Hi,

I have been dealing with my new diagnosis now for about four months or so. Yes. There is a difference in flare ups and in the constant pain. I have constant pain and constant tiredness and all the other crazy symptoms. But there are good days and bad days. Now that my new meds are kicking in well, there are more good days so I can begin to see the difference in a flare up. What I think happened to me is that I had a major flare up in May of this year that never stopped. In addition, I kept trying to live my life normally and thus kept setting myself back into the flare.

Others will also comment. Hang in there. This first year can be tough as you search out the right chemical cocktail for your particular version of this illness.

Beth

I am so sorry about your diagnosis. Yes, Unfortunately, I too am in constant pain. I cannot even remember my life without pain and symptoms. I tried to work for several years (torture) and haven't worked since 08. I hope you find the support and answers here. It has help me. Welcome!

Dear Leeann,

I am a little scared to be the 1st to answer this, b/c there doesn't seem to be a typical with this disease...

as for flares, until last year when I joined this group I didn't know about the word... some times, the pain is constant, sometimes, it eases off until something seems to cause it to get worse again..... what we have learned through talking to each other, is there seems to be triggers for flares.... like stress, different foods, physical exertion, even things that didn't seem to be exertion yrs before....like even typing,or sitting in a chair at a certain angle, or riding in a car.... or holding a book, when your reading....

I hope you can get some more definite answers from some of the ones that have been studying this longer, and I hope you get to feeling better.....

Thanks for the replies. I felt like I was making some progress with the meds and bam, 2 weeks ago I got a head cold. God forbid I get a cold. Now I feel like I am right back where I was a few months back. So yes, that has sent me into a bad time. My job as a transcriptionist is not an easy one with fibro, but I have learned to pace myself and get up and change positions often. I am now reading thru posts here and am valuing everyone's opinions and guidance.

Yes. It can seem to last for months at a time, but the ways you move may be a part of the problem.

Have you heard about pressure points and stretched tissue, tendons, in the neck.

Here's a link to an article on the subject, i'm referring to the first few paragraphs in the article.

www.livestrong.com/article/207385-disorders-of-the-nerves-tendons...

Hi LeeAnn, same as most of the folks above, I have chronic pain (which has improved with the use of Cymbalta) with occasional flares that make me wish for the chronic. I was finally diagnosed a little over 2 years ago, when I was started on the Cymbalta. I was already taking Ambien for insomnia, Atarax for itching (took Benadryl for so many years it no longer helped) because I am basically "allergic" to my own skin. Not only do I have pain when touched, but I also tend to break out in hives. I think most of us have had a long, slow journey before we were ever even diagnosed. I'm just looking forward to the day when it is truly recognized. One of my major issues, and why I have applied for disability, is not even the pain as much as that the fibro has compromised my immune system so badly. I have asthma & when I am exposed to cold/flu germs it's a 99% chance I will end up with (at the least) bronchitis & at least once a year I ended up with pneumonia. Since I stopped working 2 yrs ago, my chronic respiratory infections have gone from getting really ill 4-6 times a year to 2x in the last 2 years. I'm very "hermity" but it's worth it to me to stay healthier. I guess this is a long, rambling way to tell you, YES, a cold can cause a flare-up. Always has with me anyway. I'm still just looking for more that I can do to ease the chronic pain. I take Ultram (which doesn't mix well with the Cymbalta) because I can't tolerate most NSAID's (1 EC baby aspirin or 1 Aleve WITH food is the most I can tolerate). Yeah, I have DJD which also seems to go right along with the fibro & had to have both knees replaced at the ripe old age of 49. The occasional cortisone use for my asthma seems to have no effect on the fibro or the DJD & only causes my eye doctor to worry about my pre-disposition to glaucoma. I only go into such detail because I have found it extremely helpful for other people here to talk about their symptoms/problems & what they do to alleviate these where they can. For example, I finally know that the urinary retention problems that stumped my urologist are most likely related to the fibro. And I finally have a name for the occasional confused/groggy state I find myself in (aka FibroFog). This has in turn helped me explain some of my problems to my family a bit more. It's also given me the courage to ask my MD for more options/treatments. I'm still looking for the right 'chemical cocktail' (thank you Crossfit) but after talking to people here that are in the same boat, at the very least I don't just feel like giving up anymore. We just have to hang in & hope for better times ahead.
Gentle Hugs

Its been about week and a half since I was flat out told this is what you have, kinda a blindside and also a relief . Last year I fell off a horse and broke my back so now I am held together with a plate and 6 screws . The pain from the surgery was one thing but these other issues started arising the nerve pain and pain to the touch hard to discribe unless u feel it yourself .Then the rash omg i was so happy to find out it was part of it all and has eased off now with the Lyrica but I do know when its time to get those jeans off
Will continue to learn my limitations or suffer from not listening to the inner person yelling hey there thats enough for now