One thing I really like about this site is all the info people have to offer. There is much kindness and thoughtful concern here, and I appreciate it so much. With your kind permission, I would like to clear up some issues presented by my original post. First, I have absolutely no swelling associated with inflammation. Second, my internist agrees with those who commented high SED rates are not typically associated with FM. However, that doesnt mean they are not in any case. Third, my entire treatment team is on the same page when it comes to steroids. I always discuss ALL of my meds with each one of them. Third, my rheumatologist is one of the top FM docs in Seattle. Having said that, I TOTALLY agree with the post pointing out that "experts" in the same field have their own opinions. I saw a nurse practitioner in the same practice as my FM doc and she came up with a totally different opinion of what I had. BTW, she is the one that prescribed the steriods, and since they really helped the doc had no issue with it. He also started me on Methotrexate to help me get away from steroids. Honestly, I could give a rat's ass a lot of the time about what FM is or is not. We all have unique medical histories, and apart from the basic criteria for diagnosing FM (which I have met from the beginning) they all tell a different story when it comes to how FM presents itself in each individual. It may be that for me, FM is just a starting point to a larger discussion of auto-immune issues. I read widely and follow all the discussion and dissension out there, but in the end I just care about feeling better. So unless a treatment my doc proposes will seriously undermine what good health I have, I am open to it.