Fibromyalgia?

Contributor: meezerosity meezerosity
Anyone here have FMS? How does it impact your sex life? Are you on any medications to help? I have fibro and have had a lot of issues with it impacting my life in general. I'm not currently on anything other than Tramadol. My insurance wouldn't approve me for Lyrica and I reacted badly to Neurontin.
05/03/2012
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Contributor: GONE! GONE!
*raises hand* I'm not on much for it and unfortunately I've noticed that since developing it I get muscle spasms in my back almost every time I orgasm. I brought this up with one of my doctors and she wasn't too concerned. Well, I'm certainly concerned. D:
05/03/2012
Contributor: MistressDandelion MistressDandelion
I also have FMS.
As I said here: link
"Oddly enough, or maybe not, I've always been a very horny person ever since childhood and I think the endorphins and every "feel good" hormone I can feel kills the pain, at least for a few minutes, or a few seconds. Yes, there are days where I'm so tired I'm atrociously passive, but it doesn't mean I don't enjoy myself (and my husband enjoys it anyway). It's almost an addiction... "

I regulate pain with opiates because I'm intolerent to most recommended drugs (I puked for 5 hours straight upon taking my first Cymbalta pill, Lyrica removed my ability to think, etc). I'm also a very severe case that was deemed untreatable after I tested way too much pills.

And yes, Fibro does impact on all life aspects. But I've had it since I was around 5 so I don't really remember how it was to be completely ok.

I do think the depression that comes with fibro kills my drive, tho.

Oh. And codeine/morphine sex is great. Just saying. Amazing.
05/08/2012
Contributor: rowanallegra rowanallegra
Quote:
Originally posted by meezerosity
Anyone here have FMS? How does it impact your sex life? Are you on any medications to help? I have fibro and have had a lot of issues with it impacting my life in general. I'm not currently on anything other than Tramadol. My insurance ... more
I have FMS. I take quite a few different medications and some of them really impacted my sex drive I am on neurontin, tramadol, vicodin, zoloft and a few others. After almost a year of having little to no libido, it is finally starting to come back. I get a lot of pelvic floor pain (i also have endometriosis), and pain with intercourse. I am slowly learning what i can and cannot do sexually. I have found that being open and honest with a partner is key, there are so many different things you can do that will help with any type of pain you may be having. Feel free to throw any questions my way if you have them! It's a tough battle but just keep doing your best and keeping your spirits high (somedays I think I should take my own advice )
07/03/2012
Contributor: milfstatus milfstatus
I also have a very low libido, ever since I have bin dinosed with fms, but before that I never had a problem, I'm on savella neurontion, tramodal and a bunch more.
07/21/2012
Contributor: Eyesonfire Eyesonfire
The Dr put me on Lyrica for Fibromyalgia and it was making me crazy. I would panic at everything and then I would have trouble focusing. Hopefully when i go back to the Dr we can try something else. It worked but the side effects were horrible
07/24/2012
Contributor: geekkink geekkink
My girlfriend has Fibro and it certainly doesn't lower her sex drive, she is just in pain frequently, so we have to have sex carefully more than anything else. If she is having a really bad flare this is harder, but it's never been impossible. She takes Dopamine, Gabapentine, What is basically prozac, and Ambiene for sleep. I have no idea what these things affect her sex drive but we regularly have sex at least three times a day. So, I don't know. I'll have her post in this forum it'll likely help more.
07/24/2012
Contributor: KrissyNovacaine KrissyNovacaine
Hey, Geekkink's girlfriend here. I take dopamine, gabapentin, prozac, ambien, and tylonel with codeine 3. All of them are a pretty low dose except the gabapentin. The prozac at a higher dose destroyed my sex drive, but since scaling it back my sex drive is off the charts.

Neurontin wasn't an option for me because I had bad reactions to similar drugs. All of my research and my doctor's research points to issues with the brain chemicals, so that is what he is treating which has been super helpful.
07/24/2012
Contributor: rowanallegra rowanallegra
Quote:
Originally posted by geekkink
My girlfriend has Fibro and it certainly doesn't lower her sex drive, she is just in pain frequently, so we have to have sex carefully more than anything else. If she is having a really bad flare this is harder, but it's never been ... more
I have to say it's really nice to see you support your girlfriend and take the time it needs to adjust to her body's needs. I know it's hard on the partner in a relationship and it really helps when they both work together to communicate what each other needs
07/25/2012
Contributor: geekkink geekkink
Quote:
Originally posted by rowanallegra
I have to say it's really nice to see you support your girlfriend and take the time it needs to adjust to her body's needs. I know it's hard on the partner in a relationship and it really helps when they both work together to communicate ... more
I have PTSD which she has to work with, so it's on both of us.
08/02/2012
Contributor: FlightyBroad FlightyBroad
I have fibro, and it can cause problems since chronic pain never really helps when it comes to anything. However, sexy things often distract from it, so I tend to seek out that sort of thing.
02/11/2013
Contributor: MrWood MrWood
I have fibro as well as diabetes, so I have severe nerve damage from both. Not to mention two back surgeries and the pain that comes from that. However, I have a great pain mgmt. Dr.

As for the fibro pain, Lyrica is fabulous! It is the best medication I have ever taken for nerve pain. My insurance bc/bs required a medical necessity authorization from my dr, but had no problem getting it approved. It is really a great medicine for nerve damage.
05/11/2013
Contributor: pinupzombie pinupzombie
FMS is ruining my sex life.
08/13/2013
Contributor: perplexitive perplexitive
I've suffered with Fibro/M.E for over seven years now and it did impact on my physical relationship with my last partner. I wasn't taking any medication for pain however, so I'm guessing it wasn't that severe.

Sex tips with Fibro?

Gently does it. Lots of foreplay so your body relaxes and gets your blood circulation going without tiring you out too much.
Most of the time, my partner topped because of my health, so most of my tips are to do with that.

*Prop yourself up with some soft pillows (duck feathers are great and also hypoallergenic if you suffer with that too) great places to put them are behind your knees, in the small of your back, behind your neck (the slight tilt of your head will pool nice bits of oxygenated blood in your brain and intensify orgasm if you manage to get there) and sometimes just above the elbow if your joints are stiff there.

The knee ones will reduce strain on your hips and thighs, the small of the back will stop that god awful ache so soon and help tilt your hips to a great angle with some experimentation and the arm ones just help with pain.

*Oral sex = winner. Less cardio intensive and gentler on the joints. And let's be honest, who doesn't like a bit of tongue time?

*TALK with your sexual partner. My god this is so important because half the time they won't know what positions hurt you. It's great to experiment and find new things and trying different positions is always fun if you take it slow. Don't be afraid to say STOP if things get too painful. Sex doesn't always have to end in orgasm.

*Have water on hand. Even if you're not topping, pain can make you breathless, and being dehydrated makes it harder to come AND makes pain more severe. As long as you pee before sex you should be able to be totally relaxed and hydrated and feel amazing for it. If you're not sweating enough- you need some water.

More of a topper?
Water is EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.

*Pillows again are amazing. Pillows on your knees will be a godsend. It's also great to have a pillow or cushion either side of your partners torso in case you need a break and need something soft to lay down on without worrying about winding your partner.

*Snuggly sex is great. Don't be afraid to get close. Supporting each other physically as well as emotionally during sex makes sensations so much more intense.

*Take breaks. Switch around with some oral or kissing and touching while you focus on your breathing to take the edge off the pain. Your partner will love the pace change and will make their experience more intense for the switch up.

*Again, don't be afraid to say you have to STOP. Sometimes bad days are just too bad and your partner will understand. They might even help get you off to release those great endorphins that'll take the edge off the joint and muscle pain

Before sex, make sure you've eaten and drunk well during the day. Milk is GREAT for muscle pain as it helps drain away lactic acid build up. You've gotta feed your body, especially if it's a little fragile.

Avoid alcohol. It'll make the pain so much worse.
A warm bath or ice packs depending on the type of pain beforehand might be great too- also a GREAT post sex thing to do together. Bathing- helping wash each other is great for bonding and really ties up the whole experience brilliantly.

Finally, again, communication is key, sometimes you'll be damn frustrated but the more you stress the harder it'll be. You'll find something you can both enjoy and try to just make the most of the experience at the time rather than worrying about if you'll be able to make you SO orgasm.
05/09/2014
Contributor: HouseWench HouseWench
I tried neurotin recently (lol no never again, though apparently increased desire can be a side effect), and have also been on savella (meh, helped most in combo with lyrica), cymbalta, and lyrica. So sorry insurance won't approve you. Mine demanded I stop taking it after two years and try everything else, and STILL hasn't approved me for it anyway, even though neurontin gave me almost every one of its side effects.

Stay hydrated. It will help keep your joints lubed up which makes EVERYTHING go smoother. Glucosamine/chondroiti n supplements can help with this too.

Hot water. If you're feeling stiff, hot water helps, right? It can also help keep you from feeling AS stiff if you take a hot shower (or even bath!) before sex. A hot tub will also work great, as they were invented for therapy.

Tramadol: I take a little bit more than my usual dosage a little before bed, and maybe one more if I want sex. I've found pretty good results with eating a couple bites, taking one, eating more, and throwing the rest in. It means you don't get initially nauseous because your stomach's empty, and while the first one's kicking in, the second round is dissolving into the food you ate before it.

Pillows: There's a pillow shaped almost exactly like a liberator, and it's made of memory foam too. It gets pretty heavy use besides sleeping ;3 The thicker edge works well under your hips, with the narrower one under my chest. I try to stay off my knees in general (additional chronic pain issue with them), so this does a good job at keeping my hips up.

DO stay moving. Staying in one position too long will make it way worse when you end up readjusting. The extra blood flow and warmth from sex makes it easier to start moving, so sometimes I can go longer if we constantly change position. Fortunately a lot of positions can blend seamlessly into eachother.

If you're the kind that takes a while to warm up, go harder on foreplay. Longer, more variety, more dirty talk, whatever you need. It can be a lot more satisfying a lot more quickly if you're panting before you're both naked.
05/10/2014
Contributor: TheToyGuy TheToyGuy
Quote:
Originally posted by pinupzombie
FMS is ruining my sex life.
From a nursing perspective I have seen a lot of people with FMS impacting their activities of daily living.

All I can say is talk with your doctor about how your condition effects your sex life. There may be a solution, be it physical or pharmaceutical.
09/12/2015