There are quite a number of things that you can do. But, first and foremost, you should consult your family doctor or rheumatologist so that they can provide assistance, recommendations, and so they know what you are doing. If you believe yourself to have fibromyalgia, but have not been officially diagnosed, you should have yourself professionally evealuated. As my rheumatologist told me, fibromyalgia is the last choice diagnosis - when everything else has been eliminated, you are left with fibromyalgia. It is not particularly common, happily for those who do not have it, and it has varied symptoms. I have recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and am working on solutions to help me cope with it, work, and everything else. For a very long period, my problems were believed to stem from somewhat atypical osteoarthritis. I have recently been re-evaluated and the osteo was found to be not as severe as believed. Now that I know I have fibromyalgia, I can better manage the condition. Information on living with fibromyalgia can be found on-line at several sites. The website of Arthritis Society of Canada has good information on many forms of arthritis and ways in which they can be managed:: http://www.arthritis.ca/types%20of%20arthritis/fibromyalgia/default.asp?s=1 You should be able to find similar websites in other countries, as well. (I live in Canada, so I tend to use Canadian resources.) Fibromyalgia is not easy to live with. It cannot be cured, but relief can be found. It is an uphill slog at times. You need to manage the illness - find out what gives you the most pain and/or difficulty, then find a better way to do them. There are activities that you may need to give up, but there are always new ones you can learn. And you may find that simply by changing the way you do certain things may help immensely. There may be support groups in the area where you live that can provide some guidance. Look them up and see what they can offer. There is one in my area, with an associated Yahoo group. Exercise is beneficial, but you should get involved in a program that is tailored for people with this type of condition. High-impact aerobics are probably out, so you need to do low-impact exercises. I go swimming once a week in the evening in a warm (~34C) pool. I go during a time slot reserved for people with disabilities to avoid having young children hurling themselves off the edge of the pool on top of me, as is usually the case during a family swim period. Pools also offer aquatic exercise classes designed to accomodate many different issues, such as chronic pain, arthritis, and low impact exercise. Check out what resources your city offers. Swimming and aquatic exercise are very good for all forms of arthritis. Getting weight off your legs can be a blessed relief. It is unfortunate that many such programs run during the day, on the assumption that people with arthritis and mobility problems are older and, hence, have time during the day to do them. This is not usually the case for younger people who work full-time. But some programs may be available on weekends and in the evenings if you cannot manage time off work. You may find relief by applying heat to the painful areas. I use a heating pad, set to low. I also have a couple of heating 'sacks' that my wife made me. They are fabric bags filled with uncooked white rice, which are heated in a microwave for a couple of minutes and then wrapped around the sore area. These are similar to gel packs, which can also be used. There are no medications that work well in combatting fibromyalgia and the typical medications used for other types of arthritis simply do not work well. There are a thousand quack and home 'cures' that do little to help and can drain your wallet. Most of the successful ones are variations on the application of heat theme. Warmth is easy to find without having to apply peculiar poultices to your body. A doctor may prescribe you something to help manage the pain. There are a number of drugs that can be used for this, including controlled medications (e.g., Oxycontin). I have found that Oxycontin works very well for me and significantly improves my ability to function. Unfortunately, drugs such as these are abused, which can make it that much harder for those who need them to obtain and use them. Don't demand certain drugs from a doctor, in spite of what the adverts (mainly on US television) encourage you to do. Try to work with him or her to find a solution that works. You will almost certainly have to try more than one medication to find one that works well for you - everyone is a little different. It may also become less effective over time, requiring you to find a suitable replacement. This is not abnormal and you need to communicate such difficulties, as they arise, with your doctor. One of the side effects of fibromyalgia is depression. It is quite common for people with this condition to get a little depressed about it at times. Again, discussing these issues with your rheumatologist or GP can help manage the disease. Best of luck, I can sympathize.

I have tried many, many things to relieve the pain of Fibromyalgia. Now I use a strong pain medication(Vicodin) and a muscle relaxer (Soma) without any fear of addiction. To counteract the fatigue, I use Ritalin. In order to get a good night's sleep my doctor prescribes Lunesta. I use a hot tub to soothe my muscles after excercise. I meditate to reduce stress. It is important to keep your stress level low to keep your pain low. Love, laughter and a normal life are also important.

n June 2007, the FDA approved the first drug to treat fibromyalgia, Lyrica (pregabalin). In June 2008, the FDA approved the use of Cymbalta in for management of Fibromyalgia. However, doctors have prescribed (and continue to prescribe) a broad range of prescription and over-the-counter medications to treat this difficult condition, with varying levels of success. Most experts believe that medications play an important role in treating fibromyalgia, but that they should only be one aspect of a wider treatment program . Here is a list of Fibromyalgia medication used in the treatment process: Cymbalta Lyrica (pregabalin) Pain medications Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) Antidepressants Benzodiazepines http://www.myfibro.com/fibromyalgia-medication

You can also try a light exercise routine http://www.myfibro.com/fibromyalgia-exercise