....filling me in on what Fibromyalgia is exactly.

I think that if I had a better understanding of fibro and it's symptoms, treatments, and whatnot that it would help me moderate the forum better.

You don't need to give me personal details if you don't want to

Fibromyalgia = pain
That's the simple explination...

Every person who has fibro will have a different experience in terms of symptoms, pain levels, etc....

There is a lot of confusion even in the medical community about fibromyalgia. Some doctors use the terms fibromyalgia as a 'wastebasket' diagnosis that they hand out to any female who complains of pain/discomfort/fatigue and stress. Other doctors follow the guidelines and check for the 18 tender points (specific areas of the body that will hurt when pressed). And yet more doctors believe that fibromyalgia can never occur on it own and believe that it is always secondary to another illness/disease.

The causes of fibro are also debated a lot within the medical community. Some think it is caused by stress, other think it 'just happens', and as I said above some believe that it is always secondary to something else.

Treatments also vary. Some fibro folks are able to manage their symptoms with proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep. Others use various medications like SSRI antidepressants, muscle relaxers, and anti-inflamatories to help the pain, and some folks need narcotic pain relievers.

In my opinion, this is the best website to explain fibro - http://www.sover.net/~devstar/

Here is a more brief explination that includes a chart to show where the tender points are and a chart that shows other symptoms -
http://www.nfra.net/Diagnost.htm

And finally, here is a google cached page of a post of mine from OBT that contains a ton of fibro info -
http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:...s&ct=clnk&cd=1


Hope that helps ZS and Welcome to the fibromylagia forum

I was just going to say the same thing. The link to sovernet is excellent. Within that link I think this is very beneficial for someone who doesn't know.

http://www.sover.net/~devstar/define.htm

I've been told so many things by so many doctors that I've come to the conclusion they just really don't know a whole lot about it yet.

My fibro is secondary. But the latest advice I've gotten is that I don't really have fibro, I just have all of the fibro symptoms, including all of the tender points. So if that's true, how would I feel if I DID have it?

Most of the doctors I've talked to seem to believe that fibro develops when something happens to chronically disrupt a person's ability to sleep properly.

Yes, the sleep theory....

In my opinion the sleep theory is a chicken/egg discussion (as in - which came first). Some doctors thing that the fibro causes the sleep problems, other believe that the sleep problems cause the fibro.

Either way, a person with fibro usually does not get enough (or does not get any) stage 4 sleep. Stage 4 is the deep sleep stage where the body "resets" itself.

So does lack of stage 4 cuse fibro? or does having fibro cause people to have a lack of stage 4?

Did the chicken come first, or the egg?

Some studies have shown that the muscle relaxer Flexeril taken at bedtime helps people to achieve stage 4 sleep.

Basic symptoms of fibromyalgia...

The variety and severity of symptoms caused by fibromyalgia vary from person to person. Widespread, chronic pain—often described as deep or burning—is the most common symptom. This pain is more common in the body, hips, and shoulders, and it is rare in the hands and feet. It usually develops gradually and can interfere with even simple daily activities.

Other symptoms that commonly occur in addition to pain include: 2, 3

Fatigue that interferes with work and daily activities.
Sleep problems (difficulty falling or staying asleep, waking up feeling tired).
Less commonly, people with fibromyalgia may have:

Morning stiffness lasting less than an hour.
Headaches.
Constipation or diarrhea related to irritable bowel syndrome.
Memory problems and difficulty concentrating.
Anxiety or depression.
Fibromyalgia can sometimes feel like the flu. You may experience body aches, tiredness, and intestinal problems. The pain in your joints and muscles may be especially bothersome at night, waking you from sleep, or in the morning, when you may feel very stiff and sore. You may have trouble concentrating because of fatigue. Symptoms can last from days to months or years.

People with fibromyalgia have periods when their symptoms become worse and periods when they have milder or no symptoms. Flare-ups of fatigue and muscle and joint aches are common, especially following physical or emotional stress. Many people with fibromyalgia report that cold or damp weather, poor sleep, fatigue, stress, or overexertion makes their pain worse.

Because symptoms of fibromyalgia are similar to so many other disorders, your doctor may try to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms before he or she can properly diagnose fibromyalgia. In some cases, you may have another condition in addition to fibromyalgia.

Hi again

Just wanted to say thanks for all of the info. I'm still reading and have a bit more to do (did the same on the other forums I am assigned too).

Fibromayalgia,
Like having the flu, being so tired if someone threatened to shoot you, you still couldn't move, being in so much pain that it felt like a jack hammer in a tooth that had a cavity and cold air had hit at the same time and not being able to sleep on top of all the above as well as never knowing when any or all of these symptoms will strike. Not to mention the sensitivity to light (eyes), headaches, nausea, stomach pain, diahrrea, and blood in the stool. Lovely disease isn't it? Especially when friends and family members say just shake it off and you're just lazy!

All of your answers are so right on!! I've been dealing wih this for 13 years - ouch and more ouch -- and have never found anything that really helps with the pain without feeling like a zombie. A couple Aleve a day seem to help take the edge off as much as anything. Weather plays a big part with my fibro also, when the barometer is falling, the pain is rising!! Those few rare days when it's sunny, about 70 degrees and no rain in the forecast are womderful, no humidity either. Does anyone know of a place where this happens all the time?

It is my secondary disease, number one is the other puzzler -- MS which I've had for 18 years and probably another 14 before the official diagnosis.
These days my powerchair substitutes for legs.

You're right, friends, family, etc., just can't seem to understand that our "condition" changes from hour to hour sometimes and it's just about impossible to plan anything in advance. Also the concept of being up all night and sleeping part of the day is totally bizarre to most people. By the way, guess it's bedtime -- 5:10 am. Hate to lie down because the pain is so awful when I get up. Aren't we lucky??? NOT!!!!

Gentle hugs to all........