Fibromyalgia attacked my body more than 10 years ago after knee surgery. I was in a wheelchair for about six months, and I used a cane for another six months. I did not even know how to walk anymore. I fought the fibromyalgia with a lot of pain pills and tears. I was on so many medications that it damaged my stomach lining. Learning to break the cycle wasn’t easy because it was painful. It caused tiredness and depression. To this day, I am no longer on meds, and I live a new life with a new career. I have no more depression. It tries to creep in, but I fight it off through prayer. I have bowel problems, this pain that pain, etc., etc., etc. I find that when I help others and talk about it, it brings hope to others. Learning to stop the cycle is a battle. But there is hope. Published: November 07 ::

I’ve had fibromyalgia for about 18 years. For the first 5 years I had no idea what was wrong with me. Doctor after doctor, could not find anything wrong with me. I think after a while they thought I was making all this all up, as all of my test came back OK! Finally one DR. gave me the diagnosis. Since that time I have gone through so much. All of the symptoms you have mentioned I have had or still have. Life is not too much fun any more, just no let up. I just keep hoping they will find a medicine or treatment that can really help us all. Published: July 07 ::

Two months ago, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. After years of going to see the doctor, I finally got some answers. The pain I feel seems to never go away-hurting in my lower back, legs, neck, even sometimes radiates to the very tip of my toes. I am 32 years old and I don't know if I want to see how I feel at 40 because the pain is very intense. I'm trying to deal with it without meds-because I'm trying to have a child-don't know if I'll be able to do it! Published: July 07 ::

I was just diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I am 44 years old and I use to be very active. One day (about 10 years ago), I woke up with every single joint in my body aching. I was also very fatigued. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with Lyme disease. I was put on an antibiotic for 30 days and had another blood test done. It came back positive again for Lyme disease. My doctor called a specialist and they agreed that my body was reading a false positive. I did nothing after that to find out why I had pain. I just learned to live with it. As time went on I noticed my pain worsening and my knees would hurt going up steps (I blamed that on all the years of high impact aerobics), and I was stiff and sore all the time and I woke up tired all the time. Then about two months ago, I was at the store and I could barely walk. My whole body hurt so bad I just stopped and went home. My doctor referred me to an arthritis doctor who diagnosed Fibromyalgia and I have been taking 30 milligrams of amitriptilin and two Aleve twice a day now for four weeks. I don't feel any better, and all I want to do is sleep. I have to force myself to clean the house, go to work and keep up with the gardening that I love. Published: July 01 ::

One of my first symptoms was an excruciating pain in my head. The next was I couldn’t move my right arm with out getting a lot of pain. I’m taking Lyrica now , it helps but I still have to be careful not to over do things. Published: July 01 ::

I have never been diagnosed as having Fibromyalgia. In my 20's I had a fatigued feeling in my back and legs during and after a night out. I always figured (normal) in my 30's I seemed to get a little worse. Then I had a back injury (a broken tail bone. In my early 40's a very bad lower back attack. The leg pains Muscles got more and more frequent, 50's almost debilitating. Since mid 50's I never knew there was a condition called Fibromyalgia. I was treated for depression, I felt terrible because I had no energy, couldn’t and still can't sleep I had an MRI done and there is a bulge on my sciatic nerve and narrowing of the L4 and L5 lumbar. I just got over a severe lower back attack. I forced myself to do a couple of jobs through Christmas that were urgent. I wound up in bed with heat pads and naproxen; I could not even set on the couch or ride to town without severe pain. You just feel like your life has fallen apart and there is no hope for you and nobody knows how you hurt or feel. I am going to the neurologist for a review of blood tests and possible treatment. I am supposed to get a sleep study done three hours is an average nights sleep without meds. Published: July 01 ::

I have finally found a doctor who diagnosed me correctly with fibromyalgia. I have spent years and a lot of money on tests for arthritis, sleeping problems, Lyme disease, etc. before this. Now, I just have to experiment to find a fix. My new doctor tried me on lyrica, not good. Could only stay on it 10 days before the side effects (extreme dizziness, sleepiness and couldn't concentrate or even finish a sentence at work) took over. Also, have 2 bulging disks in low back not helping things! Have been on narcotics for back pain for 3 years and it’s the only thing that gets me through the day but the constipation thing is really bad. Have tried several anti-inflammatory meds, pain meds etc. Feel like a test-lab rat! Keep up the new info on this problem! It gives me hope! Thanks. Published: June 30 ::