I live in California, am female, and started having fibro symptoms in the winter, so maybe (who knows yet?) it was caused by a virus. I, too, had a high ANA, but no other positive markers, no swelling.

That was back in 1998. Then, the pain and fatigue were unbelievably bad. I couldn't work for more than 2 hours. Gradually I got a little better, and also, by adapting, I was better able to handle the symptoms, i.e., I knew what to do, what meds to take, when to back off of activities.

I have immense sympathy for you and what you're going through right now. Fibro for Dummies is a great book. Bruce Campbell's self-help website is excellent, also. I hope your doctors can recommend medications to try. Important to get good sleep, that's step one.

I don't know what kinds of help you get in India for problems with illness on the job. Find out. And just do the best you can. Please let us know what it's like there to have fibro. Namaste.

I'm female too and I live in Michigan. I did a quick search on the Internet and came up with this article:

Often told off for 'imagining aches', young patients with fibromyalgia flounder for medical answers
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Anuradha Khanna Pentapalli calls her life a "good one". It would be for anyone if they were married to the one they loved, and had a job that satisfied them creatively. Then things started to change. "Three years ago, I began to notice mild aches.
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Gradually, my entire body was reeling under constant pain," says the 35-year-old Panvel resident. The pain, which she likens to a persistent toothache — except, it's all over the body — made it impossible for her to sleep peacefully. As the pain was often accompanied by mild fever, Pentapalli consulted a general practitioner who diagnosed it as plain fatigue and sent her home with painkillers. But when the copywriter found it tough to perform simple tasks like making a cup of tea, and typing. This is was more than exhaustion. Six months after she first noticed the pain, Pentapalli and her husband consulted an orthopaedic surgeon who diagnosed her condition as seronegative spondylo arthropathy — a type of joint disease — and prescribed traction. The treatment would relieve pressure on her vertebral structure, she was told. When that too didn't help, Pentapalli consulted a rheumatologist. Pentapalli was suffering from fibromyalgia.
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Tough diagnosis
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Characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep loss and trouble with memory and depression, fibromyalgia affects between 3 per cent and 6 per cen of the world's population, says the National Fibromyalgia Association. Because it mimics symptoms of other ailments (vitamin D, B12 deficieny and thyroid), it's often misdiagnosed, says rheumatologist Dr Shashank Akerkar. Prof. (Dr) U Gauthamadas, consultant at Chennai's Neuro-Behavioural Medicine, explains, "Fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain processes pain signals. People with fibromyalgia have a lower threshold for pain because of increased sensitivity in the brain to pain signals. This is the result of an abnormal increase in levels of neurotransmitters, chemicals that communicate information about sensation." Why this happens, Dr Gauthamdas says, is still not known. For the condition to be diagnosed as fibromyalgia, the pain must occur at more than 10 'tender' (see box) points on both sides of the body, above and below the waist, with no other underlying factors for it. What makes diagnosis tougher is that no single lab test exists to detect fibromyalgia — it's diagnosed via a process of elimination.
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Doctors treating Pune resident Smita Gadgil (name changed), took two years to arrive at the right diagnosis. "I started showing symptoms when I was 19 after I had a casual fall. I was repeatedly asked to go for Rh factor tests, but they always turned out negative," says the 26-year-old.
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Memory loss is common in fibromyalgia. Pentapalli recalls an incident at a railway station. "I couldn't figure out which direction to head in. I sat down on a bench and waited till I I remembered. I was in tears."
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Coping with pain
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Treatment includes analgesics and medicines that act on the neurotransmitters to help a patient's pain threshold increase, and ease fatigue. "The emphasis, however, is on minimising symptoms and improving health," says Dr Gauthamdas, adding that low-impact exercises such as yoga, swimming, cycling, walking and tai-chi have been shown to restore the body's neurochemical balance by boosting its endorphins and serotonin levels. Exercise also keeps the muscles and joints supple.
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Over time Pentapalli's doctor's visits have reduced, as have the aches. But, small changes in her lifestyle betray her condition. "I cannot work full-time or sit for long. I must be surrounded by soft cushion support, and lifting heavy bags, kneading dough or cutting hard vegetables is a no-no," she adds.
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With low awareness about the condition, both Pentapalli and Gadgil have set up support groups for those battling the condition. With no external indication of pain, family and doctors tend to think patients are overreacting. "Doctors often tell you, you have a psychological issue. My advice to those suffering from pain is to consult another doctor if you are not satisfied with one diagnosis," suggests Pentapalli.

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Managing Fibromyalgia
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Tender points are located at the back of the head, between shoulder blades, top of shoulders, front sides of neck, upper chest, outer elbows, upper hips, sides of hips and inner knees. To be considered as fibromyalgia, the pain must occur at more than 10 tender points on both sides of the body and also above and below the waist, with no underlying factor that could be causing the pain. Here's how to manage it:
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- Caffeine is known to make your muscles tense. Avoid it

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- While at work, ensure you have a comfortable seat with a firm, upright back. Place your computer monitor at a height that does not require you to strain your neck

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- Reduce trudging up and down the stairs. Avoid carrying heavy weights and stooping. Move around and stretch frequently. And take a power nap if you feel tired
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- Take special care during periods of illness (viral fevers, a flu, or common cold) and hormonal changes (menstruation) that are known triggers.

Maybe you could find the contact information for the doctor in this article and ask him if he knows of anyone in your area that treats Fibromyalgia or has any other suggestions. I am sorry that you are struggling with this issue. You can still live your life just at a slower pace. Good luck to you and take care.

@shakota6 @Fantod Thankyou for being so kind I know that it will take time to ease symptoms and ruling out other problems for exact diagnosis of fibro or cfs I consulted two rheumatologist and thinking of meeting Neurologist also for mri and other test. I know it is difficult journey for now i am only taking vitamin supplements and trying to have healthy diet Fibromylagia and autoimmune disease is not that common in India so many people don't know about it I don't know how they will react if i tell them may be some feel that it is normal weakness and other may think how i will spend my future life. I have studied lot as most of normal indian do I achieved things after doing hard work and struggle I was a programmer then i switched to banking industry and after one month i will be a banker. Being a man it is very difficult to handle this as you have to be strong and suddenly you got in a situation where you need help and can't help anyone It is very difficult to being disable and different from others and fight this battle alone I am thinking of going for alternative medicine ayurveda or tibetian medicine because getting functional medicine is not still here May i know what al treatment you tried for your fibro

I have tried many drugs (don't know the names of these drugs in India, nor how expensive they are). You can google for FDA approved drugs for fibromyalgia and see. An old drug that is still used and is cheap (here) is amyltriptyline (my spelling may be mistaken). It has drowsiness as a side effect, dry mouth, etc., but it is useful for getting sleep and decreasing pain. You say that fatigue is your worst symptom. See is you can take small rest periods during your work breaks and lie down for 10 minutes somewhere.

In order to live with fibromyalgia and/or chronic fatigue syndrome/ME, you'll have to care less and less about other people's opinions about your illness. The good people will be sympathetic.

It may be very worthwhile to explore the traditional medicines you mentioned especially if you receive sympathetic concern from their practitioners. It's important to get support with these illnesses. Another idea is to find out who in India is doing fibro/cfs research and email them for a good clinician.

If you like reading medical jargon (it's not too bad) you can google: Canadian guidelines for the treatment of fibromyalgia. Israel, also did a similar initiative and you'll note that most of the new drugs are only somewhat effective in some patients.

Personally, I take a sleeping aid (trazodone), and a pain cocktail (small dose of methadone, a narcotic, with baclofen, a muscle relaxant). This regimen doesn't take away all the pain, and sometimes it does cause a bit fatigue. It's important to do stretching and walking or whatever exercise doesn't increase your symptoms. It really is challenging to have a new life like this. Courage!

@shakota Thankyou yeah i have to work with my rheumatologist and gp I am thinking of visiting one tibetian doc yeshi dhonden I have read about him from one American lady article then only i come to know about that he is from India

I hope you get some emotional support. There can be a lot of guilt, shame, and depression when you no longer function well. It's hard. I do hope you are able to get a lot better. Even with severe fibro, life is worth living. You do get grateful for the small but beautiful moments. Just move forward with your life, and see what you can do.

Hello Raghav,
I have been recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

Did u meet Dr yeshi Dhonden. Any treatments that worked

I think that FM is one of the cruelest diseases. There is so much loss and so little understanding of the illness. Even well-meaning family and friends will make suggestions that are not helpful (exercise, get a new job, think positive, get out more, etc..etc...). I often feel like a burden and feel very isolated.
It's hard to explain to others what is going on, and, I find that even if you do, that people "forget". I guess it's adjusting to and managing the illness that we have to come to terms with. That's why it's so important to have support from people who understand. We are also susceptible to depression for multiple reasons (loss, isolation, pain, neurotransmitters, disability). And it's particularly hard when FM strikes when you are young and full of hope. Sometimes family members come to believe you and adjust their expectations. If it were another illness (like MS) many people would be more understanding. Maybe if your parents were to read more about the illness they might be more supportive. Coming here is vital for you right now to receive encouragement and support.

Raghav,
Western medicine, so far, is very limited in the knowledge and treatment of this disorder. CFS and FM probably manifest as a result of various different causes. Whatever medicines we do have, they only treat the symptoms, and most have intolerable side effects.

I think it'd be a good idea to seek alternative treatments (i.e., traditional Eastern treatments) to try to address whatever imbalances are happening in your body. It doesn't matter if Eastern medicine does not have a name for the disease of FM, Eastern medicine addresses the body holistically to get things back into balance. I truly believe that once the body returns to balance, the symptoms of CFS and FM will go away.

Also, please try not to stress yourself out. Stress only makes this worse.

Good luck to you, and take good care!