I was diagnosed in April of 2012. My GP pretty much took my symptoms (general pain with no explanation, migraines, fatigue) and ruled out Lyme, Lupus, RA, etc. so all that we were left with was Fibro. It took probably close to 3 yrs from when I went in to see him when my migraines were messing with my vision to when we figured out what was going on. For a couple of years, Topamax was controlling the migraines so we stopped looking for the problem thinking we had controlled the problem. Migraines were my biggest issue at first, then the pain started, then the fatigue. I’ve had anxiety/depression issues since I was about 20 which was manageable without meds until about a year ago.
So many of us are exhausted after we take a shower that we are hardly able to leave the house! So, you are in good company. That's why it's so hard to make ourselves have a shower. That would sound crazy with ""normal" non-fibro people, but when you have fibro it's very normal. We learn to not make plans in stone. It always depends on how we feel in the morning..........how much sleep we've had.
We have learned to not stress when we just can't do something because that just makes our stress worse. As much as we try to avoid stress it isn't always possible.
It is not unusual for the focus of fibro to switch majorities. The FIRST TWO YEARS OF MY FIBRO WAS MOSTLY PAIN. I certainly had fatigue, terrible sleep, cognitive issue, etc., but it was mostly pain. Around year three, things got muddled and while the pain and flares were still there, FROM THAT POINT, MY FIBRO WAS MOSTLY FATIGUE. I spent days trying to walk as if I were hip deep or shoulder deep in mud.
There are so many components of fibro - so many combinations. While the focus today might be on migraines, it is normal for a major shift to occur and over the next year, every time you draw a mid-way deep breath, it will feel like somebody is inserting a burning hot sword into your back and through your lungs.
Hey, welcome to the wacky world of fibromyalgia. If you ain't crying, you better be laughing.
Ooops. Forgot he last bit there. You asked about SSI. Here's the link to Social Security where they cover exactly what it is, what it covers, who is eligible, etc., Hope this helps.
I cannot sleep without Trazadone. I have tried all those things like Ambien. Nothing worked. I had insomnia for 7 years. With the work of a good psychiatrist, we finally worked out a sleep cocktail. I use 200 mg. along with some other meds.
You don’t need to start with all of those, however. FYI Killian.