Originally Posted by Honey

Actually, they are all over. Just google in your area. The drawback is, insurance doesn't cover them because they aren't "traditional" Drs. Well mine was a real MD, but it didn't make a difference. It is expensive, but to go from how I was (miserable) to how I am now (happy and virtually pain free) was worth every penny!!

Originally Posted by loves2quilt

I was diagnosed several years ago but I know Ive had it longer than that. Like some of you I have been active my whole life, very physically demanding job, on the go all the time. Then I had neck surgery and it all went downhill from there. Extreme vertigo, fatigue, numbness in face, joint pain, on and on. It took several years and many doctors before I found out was wrong. I have no faith in doctors anymore. It seems they just DONT LISTEN!! When you are describing your symptoms they get hung up on one of them. Oh, you have vertigo, must be an inner ear infection. Headaches, heres a pill. Cant sleep, heres a pill, etc. I finally went to this wonderful doctor who actually sat down and spent about an hour with me, listening. He ran a battery of tests to rule out RA, MS, Lupus, checked my thyroid, diabetes, and alot more. When I went back for the results he spent time explaining things to me. Put me on Cymbalta, which did nothing but make me gain weight, then tried Lyrica and that stuff messed messed me up! Unfortunately I moved. And I havent been back to another doctor for it since then. He did say that since I had absolutely no problems before the surgery he believed that triggered it. Lucky me.. I am in pain daily and I have learned to deal with it. The joint pain in my hips and shoulders is always there, always, and I deal, but when I have a flair, thats another story. Bone deep pain and extreme fatigue. I told 2 friends about it after a few years of them wondering what the heck was wrong with me. Printed out this letter to friends for them, and it was like, oh that sucks, cant you just take some meds? Hello? Did you even really read what I just gave you? So now when we talk I never tell them how I am really doing. A few family member know and thats it. I have been reading everyone story here and wasnt going to say anything, then I saw how many others had it. I take no meds and its hard somedays.

Originally Posted by butterflyquilter

Most people really don't understand how you can hurt so much with this disease. They can't fathom that the pain never goes away completely--just different degrees of pain. Do most of you find it hard to sleep at night? I think that is partly why I am so exhausted all the time.

Originally Posted by bjcombs2022

Does anyone have a spot on your body that itches all of the time? I do, it's part of fibromyalgia. My left shoulder itches ALL of the time, no rash, nothing visable, sometimes it is really bad. It can move or spread, luckily mine has stayed in one spot for several years. Stress is a big trigger for me. Our ADHD 12 year old grandson can really set it off! I take cymbalta, it helps me get out of bed in the morning, without pain! I can't take Lyrica or anything like it, at the lowest dosage I am so dizzy I can't stand up. Like others, I have a problem with "exercise" and I'm including here, a long day of shopping, spurts of house cleaning (I try to do a little every day so that I can avoid "Spring" cleaning). Humidity seems to make it worse (and here I am living on the Gulf coast)! Cooler Florida weather is perfect but really cold is a killer. I too am going to try the vitamins! At this point, nothing can hurt!

Originally Posted by yourstrulyquilts

fibro is an opportunistic condition. I hesitate to call it a disease, because with a disease there are usually markers in the blood to determine what is wrong, and there is usually a drug, or drugs or some other procedure or SOMETHING to help you with the disease you are finally diagnosed with. But the doctors are just now beginning to recognize it as ANYTHING besides "it's all in your head".The constant pain, fibro fog, indigestion, sleep problems, cognitive issues, memory, headaches, fatigue,clumsiness, getting turned around at the mall,muscle weakness, and a jillion other symptoms can point to any disease, and when the dr rules that out, and rules out the next symptom, and the next, you begin to doubt your sanity. But taken as a whole, and adding in the tender points, it can be diagnosed. My chiropractor has actually done more for me that any medical doctor. He's very in tune with fibro and he told me about the barometer and asked how I felt when it took a dive.
When I say it is opportunistic, I mean that it can co-exist right alongside another disease, which muddies the waters, diagnostically. And a lot of fibro-mites will have an accident or get hurt somehow, and then all the fibro symptoms appear. But stress can also trigger it's appearance. PSTD, and fibro mingle quite successfully, and if your dr doesn't check your 18 tender points, he'll be fuddled about the PSTD, because it isn't supposed to cause tingling of the extremities, hot and cold flashes (after menopause), or the other type of symptoms fibro causes.
I had a racing in my chest; felt like my heart was gonna jump out of my chest. Went to the dr, everything was fine. It's a symptom of fibro. On paper, I'm as healthy as the day I was born.
Don't be shy about asking your dr to check your tender points. If you have 11 of the 18, you have fibro.There is a lot of research being done to discover what causes it and how to make it better for people. And did you know that most fibromites are women? Not all, but the percentage is
way high towards women. Some are in wheel chairs, some have taken their own lives because they could get no relief and their drs thought it was all in their head.
There is a web site and a magazine to help fibro-mites learn to cope and deal with this devastating condition. The name of the magazine is Fibromyalgia Network and the web address is www.fmnetnews.com
sorry I can't get this link to be useful.

Here's hoping all of you can get some relief. It isn't curable, but can go into remission for many years, and then reappear. Do yourselves a favor and learn as much as you can about this condition. There are many books written on the subject, but don't get the older books; many of them are outdated concerning the newest and latest on treatment. I'm 69 and have had this for at least 20 years, but I am able to stay active. I raise a garden every year, I do all my own work at home, all the yard work except the lawn, I paint the rooms in the house, I do everything I ever did before; it just takes a little longer. We adopted a baby and he is now 7 years old and I keep up with him. Fibromyalgia Network Magazine writes articles about how to help yourself, and how to say no to things that will only make you have a flare, or make you more tired, or encroach on your small amount of "up" time. It's hard to say no to requests made by family but sometimes we need to so we won't be in bed for the next 2 or 3 days. Esp. when it comes to the grandkids.
Diana

Originally Posted by Charity Quilter

Has anyone had "chemical sensitivities"? This is the strangest of all my fibro problems. Months ago I had a really nasty smell of smoke in my nose for about six weeks. It literally smelt like I was in the middle of a fire inhaling the smoke. We know that not to be the case. That finally went away and then I lost my sense of smell totally. I can't smell for nothing...unless it is a perfume, bleach, chemical or something like that.... and then I smell it "loud and clear", but it's a revolting smell. It is very hard to explain, unless you've gone through it yourself to understand.

I had no idea so many people suffered from this condition. We need to keep each other uplifted in prayer and encourage each other to be strong through all of the pain.