How many person here suffer with Fibromyalgia ?????

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Sun, November 04, 2007

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Hello again

I'm very curious and trying to figure something out. Before two years ago, I'd never even heard of Fibromyalgia and then I had never even check out symptoms and treatments until last winter when my pain mgt doctor diagnosed it.

I noticed that in the columns to the right, that FMS seems to be the most topic searched about on this site.

So How many of you others have FMS and is it in addition to another chronic pain or other illness or do you just have FMS.

Since I don't know anyone else with the illness and I'd not even known anything about it in the past, I guess I did not think that many people suffered with it. It seems that my original thought is very incorrect and there are many people who do suffer.

Thanks for your time, I appreciate it.

Betty

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Adrian Serra

11/ 4/07 6:50am

Hello Betty - I write large so I can see the letters .. lol .. please join us and share the who, what and why's of it all with us .. we here support each other, and it is the greatest place .. you can keep a journal of eventful days, uneventful days, and share stories or ask questions or just plainol' vent ... welcome !

Betty Boop Too

11/ 5/07 5:59am

Thank you AGSerra2

You've been so kind and I truely appreciate it. What a lovely experence this has been. I'm so thankful to of stumbled through the door. Or I should say, Limp, hobble, somedays it will be more like crawl.

Anyway, thank you for the welcome, see ya at the forums.

Betty

Karen Lee Richards

11/ 5/07 1:45am

Hi Betty,

Although I don't have an exact number, there are quite a few folks here who have fibromyalgia. In the U.S. there are approximately 10 million people with FM. Even though I'm a patient expert here on the chronic pain site, my specialties are FM and ME/CFS. I've had fibromyalgia myself for about 18 years.

There are several articles about FM on this site and I am continually adding more. I announce new articles and keep you up-to-date on FM research in SharePosts and through our free newsletter. You can subscribe to both to ensure that you don't miss any important information about FM.

We're happy to have you here with us. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Karen

Betty Boop Too

11/ 5/07 6:07am

Karen

I cannot even express how happy and thankful I am to of found this site. It's so up to date on all the most current information on Fibro.

It's a real treasure to have access to your long time experience and extensive knowledge of Fibro. Thank you for sharing your wonderful gifts with us.

I feel like I've uncovered the hidden archives of the best Fibro info of all other sites right here.

I look forward to learning all I can here with you.

God Bless

Betty

bzmomkfor

11/ 6/07 7:07am

My fibro-fog mind-o-mush cannot remember when FM first came to light, seems like it was in the 80s. I was diagnosed in the early 90s & at that time it was concidered as "the yuppy disease of the 90s / for lazy women" I learned to hide my disease as best I could. I was also diagnosed with chronic fatigue: CF which has since also been called ME. I was told it would last about 6 months (it was likened to mono) but it has never gone away. FM is only now being more clearly understood with a specific physical exam to check for trigger points of pain & so on. Originally I was told it was like having a body-ache type flu or arthritis in my muscles. Now it is more thought to be a differentiation in the way nerves sensor & react to pain. There's tons of info on the subject if you care to "google" it or use another search engine or paruse the articles all over this site. Best of luck to you in your informational journey! ~kat

Betty Boop Too

11/ 6/07 9:11pm

I can hardly imagine what it must of been like for so many Fibro sufferers that were diagnosed so many years ago, or I should say, so many that could never get a dianosis and yet suffered such difficulty in getting proper treatment and meds to fianlly give some help.

It's only been in the recent past year, that I've even seen it portrayed and acknowledged in comercials and in the medical community.

Even my own PC has been reluctant to put my pain mgt doctors and his own diagnosis in my medical history, as he feels that I may be descriminated against by some physicians.

I must tip my hat to you all who have been suffering for a long time, I cannot help but think that's it's come through your own pioneering efforts to educate the public and also your persistence in finding medical help, that has made the medical world aware of this very disabling illness. And also forced the medical world to begin efforts in reseach. We would not know, even the small amount that is known today, if it were not for all of the long time sufferers.

By small amount, I'm referring to the fact that there has just not been enough research done on behalf of Fibromyalgia and we need to legislate & campaign for far more.

Many of you who have suffered for many years, hold valuable information on how & what the rest of us need to do to at least learn how to live with it and not crawl into the hole of depression and despair, which at times seems the only response out of desparation we can do.

Thank you all for your responses and kind words, It's such a blessing to be here with you all and I'm so thankful for fianlly finding you.

Betty

beakerless

11/ 6/07 1:11pm

I was diagnosed with Fibro back in 1985 or 86 when it was still referred to as Fibrocitis but by then I had been symptomatic for about 10 years. I also have had migraines since I was 9 or 10 and now am also dealing with the pain from Degenerative Disc Disease in my lumbar spine.

Betty Boop Too

11/13/07 8:42pm

Hello Beakerless

You pooor dear! I cannot even imagine suffering with this pain and your headaches since you were 9 or 10. That is a horrible long time and far too young to be forced into this type of suffering.

I really think that honestly I've suffered the symptoms of both my spinal pain and FM since I was a teen or at least I can remember having many of the symptoms, but they would come and go in a long enough rest in between, that I just actaully beleived that I had a flu bug and since I trained horses, I normally thought the pain in my spine was just due to the hard work in the barnyard and my long hours in the saddle. I also always chocked up my AM fatigue to the long and hard hours I spent on work, kids, and with the horses too, So I never really gave it much thought that I was never getting restful sleep too.

I actually can never even remember a time when I felt rested when I rose in the morning. I also was a real crab and had a difficult time with waking issues back in highschool. My mother used to wake me with a small glass of OJ, as she thought the crabbyness was from low blood sugar.

My pain and illness never became a chronic problem until about 9 or 10 months after the death of my eldest son. I had been under a great deal of stress and his death was very traumatic & shocking too.

It's really great to meet you and hope to see you around here often.

Betty

Bekah

11/ 8/07 1:49pm

Hi Betty

It's very nice to meet you & welcome to the site!

I'm 23 and have Fibromyalgia. I was diagnosed in September of 2006 and lived a year before that undiagnosed. My FM was caused by a root canal. I also have TMJ from having that root canal done. I also have an aunt with FM. Arthritis and FM is very common in my family. I also have mild IBS as well.

Feel free to write to me any time you want. I am always happy to meet and chat with others with the same condition.

Hugs to you!

Bekah

Betty Boop Too

11/ 8/07 3:59pm

Hello Beka

it's very nice to meet you and thankyou for your kind reply.

I could not help but notice your screan name of ; Tatoo Girl

It made me think of my son. After he died, a bunch of his friends got to gether and had all different tributes in tatoo's done all over the chest, shoulders, back, etc.

I was moved by them and their sincere love of my son, that I too joined them and had a tatoo of a wreath of flowers with a butterfly and a heart in the middle with my sons initials and a personal remark in tribute to him. I have to laugh, I'm not really the tatoo type of mother, I was 40 when I got my tat, it's on the back of my shoulder.

Your the same age as my son would be. Your way too young to be suffering with this illness, I'm so sorry for you.

Have you been able to finish school and start your career? That would be so hard to do, and deal with illness too.

Thank you so much for your reply, it's such a pleasure to meet you

Betty

FibroLady

12/11/07 6:17pm

I do as well. I also have CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) It is very common to have these together. I have been suffering from CFS since 1972, and FM for probably the past 23 years. I had these conditions before anything was really known about them. I feel lucky that I finally found a doctor who knows about these conditions and will treat them aggressively. Aside from the pain, which can be overwhelming, the worst parts are the 'fibro fog' which makes one feel as though they have lost at least 100 points from their IQs, and the IBS which is also common among FM sufferers. The fatigue can be very hard to deal with. The VERY worst part is the disbelief of friends and family who do not understand and think we are 'malingering' or making up excuses not to do something.

karenturner

2/29/08 12:53pm

One more here. Can the website do a pole? I am in UK had it for 11 years along with oesteoarthrisis brought on by bad car accident. Messed up my spine, pelvis, upper spine and knees now as well. I find this site very interesting and an glad to know there are lots of others out there. I like finding easy methods of doing things. I am also considering online shopping but have such a low income I cant really afford delivery charges.

Making things easier. - I have my childrens old pony that I refuse to sell. He has become mine now. I saw one lady on the site that has a horse but dont know who she is.

I have deep litter that means I only have to open his door in the morning and he goes out on his own. I pick up his droppings with gloves into a bucket and the stretching helps me a lot, especially my hamstring cramps. They need a stretch. I put the bucket in the corner of the stable and my neighbours child (10) who is learning to ride him comes up in the evening with me and takes it to the dump, cause it is too heavy for me. She fills 7 haynets at the weekend so I only have to hang it up at night which only involves tying a knot. Instead of hauling a large water bucket to the tap and back, I fill it 3 times with a smaller 1/2 size bucket. Three trips of 10 metres. Much easier than dragging the big one. He walks in on his own at night, so I only have to open one gate. So all that equates to - opening gate and door twice per day, tying one net, and bucket in the corner and 3 water trips.

When she wants to ride, I taught her how to tack up and handle him, he is a monster, then I just drive her there 2 km's and watch for safety.

On the days I cant drive her dad takes her or my 16 yr old goes to be there for safety.

He is wonderful for me to brush and wash, and today I just sat on the stable floor for an hour talking to him. He came and sat down with me and I just brushed his mane. I get so much pleasure from him that I have found easy ways to look after him. Of course every 3 weeks we have a big job cleaning the wet out of the stable, but the bedding is so thick (and expensive) that the wet does not come to the top for a few weeks so it is nice and dry for him.

Any one else got easy tips for looking after a pony. He lives out in summer so i dont do anything except visit for pleasure.

karenturner

2/29/08 1:03pm

i also have ME/CFS and hypermobile joints, is that a problem for anyone else. Everything dislocates all the time, or gets pulled and doesnt shrink back e.g. carrying the shopping tears the elbow ligaments and i am in pain for weeks if i have carried too much. my knee keeps dislocating. When I walked the dog 2 years ago, from the pulling, my wrists were in braces for 18 months until they shrunk back. I couldnt even open the house or car door or hold a cup of coffee or pots on the stove, or kettle. Does anyone else have this? I think because the muscles cramp so much the ligaments are being pulled all the time and just become weak and loose there elasticity. I read somewhere that I should try cologen protein for the ligament fibres????

Betty Boop Too

2/29/08 7:17pm

Hello Karen

It's really great to meet you and welcome to the chronic pain connection!

There are many folks around here alot of pain and I think there's another lady with your joint problems too. Hopefully you'll run into here, she creates share posts a couple times a week, so you'll probably run into her.

It was nice to hear about your love of the family pony. I raised, raced & trained Horses most of my life. I lost my first pony just a few years ago. He was very old, My dad bought him when I was 8yrs.

It's nice to meet you and if you need any help or are looking for anything around here, just let me know and I'll try and help.

Take Care

Betty

How many person here suffer with Fibromyalgia ?????

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