Feeling worse as time goes on?

Hi, I was told by my primary doctor that my Fibro would not get worse as I got older but it is...

I used to get my pain mainly in my rib cage area, now it is down the outside of my thighs to my knees and down the outside of my arms too, I get alot tension headaches now...Somedays I feel like my bones hurt, or muscles or somedays it my skin....I am not really on any pain meds...I take celexa as an antidepressant and is also supposed to help with the FM...I am now having more problems sleeping......It does get very frustrating, I feel like people (family and friends) get tired of hearing how bad I feel, so I usually just say I'm fine...and I just keep on plugging along, I love the outdoors and gardening so I do it and then if I overdo I pay for it for a few days but I cant just sit...Thanks for listening.....

Hello,
My fibro has definitely gotten worse. I believe I’ve had it for 10 years but only diagnosed for a year and a half. I used to have long periods of remission but now it’s always there though some days are better than others. I’ve really had to alter much of my life and accept my new normal. I’m learning how to live very simply and keep as low stress as possible. I do take several medications that have helped but I do believe it’s time to try something new. I encourage you to check into getting your sleep under control. That is the first and very important step to treating fibro. I wish you blessings on your journey and that you find what works for you. Take care…Dyana

Thanks Dyana...

I have been in pain for 6 years diagnosed with it then by my gp. Mine has definintely gotten worse over the years.My heart goes out to you *gentle hugs*

Yes I feel the same. Dr says it’s not progressive but a body is however.my take on it is this, everything is basically going to get worse with age. So even though the fibro is not, but because I’m older it will be harder to cope. Hope this makes sense. Well wishes and prayers to you,

I think it's more a cumulative effect myself rather than progression driven perhaps by general aging and deconditioning. I've noticed that if I'm not sure to maintain some form of gentle exercise I can decondition quickly and feel more stiffness and pain. I combat this with stretching, aquatherapy and building movement into my daily living. I'll take the stairs instead of the elevator, get the bus to drop me off a few stops earlier just to get the few blocks in, offer to take a friend's dog for a walk around the block, etc... It all helps!

Hugs,

Laurie

Hi Cowgirl,

My pain has grown worse over the years but there are explanations for the increased pain. It started with my back. I always had problems with my back but the pain would usually subside after a couple of hours of being up. This pain stayed with me all day and just kept getting worse. So, finally I decided something must be going on and asked for either an Xray or MRI. They discovered I had spinal stenosis and that is age related. After a year of suffering off and on I decided to get the epidural and that helped tremendously. So, a year goes by and my knees start aggravating me but it's off and on with some stretches lasting three weeks. The pain would start down the thighs (outside) and down into the calves. I shrugged it off as fibromyalgia and age. Finally after 2 years and a very long stretch I decided again, something is going on. They found arthritis in the knee. I don't need surgery but I have made a point of educating myself on what to do and not do. Okay, even with those 2 discoveries I still say the fibromyalgia is worse now that I have aged. Sleep is worse as well. I have added a very low dose of Ativan and 1 Advil pm to help me fall asleep and stay asleep. (this is in addition to Elavil). But I don't recommend medicine now if you prefer to avoid it. It's better for your liver if you don't. I can feel your anguish about the garden -I love gardening and it's been hard to resist. I limit myself to a short duration so I can be out there again in a few days

thank you all for your feed back....sometimes its hard to know if it is the fibro when the pain and tenderness moves around.

after dealing with fibro for 15 years (diagnosed) and 30 years total, i can say it ihas definetly gotten worse. i have gone through phases of all sorts of varied pains, but lately it's a whole new ball game! both the body pain and IBS symptoms have recently achieved a new level. i have decided this is it for me with a full time job. i have kept a brave face and struggled for so long no one can believe i am ill. i think it is the struggle to live normally that has taken the greatest toll.

I don't understand this I read all of our stories and things we write here. I not understanding why doctors tell us things that they do. Everything I am going through could just be FMS and all this testing I am doing could be just waste of time. Starting to get angry. Why doesn't a dr just want to tell you the truth that all of what I am going through is FMS and leave me alone. Seems to me that drs need some educating on FMS. Maybe listen to lots of patient going through this before they say some of the things that they tell you .

I don't think that the Dr.s are not telling us the truth, I think they just don't know what to do with us. I have had this for 30 plus years and diagnosed with it for over 20. I have gotten worse and worse through the years but I think that it is also dealing with the aging process. I too have osteoarthritis, disintegrating disc disease in most of my spine and neck, PTSD, IBS, depression and added to that the Fibro. I have gone to Dr. after Dr. pill after pill and NOTHING has worked and I have been worse with the side effects of all of the medications. I am trying to eat healthy, have lost weight and trying to keep a positive attitude when I am able to. I focus on my Grandchildren, whom I adore and my kids are very supportive and believe it or not, for the most part, so is my hubby. It is hard for him because he is partially paralyzed but he will try to do as much as possible to help me when I am down. I think that we just need to continue to reach out for support from people that are going through the same thing that we are and they UNDERSTAND us. Not easy to find people that do. I try to keep a smile on my face and generally when people ask me how I am, I say "FINE" and most of you know what that means. Ef'ed up, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional. What more can I say. Hugs to you.