I have read articles that said fibrous is not progressive but my experience belies that. Anyone else?
Hi Dena,
There is a huge debate over this in the medical community. Research says it's not progressive, but us patients and some doctors tend to disagree. I really can't decide if it is or not, because I don't think my symptoms get worse, it's more like they change. Something new pops up, other things get better, or the way it hurts changes. And I think the 'progression' I feel is more of the aches and pains of getting older, things like arthritis, more than Fibromyalgia symptoms.
They feel it's not progressive because there is no actual biological damage to our bodies, but what about our mental health? Everything we go through just wears us down after a while, making it so much harder to deal with!
I have wondered if its age myself. Who knows. I have never had the burning skin until recently, fibrous fog is worse and flareups are more painful. Also migraines have become more frequent. But I am too stubborn to give in very often.lol
Hello Dena
Well, I only know that my fibromyalgia is worse now than it was some years ago and I have been living with it since I was about 8 yr old. I have wondered if it is that the chronic pain has worn us down over the years so that we are not able to recover after flares.
Research may tell the researchers one thing, but what we have is experience of living with chronic pain day after day and year after year and it wears us down.
Another thing that I'm finding is that I am being diagnosed with new things that also cause me chronic pain.........like osteoarthritis.
I'm usually too stubborn to admit it's Fibro when I get something new, I blame it on anything else. And then when it's related to something else like my spine, I'll say 'oh, it's the Fibro, I don't need to bother the doctor'.... boy, am I in denial ....!
I really don't understand the concept of flares either -- I think I also stay in a permanent flare. The good days are much rarer than the bad days.
Exactly Rachel - It really does wear is down, dealing with the pain and other affects. And it's even worse as I develop arthritis, so the pain levels get higher as all of this happens, and it feels like the Fibro is getting worse because it's all contributes to the pain.
Flares are not always the same. Some can be short lived lasting a day or a few hours while other flares seem to last much longer as some members have expressed. If flares last too long do they indeed form the new normal? After a long flare one must be so worn down that the body must require a lot of rest to heal. Is your immune system connected to these long flares? Do you find yourself "catching" every bug that is going around after a flare?
I'm not sure that doctors have the answer to these questions. We who suffer from them have our own anecdotal evidence.
Yes, I too find that the good days are indeed rare.......rare from fatigue for me as well as rare from pain.
It's hard to separate what is connected to what as our bodies are so complex. But now that I have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis I know the difference between fibro pain and arthritis pain.
I so totally can relate to that!!
I am definitely worn down right now. I made it clear last night that my July 4th would be spent doing absolutely nothing. And I slept in until 11.
Hi Dena, my fibromyalgia has progressed since I was first diagnosed. Not in level of pain, but it has spread to other areas, I have more flares, and the fatigue is worse and always there. Although some of it is probably age, I think it may have been made worse from a number of stressful situations and several medical crises which occurred over the last 10 years. I agree that chronic pain wears us down.
I also have more time to notice; while I was working I just had to stay focused and push through it no matter what. Not sure if I did a great job some of though days but it’s in the past now. Still trying to push some but it seems like swimming against an incoming tide.
Gentle Hugs
B2chi
I push daily because I can’t imagine not working. I have found that staying active whether physically or mentally keeps me focused on something other than th
e nagging pain. But there are times that I absolutely must STOP. Figuring out your limits is definitely a challenge . And now my daughter is going through some of the same things. She has been diagnosed with degenerative disc. I told her to talk to her Dr about fibro. Hopefully she wont have to go to several in order to get help.
Im not sure. I was "achey" for a year. Was diagnosed as severely deficient in Vitamin D. Then almost a full year later BOOM!! it was like I was hit by a bus and within weeks of an actual diagnosis I was out of work and wondering wth just happened. So to me its both. (if thats even possible)