Not all Rheumatologists (especially if they had been trained some years earlier and belong to the older generation) believe in Fibromyalgia. Even if they “believe”, not all are comfortable with managing patients with Fibromyalgia for diverse reasons. One very common reason (which doctors only admit to other doctors) is that Fibromyalgia patients are generally difficult (I sympathize with those patients) as…

How do I be confident using the cane in public when I look like an otherwise healthy, able-bodied person? I can’t give you a direct definite answer to your question. But I will share a couple of things with you. When my oldest daughter was 13 she had surgery for scoliosis. She walked back to the surgery suite turning…

Yes, I was diagnosed in 2001. In 1999, I suffered a back injury at work. Even though I followed my treating physician’s advice, including physical therapy and home exercises, the pain in my back just wouldn’t ease up. Within a year, I had widespread pain that felt like I’d overtaxed my muscles. (To this day, the area of my injury is extremely sensitive…

Fibromyalgia is primarily a neurological brain disorder. It is seven times more likely to strike women than men, and it doesn’t matter what nationality you are. The hypothalamus part of the brain acts as a circuit breaker/fuse box for the rest of the brain and body. It’s like the battery for the entire body. There are several things…

I’ve had it for about 29 years now. In a word—-Pain. Never-ending, constant pain. Your shoulder will suddenly start to hurt, which can last for a few seconds to days. That can happen in any part of your body. When it quits, it will start in some other place, again for only a few seconds to days….

I had fibromyalgia symptoms for 15 years before I was diagnosed. At that time, I took a course of physical therapy where I did the Wharton stretch method, where you put a strap around your ankle, stretch your leg, and then gently use the strap to extend the stretch for a second. This, combined with a slow,…

I’ve tried just about every medication possible over the years, and have just recently ended up with a configuration that works for me. Some of these are atypical, and were prescribed for something else but ended up helping. I am putting my results with each here, because although everyone reacts differently – especially fibro patients – I have found…

First of all, you haven’t changed. You’re the same person with the same condition, except now you have a label. I found that label very liberating because it showed me that I had a real disability and that I wasn’t “just making it up” or “being lazy” or such. Plus, now you can say “I have fibromyalgia” instead of…

Fibromyalgia is a nightmare. I have had it for approximately 25 years. My GP, at a time when it was at its worst, gave me Tramadol. It was a miracle drug for me, but it is very difficult to come off of, so I stopped taking it. I finally went to a doctor for emotional issues and…

On a scale of 1-10, my average daily pain level is a 6 or a 7. All-day. Every single day of my life. It’s always there, and cannot be ignored no matter how engrossed in something I may be. Being in constant pain is exhausting. Fatigue is a huge issue in my life. Unrefreshing sleep is one of…