have spent four years trying to obtain from doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists etc and never succeeded.

Christchurch, N.Z.