Hi all,

I am new to this board. My doctor diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia last summer, and gave me Vioxx for my aches and pains. BUT, after reading many of your posts, I am really, really wondering if I really do have FM after all. I don't have anything near the types of symptoms you all have. I just have aches and pains a lot...nothing I can't survive or anything. And the Vioxx is helping a lot. I am still able to work everyday, etc, etc.

Do you think my doctor could be wrong? She did that pressure point test...although at the time I had no idea why she was poking at me! Then she said that I had "passed" and that I had Fibromyalgia. Is it possible to have it in a mild form? If so, I guess I am very grateful for that.

Just wanted any input any of you have.

Thanks!

God Bless You All!

Love, Di http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Di, I wouldn't doubt your Dr's diagnosis. It took some of us quite a few years to get to where we are. I had my first bout with FMS in 1973 and worked until November 1999. There were even periods of time that I didn't have any pain, but it would return time and again. Now it just seems to have become my best friend. And maybe by that time they will be able to give you something to keep the pain away all the time. New research is going on as we speak. Good Luck to you and gentle hugs

Hi Di! Lucky you that you aren't feeling bad! I'm curious how old you are? I'm 33 and I belive I started with FM in my teens. I had perodic episodes of "mystery" illnesses and pain that lasted from a few weeks to a few months then went away,sometimes for years! I was pretty much like that till 4 years ago when I had my daughter. My problems started with postpartum yeast infections and sleep problems (my daughter was up 3-4 times a night till she was 2). Over the 4 year period I just kept adding on more chronic pain problems and getting less and less sleep. The sleep I did get wasn't refresing, I felt awful in the mornings, like I was hit by a bus. Many of my other symptoms are new in the last 6 months. Right now I am pretty functional, especially with the meds.

You might want to read through the posts on this board and then make sure that your doctor has ruled out conditions that have symptoms similar to FM.

If I had known about having FM in my teens or 20's, I would have taken better care of myself with diet and exercise and maybe I could have avoided getting to the point I'm at now. At the very least,I could have gotten medical intervention sooner!!

Dear Charlie and Cioc,

Thanks for your posts...I appreciate your input.

Yes, I think I will just be thankful for now that I am not in severe pain like most people with FM. Guess I am lucky so far!

By the way Cioc...I am 37.

God Bless!

Love, Di http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by Di (edited 02-02-2001).]

Di, there are many people whose symptoms are mild to begin with and who go for years not even realizing that the seemingly unrelated health problems they have are FM. I'm GLAD you aren't having big pain and disability!!! There are many things you can do to deal with the symptoms you are experiencing, though, so welcome to the site.

Val

Hello there,
I also have Fibromyalgia, but not as bad as some people. I still work full time and like you I just have aches and pains for the most part. I have had periods where it was much worse but the bad times seem to come and go. Right now im trying to figure out what is up with the pain and swelling in the joints in my hands but other than that Im going thriugh a good period.
Im gratefull that you feel pretty good too. Thank god we dont all have to suffer all the time.
Welcome to the board by the way!
Gracie

I agree with the others, it does take time for FM to mature. When I started noticing my first symptoms which was aches in my calfs when I would lay down to sleep. It lasted through the winter and when spring came I was fine. The next winter something else started to hurt, and it went on like that good times in the summer - bad times in the winter. Until the pains start to spread into the spring, and start earlier in the fall. Then 2 years ago, as far as my pain was concerned, my years only have one season; the one that makes me hurt. I still work and go to school but for how long??? Who knows. My doc just put me on Tylenol 3's 3 times a day which really upset my stomach even with food but he also put me on a new anti-inflammatory too, so the nausea could be from either one of them.
While you still can get around and enjoy your life, do it. Don't sit and let this take you over. I believe the more active you are and the better you take care of yourself, the less effect FM will have on you. Don't sit back and let it take you over while you still have control. Get into a regular physical activity no matter how hard it is for you. If I had it all to do over again, I would have listened to myself and not to the doctor who said, "take it easy," "keep your feet up," "relax." Bahh! That is the worst thing you can do.
I am sorry I have talked so long, but I feel that if you can catch FM early, that physical activity is the best thing you can do for YOU.

Dear Di,
You are fortunate to not have the severe symptoms. I have had this since birth. After reading more about it I found out that I had symptoms through out school years. I didn't get bad enough to get treatment untill I got my certification to teach in '92. Then in '97 went down for several months to the point that I couldn't go to the bathroom unassisted. That was in January and I did complete my year and then put in my resignation. Got my dx in June that year and applied for SSD in Dec. received it in April the next year. Just 3 months.
I have just come out of remission for ten months where I thought that there was nothing wrong with me. LOL Forget that, I have been down for two days now.
Welcome to the message board and I do hope that you stay on the mild side of Fibromyalgia. Oh almost forgot, some of the other people here like myself have Chronic Fatigue and Myofacial Pain Syndrome. So you just might not experience the level of pain some of us do. A good way to find out is to order or go buy Devin Starlanyl M.D. book FIBROMYALGIA AND MYOFACIAL PAIN SYNDROME, A Survival Manuel. She has FM and MPS and explains symptoms that I took for being normal and they were part of Fibro. It is worth its weight in gold. Sincerely, with fibro hugs, Bonnie

This is just MY thinking, others may disagree but I think that if you eat right,exercise and live the healthiest lifestyle possible, you can diminish some of the symptoms and slow down the progression and emergence of other symptoms. If I had known that I had FM I would have started taking better care of myself BEFORE I really started feeling badly. I can see from some of the other posts that I'm not the only one who thinks this way and I belive most doctors/medical professionals would agree.

Thanks to all of you for your helpful comments. I do eat properly and I also exercise about 5 days a week, so hopefully I will stave off any further symptoms!

Thanks again!

God Bless You All!

Love, Di http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Hi Di, I like you haven been told I probably have FM, but I also don't suffer like others on this board which sometimes makes me think I don't have FM. Anyway, I am thankful I don't have more severe symptoms and hope it stays that way. I also have more problems in the winter and feel better in the spring/summer. Is this something usual for FM? Thanks and take care!!

Hi Di, I think that for me, part of my suffering is from not taking care of myself with diet and exercise. I mean REALLY not taking care of myself, skipping meals,smoking,NO exercise and eating a lot of sweets/caffeine. And major sleep problems that just progressively got worse. Maybe you have already slowed down the progression or maybe you're just lucky, it's hard to say. I also think that sometimes people have a mild case that is triggered into a full flare by a trauma, such as an accident or childbirth (that's what got me) or something similar. I suspect that if you are very careful to get prompt medical treatment and take good care of yourself after such a trauma that you may not suffer as much. These are just MY theories after the reading I've done and the listening to people with FM and I don't think it's the only answer,just a piece of the FM puzzle. Many of my problems became chronic after my doctors ignored my complaints. Then one chronic problem piled onto another, I became less active and slept less and less. Like a snowball gathering symptoms as I rolled downhill through the last 4 years. I suspect if the medical problems had been treated early it would have solved a lot of my problems. No offense to the male species but I no longer will see MALE doctors,except for a rare few because it was primarily the male doctors who ignored me. I've found that other women TEND to take me more seriously and are able to set my sometimes strong personality aside to work with me. Actually........my docs are all women with strong personalities, maybe that's why it works so well. My family doctor is great but since he works mainly with geriatric patients, I think he's extra nice to me 'cause he's so grateful to see someone his own age!! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Susan,if you haven't already, you MAY want to look into being tested for allergies. I thought for years that I had seasonal depression but it seemed odd because it was worst in the fall and spring. Several doctors mentioned how "cyclic" my depression seemed to be. Turns out, I have seasonal and year-round allergies which cover spring,fall and winter. Summer,the only time I wasn't "depressed" is the only relatively allergy-free time I get! I've done very well with allergy shots,its a big committment but it was worth it! And I'm NOT "depressed" anymore!! LOL!

To Susan and Di,
Yes, Yes! The FM is always worse in the winter! By summertime I actually dont feel like I have FM at all unless I get a virus or something.
And no matter what you hear exsercise is the absolute best thing one can do for fibro!

Gracie