I have had fibromyalgia for several years.  I take Lyrica three times a day and Cymbalta.  I also take Ambien for sleep.  I work 2 jobs...one is a 12 hour shift also. 

I have aqua  therapy.  My dr. says warm water is key..not cold. 

I still have a problem with low energy, but with fibro, it is a fight every day.  You just have to keep fighting and moving so it wont beat you.

My heart goes out to you and I can relate to so much what you are saying.  Don't give up!  I was dx'd with fibro at the University of California San Francisco, when I was 24, which was 25 years ago.  I, too, have tried the gamut of different types of treatment, probably the greatest benefit has been to find practioners within a teaching hospital.  I now live outside of Portland, Oregon, and both work and get my medical care from Oregon Health Sciences University.  Through the rheumatology clinic there, I have found a fibro team that has worked with me the past year to try and find something that will work more than temporarily for me.  After going thru the Neurontin, Lyrica, Tramadol, Cymbalta at different periods for years, it became clear I was going to have to move to narcotics to get some pain relief in the day time to be able to function, as all of these gave out at some point.  I am not an addict and have never taken any of these drugs to get high - I 've taken them to improve my function to live without so much pain and fatigue. (As could be said about all fibro sufferers.)  The last med I tried after a short trial of Zyrem , (had to get off of it after 2 nights due to side effects) was fentanyl patches, which I was on for the past two months.  I have to say, the first month was fantastic.  My pain level was at a 2-3 instead of a 7-8., something I had never experienced for 25 years.  With the patch, of course, it bypasses the stomach and I didn't have to worry about absorption.  Unfortunately, I had a hard time finding the right dosage after a month and it was making me too fatigued to work.  After just over a month, I knew I had to get off of them.  I have had luck at night sleeping better, with the combination of 1 trazadone, 1 clonazapine, and melatonin.  Swimming in a warm pool several times a weeks is my saving grace, as is massage.  Other things I have tried have been accupunture, chiropractic, and craniosacral therapy, all of those not producing any help.  I have found recently a local chapter of a FM/CFS group that meets regularly. (Found thru Meetups.com and type in what kind of group you're looking for). Helpful to be with those who not only understand, but can also share what is working for them.  We had a speaker from the university's pain management group speak a few weeks ago.  She was having luck with Naltrexone on several of her patients.  A collegue of hers was having luck with tapazadol on his patients.  The specialist that I'm waiting to see uses suboxone and that will probably be the direction I will head in if he thinks it's best for me.  Everyone is so different and it is all such a trial and error thing.  My practioner was disappointed I had problems with the fentanyl, as that is something that works for many of her other patients.  I consider myself lucky to have found this fibro group, as I came to find out that most of the university hospital's pain management clinic won't even prescribe pain meds to fibromyalgia patients.  If they could live in my body for one day, is what I say!

I sit here writing this in almost the most pain I've been in my life, getting off of the fentanyl and waiting to see someone else within the rheum group who's booked out for another 2 weeks. (I've already waited almost a month to see him).  I can't work like this - and have asked to apply for short term disability today, at least until I can see this specialist and get back to a functional place.  It makes me sad, not to mention very scared as to what the future holds if I can't obtain some help.  I've got 20 years invested working for the hospital and don't want to lose my job, house, etc.

There's gotta be a rainbow in here somewhere though - for me, it's  been the weightloss -I have lost nearly 170 lbs. and goal must be comin close under all this skin.   In the past, I used food to blunt the pain of the fibro and won't do that anymore.  For that, I have to be grateful every day.

Have you gone to a pain clinic? They specialize in what you are going thru...just make sure you take the info on your surgery with you so you can help your pain doctor understand how your pouch works. You may need narcotics and to need them is not necessarily a bad thing when under the care of the right doctor.

Liz

Have you tried narcotic pain meds? They are really the only thing that help me. I know people don't like taking them and tend to feel like a junkie but the way I look at it is: if I had diabetes would I refuse insulin even tho it helped? I look at narcotics the same way, they are what works so I take them. If I don't hurt alot I don't take them but when I do hurt they are a huge help.  I can drive and go places while using them with no problem, I always wait a couple of days when I first try them to make sure I can function and some times it takes a few days for your body to get used to. Not totally pain free but able to get around. That is something else that maybe seeing a therapist would help you with  that you are going to be in some pain always so you have to make friends with that pain. Learn what makes it worse and what helps. Learn how to do relaxation techniques to ease the stress. Being in pain all the time just makes us in a state of super stress all the time. You have to learn to live with and work with the pain. This is hard for someone your age because you want to go live life like eveyone else. Focus on your little one and relax with her. Keep working with your docs or maybe check the internet and see if there are any fibro specific clinics anywhere near you. It takes time to come up with a plan that will work for you, lots of trial and error. I wish you the very best and pray that you will get some help with this. God bless!

I know the fibro has pressure points but i was told i have that and my who body pounds with pain ... you will RARELY get sympathy from a dr regarding chronic pain or fibromyalgia. They have meds for fibro.