Did most of you just start hurting all at once or was it a gradual process over the years? Just curious, cause it seems I have gradually added new areas of pain and flares. Also, how close together are most of your flares? When you are not having a flare, are you still in a lot of pain or is it mostly that achey hurt?

I have a doctor's appt on November 30, and I want to discuss some more problems with her. It's so hard describing what goes on with our bodies. She seems to understand, but she doens't like to alarm me! I, am very bad about not saying how bad it really is sometimes. I almost hope that I'm having a flare when I go in, so I won't hesitate to complain! :rolleyes: It's going to be very possible too, since my appt. is right after Thanksgiving, and I haven't been eating too healthy this month.

Sorry to hear you are not feeling well. It's hard going into the holidays with so much going on health wise. Hopefully you have a loving support team at home to help.

For me the increased pain & muscle aches came gradually over the years. The chronic fatigue has been getting progressively worse to the point of which I was barely functioning. But, it wasn't until I'd had surgery earlier in the year that things hit a full head. I just didn't get better & my muscle pain/aches became progressively worse. I'd go for physical therapy & then it would take me 2 days to recover. New symptoms began to appear including a constant headache & tender points worsened. Flare wise as far as the Fibro is concerned for me is on-going. I have yet to get the pain under control. But, mine is being complicated by other medical issues. Hopefully someone else can chime in on about their flares too for some more information.
The thing that for me at least was key was doing a daily symptom diary of level of pains, symptoms, tender spots etc.,. that I could refer to when talking to my doctor. Since some symptoms come & go it really helps. Especially when we can't always plan to be in a flare when we go into our appointments. I also take a list of my top couple of symptoms that I need help with today which helps me to get what I need out of each appointment.
Still can't believe Thanksgiving is next week! :angel:

PS: I am horrible about complaining! I don't complain & I'm not vocal when I'm in pain. I just hate to always be the whinny complainer. I'm working on trying to be more vocal though. One day at a time!

My pain started in the neck and shoulder, over a period of about 5 years it spread to the upper back and than chest, next all over body pain. I have fm for 21 years and my pain is now widespread my flares are coming closer and are lasting longer and it seems like my pain has gone over the 10 pain scale at times.

Feel better soon, Linda

Hi, for me it started with Bad TMJ and headaches and endo then after hysterectomy and much needed dental surgery, once that pain was gone my lower back and neck started and when they don't hurt something else starts like my legs! And yes, it's all the time, what bugs me most and I always feel silly telling my doctor about new pain each appointment. He told me that when you're hurting a lot in one area you don't notice the pain in other areas becasue the main area of the month is hurting so much so when that is gone, the runner up is hurting......make sense? It's like if someone shot me in the toe right now, i wouldn't feel fibro pain at all, i'd be screaming about my toe pain. that's how it works with me. when i'm not having a flare up i just feel like a big giant toothache. i get burning pain too, and i was just diagnosed with TN which is a nerve disease in my cranial nerve in my head making me think all my teeth need root canaled again. so, the thing about this disease is it is migratory and chronic, and my pain has gotten worse each year and i'm wondering if the third year of this will plateau or get worse...

Thanks for all of your inputs. It is all making sense to me! :)