Fibromyalgia Support Group

I have a theory on the "progressive" nature of FMS. The medical community says that it isn't progressive. I have read posts that disagree with that, and I have to say that my FMS seems to have gotten worse. I looked into what "progressive" means, and this is what I came up with. "Continuously increasing in extent or severity, teneding to become more severe or wider in scope."(Webster's and American Heritage Medical Dictionaries) When I think of a progressive disease, I think of something that is terminal. Here is my theory (please keep in mind that I am not associated with the medical community in any way, this is just my personal theory.)

I think our FMS seems to get worse because our bodies are getting older. The older we get, the less able to cope with the sypmtoms. The less able to cope, the worse things seem to get. Also, stress seems to get worse as we get older. I know from experience that the more stress I am under, the worse my symptoms seem to get.

P.S. Do you know how hard it is to type with a tempermental cat on your lap who is demanding your attention?

I can only speak for myself. I belive it is progressive, but that does not mean terminal unless it get's so bad you just can't stand it anymore and decide to end it.

I still can't believe when I look back that I was perfectly healthy, snorkling in Hawaii one summer, and the next summer I'm wondering if I'm going to be able to keep the fabulous job that I worked for 15 years to obtain.

Every year this horrible DX brings something new. Sudden sensitivites to meds put me in a full on seizure 2 years ago. Fibromas on my feet now keep me from being able to walk. Neuropathy pain in my hands is so bad that sometimes I can't type or even hold a fork to eat.

Just when I think it can't get any worse, it does. There doesn't seem to be any end to it.

I do everything the docs tell me to. Eat healthy. Physical therapy. Accupuncture. Spinal lumbar epidurals. Trigger point injections. Yoga. Supplements. Guai. Magnesium. Vit D. etc.,etc.

All I can offer to anyone else who has recently been diagnosed is to say, work as long as you can to build up your SS credits and get your LTD insurance in order.

Sorry to be a downer. I have by no means given up. I will just keep working and working to regain some semblance of my life.

I dont think fibro is a progressive disorder. I think that as we get older, we get more and more health problems and we might think that our fibro is worse. I was dx with fibro in 1990, so have had it a long time. It has not gotten better and it has not gotten worse. However, I now have arthritis, degenerative disc disease, heart disease and other medical problems that may exacerbate my fibro. Just my opinion.

My experience is fibro is definitely progressive. I know high stress made my symptoms increase in severity, but they have progressed.

High School - trouble focusing and retaining information

Age 20 - IBS, Depression & Anxiety started

Age 33 - Slight pain in neck and shoulder, and insomnia started

Age 36 - hit hard with severe pain in neck, shoulder, arms, wrist, hands

Age 37 - pain spread to knees and feet

I agree with those of you who say this is progressive. I started having pain at the age of four or so my mom says, I spent most of my teen years in pain sometimes so severe that I couldn't go to school, I missed so much school I am amazed that I even ever graduated. Also in my teens I tried to commit suicide due to anxiety, depression and pain. In my early 20's the pain had spread from my hips, knees and ankles to include the whole upper part of my body was now involved.

Mid to early 20's I began to experience problems that included IBS, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic migraines and insomnia.

Late 20's and early 30's the pain got so out of control that eventually I had to get a medical discharge from the Army, and also could not keep a job due to fatigue and insomnia and pain. It has progressed a lot in the last 32 years...since that is the estimate on how long I have had this lovely condition..since birth!

I too think this could be progressive. When I was younger I had growing pains. In my teens I started with migraines and depression. Three years ago I started with fatigue. Just last year the pain has gone to my hips and shoulder and muscle spasms in my back and then in March 07 I started the pain in my ribs. This last month I feel like I have flu and my memory is not as good and I also stubble alot.

My experience:

Worked 61.5 hours at my job--a very demanding nursing position in interventional radiology

Car accident 1/5/06 I had whiplash injury

Since then I have never recovered. I had neck and shoulder pain originally which spread to my face and then I started with migraines. During the past two years I have experienced ongoing and spreading chronic pain throughout my entire body, weakness, and decreased fine motor movement abilities. I have poor memory and

often write letters and numbers in a different order than which I see them or they are being told to me. My pain is so bad at times that I am unable to navigate the stairs in my own home and I have fallen several timtimes. In fact, my arms are very tired just from typing this e-mail.

If you want my opinion, I most definitely feel this is progressive. I have lived it over the last 2 and 1/2 years.

Sandi I definitely agree. I have gotten worse since 2000. I have had 2 surgery i 2006 - I knee drained, diagnose that my arthritis is getting degerative. I have had pnemonia, shingles,and knee problems 2008. So I do thing I am changing.

Welcome back

Barbara

Hmm, reading the posts above gives me pause. I can remember as a teenager that I had difficulty breathing and blamed it on the humidity. In my 20's the dr. said I had exhausted muscles. In my 40's I started having dizzy spells which a neurologist called absence seizures. The seizures became worse and my meds increased. In my 50's a chiropractor told me I had the symptoms of FMS which I thought was only pain on the pressure points. I always had a rib "going out" always had chest pain. Last year I went to VA. to visit my daughter and we went to D.C. I couldn't walk because of pain in my right foot! This year it was pain in the ischial tuberosity (the place where the hamstring attaches to the bone). That has been a killer pain and now goes up into my back and side. My left achilles tendon is also paining me. I'm definitely not the same that I was 20 or 30 years ago!