Fibromyalgia Support Group

I was always very active, but had a lot of stress in my life - very abusive marriage for 18 years, symptoms didn't manifest until after a miscarriage at 43 and hysterectomy the following year = downhill from there. Also just dx with Sjogrens - so there is so much overlap to these things that you can never tell which one is acting up!! I have good days and bad days. I try to enjoy the good days and ride out the bad day, and keep a postive attitude going. The more depressed I allow myself to get, the worse I feel. But, the person I have become through this is not the person I used to be and is not the person I want to be.

Mine began in 1980 after being bitten by a tick and getting Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever! I had a 105 temperature for 6 days, was hospitalized and almost died. Strangely, afterwards, my body felt as if I had had Polio. I had to learn to walk all over again and I was in severe pain. A few months later I was diognosed with Fibromyalgia which I endured for 29 years, until Savella came along.

FM is called a Syndrome not disease and is triggered by usually physical or psychological trauma Even other illnesses such as Cancer other Arthritic conditions, severe stressful situations such as Divorce, cheating spouse or any disease or illness such as getting bad flu virus infections, etc. These stress you out and bring on FM and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, etc. And other Auto- Immune Deficiency illnesses such as I.B.S., Crohn's Disease, Colitis, etc.Hope this helps and answers your questions. xo Take care all, fun NOT!

I can only say, about the viral thing, that the researcher who is on my board of directors has a PhD in microbiology in addition to his MD, and he says that virtually all of the theories like this are left over from the 70s and 80s when they were looking at anything and everything but didn't have the tools they have now for diagnostics and testing.

By way of example, he told me that science was so backward then in terms of what we know today, that they believed that fat people didn't break bones because they "bounced" when they fell. Science now tells us that fat people don't break bones as often because just walking around in their own body constitutes a weight-bearing exercise, which we now know has a direct impact on bone health. Medical science has come light-years forward since then, but some doctors, for their own benefit, cling to unproven and outdated theories because it allows them to formulate a "treatment" and prey on desperate people in pain in the name of "medicine."

It's all, at this point, been there done that. As I and many others have said many times, when there is an identified cause that can be verified by peer-reviewed research, no one is going to keep it a secret - it won't be limited to one guy somewhere who says he has the only right answer.

Hi Raindrop512,

In Aug. 2001 I found my best friend of 25 years dead on her living room floor. Then 9/11/01 happened (I'm originally from NY). Then after 50 years of being fairly healthy, I got hit with a cancer diagnosis July '02. Aug. '07 I lost my job. Oct. '07 my mom became very ill with congestive heart failure, and I became her primary caregiver. Dec. '07 my 14 year relationship fell apart. I have been diagnosed with FM, diabetes, severe arthritis, bleeding ulcer, kidney failure, bels palsy, pinched spinal nerve at three places, UTI, DDD, etc., etc. The litany of chronic disorders and diseases gets longer and longer.

So which came first? I don't know, and neither does anyone else at this point. All I know is that this century has really sucked so far!

I think mine was partially developmental or something. I have a lot of genetic stuff out of whack, for instance, Pierre-Robin syndrome. I remember pretty much always being in pain, but in recent years with what seems the development of Narcolepsy, it has gotten worse. My mother says, looking back, she can see both syndromes have "always" existed.
I remember I had mono at age eight. Then mono again at 16 with Pneumonia, too. Narcolepsy really reared its head at 17 (although I had yucky EDS since puberty that I recall) and for the last couple years I've felt like I've had the flu constantly, but I think that's just the FM.

I had a total hysterectomy at the age of 19 in 1980. Had endometriosis so bad that I almost bled to death. Seems like ever since then I have been going down hill. My childhood was very, very stressful. My mother was very abusive, both physically and emotionally. My mom and dad fought a lot. Married my first husband at 18. He was very abusive, both physically and emotionally. Jumped right out of the frying pan and into the fire! He cheated on me as well. I was married to him when I had the hysterectomy. He was soooo cold about it. I couldn't or wouldn't deal with the pain of not being able to have children. I still don't know if I have completely dealt with it.

Went through a divorce at 21 and moved back home to the abusive situation with my mother. Remarried at the age of 22 to a wonderful man. My married was really, really rocky for about 10 or 15 years. Totally my fault. Too much baggage from my past.

In 1995 was diagnosed as manic depressive. Since then have had depression issues. Can't deal with stress, at all!!! Want to hide if things get that way. Huge anxiety issues as well!

I guess the "pain" started after we made a bad investment on some property about 5 years ago. We almost lost everything. Had to file bankruptcy. Just began to have pain in my legs and hips at first. Now pain is all over. Diagnosed with fibro last summer.

I really do believe that stress and/or depression are somehow connected to the onset of this syndrome or whatever you want to call it. I just know I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy!