My 16 years of experience facing Fibromyalgia and 30 years of CFS Pain medications taken too often can lead to a pain cycle, where every time you take an analgesic, the pain will come back sooner and stronger. Once you are there, you have to stop all painkillers completely. I just had my cycle restarted by a week in the hospital where…
It really drives me nuts the way doctors and the general population misunderstand fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia literally means “muscle pain” in Latin. Of course, the muscle pain is real and it can hurt like hell, but it’s not a diagnosis. It’s like going to a doctor complaining that your head hurts, and having the doctor diagnose you…
Anyone who has suffered from an extended flare or has been hit with back to back flares knows how bad fibromyalgia flare stank can be! Hygiene is rarely discussed in the fibromyalgia community. It’s personal and embarrassing. I mean seriously, how many people, besides myself, wake up and think that today is a good day to announce my stench…
Fibromyalgia is a difficult disease to live with. It affects your entire body and changes your way of life. Its symptoms include muscle pain, fatigue, and exhaustion. All of those things can make it very difficult to live your life the way you want to. It may prevent you from doing things that you love to do. That can make…
Most of you know that I have been taking care of my grandparents and mom because of their illnesses and elderly needs. What you may not know is that my grandmother has passed. She was 94. This post will not be like my regular posts because I’m still dealing with a lot of stress so I will be streaming…
You may have seen some conflicting information regarding fibromyalgia and autoimmune diseases. Some people will tell you it is considered to be an autoimmune disease, others will tell you it’s not. However, you must know that physicians do not consider fibromyalgia to be an autoimmune disease. The cause of this debilitating disease is not known and individuals who have other diseases could be much more…
I didn’t ask for this and believe me, I don’t want it. I know you roll your eyes, even when you try and hide it. I know you think I’m exaggerating or being dramatic. But this is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone. You’re used to seeing me work and cook, clean, walk, go shopping, and even out with friends. I…
It’s 7:30 p.m. on a Friday night, and I’m in bed. With my husband and dogs right beside me. Nothing new here, and honestly, most of our friends are probably doing the same thing, but I really wouldn’t know. It wasn’t the diagnosis, or even the pain really, that caused me to start avoiding party invites and happy hour…
What are fibromyalgia flare-ups? Is it non-stop pain that lasts a lifetime?Or is it pain that comes and goes? Do they include more than one pain/symptom? The answer to all of these questions is YES and NO. Fibromyalgia flare-ups are difficult to fully define because there are so many varying factors. Although I began experiencing fibromyalgia symptoms as early as age 10,…
Fibromyalgia is the second most common rheumatic disorder behind osteoarthritis and, though still widely misunderstood, is now considered to be a lifelong central nervous system disorder, which is responsible for amplified pain that shoots through the body in those who suffer from it. Daniel Clauw, M.D., professor of anesthesiology, University of Michigan, analyzed the neurological basis for fibromyalgia in a plenary session addressed today at…