hot showers can help the muscle pain but remember they are for pain control so don't just get clean and leave let the warmth get don to your bones !  A Mid wife told me that the shower can be help pain up to as much as 50 of demoral as it releases the natural endorfins your body makes that love the receptor sites pain medicines do.  Get plenty of sleep as the symptoms ill flare when you are tired.  She a rhumatoligish or find a fibromyalgia clinic for treatment (and they will also run blood test to treat other triggers)
Good luck
battlyn

Are you on any medication yet for the fibro? That can help alot, I take cymbalta and it's been really helpful. There are lots of meds that can help just depends on which one works for you, we're all different that way. Don't know about work wise cause I've been out of the work force for years. Wish you the best!

I was diagnosed over 15 years ago with Fibromyalgia. I used to take Ultram or Ultracet and Naprosyn. Now, I'm taking 1200mg of gabapentin (Neurontin) 3 times a day, Cymbalta and Vicodin 5/500 as needed. I was approved for SS Disability 6 years ago and they took the approval back to 2001. I had been slowly backing off on my work hours, had to change jobs to something less strenuous and finally had to stop working because of pain... And because of drowsiness due to meds. I was approved for SSD without a battle at all. I REALLY documented everything and had very supportive docs. My approval took about 6 months. Good luck to you!

Just stopped by to see how everyone is doing......we need to use this board more to help each other....that would be so nice! what are our thoughts..how are you feeling? Let's help one another .... :O)


soft hugs
Maria

Having had fibro since I was a child, I have never had the option not to work.  No matter how much pain I will ever be in, or how much fibro fog I have, I always have to suck it up and trudge to work or end up homeless.  I've managed to make it work but it hasn't been easy.  I take advantage of the somewhat flexible hours my workplace has.  Some days I can barely make the 8 hours and I end up leaving a little shy, while some days I manage to power through and go a full 10-11 hours, which is what I really should be working.  I have also been known to fall asleep in my cube (unintentionally). As long as I don't charge the client for it or start snoring, most people just leave me there.

Definitely take your lunch break every day.  Nap, take a walk, go on a mental vacation, whatever.  Just don't work through lunch as you will burn out by 2pm.  Personally, the hours between 2-4:30 are my worst.  I push my lunch into that window so I spend the least amount of time working during that period.  I perk up around dinner so I try to do most of my work then.  I save my dumbest tasks like opening mail for the time when I'm least likely to have quality thoughts.

I really find that if I have sugar or carbs for lunch my energy plummets in the afternoon.  Steer clear from the evil loop of eating carbs to give you energy to keep you awake, causing more sleepiness.  That one could just be me though.

In the end, it takes me about 50hrs a week to do a 40hr work week.  Yes it sucks rocks but what choice do we have when there are bills to be paid?