The drug you referenced

Post #232,304 by bionerd 11/3/05 1:02:14 PM Reply	The drug you referenced is Effexor- commonly used as an antidepressant. Recent findings suggest serotonin and norepinephrine are associated with regulating and reducing feelings of pain that come from the body. An imbalance of these chemicals is also known to cause depression. There is a strong link between pain and depression, and specifically between fibromyalgia and depression. As you do your research you will see this come up over and over again. I'm not not suggesting you're depressed, and even if you do have a depressive symptoms they are likely a symptom of the fibromyalgia- not a depressive disorder. Anxiety, depression, insomnia, cognitive problems, all traditionally thought of as "mind" problems, are often the result of physical illness and disease. You cant overlook the mind/body connection. I hope you have a physician who is sensitive to this and will treat you as a whole person rather than just the symptoms of a disease. I'm glad you can pin a name on your symptoms now. That must be a relief for you. Good luck on feeling better. Follow your MOUSE
Post #232,310 by Yendor 11/3/05 1:12:04 PM Reply	As opposed to half a person? ;-) -YendorMike "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin, 1759 Historical Review of Pennsylvania
Post #232,313 by admin 11/3/05 1:13:37 PM Reply	Thanks for that info. One of the problems with FM, apparently, is that it can be brought on by anxiety. And then all of the weird symptoms increase that anxiety, which makes things worse, and so it goes. And yes, I've got some of all of that: anxiety, low-grade depression (more just not feeling like doing anything), insomnia, and cognitive problems. The neurologist seems to be hip to all of that. She was glad to see that 1) I have a good attitude about it and 2) I'm willing to make a number of lifestyle changes, all of which should help with the symptoms. The Effexor is more to get me out of the current slump so the problem stops feeding itself. She also gave me a sleep inducer, but was very supportive of my attempts to make other changes first to get my sleep back. She just made it plain that I shouldn't be afraid to take it if I really need it; just don't depend on it. It's hard to find a doctor to even say the word "fibromyalgia", although that situation is getting better. She had even mentioned the possibility after my first appointment, so I take that as a promising sign. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
Post #232,343 by ChrisR 11/3/05 8:15:27 PM Reply	You need some Peril Sensitive Glasses to keep you calm (ala Zaphod). Closest approximation I can come up with - [link\|http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000467045106/\|Media Sensitive Glasses] - no more fretting over the flame forum. :-)

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