Fibromyalgia and horses

Polos

Polos

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Hello, I've been back and forth to the hospital for a couple of years with chronic pain, seen rheumatology/orthopedic (spinal specialists), physio, Chiro, osteo etc but nothing seems to help as I'm always in pain and I'm constantly exhausted no matter how much sleep I get. The Rheumatologist recently gave me the diagnosis of fibromyalgia and from what she explained to me it explains the chronic pain and fatigue.

I've been struggling with riding and horses in general and getting my body to do what i want it to do and to be perfectly honest I actually can't wait to start downsizing. My 3 horses are on livery with my trainer so theres no mucking for me thankfully, I generally would struggle hugely just to muck out one. Recently we've lost a groom so i've been tacking up my horses/grooming/untacking/putting them to bed/cleaning tack etc and I'm struggling a lot, riding is painful enough as it is but along with doing everything else I'm so sore and exhausted I can only manage a 15 minute/20 minute ride on each horse tops. By the time i get home I'm written off for the day which makes doing anything else difficult. I never realized how much I relied on someone else to help me and its bad I know that.

I've just lost all my enjoyment for horses and I'm fed up of being in constant pain all the time. I just don't know what to do anymore :(


I currently take cocodomol and ibruprofen daily along with amitriptyline at night to help me sleep.

Are there any other fibromyalgia suffers on this forum who can help give me some advice about this, even just to help make me more comfortable day to day

cookies for putting up with my whingy rant, I'm just feeling so down about it tbh
 
I have hypermobility syndrome and fibromyalgia and have 2 horses. I work part time as full time just exhausts me beyond the ability to function properly on a day to day basis but i have both mine on diy although i only do one trip a day as around work it would be impossible for me to do more. I'm currently not riding either as one has a check ligament injury and the other is a rescue so still building body condition but i struggle with just the looking after them side of things as well. Meds wise i am on the lowest dose of lyrica as amitryptilene just knocked me out even more and left me unable to function. It maybe worth asking if you can change your medication. I've previously tried naproxen which made me sick and tramadol which worked ok on a low dose. I've also done the cocodamol and ibuprofen which i found didn't help at all.
 
Hi...I have Fibromyalgia and CFS.
Dealing with basic day to day stuff is hard work even without horses!
I'm still learning to deal with both but a few things I've learned that have helped:
* Get referred to a good Pain Management Clinic...this will really help with learning how to pace yourself which is crucial.
* My horse lives out 24/7. I really don't think I would cope with mucking out stables etc...I do have to poo pick but my friend who shares the field helps. I also got a 2 wheeled Barrow which has been a complete game changer.
* I now only have one horse and she's a good doer who doesn't need to be ridden daily which means I don't have to feel guilty on a bad day.
* Keep things simple...I get confused and tired so keeping thins where they are supposed to be etc makes it easier to do ie; grooming kit, boots etc

There is so much more I could say but if you want to rant/chat etc please do feel free to PM me and I'll try to help where I can xx

Eta; I take Dihydrocodeine, Diazepam and Amitryptyline. The latter can actually cause sleep disturbance as it doesn't allow you to go into proper REM sleep :(
 
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Chronic pain is hideous and you cant understand it unless you have experienced it. Please, please, please go back to your GP and MAKE them do bloods for vitamin D and B12. They dont routinely test them and they are debilitating. I've seen lots of GPs over the years who have done increasingly exotic and expensive tests and come up with nothing and fibromylagia and ME have been mentioned a lot of times. It turns out that I have a B12 deficiency and its been a problem my entire life, I just didnt know it was.

I thought everyone was tired and hurting and didnt understand why people thought I was lazy when I was working my butt off just to barely function. I HATE doing this as I know how it sounds! But last year when I was bedridden and genuinely thought I was slowly dying someone on a FB horse group put me in touch with their sister. I rolled my eyes a lot, as surely my GP would have picked up on it. But I humoured her as she was so lovely and clearly trying to help.

Long story short it turns out I have been B12 deficient all my adult life, as well as vitamin D deficient to a lesser degree. A year down the line and I am starting to feel amazing and I am still not at normal levels. I cannot put into words the difference in my life and I decided after a month of starting to feel better that I would "play it forward" even if the whole world thought I was a bit odd! Looking back I can see why people thought I was lazy as now I have energy and dont have to rest all the time!

I'm going to stop here as I go on about this a LOT and even to me it sounds a bit preachy! But that one random comment on a FB rant has changed my life. Its not normal to be tired and hurting and it is quite often easily treated. PM me if you want to chat about it, even if you think its not your underlying problem B12 and vitamin D will be low :)
 
Thanks for the replies everyone glad I'm not alone.

My mums been helping me when she can but shes not horsey and she works very long hours so she's not always around and I can't expect her to be.

Rheumatolgist confirmed the fact that I was hypermobile in my joints (I've dislocated my knee twice in under a year and my other joints pop in and out of the socket on a daily basis). Apparently I have a vitamin D deficiency too so I've been taking a 1000 iu vitamin D tablet daily as per her advice. Orthapedic team I see at a different hospital have said after the most recent MRI's I have a slipped disc in the t 11/12 region but they don't think its the source of my back pain, they believe its my coccyx so they wont look at anything else until they've sorted it out.This means I'm currently on the waiting list for a procedure to be done on my coccyx for the third and final time and if that doesn't work then an operation to remove part of my coccyx is next. I've been told previously that I have a very hollow back and in my lower back it curves to the right which is why I feel pain but again they wont look at it yet.

I'm only 20 but feel as if I'm falling apart already. I'm sick of people not believing me when I say i'm in pain and exhausted and need help :(

Unfortunately my 3 are competition horses with a lot of blood that need to be worked every day which means days off are rare. The tireder I am the more I struggle to get them to work properly, i'm having to ride in spurs with one as I just haven't got the strength to keep her together without them. I had a 'light' day today as I lunged all 3 and will do the same tomorrow but I still felt absolutely exhausted at the end. I'm waking up each morning shattered een though ive had 9 hours sleep and dreading going to the yard. Roll on saturday when I get a day off and can sleep
 
SatansLittleHelper said:
Hi...I have Fibromyalgia and CFS.
Dealing with basic day to day stuff is hard work even without horses!
I'm still learning to deal with both but a few things I've learned that have helped:
* Get referred to a good Pain Management Clinic...this will really help with learning how to pace yourself which is crucial.
* My horse lives out 24/7. I really don't think I would cope with mucking out stables etc...I do have to poo pick but my friend who shares the field helps. I also got a 2 wheeled Barrow which has been a complete game changer.
* I now only have one horse and she's a good doer who doesn't need to be ridden daily which means I don't have to feel guilty on a bad day.
* Keep things simple...I get confused and tired so keeping thins where they are supposed to be etc makes it easier to do ie; grooming kit, boots etc

There is so much more I could say but if you want to rant/chat etc please do feel free to PM me and I'll try to help where I can xx

Eta; I take Dihydrocodeine, Diazepam and Amitryptyline. The latter can actually cause sleep disturbance as it doesn't allow you to go into proper REM sleep :(
Click to expand...

How would I get referred to a pain management clinic, Is that through GP?

I've had codeine phosphate but that was horrible, I was still very much in pain but I felt very sick and woozy. With the cocodomol generally I am ok with it, If i take more than 3 a day I will get sluggish but not nearly as bad as with the codeine phosphate. I am finding though now that the cocodomol is starting to get less effective now so not sure what else to do, think I may need to see the GP and see what else I can be put on.

Interesting about the sleep disturbance thing, could that also be another reason why I'm always exhausted perhaps?
 
I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, lupus and a sleep disorder that as yet has been undiagnosed but mimics some of the symptoms of narcolepsy. I take amitriptyline at night and pain relief as and when I need it during the day.

I have 2 horses and work part-time. It's a struggle, but the horses help to keep me focused. I'm also a BHS qualified instructor and do a bit of freelance.

I was referred to a pain clinic but didn't find it helped me really. The physio running it said that the majority of people who go to the clinic are those who need to be encouraged to get back into some form of exercise to help their condition, learning to cope with the pain etc, but that I was probably doing too much and needed to slow down a bit. We felt that the program would not benefit me.

I manage on my own, with medication and some awareness of my own limits (which I don't always follow well, I must admit). I have had to give up nights out with friends and often can find myself in bed by 8.30pm feeling poorly, but it's a sacrifice I make to live the life that I want with the horses.

I have a blog dedicated to life with chronic illness, if you want to see it just message me for the address.
 
As a long term sufferer of Fybromyalgia I have learned to pace the day so I can cope. I have three ponies but they live out and recently I have gven up riding due to an unrelated injury. My ponies are pretty much field ornaments but when I was riding I used to manage reasonably well. Pain management is a question of what suits you I am on slow release tramadol which although I am still in pain mutes it to make life possible. Sleeping is my biggest probelm I rarelt sleep and get very tired as I simply do not sleep deeply enough. even a fly landing on me wakes me up never mind any noise I go to sleep about 4 in the morning and am awake again before 8
 
OK - so nobody will want to read to this BUT Fybromyalgia and chronic fatigue, that appears to have no real reason, can all be caused by a parasite infestation problem. Pinworms in particular can conjure up some horrid and very debilitating problems. In the USA 90% of the population now have parasites which can be the route cause of numerous health symptoms. Western doctors know very little about these 'critters' and dismiss their effects but just look up pinworms on the web or put in search pinworms curezone. I am a writer who happens to be doing research on this subject at the moment and am shocked by what I have found out. A list of symptoms listed by an American research scientist make grim reading:

Abdominal pain
Diarrhea / Nausea
Gas or bloating
Distended stomach
During attacks of other symptoms: urgent/uncontrolled bowel movement
Frequent need to pass urine
Difficulty with memory
Difficulty concentrating
Lack of co-ordination/bumping into things/clumsiness
Tension /Anxiety / Panic attacks
Quick temper / Quick/easy tears
Waking in morning feeling ‘drugged’/headachy/fatigued/lethargic/with aching muscles
Waking in the night choking/breathless/panicky
Waking repeatedly soon after going to sleep
Teeth grinding
Tinnitus (ringing/buzzing in ears) which varies from hour to hour
Sounds seem distant or unusually loud / Sensitivity to loud noises
Tickling irritated nose / sinus problems
Tickling in ears
Unpleasant sensations in skin/just below surface of the skin
Sudden stinging in eyes / pinworms coming out of eyes
Headache during attacks/caused by exercise
Numbness/ deadness/ tingling in extremities, limbs, lips, face, tongue
Hot flushes
Easily blushing or going very pale
Unreasonable breathlessness/air hunger/feeling of restricted chest
Coughing / coughing up pinworms
Sometimes stop breathing/have to remember to breath
Cigarette smoke provokes other symptoms listed on this chart
Speaking voice goes husky/feels strained
Throat dry/tickly/sore
Sensation of restricted throat
Difficulty swallowing
Asthma attacks sometimes
Rapid or irregular heartbeat
Dull pain/ache in center of chest
Weakness/fatigue
Exercise has to stop due to sudden unreasonable exhaustion
Sudden loss of strength
Muscles feel stiff or ‘in spasm’
Muscles ache (feeling ‘beaten up’ or as if ‘been in a fight’)
Tense jaw muscles
Muscle twitching
Tightness around eyes/mouth

These parasites and many others are now being found to be the route cause of many chronic incurable illness. They are highly contagious and easily spread by poor hygiene, especially in food preparation areas. Also dogs and cats carry things which if transmitted to humans can again cause terrible health problems. NEVER accept that fibromyalgia is the end it isn't. How do I know? I've had it and more or less recovered - unless I break the rules. There is always a route cause you just need to find the missing link and more and more it points at parasites undermining the immune system. Hope this helps.
 
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Patchworkpony that's yuk. How do humans worm themselves then? Because having read all that, I feel like everyone should get wormed now and again, just in case.

OP. How come your doc has prescribed codeine in any form for daily use? It's well known that people easily become dependent on it or addicted to it. Of course its becoming less effective over time, thats exactly what anyone would expect with such a drug, if its taken daily. You can probably expect some withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking it. It should be for occasional use, maybe as a top up to other painkillers. I think your doc has let you down here telling you to take cocodamol daily.
 
Sugar_and_Spice said:
Patchworkpony that's yuk. How do humans worm themselves then? Because having read all that, I feel like everyone should get wormed now and again, just in case.
Click to expand...

You are so right we worm our animals but not ourselves. A famous healer I know had an agent for his books who lived in London. She got more and more ill until she had to have surgery. What they eventually found was a 30' tapeworm in her guts which they thought she had caught from eating lots of unwashed salad in restaurants.

Safe and very sure natural methods that are proven to work are raw crushed garlic, black walnut hull, organic coconut oil, oregano oil, papaya seeds, pineapple, cloves to kill the eggs and human grade Diatomaceous Earth (available from www.diatomretail.co.uk). There is a ton of info out there because it is a self help world. Doctors are useless and only prescribe drugs which poison your system especially if you already feel ill. Never use wormwood even though it is an old remedy - it can have too many dangerous side effects. Try to follow a recommended programme and be prepared for die-off symptoms, the worse these are the more a good anti-parasite programme was needed.
 
Sugar_and_Spice said:
Patchworkpony that's yuk. How do humans worm themselves then? Because having read all that, I feel like everyone should get wormed now and again, just in case.

OP. How come your doc has prescribed codeine in any form for daily use? It's well known that people easily become dependent on it or addicted to it. Of course its becoming less effective over time, thats exactly what anyone would expect with such a drug, if its taken daily. You can probably expect some withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking it. It should be for occasional use, maybe as a top up to other painkillers. I think your doc has let you down here telling you to take cocodamol daily.
Click to expand...


I hope you don't mind me saying this Sugar_and_Spice but you're not quite right in saying that Cocodamol is for occasional use. Just to elaborate, I have severe Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibro and a variety of other conditions so have quite a lot of experience both with medication and also with how different drugs work.

Whilst you are correct that a drug can become less effective over time, I don't believe you're correct in saying that the doctor has let him/her down. Codeine is often the first port of call for GPs to treat chronic pain. Firstly the 8/500mg over the counter and then the stronger 30/500mg. It is possible to stay on Codeine for a prolonged period of time (many years in fact) and whilst it can be physiologically addictive as in the body gets used to it, it is also possible to come off it with few, if any side effects in my experience, as long as the withdrawal is over a prolonged period of time. Unfortunately when dealing with any kind of chronic pain (pain lasting over 6 months) which requires either opiods or anti depressant types drugs it becomes inevitable that your body becomes used to them and may become physiologically dependent on
them however if you need them to function physically or mentally, it becomes a case of weighing up the consequences against the benefit of taking them. No drug is without side effects long term.

When dealing with any form of chronic pain, depending on the severity, there are only 3 types of drugs a doctor can prescribe; synthetic opiates/opiods such as Codeine, Tramadol, Non Steriodal Anti Inflammatory Drugs such as Naproxen, Ibruprofen or antidepressants/other drugs which are often used to treat conditions such as Fibromylagia, Nerve pain as well as Depression and Anxiety. Personally I take a combination of all of the above, plus a monthly drug infusion and steroids to manage my conditions, however even so, only a percentage of my pain is alleviated.

I hope you don't mind me mentioning this, I know it's not strictly horse related, and I am not a medical practitioner, but I think a lot of medical drugs can often acquire a reputation which may or may not be deserved, depending on the individual.
 
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Valadictory. I agree!

I too have RA, and a chronic back problem. Mine is managed to a degree with weekly self injected meds. steroids, both joint injection s and oral. I take dihydracodine, tramadol and amitripaline (sp) sometime morphine

I also badly fractured my ankle 5/6 yrs ago and have had 5 lots of surgery including an ankle replacement, it still cases me serious grief that he pain meds help with.

Op. I have one horse and work 25-30hrs a week. But I do struggle tremendously and have to have help with my horse. Luckily my work isn't too physical or no way could I cope.
Even if I didn't work I could not look after 3 horses, or even just exercise 3.
honestly hun you need to think about selling or loaning 2 of them xx
 
Patchworkpony said:
You are so right we worm our animals but not ourselves. A famous healer I know had an agent for his books who lived in London. She got more and more ill until she had to have surgery. What they eventually found was a 30' tapeworm in her guts which they thought she had caught from eating lots of unwashed salad in restaurants.

Safe and very sure natural methods that are proven to work are raw crushed garlic, black walnut hull, organic coconut oil, oregano oil, papaya seeds, pineapple, cloves to kill the eggs and human grade Diatomaceous Earth (available from www.diatomretail.co.uk). There is a ton of info out there because it is a self help world. Doctors are useless and only prescribe drugs which poison your system especially if you already feel ill. Never use wormwood even though it is an old remedy - it can have too many dangerous side effects. Try to follow a recommended programme and be prepared for die-off symptoms, the worse these are the more a good anti-parasite programme was needed.
Click to expand...

thanks. Not that I think I'm wormy, but its like hearing children have nits, it instantly makes you want to scratch .
 
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Sugar_and_Spice said:
thanks. Not that I think I'm wormy, but its like hearing children have nits, it instantly makes you want to scratch .
Click to expand...

Totally, I now feel the need to research and worm my family urgently.

Sorry op. I really admire your motivation to continue with your horses when your going through all this. I hope you find something that helps you X
 
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