The NY Times is a large organization. out of that organization someone may have Fibro - I hate to see anyone have it. However, if someone there does, I hope they write a letter to the editor. You are correct - it does have its good and bad points but it is making it look more like it is a condition manufactured for the drug companies benefits. The headline is horrible. However, so many ailments that have now been recognized by the medical profession were once thought to be not real - or in the patient's mind - or some other excuse. I wish the drug companies would come out with more effective drugs without the side effects. Thankfully there are many doctors and organizations that do recognize Fibro as a real condition.

You can write to the NYT at this link: http://action.painfoundation.org/site/R?i=8E5AANOYMOEGVDvg-0jyog

It goes through the American Pain Foundation, but has some good guidelines for writing.

Interesting article. I was diagnosed in the early 90's. I was in my mid-twenties and a new mother. To see how the symptoms have developed over the past 16+ years for me, is scary. I am currently not on any drug regiment. As mentioned in the article, traditional forms of treatment do nothing for me so I opt to do nothing. I have tried heat, water, massage, ant-depressants and nothing really works. Flare ups are the worst! I suppose it is like any other chronic illness, until someone walks in your shoes..... Unfortunately, FM doesn't have any real clinical support, like lupus or RA. I suppose we should be glad we have made some baby steps with Drs recognizing it, foundations getting national recognition and now drug companies seeing $$ for relief for us. Hope your day is pain tolerable.

That was at least a chance to say what I feel to the people who need to hear it, if they even get it...Thank you for this site and the oppurnity to have my say....Love..Helen

the article appeared earlier this week.. Many, many letters have since appeared in the TIMES.. all very supportive and informative..I think it is good that we are finally getting all this discussion in the media.. One fool saying fibro isn't real doesn't really matter when we have all of these doctors supporting us...
Micki
http://www.fibrowelcomepackage.com

I will certainly send a letter to the editor. Thank you all for reading and/or responding
((HUGS))
Donna

Hi, I just joined DS because I found this thread while searching for more reactions to NYT article. I've been blogging about it since the day after it came out - http://theiciexperience.blogspot.com.

Glad to find some fellow fibro activists,

Sherril

Well we all know what Fibromyalgia has done to our lives. We each experience its affects. Although I don't beleive any current medication will help (because i believe it is more than just a "depression" issue) I do believe that diet, exercise, change in our environment could help. Getting healthy can't hurt anyone. It may not be a cure in itself but what could it hurt if we all worked to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Bottom line - I'm not impressed with the response doctors/scientist or the media has given fibromyalgia. We don't have any new answers as to what causes it, how to treat it or how to deal with it on a daily basis. Heck the "experts" can't even agree if its real. We owe it to ourselves to believe in ourselves and do our own research of natural things. May never help but who knows?!

The article had some benefits to it but I hope it does not hurt those of us who have Fibromyalgia.I remember a doctor telling me when I was first diagnosed that is was all in my head.

Your great, thanks, here is a small quote from the NY times.... wow these ppl are so smart, arent they? (not)
.......
Those figures are sharply disputed by those doctors who do not consider fibromyalgia a medically recognizable illness and who say that diagnosing the condition actually worsens suffering by causing patients to obsess over aches that other people simply tolerate. Further, they warn that Lyricas side effects, which include severe weight gain, dizziness and edema, are very real, even if fibromyalgia is not.

Hi everyone. The article in NYT was irritating - to say the least - but here are some doctors' responses to that article - it made me feel better.
http://www.fmnetnews.com/basics-ne...#DrsRespond

soft hugs, Deb

It is a good article but at the same time rather than saying that yes this doe exist right from the begining it puts a question into the readers mind with the head line. I assure you that if the author ever once had to deal with this pain then they would change thier tunes.

Jessica,
I read the article and like you said it really pissed me off. The reason being is for some reason it's human nature to accept one bad complaint in response to 100 good ones. This doc, who ever he thinks he is, needs to experience fibro for about 6 months. I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but when people criticize things they have never experienced it's all bull to me. I spent so many years in pain and all they said is "it's all in your head". I heard that so much I began to believe I was crazy, especially when all tests came back normal.I'm so grateful to the professionals that are taking this seriously. I have found that many who do, suffer from this condition themselves. I find this kind of like when people believed the world was flat. They didn't have the resources, the education to find out the truth. I get so tired of hearing about the addiction to pain meds too. If I got HIGH on the pain meds, that would be something to be concerned about, but all they do is bring down the level of pain, they do not eradicate the pain completely, or that's how it is with me. The truth is I don't give a crap if I become addicted or not, just relieving the pain is more important than anything to me. At least now I can get out of bed, dress myself etc, etc, etc. There were days it made me so suicidal I begged God to take my life in my sleep. I wasn't living, I was existing in a world that was racked with unbelievable pain. I do wish they would have had a space where we could have commented on the article. They probably were afraid of all our reactions.
Thanks for sharing it with us.

BUMP!!

And the controversy continues. Someone made the comment that 30-40 years ago the docs didn't understand MS which is now nationally recognized. Someday this will be too. I think the problem with no test to prove is that some people who truly are hypochondriacs or drug seekers will latch on to this disease as a way to continue the insanity. We have to understand that this IS going to happen and unfortunately there will be some true cases of FM where they are written off as one of these....been there. I just keep praying for a definitive way to test. Even if they prove it isn't FM then they will be one step closer to knowing what it is for me....