Why It's Important to Keep a Pain Diary

Your doctor needs detailed data to plot out the causes and triggers of your chronic pain and build a treatment plan. When she asks how you have been in the past month or two, you need to be ready to provide specifics.

Why It's Important to Keep a Pain Diary


My pain management doctor is very big on this. Problem is I forget to write it down

I have my first appointment with the fibro doc tomorrow See what he has to say

Let us know how it goes. We'll be thinking of you

He is doing more blood tests and x-rays, I have another appointment in 4 weeks, then we go from there. He said until we can control the RA and the BP, he doesn't think we can control the Fibro

I don't know what you're talking about so I'm sending hugs. What's RA? Gosh I'm asking a lot of questions.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

What's the treatment for fibro friend? Sorry for being so ignorant about all this.

There is no treatment per se for fibro Mike. All you can do is try to manage the pain. There is one medication (lyrica) for fibro but only about 30% of people with fibro get results from it. Most of the other 70% can't tolerate the side effects or get no relief. There is a new med that is in phase III of clinical trials, but it could be years yet before the FDA approves it and they are showing only 30 - 35% success rates at this point. However, it will be another option to try.

When you add the BP and the RA it makes it more challenging. The doctors need to get the BP and RA under control first so they can then work on managing the fibro pain. It takes time and patience and a lot of trial and error. Unfortunately with Fibro there is no "control", just management of the pain and getting through the fog, fatigue, etc... as best you can sometimes hour by hour.

Terry, please be patient with the doctors and with your self. If you can get the BP and RA under control it will make it easier to deal with the fibro.

Yes, that is what the doc said, I already can't make a fist with either hand, my entire right side is messed up, I don't know yet if it is muscle or joint damage, hence the x-rays, my neck is bad as are my wrists and knees. I will find out the extent in a month. Plus he did a series of blood work that will form a graph to show exactly what kind of arthritis I have and how it is spreading and damaging That is what the tech that drew the blood told me. Things have really advanced in this area, so I will wait and see what it shows.

I didn't know there wasn't any treatment. Hang in there ladies

Thanks Mike