I do hurt all the time. I have some arthritis as well as FM so my hips hurt, my hands, shoulders (have had surgery on both), and my neck is usually very stiff. Some days are better than others but I can't recall a day when I had no pain at all. In addition to the above I'll often have the wandering pain that will hit in strange places, my thigh along with a very hot sensation, my forearms, headaches, stiffness in my feet and my hands will curl up feeling very stiff.

Was that too much information? LOL

There are times when I'll have a VERY bad day of pain and feeling out of it where I can't concentrate and am extremely irritable and those are times I'd call a flare. Maybe that's not what others feel though, I don't know.

Hope today is a good day for you! xo

Yes, I hurt all the time. I consider a flare to be when I hurt more than normal. It can last a day, week or forever :). Personally, I get more problems with my CFS flaring. Either way, I feel like crap!

I do hurt all the time, no doubt. the flares are when it FLARES and you want to die,,,,,,,

Cymbalta has helped about 90% of my pain, but there is NEVER a day I do not hurt at least minorly SOMEWHERE.

Agreed, there is never a day without pain. I just have learned to push the ongoing everyday pain to the back of my mind (at least until I get home from work) and the flares are so bad I can't even talk let alone manage. The random strikes take my breath away, but don't seem to last as long. I am always stiff and headaches are a daily occurrence. Other than that, life's good, lol

I've been feeling pretty good lately. I haven't had a flare in awhile and I've been doing much better at managing my stress. I'm not always feeling like I'm coming down with the flu, BUT, I still hurt all the time. I keep going because I hurt more if I don't move.

What the Hell?

I hurt all the time. There are times when I have overdone that I can't even move due to the severity of the pain. I don't consider that a flare but I guess it could be. I always say I am having a flare when the overwhelming fatigue hits me. I think that is more my CFS kicking in than my fibro. My fibro never goes away.

Jerrysgirl, thanks for asking the question - I've wondered that too. I was dx in October with fibro, and at first I was glad to have someone tell me yes, there was something wrong with me. I take gabapentin and hydrocodone every day, and some days are better than others, but I'm never without some kind of pain.

My mom had rheumatoid arthritis before I was born and was always in pain, so I grew up thinking that was normal. I think I've had fibro since I was a kid but just never knew what was wrong. I don't have RA, "just" osteoarthritis, so there's apin from that every day. It's hard to tell what's fibro and what's OA. You're not alone!

Hi,
Yes, I hurt all the time. I have hurt for as long as I can remember. I can take a lot of pain. Since being on my meds my pain level has decreased and my energy level has decreased. I started seeking treatment when my pain and fatigue were so bad that I was unable to get out of bed, I couldn't sleep at all(maybe ten hours a week), and even if I slept I felt the pain in my sleep, I couldn't keep my eyes open, and I could hardly remember my name, couldn't complete a sentence. Now, with lots of meds I sleep throughout the night and am able to function. I still hurt all the time, and by the end of my work day I hurt a lot and am very tired. On my days off, I pretty much rest and try to conserve and build up energy, so I can work since I don't have a choice. Late evening on Feb. 13th I started feeling really bad, the pain was getting out of control and I could hardly get out of bed. My whole body was on fire, raging with uncontrolable spasms, sharp pain all the way to the bone, my joints were hurting and stiff. From my scalp, my hair all the way to the tips of my toes, I was hurting. My feet and hands were constantly getting numb and I had electric shocks going through my body. I was feeling very tired, foggy, I couldn't sleep, yet I couldn't stay completely awake. I tried going to work on Wed., but I was almost unable to function and had it not been for my co-worker's help I would have had to leave work. The next two days I called in sick, then, I was off for one day, worked one day and off two more days. All those days I was in horrible pain, and barely functioning. I went to my doctor and he gave me Vicodin which barely took the edge of the pain. I can't really take too much real pain meds, I can't take them at work, either. I only take them as the last ressort. The first day I felt any real relief was Thur. morning which was day eleven since my flare. I felt a little relief for a day and a half and since last night my body's back in a rage. C

Again, it hurts to have clothes on, everything hurts.
So, just to answer your question, I don't think you're alone being in pain all the time, I believe most of the people on this site are in pain all the time. The way I explain it to my doctor is that I'm in pain all the time, it is just the intensity that varries and on the good days it hurts in some places, not everywhere at once. During the flare it hurts everywhere, and I'm pretty much unable to function. Before I got treatment, and many days since, I have been at that level.
I hope I didn't write too much, I just wanted to explain it well, so you could see the whole picture. I didn't really go into detail, trust me if I explained every single kind of pain I get and how it affects me, I could write a book.
I hope you have a good weekend.

oh, i meant to say that since my meds my pain deacreased and my energy increased, not deacreased. I guess it's the fog due to pain showing.

thank all of you, i just wondered if i was crazy, i do flares, i think that i understand it now, i just wondered if everyone hurts all the time, i don't work, i am on disability, but i hurt everyday, then there are days that i can hardly move, i guess that i hate that all of you hurt all the time, but at least i know that i am normal for a person with fibro, thanks so much, i was beginning to feel worthless and unimportant, but i will just go ahead a push through the best way i can,

Jerrysgirl,
No, you are not crazy. I have pain every day.
I was first diagnosed with osteoarthritis at age 32. Since then it has gotten worse. When I hit menopause things really got bad and I have also been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and periarticular osteopenia.

I have arthritis in ankles, toes, feet, knees, back, hands, wrists, fingers. I also have pain in elbows, neck, and recently hips. I wear splints on thumbs due to CMC arthritis.

I take Tramadol, Savella, Trazodone, Gabapentin, and OTC Aleve. I no longer take Diclofenac due to side effects. I'm concerned that things are just going to keep getting worse.

I don't know what a flare is because I do hurt all the time. The pain meds do help, as well as the Savella. A good night's sleep does help me cope better. I guess a flare must be when I hurt more than usual.

I am rather new to Fibro, was just diagnosed in November. I was concerned about having rheumatoid arthritis due to the symmetrical pain and the severity. The Savella does seem to help me, especially with the fatigue.

I would love to be back working. I'd take any kind of job. But I don't think I could make it through a work day. I don't trust my mind, and I usually have to take a nap during the day. And sometimes the pain is unbearable even with meds--that must be a flare.

Hi-I've been dealing with pain since around the time my son was born in 1977. I was diagnosed with fibro, and an unspecified autoimmune disease. I have other painful conditions-DDD, osteoarthritis and lymphedema from breast cancer surgery. But as far as the fibro goes, I can't remember a day when I had no pain. I assume that it is flaring when I hurt more than the usual and when it lasts more than a day or two. But when the flare is done, the pain doesn't go away, it's just a bit less than when it flares. It stinks, doesn't it? And even in this day and age, some people still believe it is still in our heads.

I hope you feel better, and am sending soft hugs to you. Kathy

I burn from head to toe; I feel like my body is on fire. I have zero energy and also have aches all over........like you feel when you have the real flu. Unfortunately, I'm in a mega flare now. I signed on so I wouldn't feel so alone.

i have pain everyday too. i think im use to it cuz i consider days to be good even with pain. lol but when i have a flare it is usually really bad such as... blurred vision, extreme pain, feverish,headaches, confusion, etc. my husband says a bad day is when my brain isnt working right but he laughs and says noooo thats normal for u. lolololol...
wishing for no more flares, right everyone?!

Yes, I do hurt almost all the time. The pain can be in one place one moment and another place at another. It gets very hard sometimes, but whatever i have tried for the pain only masks it for a few moments. Flare ups happen all the time as well. Having faith in God helps- not with the relief of the pain but with the coping of the pain. I have had FM for over 40 yrs, I am 52. Without faith in God , I would give up. Hang in there and know that there are people that understand exactly what you are going through.