Hi I am new to this forum but have found reading similar stories to mine very supportive. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia around a month ago after having symptoms for about 6 months and i have mainly been taking zapain and amitriptyline, although i have stopped the zapains since my diagnosis except for especially bad headaches.
I am wondering about anyones experiences with accupuncture and if it has helped any of their symptoms?? And also how long the effects lasted and whether it is quite expensive or not?
There is a chartered or registered chinese medicine place in town I am thinking of going to as it has good online reviews.
Any help, advice or information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, alys.
Hi alys I have tried acupuncture in the past, it didnt help me I was left bruised and sore. but every 1 is different and what works for 1 person may not work for another. its trial and error Im afraid for all of us with fibro. research fibro as much as you can get your gp to refer you to a pain clinic. get has much help surport as you can. you can but try different ways of treatment some may help other treatments may not. everything is worth trying hun. I did try chinese medicine my self and it didnt work for me, but all of us are different so give it a try and see how it goes. take care
I cant remember the exact price but the chinese treatment that I had acupuncture and herbs some other stuff to cook in a pot none of it worked for me. I would enquire about treatment and ask for a price x
Hi alys - coincidentally I have just been recommended to an acupuncturist and am in the process of making an appointment for the initial consultation. It definitely is quite expensive, if theyre any good. My first consultation of 1,1/4hrs is at £60 and treatments of 45 min duration are £50 each. They recommend weekly sessions to start. It's financially difficult for me to afford this cost but I have to give it a try as I'm heartily sick of just pill popping and not seeing any real benefits only bad side effects. If I go for the treatments, I'll post on here as to whether they have any benefit or not.
where I live in shropshire england we get 12 weeks free acupuncture and also hydrotherapy at our local hospital for so many weeks. as ke your gp what help you can get free, before paying out for anything. massages may help you also that you would have to pay for hope Ive helped you a bit do some research on line about fibro. gentle hug x take care
Hi loxie I had acupuncture it didnt work for me but all of us are different. where I live in shropshire you get it free for 12 weeks. but it is very expensive to pay privately for it. its always worth asking your gp what help you can have with out it costing you anything. take care gentle hugs
with most things its trial and error as to what works and what doesnt. most treatments can be on going, and if your having to pay for the treatment it can be very costly. find out if our entitled to anything for free our nhs allows acupuncture free for 12 weeks, and our local hospital hydrotherapy for so many weeks. find out all you can from your gp.
Hi Alys:
I just found this forum, which the gals R Awesome !!! Anyway, I had acupuncture awhile back & there was an initial consult fee & the average fee I believe was $180 a session. However, at my acupuncturist she did a package deal. I would ring around & ask. As far as did it help Yes for a period if time. She also worked on my anxiety attacks & sleep disturbance. They help, but again it only lasted me about a few months...Remember they R in it for $$$. But if U got it, I would suggest to try, she taught how to relax & relieve stress on several sessions.
Well, I hope I help a bit...Good Success & keep us gals posted.
Smiles & Giggles,
Valerie826
Thanks so much Kaz for that info, I've bitten the bullet and booked the first consulation but was definitely worrying about being able to afford the ongoing £50 treatment fees, as they recommend weekly sessions - I have saved up enough for two but beyond that I don't have the money. I have a further doctors appointment Monday for blood test results so I'll ask about acupuncture then. The friend who recommended the acupuncturist I've booked with was adamant I'd find it of help but like you, many other people have said it didnt do anything for them at all. At my previous appointment with the GP she said she'd prescribe steroids if it was fibro but I dont want to take them, they made me so very ill when I took them before and others have said steroids dont help for fibro - who to believe eh. I also refuse to start relying on opiates like tramadol, I want to try to find ways to relieve the cause not just mask the symptoms with toxic pharmaceuticals if that makes sense. Thanks again.
Hi loxie Im not a great lover of tablets, everything ive been prescribed by my gp has made me ill, so I use a hot water bottle and take ibuprophen it just takes the edge off a bit. its a case of trial and error finding out what suits you and what doesnt. what suits one person may not suit another. massages may help our local hospital has a hydro pool you can go in for so many weeks accupuncture didnt work for me but we are all different.some people say hot baths help them. alot of the treatments are on going and can be very costly which like you I cant afford. take care gentle hugs x
As you say Kaz, we're all so different in what works or even in what symptoms are most serious. I take naproxen for my OA and it certainly eases that when I give in and take it but it has no effect whatsoever on the fibro pain. I am like you, most prescribed meds I've taken end up making me more ill than the reason for which I'm taking them. I took just two tramadol from a prescription and ended up being violently sick (vomiting) whilst out shopping - most embarrassing! I took a low dose citalopram prescribed when I first started getting sleep issues and they too made me very nauseous AND my hair fell out in huge clumps. Now I avoid anything unless I've been convinced its for something life threatening. Luckily I dont have diabetes, or high blood pressure, etc I do have high cholesterol but nearly died whilst taking statins, so I refused those too. Aint this all fun! Thanks so much for your helpful colmments Kaz. x
Hi loxie How awful for you being violently sick while out shopping poor you bless you., I reacted so badly to tramadol my husband had to phone our local shrop doc. I couldnt stop being sick just felt so ill. my dr 2 weeks ago tried me on a pain relief patch it was avery low dose, I put it on, on the monday tuesday night I started to feel unwell burning hot banging headache 7. oclock wed morning started being violenly sick. my husband spoke to the shrop doc who said to take the pain patch. off which I had already done. as I knew it was that, that was making me ill. it caused me to have a massive flare up. I cant seem to take anything with out it affecting me, like you citalopram affected me also..My dr put me on statins, but they affected me. oh what fun were having.hun take care gentle hugs xx
Hi, Not tried the chinese route but have tried hypnotherapy and am really pleased with the results. I can't take any of the medications prescribed by the consultant/gp due to the side effects so sought alternatives. I take supplements recommended by a physio specialising in fibro. As said in other replies it is finding that something whatever it may be that works for you. As much as fibro is individual to each of us the combinations of treatments that work are different for us all. Good luck in the quest for pain relief and keep us posted.
Hi Alys; I have tried acupuncture, but as they insert the needles into our already "upset" nerves.....it ACTUALLY made my FIBROMYALGIA (nerve pains) a LOT worse....and had to ask the practioner to remove the needles..as I JUST couldn't take it any longer, and NO, it did nothing for me...just more pain....and I know this practioner is good, as he is part of the clinic that I go to for my physio, and he is a lovely man...very caring....as we say, we are all different, but from me, I wouldn't try that path again, sorry...............Bron
I tried acupuncture it didnt work for me either but what doesnt work for one person may work for another. its trial error its a case of trying things and seeing what works for you and what doesnt. we are all different as to what suits us and what doesnt. take care gentle hugs x
so pleased to hear it's not just me being a wimp Kaz, not pleased to hear it made you so sick though obviously. Even a single paracetamol can make me unwell, guess pharmaceuticals just dont suit some people. I point blank refuse to let this get the better of me however, something has to work and I'm determined to find it. These forums are a life saver in that respect.
your not a wimp hun lets hope the research thats being done comes up with some answears. Ive read on some sites its do with us lacking some chemicals in the brain like seretoin and something else but cant remember name of it haha having fun with mr fibr fog today. Im sure one day an answear will be found until then we will all support each other thank goodness I found this site take care gentle hugs x
thanks Kaz hon. Lack of seratonin would make sense as that's why I was given citalopram originally. I think if I'd known back then what agony would be coming down the tracks at me, I'd have put up with being bald on the tablets 
Clear head today for a change but pain in arms and hands is driving me potty - may succumb to some paracetamol and put up with the rumbly tum. Aint life grand
hope pain eases for you hun can you take ibuprofen it takes the edge off a tiny bit for me. isnt it just great having fibro? wish I had a magic wand I could use on us all to make the damn thing go a way. never mind onwards and upwards ive never liked climbing mountains haha take care hun thinking of you xx gentle hugs
so much for the clear head claim - i tempted providence - couldnt find a parking space near my house last night when I got home so parked it a few streets away. Today - no flippin idea where it was, not a clue. Total blank on which road I'd gone down to park. Laughable now but in a rush to get to an appointment and running around the area like a lunatic on acid... I did find it eventually but even when I did I don't remember having parked it there. I really am laughing at the moment but heck I was so not amused this morning hahaha.