A good friend of mine used to laugh about fibromyalgia, explaining that it’s a fake disease. Now that I’ve read about it, I am not only convinced that it’s fake, but that I have a severe case of it myself!
While the pharmaceutical companies have finally started advertising a drug to treat it, one of the doctors who first identified the ‘disease,’ Dr. Frederick Wolfe, now doubts its existence. He and other doctors point out that the condition actually worsens once a patient has been given the diagnosis, which causes them to “obsess over aches that other people simply tolerate.”
The FDA has approved the use of Pfizer’s “Lyrica” for fibromyalgia, and its side effects are severe weight gain and dizziness. This seems like a good plan. The fibromyalgia patient can then seek treatment for the new ailments, ad infinitum.
The fact that fibromyalgia sufferers tend to also be afflicted with other nebulous diseases like irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue, makes it very inviting. Basically, its victims feel achy all over, with pains that don’t respond to advil or even vicodin. There’s no way to prove you have fibromyalgia, or that you don’t. But if it’s recognized as a disease, you can go around complaining all the time! I love it!
Many years ago, the term neurasthenia would have covered not only fibromyalgia but Epstein Barr syndrome, chronic depression, and a host of other ailments as well. The first time I saw the word in the dictionary, I thought Bingo! I’ve got it! And to a greater or lesser degree, so do many of the people I know.
We’re tired, achy, bloated, depressed, congested, irritable, listless, itchy, anxious and short of breath. We hate to work or walk up stairs. When it’s not our stomach, it’s our head. “Lyrica!” It’s like a song to our brains from the loving musicians at Pfizer. And they’ll love us even more when we’re fat and dizzy!
If you are overweight and in poor shape, and you experience widespread body pain like “Vickey” – that is NOT fibromyalgia. So, Vickey, you were likely misdiagnosed and you are clueless about the true etiology and nature of the disease. Rather than hear the nonsense of a person who doesn’t know what she is talking about, consult the science and innovative research done at Stanford University by Dr. Sean Mackey. A wonderful presentation explaining the nature of pain and the exact nature of fibromyalgia can be described here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtc2JARVpPw
Furthermore, I have had a high-functioning life even with fibromyalgia, but that was only possible with pain management. I am not a drug seeker or complainer, as I have a graduate degree and generally optimistic outlook on life. I was a competitive athlete before I came down with Fibromyalgia. For many years, I had been drug free with only mild-moderate chronic pain. But I have also had severe flareups of widespread pain as a result of injuries and accidents. And it SHOWS – physical therapists are unable to move my neck or back in certain directions due to spasticity and severe cramping and muscle pain. It is not an entirely invisible disease and it is not caused by being overweight or depressed. But because Fibro acts on the pain processing centers of the brain and spinal cord, overlapping mental health symptoms can, but not always show. You can have flare-ups of muscle pain / spasms even if you are in the best of shape, as I have experienced many times over.
There are still unknowns about fibromyalgia. But if people stay up to date with the research done at Stanford University’s pain management research center, we will uncover the nature of fibro in exacting detail. I strongly believe they are close to determining the mechanisms and innerworkings of the complex processes of the brain and spinal cord. It is in my opinion that Fibromyalgia will be renamed as it has many times over. It is not a muscle disease but a brain-spinal cord -glial cell dysfunction or a disregulation of the whole nervous system. Eventually, I hope a new name that covers this aspect of nervous system and pain processing will be established and that people will stop making stupid assumptions that they have fibromyalgia just because they are out of shape and lacking motivation in life.
All a bunch of quacks, Fibromyalgia is totally fake. It is always the same stupid fat depressed women who claim the fibro ticket, a ticket out of work, out of house chores, and being the mother of her children. Just like they say, it is the newest fad disease.
But with the economy so bad, and people out of work, I can’t say that I wouldn’t create fake pain “a sad Fibro story” in order to prey elderly parents, siblings, frends, and the tax payer to supoport me.
I am sure that a few people really think that they are geniune “Fibroers” but reality proves that fibromyalgia is a form of depression. 99% of doctors say fibromyalgia is fake. just the newest fad disesae for middle aged depressed overweight women with a pathetic sex lives, or no sex at all.
Social security disability and SSI are going bankrupt because of fibromyalgia.
I think all you fat fibroers need to do what “Vickey” did and move on with your life. Loose the weight, get a job, stop being a drug seeker, stop clogging up the ER at local hospitals as you look for more morphine.
Come on we can do better as a country. Lets set a better example for out children. Lets not teach them to be lazy leaches off the system.
Okay, so I have been reading this from start to finish. I am a 20 year old female, and I was diagnosed with FM when I was 8 years old…
I was always athletic and smart and driven, and am currently a psychology major at the University of Kentucky on a full scholarship- I am obviously NOT lazy. I also don’t take pain killers. I took the non-addictive toradol for a while, because my doctor PUSHED it on me, but stopped because it hurt my stomach- the last thing I needed was an ulcer!
I am in pain everyday of my life, and you wouldn’t know unless you were one of my close friends. My boyfriend hugging me HURTS me. I feel bruised all over, and I even walk just a little funny because all of my joints hurt!
I don’t know about you, but not many eight year olds have a huge mental back story, are lazy bums, or even know what FM is. I sure didn’t when I was diagnosed. So how can you blame it on me wanting disability? I was eight. Or hating my life? I was a freaking cute eight year old.
Also as a psychology major (and pursuing my PHD in clinical psychology)
…continued…this laptop sucks…
I read a lot of research. Lyrica, a HEAVY ANTI DEPRESSANT, has only a 30% success rate with patients. So yeah, maybe some people have depression as their true issue, but the MAJORITY don’t.
Also, most auto immune diseases are diseases of elimination. There are ANA tests that can tell a doctor your inflammtion, generally INDICATING autoimmune, but for the majority, no real tests. Are they are FAKE diseases?
Are there hypochondriacs out there? Hell yeah. They will take on any disease they can latch onto for attention, fibromyalgia can be easy to fake to an uneducated doctor, but most CAN tell the difference.
Oh yeah, and I HAVE A JOB, WORK OUT(and am a very healthy weight thank you), AND AM A FULL TIME STUDENT. Please, tell me to get off my couch.
Amelia —– autoimmune diseases do have blood markers and not just ANA such as; ENA, anti-CCP, Rheumatoid Factor, anti-DNA, anti-SM antibodies as well as non-specific (ESR andCRP) inflammation markers. Furthermore, symptoms are visible. You can see the malar rash, scans and x-rays may show erosions and/or synovitis. You are wrong, there are real tests. You won’t get diagnosed with a complex AI disease without a lot of work-up.
Fibro may be real but it’s not a neurological autoimmune disorder, unfortunately for those who would like it to be. It’s a physical manifestation of mental health problems. There’s no shame in having a mental illness. People need to look a little deeper than the muscle twinges and get out of their damn wheelchairs!
I’ve skimmed through a lot of this. I’m a young male who is frightened that I have this disorder. There’s plenty of symptoms, and after reading studies and facts about the syndrome, I KNOW it is real.
There are actually correlations between lower levels of a number of hormones and the syndrome. There are also muscular and skeletal issues related to certain forms of exercise (namely the weightlifting I used to love doing) that inflame the pain.
This thing is real and it is terrible and it explains problems I’ve had for a decade. I DO NOT WANT THIS THING. If I am diagnosed as having FMS, I will have wasted the past six years of my life going to school for a career that I would not be hired for if I have FMS.
The people that constantly come on here and rag on those who have FMS are certainly afflicted with another kind of disorder… sociopaths. You’re on here, stirring up trouble, because you have no lives. It is doubtful you are doctors or nurses or any other productive members of society. You are all VERY likely living in the basement of your parents’ houses, staying up until 5 AM playing WOW and figuring out ways to take out the anger you have about not being worth anything. I do not believe in suicide, but I fully support your right to kill yourselves. Go ahead and end your lives now, because all you’ll be good at is belittling people with illnesses and clicking your mice.
Fibromyalgia is not a real disease. Fibromyalgia is a condition, or a state of ongoing loss of energy, loss of drive, loss of motivation, and loss of interest. Once an individual reaches this state they usually present with chronic ongoing unexplained pain, migraine headaches, unexplained energy loss and even new onset of suicidal ideations.
The patient is also typically morbidly obese secondary to a fully sedimentary life style that is entertained with constant eating and caloric intakes averaging as high as 5,000 calories per day.
85% of the “fibromyalgia” patients are female, age 45 and up, and usually suffered in the distant past a major life changing event. Typical events in the past 5-years for these sufferers include, but are not limited to divorce, loss of career, death of a child, heath crisis such as a cancer scare, lack of career advancement for age, unattained financial status for age, death of patents, or any other major lifer stressor.
These women are usually able to cope with the life crisis by self medicating with food at first, and then with the weight gain comes loss of health, loss of job, loss of energy, etc.
Most women also notice that they get attention from family, friends, and the medical community when they complain of the pain and this starts a self feeding circle of “the spiral down hill”, as the patient eats up all this attention, but only at the expense of getting worse off and not actually getting the help that they really need.
95% of people with fibromyalgia need counseling for depression and or medication. They need a new light in their lives that adds back that sparkle and drive to live and thrive. They need a feeling of self-worth again.
For the other 5% of fibromyalgia suffers, who actually have genuine authentic “standalone” Fibromyalgia, we know of no cure, sorry you are just out of luck.
If you think you have fibromyalgia, please seek help; don’t pay attention to all the negative post of this site. Seek the professional help that you are entitled to as an American citizen and a human being.
I have seen many women get their lives back and believe me there is truly life after fibromyalgia, because I am living proof of that. I even went back to school at age 50- and became an RN Practitioner. Please just go and see your doctor and hopefully he is not one of those ignorant doctors that think fibromyalgia is fake, if so, you may have to rely on an online support group or other resources, just please get help.
Three simple words
“FIBROMYALGIA IS FAKE”
Nasty fat women who want to collect a disability check.
Real fibromyalgia people will not talk at all about the fibro, that is how you
know who is faking it, due to the fact that they will hold you up for hours as they talk of every condition/disease/pain that they have.
All a bunch of self centered trailer park trash who are fat and lazy and feeding off the back of the taxpayers. I know because this is 90% of my family. Total bums off the system, even an 8-yr old is on SSI due to fibromyalgia.
My Grandmother on my mom’s side had 10-kids,
47 grandkids 90% on SSI for being crazy or Fibromyalgia
15 great grand kids 90% on SSI
8 Great Great grandkids 3 on SSI due to “health problems”
Total bums, 90% are “HOME SCHOOLED” = no shooling
98% can’t read or do simple math
$620,000 yr. in disability checks
$5,000,000 yr in medical bills, suicide attempts, COPD, drug seeking in ER
,children in mental hospitals, no-prenatal care- new borns in children’s hospital for first 1-yr of life due to mother on meth. State has protective custody of 11-greatgrand kids
$350,000 yr in goverment housing”low income housing”
$350,000 yr in Food Stamps
Not sure how much the tax payers spend per yr for the 12 or so in prision
My family, which is only one family in the whole United States is costing the American Tax payer over $7,000,000 a year due to Fibromyalgia and fake pains, etc.
This is why our country is going down the drain.
Really this is like talking politics or religion, half agree and half disagree. Yes some people fake Fibromyalgia to get social security just like some people fake a lot of other things to get money, pity or what ever else they are looking for.
But for the ones who do really have it you have no idea what they go threw everyday. Let me guess next you people are going to start saying that people with bipolar and other mental problems are faking to right??
Yes some people don’t like to talk about things that are wrong with them because they just want to feel freaking normal with out people looking at them and judging them like you people are now.
Who are you guys to say that the pain these people are having is fake? And if some are faking it, your not fucking god just sit there keep your mouth shut and don’t listen.
Some people like to talk about what is wrong with them, look how many people have been raped, beaten or almost killed! You think it is easy for them to start support groups and shelters? To stand up and talk about it freely?
No but they do it anyways because they don’t care what people think, they know they did nothing wrong so what does it hurt if they can help someone else get threw their pain rather it be mental or physical.
Their are a lot of bad people in this world, and to be honest if there really was a God none of us would be here right now. None of you are perfect in any shape or form, we have all lied about something or did something we shouldn’t of.
You think these people want to be in severe pain all day everyday with no comfort? You think people with mental problems want to go kill people, or want to want to kill them self’s? No but that is just how it is, and for those who don’t have physical or Mental problems your lucky!! And you should be thankful everyday for that.
But don’t think that gives you a right to sit on your high fucking horse and judge people just because you think it is fake. And as for people that get SSI sure some do not deserve to get it, but there is some that do need the help and there is nothing wrong with that.
And really people now days are so worried about their self’s, they could care less about others around them. Its a shame how people have turned out. Everyone is only worried about their self’s and how much money they can get to make their self’s look good.
You wanna say that these doctors are stupid! Fine. You wanna say all these people are faking their pain! Fine. But don’t think for one second you are better then anyone just because you have not felt the pain they have everyday.
I see this thread is over a year old, but I want to comment anyway –
Many of these posts comment about these women with “wonderful” lives that have FM. Since they have wonderful, dream lives, it can’t be from depression at all, can it?
Let me tell you something – MANY times the woman you see that has a “dream” life is actually living in hell.
I know because I am one of them. If you knew me, you would see my two beautiful children, my great husband, nice home, great job, good income – you would think I had a perfect life.
I LIVE IN HELL. No I don’t have FM. I absoutely hate my life, almost every minute for reasons I don’t care to share with anyone. No, my husband isn’t absuive, I don’t have a secret gambling or drug problem. This is just not the life I want. And if you met me, I would let you keep believing I have the perfect life because I can’t share with anyone what is really going on.
SO, when you say this couldn’t possibly stem from depression believe that maybe you aren’t admitting it to yourself or your friend can’t admit it.
“Fibromyalgia” is a huge, steaming pile of stinky BS. Most people who claim to be afflicted with this “disease” are merely drug seekers looking for their next dope scrip. Those who are not drug seekers are simply chronic, needy complainers who love to tell people how much “pain” they’re in in order to gain sympathy and attention from those around them. What a pathetic load of crap this “diagnosis” is!
I know someone who “claims” to have the “Worst” case of Fibromyalgia. She can not work, unable to clean house or cook. Has laid so much guilt on her husband for her condition that he does it all and feels sorry for her. She is on dump load of drugs, including methadone, and claims it still does not work. She has sat on the couch watching tv for so long that the cushion in the couch is busted. She is by far the laziest person I have ever known or seen in my life. She gets disability and claims she can do nothing, yet when its something she WANTS to do, she is all over it. She never leaves the house and complains when she is asked to do anything but one of her adult kids or husband. Any time anything big is going on, weddings, house chore day, someone’s moving and she was asked to watch the grand baby, she has a “Fibro Flare” and cant. If there are suffers out there, if this is a true illness, you should start by weeding out all of these lazy fat trashy people who want nothing more then a free ride in life. Idiots. Go get your white trash food self up and get a damn job and stop complaining. We all carry our cross, stop whining that you cant live your own life.
you know i belevie this is real 100%. i have been diagonosed with it. I’m 14 years old. I hate the fact that i do have it. Every day of my life i use to cry all the time screaming to the top of my lungs. My body would make unusual sounds. Also things out of the ordinary. I didn’t know what it was. My mom would give me all types if medicatioin none would never seem to work. After time and time going back and forth to the doctors they said i had Fibromyalgia. I have to deal with people telling me this is fake all the time. People just don’t beleive how serious this is. I always tell people how do you know how someone else feels? You don’t. I’ts just like when you say your cold and then someone says no your not. How do you know. They don’t. I have pain and i know it’s real. The fact that someonne who doesn’t even have a career or a liscence want to tell me whats wrong just aint right. I don’t know if were in the wrong category of diseases but we need to be in one. Fibromyalgia isn’t fake. But i know every one has there on opinion. Oh… and its not about being lazy.I am a soccer player. I have to keep in shape in order to have strong bones.
I found this site through research on a FMS paper I am doing in college, not because I want sympathy, support, or to whine. This has been very discouraging to read. I am 32 yrs. old and was dx’d with fibromyalgia over a year ago. I am a very high energy person, have always worked 50-60 hrs a week, and do not like pain pills at all. After my c-section i threw the oxycodone in the trash. I have a fabulous life…..a daughter doctors told me i would never have, an amazing husband that I am deeply in love with, who I might add is serving our country overseas right now. I am not rich by any means, but we will not go hungry any time soon. I love my life and feel very fortunate to be living it….I am as far from depressed as possible. I do for others in any way I can and look for no sympathy because I feel lucky. I do have fibromyalgia, it does affect my life, and my body does hurt terribly some days. Doesn’t this contradict every stereotype that has been thrown around on this site as far as fibromyalgia sufferers go? Why can’t we all just get allong and help others instead of hating?
Fibromyalgia is the first obstacle in my life I have not been able to overcome through sheer dint of will.
I’m 29 years old – a bit lean by American standards from too much yoga and not enough fast food, maybe, but inarguably “in shape”. I’ve worked since I was 14 (in my family, if you wanted to drive at 16 you had to be able to buy your own car). I’ve had the amazing opportunity to develop my career through international travel, self-education, and stick-tuitiveness.
To be frank, Fibromyalgia is embarrassing. It’s the word I hear my husband murmur into the phone when we have to beg off from dinner with friends (again) because I simply don’t have the energy to go out after work. It makes my mother purse her lips when I over-exert on weekend visits and fall asleep in the middle of a game of Scrabble. It makes my boss wonder if I’m drunk when I call, because my brain simply refuses to work and I can’t quite make my tongue wrap around the words, so I slur and stumble through the conversation and eventually she understands that I won’t be in to the office for a few days.
At first I thought I had the flu – I was achy all over, tired, dizzy. My body felt heavy and weak, I couldn’t focus, couldn’t remember things; I had difficulty opening jars, kept dropping things. I would be out of sorts for a few days, then I would feel okay for awhile, still a bit drained, but more like my normal self – healthy, active, energetic. The problem was, I had “the flu” every few weeks, sometimes as often as once a month in the winter. At a certain point I had to admit it wasn’t normal, and visited a doctor to find out what was going on. It was the first time I’d been to the doctor for something other than a well-woman check-up since having my tonsils out as a teenager.
After nearly a year of being poked and prodded by various specialists and surrendering to a battery of tests for every obscure ailment under the sun, my doc finally looked at me over his glasses and said, “Okay, we’re going to try this one last thing. Go talk to this Rheumatologist, but if this isn’t it, I’m going to recommend that you see a Psychologist.” I was stricken – it’s difficult to imagine sitting in a Psych’s office discussing the possibility of self-induced pain, confusion, and fatigue when the first thing you do in the morning is throw open the drapes and smile at the sun.
I hesitate to use the word “fortunate” when describing the relief I felt at hearing the word “Fibromyalgia”. My “flu” wasn’t the flu at all, and it wasn’t in my head. The Rheumatologist followed the diagnosis with some quick caveats: current medical understanding of the syndrome didn’t allow for tests that could either confirm or refute the diagnosis.; further, there was no “cure” for it, and treatment was trial-and-error, at best. The “fortunate” part goes hand-in-hand with the syndrome’s lifelong sentence – unlike Lupus or Lyme’s Disease, both of which show common symptomology with FM, Fibromyalgia isn’t degenerative. As painful or interruptive as it is – as inconvenient and infuriating and debilitating – it isn’t causing any long-term damage to organs, tissues, or bone. My body, though weakened, is still intact. I can still fight back.
I’ve always told myself “I can deal with the pain… it’s no worse than day 3 after a hard run.” For six years I’ve gritted my teeth through pain that radiated through my body without cause and without abatement. Although prior to diagnosis I shied away from taking so much as a Tylenol, I allowed the folks treating me to prescribe a myriad of drugs – everything from anti-depressants to narcotics. The medications seemed to manage the pain to varying degrees, but completely ignored or in some cases exacerbated my primary complaint – I didn’t have the energy to do what I considered “normal” activities any more, and that was beginning to take a real toll on me.
I didn’t want to have to choose between having a job and having a social life. I didn’t want to choose between being able to vacuum my floor Saturday morning or going to see my parents for lunch. I didn’t want to choose between being able to stand and make dinner for my husband or being alert enough to stay up and eat it with him. I was tired of living “either/or” – I’d always kept myself fit and healthy, always eaten right, always had the energy to both do what needed to be done and to enjoy the benefits of my hard work. I wanted my “and” back.
I can’t tell you how many doctors’ offices I’ve sat in – how many nurses and PA’s and physicians and staff have looked at me like some type of self-injurious hypochondriac. I wanted to shake them and scream, “Look, you’re not listening… it’s not about the pain!!” It didn’t matter. They’d become calloused from being taken advantage of. Their compassion had been used up by people looking for a fix, or looking for a check, or looking to get anything from any one who’d give it. They couldn’t hear me, quietly searching for a solution, for the cacophony of whining, sniveling, non-stop complaints of people trying to game the system.
After several years of being bounced from doctor to doctor, I finally found a physician who “gets it”. He “gets” that for me, pain is secondary. He “gets” that appropriate treatment, in my case, means helping me harness enough energy during the day to get on with the business of life. He gets that I’d rather make adjustments in my diet and exercise than stuff pills in my mouth, but that sometimes meds are necessary – the trick is balancing both to maximize the benefits.
I’m still tired a lot of the time. I still have days where I can’t seem to stay awake for more than a few hours in a stretch – days where my brain refuses to cooperate and trying to articulate what I’d like for dinner is too complex to manage. On those days, discussing software changes with a client or hopping a flight to DC to present new technology at an industry seminar is beyond my scope of ability. My doctor and my boss still feel that returning to my position is out of the question – it’s another one of those things that had to give way to “either/or”. Either I can take the time now to focus on returning as much to normal as possible, keep my body in shape an exercise my mind and memory in the hope that I’ll regain some of what I’ve lost, fight back and aim at eventually returning to “real life”, or I can sit down, cry about what I’ve lost, wallow in self-pity and pain, and let it all go. For me, there may as well not be a second option.
Just because you know a hypochondriac doesn’t mean every one you know is a hypochondriac. Just because some people see an ad on television and suddenly develop the “disorder du jor” doesn’t mean that there aren’t real people suffering, who need real treatment – preferably without snappish, snide remarks from those who can’t fathom what it’s like to go through this.
I don’t seek the company of others with FM, don’t need a support group, and dont want a pity-party. I don’t want drugs to take away my pain that also take away my mind. I’m not looking to shirk responsibility, hide from my spouse, or run away from my job or my friends. I don’t want attention, don’t want allowances made for me, and don’t want your tax money.
I just want my life back.
my sister-in-law says she has this and even thinking about work is overwhelming. she doesn’t even have the energy to clean up after herself or get up before noon. the funny thing is, if there is a party or event to plan or go to, she has all the energy in the world and has no problem staying out all night drinking and doing whatever. but, oh, i’m too tired to do anything that i don’t want to do. she lives with one parent and is leeching the other into an early grave. sorry, but i call BS
I am 23 years old and I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia for the last 6 years. This is not a fake disease, how DARE you say that the pain that I feel every day of my life is “imaginary”. At 23 years old wouldn’t you think I would MUCH rather be out drinking all night and having a great time with my friends? Hell yes I would! But I can’t. Why? Because I am in excruciating pain from the time I open my eyes to the time I close them. I’m not a lazy person. I have a full time job. I clean my apartment, cook and do the laundry. by the time I am done with all the things that I need to do in a day I have no pain tolerance and no energy left for my friends and family. and it sucks. It hurts like hell, but I face the pain everyday and work to remind myself that I’m still alive. That does NOT mean that I am not in pain or that my mind has made up a fake illness. If I punched you in the face when no one else was around, would you say that the pain from your broken nose was imaginary because no one else could feel it or see it or validate it’s existence? No, you would whine and cry because it would HURT!
Of course I’m sure some people take advantage of the disease, and maybe some even fake it. But don’t go around calling everyone who has ever been diagnosed with this a Hypochondriac or lazy or a drama queen. Some of us really do live with constant debilitating pain and exhaustion. Until you know what it’s like to have to fight a war with your body to get out of bed every morning you should STFU.
And by the way…I do not take any medication. I know at some point I will probably be forced to when the pain becomes too intense for me to bear, but for now I choose to be drug free. This doesn’t mean that everyone can tolerate the pain without medication like lyrica and cymbalta. Luckily I have the most amazing boyfriend to balance out my moods and rub my muscles when I ache too badly, but not all sufferers have this luxury. So don’t go around saying that Fibro victims are a bunch of drug seekers.
Besides, claims of Fibro, or like symptoms, have been around for hundreds of years. they didn’t have any type of drug for it back then…hmmmm, maybe that tells you something.
s.i.l. is probably faking then. her house got so nasty she had to move out of it now lives with her dad. been there, she’s ruining his house now too. can’t get the energy to sweep or wipe something up but if there’s a party to go to it’s on. makes me sick, watching her bleed my wife’s parents white. mom is paying the mortgage (and fines from the city) on the should be condemned old house. her mom is in her 70s and has to work a full time job to support her cause she’s so sick. unless there’s a party.
Not a Choice, your claim of experience a legitimate disease sound so overwrought and forced that part of you must realize how completely and utterly insane you sound. Fibromyalgia legitimizes what are probably very real social, economic or other stressors. Yes, you lack the ability to cope with these stressors, and what better what to alleviate your responsibility than by claiming it’s all due to a disease, over which you have no control. Perhaps you should start seeing a shrink?
Not a Choice, your claim of experiencing a legitimate disease sounds so overwrought and forced that part of you must realize how completely and utterly insane you sound. Fibromyalgia legitimizes what are probably very real social, economic or environmental stressors. Yes, you lack the ability to cope with these stressors, and what better way to alleviate your responsibility than by claiming it’s all due to a disease over which you have no control. Perhaps you should start seeing a shrink?
Funny how I only began meeting women with “Fibromyalgia” in the last few years. All have nearly identical “symptoms”, and amazingly, most “came down” with symptoms after someone else they knew was “diagnosed” with it.
The common thread with all that I know “with” it:
Some kind of stressful experience was the starting point.
None have responded to any efforts by doctors – from medications (pain, anti-derpessants, and now even the new drug Lyrica – which caused weight gain and a host of other issues ON TOP of the supposed Fibromyalgia issues.
Further, all have shown some “improvement” when they had stress levels drop and/or their friends with the “disorder” are not around them to influence them.
I have spoken with a few doctors in my “line of work”, some of which are among the most compassionate people I know – but who all believe there is zero physiological issue with Fibromyalgia, and only one suggested that it might be a neurological issue that they just don’t understand – but said that she leans towards it being a Psychosomatic issue.
I know quite a few in the medical profession in general who say that the common thread to every “case” they have seen is that the women are having difficulties dealing with other issues in their lives.
But we all must make our own minds up. At least two of those I know personally who have been “diagnosed” with Fibromyalgia are sincere ladies. One of which has been considered a hypochondriac all of her life – long before “Fibromyalgia” became the fashionable “disorder”.
It is odd how this “genetic” disorder is also contageous (usually between women with way too much time to gossip.)
I came here because I have been doing a lot of researching lately. I was the type of person who hardly got colds or flus so I would say pretty healthy. And if I didn’t feel good I pushed through anyways and did well at hiding little things. Recently I landed in the emergency room and had to have immediate surgery for a perforated bleeding ulcer. I’m not telling this for sympathy – I’m saying this to give some history. Since then I have not been physically the same. I have not been diagnosed with anything as of yet. They are doing tests because since the surgery a CT came back abnormal so have to go to have a double balooned endroscopy. Have recentyl been introduced to aches and pains and nerves that I never knew even excisted. So I’m saying this because I don’t believe that fibromyalgia is fake. I do know one thing that people are better off just dealing with there doctor’s, trusting there instincts, keeping a journal and sharing as little as possible with people who are not dealing with what they are. Because at the end of the day we are all human and only can relate with what we have experience to relate with. I wish all of you who are in pain relief and some type of peace.
Not sure why this became a middle aged woman thing.
I was just diagnosed and I am 21 years old and have been having pain for 3 years after I had a kidney infection. I pretty much feel like i am 80 years old. I know what wrongs with me and I will never let anyone tell me different.
So suck it. Cause I deal with more painful things then your petty words.
wow this is crazy
Fibromyalgia is one of the biggest jokes of the healthcare industry. Yup believe it people, us healthcare workers think you’re all freakin nuts. As a medic then nurse now P.A. I have dealt with this fictitious disease firsthand. Once as a joke I asked a patient on my ride what stage of fibromyalgia she had 1,2,3,4, or 5. Now as anyone with a clue would know there are no stages of fibromyalgia yet she responded with 5! I’m a 5!! WOW. To me it seems like it’s a catch all…well so and so comes in she/he aches all over we’ve done numerous studies, numerous labs, numerous CT’s, you name it, yet it all comes back normal. Well lets do this lets just put this diagnosis on it, it will shut him/her up enough to get them out of our hospital/clinic and move on. Whats sad is that people take this crap so seriously, they are able to file for disability and what not. O.k. i’m sure your pains are real but for the love of God toughen up, just because your abdomen is hurting doesn’t mean you’re going to die or that something is wrong with you. Guess what I have that pain daily it’s called an ulcer from dealing with idiots like you on a daily basis. Seriously this is such a joke.
jili you are awesome. i am right there with you.
There are some really “unlightened” comments on this page. What would you say if I told you that I’m a former beauty queen, former competitive cheerleader and professional ballet dancer, I weight 92 pounds and I’m 4’11”. I’ve seen 17 doctors over a ten year period to find out what is wrong with me. I’ve had two MRI’s, CT Scans, full blood work-ups, Emg nerve testing, etc… I’m 36 and have worked and supported myself since I was 16 at which time I left home with a back pack and called it a day… All of this was due to a cheerleading accident when I was dropped from 8ft up onto a hardwood floor… Unlightened ones, this IS A REAL CONDITION that affects every part of your life. I NEVER complain as it is not in my nature but from what I’m told by my friends and family – the look on my face speaks for itself. Peace, Love & Compassion to my fellow Fibromites.
Have you ever noticed that fibromyalgia “suffers” usually have had some injury in life. Broken bones or other accident. I broke my arm when I was 6 and guess what? It hurts when it rains. And since I’m getting older my back, hips, knees, neck, and other joints hurt from time to time. Oh and I’m tired when I stay up for hours dwelling on things I can’t change. My goodness I must have fibromyalgia! Yay!
To each his/her own opinion. I am a highly accomplished and educated person who would much rather prefer working my high paying job to contemplating social security disability. I was diagnosed with “fibromyalgia” four years ago after six years of suffering. I have declined narcotic pain medicine. Physical therapy, excercise, a healty diet and positive thinking are my preferred routes for pain relief and management. I am 38 years old, 5’5 and 120 pounds. I am a mentally grounded person who understands what limitations I have and why.
I am not lazy, obese, drug addicted, or a drug seeker. I’m not impressed with the “label” of fibromyalgia. I like to think that I just face challenges that most do not.
I understand the frustrations that some who have written are expressing; however, I think that it is not a just assessment to belittle a person who has chronic pain and/or fatigue.
What a joke…..
Just get over it like I did. Leave that husband that is not pleasing you in the bed, loose all that fat, get a job, buy that sports car with half of his 401K after the divorce, start dating younger hot guys and start having wild crazy sex.
Throw out all the pain meds, start working out 4-days a week.
That is what I did and it worked. My Fibromyaliga/CFS/Depression/Panic attacks/ social fears, etc. all melted away.
I love my life now. I am 46 years old and having the time of my life.
As we get into our 40’s we women tend to just start to shut down, grow numb, gain weight, and think, “is this really life”, we just start to spin out of control.
I am having sex with 1-2 different guys a week now. I go out all the time. I still see my kids on weekends and I still care for my x-husband. I am doing the things I never got to do because I got married at the age of 19 and have only been with 1-boring guy who works 60 hrs a week and could not/didn’t want to please me in the bedroom way.
I know in the back of my mind I will go back to my husband and kids in a few years, but damm it, now I am living it all up for me now. It is my turn.
Screw all that fat depression/ fibro life shit for now. I don’t need it, it doesn’t own me. I have total control over my life now.
I know these words are hard, but that is just what we all need to hear.
My younger sister got me motivated 3-years ago. She told me to get off my lazy behind and start doing something and I’d feel better. You know what, she was right. I didn’t realize how much I had shut out the family. I hadn’t talked to my brothers in 5-years. I only saw my parents 3-4 times a year and we live in the same town. I would only get out of the house once a week. I am thanking God I didn’t kill myself, or OD on all the pain meds I was on. You know I really hurt all over. It was real to me, but it was my life. You could put a loaded guy up to my head and make me tell the truth and I really believed I had all these pain disorders/dieseases. It was 100% real no doubt, but motivation and drive can work wonders if with the Lords belessings. You just have to take that first step and get up and walk out to the mail box, then start walking down the street, change your diet, join a gym, cut off all the sodas, fast food, etc.
This is my time to live, life is too short to play that fibro game.
I had 2- friends die of the Fibro life. They both over dosed on pain meds with alcohol. They were both just like me and 2-years younger.
Sure it is real for maybe 1-3% of people, but it is all in your head, you just have to do something, start living again, have a drive, get out, go wild, be 18 years old again.
Do it for your kids, if you don’t do this, you could die and then what. Live, breath, be happy.
God loves you and wants you to be happy. He understands and he will forgive. Just do it.
I find that some of my friends with this “condition” have always been a little lazy. I suspected this a while back, and asked some people that knew them before I did. My suspicions were confirmed in all cases. They are still my friends, as I love people very much. I have a few aches and pains as well, and do indeed consider myself as a slacker. Still manage to go to work and attempt to give 110%. A few of my friends tell me I’m making them look bad because I use a cane and lost a small percentage of my heart function after my heart attack. But open heart surgery did wonders in my case. I’m an auto mechanic and I can tell you that its a cold, dirty, thankless occupation, but I didnt want to just waste away and made a promise to myself that if I lived through heart surgery, I was gonna work with all my might, as I feel now, as I did then, its far better to have to work by the sweat of your brow and suffer, than to be dead and not be able to do anything. Now that I think about it, those friends are making themselves look bad.
In 2006 I suffered a tramatic life event, a tragic, sudden loss of a loved one. I spiraled into grief, depression, and anxiety. Within the next couple of years, I was dignosed with IBS, chronic fatigue, and, eventually, fibromyalgia. At the time, I truly believed there was something physical going on, but all the extensive testing performed on me was unremarkable. It wasn’t until 2009 that I ‘awakened’ to the fact that my underlining condition was depression. Once I came to terms with that and underwent extensive grief therapy, the classic ‘fibro’ symptoms melted away.
The last thing I want to do is insult anyone, as I know first hand how miserable ‘fibro’ symptoms can be. I believe the majority of ‘fibro’ cases are psychologically induced, whether due to a personality disorder/mental illness, drug seeking/attention seeking behavior, or depression due to a life event. There are, however, the handful of legitimate cases. For those people, I hope they find the painfree life they deserve.
Hi There!
I’m Kat, a 21 year old ex- dancer and teaching student from England…First point being I dont pay for my healthcare and am with the same doctor…
I am also in more or less good health, Mentally stable, from a normal council estate background and am well educated (2 grades of Camebirdge), Also being a student any hard work is my own choice, given that a swim every week, used to dance (not ballet but hiphop, jazz, ballroom and street) I also like to think I am fit and though I am a UK size 16 I also walk 6miles to town once a week.
I also have FM! First noticed when my arms and legs would randomly go dead or have pins and needles which i cant ever remember not happening, then as the doctor looked through my notes he realised I had been admitted for possible dance injuries that turned out to be nothing several times, At first I as tested for a trapped nerve in my back then for autoimmune diseases. At 18 I was rushed into hospital with massive pains in my chest, an ECG showed nothing and eventually I was told “must have been a spasm, dont panic, you could cause it to re-occure”!
All these symptoms slowly came together and after nerve testing, pain response ect I was diagnosed, we have found things get worse with stress and I have learnt the occasional pattern in my illness (which it is). I know I I have a day where the pain is bad its best to go to bed early as would anyone else and then wake up refreshed rather than push through and be physically incapable of moving the next day.
On the basis “its all in my head”, it could be for all I know! Amputees have reported phantom pain in their lost limbs and in epidemics peoples bodys have produced the symptoms with no cause except panic, so it could be my head playing tricks on me but you woldnt tell a man with schitozphrenia he is not ill, even though its all in his head?
Dont judge, just educate and formulate an opinion, an opinion is never wrong just ill informed x
KatKat
Fibromyalgia is real, my aunt who was only 54 years old died of fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia is a deadly disease. Fibromyalgia kills over time. Fibromyalgia is not fake. Fibromyalgia will become the leading cause of death in the United States in the next 10-years.
Fibromyalgia is the newest epidemic disease that will stop the United States in it’s tracks.
We must find a cure for Fibromyalgia before it is too late.
And then there are people like me; who are dreading going to the doctor at all because of ignorant people like a lot of you out there preaching about something you know nothing about (nor do I) but I don’t go around pretending I know everything about a diagnosed illness when I am clearly not a doctor! Fibromyalgia is in my family. My mother has it. She is an extremely strong woman and forces herself to lead a normal life even though it absolutely is killing her! She refuses to let anything keep her down. I have seen her cry – no, sob in pain! Now I have a strong gut feeling that I have this. I have been delaying a doctor visit because I just shrug it off to be ‘normal aches and pains’, but I’ve worked in the holistic industry long enough to know there should not be even ‘normal aches and pains’, something is ‘off’ somewhere! Anyway, I am also a very strong woman in my opinion. I had my babies at home with no pain medications. I can handle pain! But NOT EVERY FREACKIN’ day! Sometimes I think I’m going to loose my mind because the pain is ridiculous and constant, and never in the same spot! BUT, I will probably put off having anything done about this. WHY? Because I’ll be damned if I’m going to listen to someone tell me it’s in my head, or it’s non-existent, or listen to people like YOU! Karma is a bitch and I surely hope you don’t ever end up with an ailment that gets you down! Shame on you.
I have a roommate who claims to have this and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he’s one of the fakers. I’m not trying to say that this is a made up disease, as he is the only person I’ve heard say he has is (never heard of it before him), however I’m a bit skeptical. He’s always been a very self centered, manipulative person (before his “fibro” came about), and viewed himself as a victim to anything bad in life and that “the world is always against me.” He’s been possibly the most difficult person ever, and that’s after I’ve given in to almost all his demands. I’ve come to the conclusion that nothing will ever be enough for him. I can’t continue to cater to his every whim and the second I take a stand against something (the requests really get absurd), I get berated for being a terrible person and the worst person in the world.
While he states that he has fibro and that I just don’t understand and am a garbage person because of it (no matter what I do or say…and I’ve tried to be compassionate over and over and cater to his demands), I also know that he has never had any regard for anyone else in his life and anything he can use to his benefit, he will, no matter what it does to someone else. He has a history of this long before his supposed disease.
He’s also had drug problems before (both prescription and non) and after lots of lost time trying to understand him, which I can’t, I’ve come to the conclusion that he’s some sort of sociopath mixed with narcissism.
Whether his condition is true or not I can’t say for sure, and for those who truly have it, I’m sorry. Regardless, you can’t go around in life placing all your faults on other people expecting that everybody drop everything to help you, and in return you literally treat everyone like a piece of garbage. I have empathy for people until they treat you like scum over and over for doing nothing but trying to be understanding (ofcourse I’m never understanding enough though), at which point I chose to remove you from my life.
If he does have fibro, which I doubt, and people with it are similar to him, while I do feel sorry for you all with the disease, I also feel sorry for the victims whose lives you also make just as miserable as yours (maybe not physically, but mentally). Sorry for this rant but I was researching this to try and gain understanding and ran across these comments.
If he is a fake and I’ve incorrectly labeled any of you then I apologize. HOWEVER, if my above descriptions sound like you than having pain doesn’t give you the right to trample on others and if you ever want to receive empathy, then you need to return it once in a blue moon. Also, stop being a little cry baby about everything and learn to move on with your life. Try not being the most selfish POS alive, although I doubt you all ever will because you’ll just disregard this post since it doesn’t agree with youre preconceived ideas.
I have suffered with FMS for 20 years. I was in my late twenties was slim and active, happily married with two young children when I was diagnosed. I did not choose to have this terrible condition and would not wish it on my worse enermy. We as sufferers did not name the condition and also did not sum all our ailments into it, the doctors did. Unfortunately some doctors when they know you have fibro will dismiss the new ailment that you are suffering from and will say its your fibro. Is this laziness on their part or is it because they do not really know what is wrong with you. The people who get cured from FM must of been miss diagnosed in the first place and the people who do not beleive its exsistence should spend more time thinklng positively instead of spending their precious time finding faults with people who suffer.
I’ve had fibro all my life. I was mis-diagnosed for years, I was told it is all in your head, excersise through the pain and fatigue, I did so. I loved horses, mountain biking, I lived on the edge of moorland and was incredibly active thinking child. I killed myself nearly. I wanted so much to excersise through the pain that I kept going and going – doctors told me to push through the pain barrier and I tried. I ended up in bed in agony, throwing up, symptom after symptom. When I was finally diagnosed age 21 I was wheelchair bound unable to care for myself at all. Since being diagnosed I have learnt to control what I do, what I think, how I react and although I haven’t been able to undo all the harm I have done to my body, ligaments, muscles, neuro plasticity, I have been able to give myself a better life and work to rebuilding my body. I now have a partner and a daughter, something pre diagnosis I never ever thought would b possible. I have noticed that criteria for fibro patients diagnosis has gone from 1 year pain in all 4quadrents to 3 months pain in 2 quadrants. I know that 11 tender points r still required but until a blood test, scan ect is able to prove ome thing is wrong they won’t accept it no matter how I’ll u r, or disabled u are, no matter ow hard you try u get tossers going your just lazy, it’s all in ur head ect. That’s life!
“Sign me up” … be careful what you wish for – karma is a real bitch. One day you may find yourself, or a close loved one, living with severe chronic pain. I hope they show you more understanding and compassion than you seem to be capable of. Have you ever thought to yourself … ‘just what if I’m wrong??”
I won’t waste my time sharing another perspective, because you are clearly too self-righteous and judgmental to even consider the people you choose to belittle do have a real disease and can suffer greatly. Shame on you.
Oh My God. Just found this website after searching for more information on Fibromyalgia. What a sick bunch of people. I agree wholeheartedly with Lori, You should be careful what you wish for. This is very real, very frightening and disabling disease. Maybe instead of ‘fibro’ bashing you should take a good look in the mirror and ask yourselves why you would be so pathetic as to sit in front of a computer screen and belittle, question and mock a disease that you obviously know NOTHING about.
Fibromyalgia is just another name for the chronic pains associated with Bipolar Disorder or Depression. That is why it is treated with antidepressants.
“Signs and symptoms of the depressive phase of bipolar disorder include persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt, anger, isolation, or hopelessness; disturbances in sleep and appetite; fatigue and loss of interest in usually enjoyable activities; problems concentrating; loneliness, self-loathing, apathy or indifference; depersonalization; loss of interest in sexual activity; shyness or social anxiety; irritability, chronic pain (with or without a known cause); lack of motivation; and morbid suicidal ideation.[7] In severe cases, the individual may become psychotic, a condition also known as severe bipolar depression with psychotic features. These symptoms include delusions or, less commonly, hallucinations, usually unpleasant.[8] A major depressive episode persists for at least two weeks, and may continue for over six months if left untreated.[9]
This is just a bunch of women too unattractive to land them a rich man, who wont diet and lose weight, tearing into ice cream like a bulldog eating mayonnaise who are unhappy with their lives inventing an illness.
I used to be a skeptic too. For 3 years I’ve been experiencing severe pain. From electric shock-like pain in my arms, legs, chest, head, fingers, you name it. To the constant muscle twitching that lasts days on end. I’ve had such horrendous pelvic pain that I though I had endometriosis and went through a Laproscopy, for nothing. No endo, no cysts, no std’s, not even an abnormal pap-smear. Nothing to explain the pain that landed me in the ER twice in one day.
Some days, my muscles will feel like they are being flexed, even if I am completely relaxed, I can’t tell you how uncomfortable that feeling is.
There was no mental reason this all started. It wasn’t stress related. I have an amazing job, a beautiful family, the most caring husband anyone could ask for. I’m a very happy person. This just proves it can happen to anyone, anytime.
I was skeptical of Fibro because I also thought it was a made up disease for the drug companies to profit from gullible people with normal aches and pains. I can’t believe I thought that. It is real.
That is all.
i am 23 years old. When I was 17, I spent three days in the hospital because of debilitating chest pain that left me taking only shallow breaths and unable to eat. it was awful. I am by far from lazy, complaining or overweight. The majority of my friends don’t know I’ve been diagnosed with FM. I have a prescription for an anti-depressant sleep aid, but due to the fact that I work full time in retail as well as attend a top 5 University for graduate school, I sometimes am too busy to deal with the grogginess that those medications give me. I don’t like pain pills and have refused them. I take aspirin daily to deal with my migraines and that has worked for 2 years. However, for all those who say its not real, explain to my why at 23, a person who played active sports in college (after the onset of this pain), works out, eats right and is highly educated and motivated is falsifying a pain? (And to those who say its for unattractive women, I don’t mean to sound arrogant but I’ve never had an issue getting a man and it’s not because of my brain). In six years, it has not mattered whether I was happy or sad, I have had pain in some way. I was not diagnosed by quacks, in fact, because I’ve been fortunate enough to live in major metropolitan cities for the last 5 years, I’ve only seen top 50 ranked rheumatologists. Sure, people use WedMD to diagnose things like this and exaggerate the feelings, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t people who are actually suffering. We’re not all lazy, overweight, middle age, attention seeking drug mongers.
Basically, what this boils down to…
Fibromyalgia? Real.
Fakers? Of course!
Expensive, ridiculous treatments? Yes.
Treatments that work? Yes.
Biofeedback is a good option here.
You are an idiot. Go to medical school then you have initials behind your name and people might listen to you. Ok, so you don’t want to believe fibro is real. Who cares don’t. But I tell you it’s something. I’ve had this since I was a kid. Diagnosed at 28, now I am 41. I work full time on my feet as a nurse. It truly kills me to put in full time hours and over time. But you only live once and I need money to live my life to the fullest. I never complain to anyone about how I feel because I know people don’t care to hear it. Go to medical school and figure out what it is then. Maybe your right and you’ll do thousands of us a favor in giving us the correct diagnosis and treatment. Other wise, find a hobby and spend your time being more positive and productive in life. Rather than slamming the medical field. And slamming a bunch of poor suckers like me who go through the one life we are given in misery. I can’t figure if your jealous because you want attention like some fibro suffers you know are getting. Or your just a loney idiot. I suppose post pard. Depression is fake as well. But I am sitting here laughing because I picture you believing in big foot and yeti. Who cares if it’s real or not to you. Does it really affect your life that dramatically to waste your time creating a blog just to hurt people? Maybe that’s it. Your one of those people who lie and backstabbing friends and coworkers and can’t figure why no one likes you. So your sad and miserable. So you want others to be miserable too. Well hate to tell you but those of us who have this fake fibro already are miserable. So pick on another fake disease. I’m sure you and your buddy Bigfoot are in picture perfect health. So there’s no need to make fun of any health issues you have. Except the fact your a little ugly inside and you need to learn how to love your self.