
Fibromyalgia Support Group
You're not alone in your pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. If you're trying to cope with pain throughout your body, sleep problems, general fatigue, or other common fibromyalgia symptoms, you're in the right place. The community is here for you to talk about therapies and share your challenges.

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i ama psycholgy major and i have studied some biological psychology so i am not by any means an expert, but i have spoken with a woman at the local university here who is doing research on fibromyalgia and told her i would ask my friends with it online a few questions. there must be a reason women have it more than men. something i am guessing that has to do with hormones. so if you feel like helping i am conducting my own survey based on my history and that of a very few others that i know have fibro. i will pass it on to the lady at TU(tulsa university) and see if can help her with her reserch.
1. at what age did you first experience the symptoms of fibro, and what were they?
2. how long after that did it take for you to be diagnosed with fibro, and what kind of doctor diagnosed you?
3. have you have any history of childhood abuse? emotional, sexual, physical, or even watching the abuse of a family memeber while growing up?
4. were you sick often as a child? did you miss alot of school because of illness?
5. do you suffer from generalized aniety disorder or panic attack disorder? if , at what age did you first start to experience these disorders?
6. did you start your period later than normal?
7. is your period irregular? if so, has it always been irredular or only recently?
8. have you ever had an abortion or experienced a misscarriage?
9. have you ever had ovarian cysts? if so, have they ever ruptured, causing you pian or discomfort?
10. when you have your periods, do your fibro symptoms increase or decrease or stay the same?
11. have you been in one or more car accidents that you recieved enough injury from to seek medical care or miss school/work for any amount of time?
12. have you ever suffered from depression, bi-polar, or manic depression before you experienced fibro symptoms?
13. have you had alot of stress in your life before you experienced fibro symptoms? for ex. deaths of family or friends, poverty(financial stress), high stress work enviroment, stress an relationships with friends or lovers, stress from child rearing or raising an ill child or caring for an ill parent or other family member, anything t hat would cause you to feel stress for long periods of time.?
14. have you had a history of eating alot of fast food, or of malnutrition when developing as a child or in your teens and early twenties?(your brain is not fully developed until you aree arouond 26 yrs old. varies by a few years in some people)
15. do any females in your family suffer from fibro as well?
16. is there any history of thyroid disease in your family?
17. is there any history of problems with conception, carrying a child to full term, or childbirth in your family?
18. do you have a history of alcohol or drug abuse?
19. is there a history of alcohol or drug abuse in your imediate family?
20. what medication are you taking to control your pain from fibro, and do you suffer from other diseases as well?
these questions are very personal and i understand if they are too personal to answer. when i send the information to her i will delete any names or identifying information before she sees anything. i believ in protecting everyone's privacy. you can send your respobses if you wish to my e-mail account if you wish. or, if you do not mind sharing your answers with the community you can respond directly to this posting so others may see comman factors as well. maybe together we can find an answer. because nobody is as dedicated to finding a cure than thise who live with fibro everyday. thanks you.
also: i am a second year student so i have no proffesional experience creating questionares. if anyone has any experience in the field and has any critiques or suggestions on how to improve it please feel free to help me make this as thourough and scientificly valid as possible. thanks again.
trailertreasure@hotmail.com
1. at what age did you first experience the symptoms of fibro, and what were they?
2. how long after that did it take for you to be diagnosed with fibro, and what kind of doctor diagnosed you?
3. have you have any history of childhood abuse? emotional, sexual, physical, or even watching the abuse of a family memeber while growing up?
4. were you sick often as a child? did you miss alot of school because of illness?
5. do you suffer from generalized aniety disorder or panic attack disorder? if , at what age did you first start to experience these disorders?
6. did you start your period later than normal?
7. is your period irregular? if so, has it always been irredular or only recently?
8. have you ever had an abortion or experienced a misscarriage?
9. have you ever had ovarian cysts? if so, have they ever ruptured, causing you pian or discomfort?
10. when you have your periods, do your fibro symptoms increase or decrease or stay the same?
11. have you been in one or more car accidents that you recieved enough injury from to seek medical care or miss school/work for any amount of time?
12. have you ever suffered from depression, bi-polar, or manic depression before you experienced fibro symptoms?
13. have you had alot of stress in your life before you experienced fibro symptoms? for ex. deaths of family or friends, poverty(financial stress), high stress work enviroment, stress an relationships with friends or lovers, stress from child rearing or raising an ill child or caring for an ill parent or other family member, anything t hat would cause you to feel stress for long periods of time.?
14. have you had a history of eating alot of fast food, or of malnutrition when developing as a child or in your teens and early twenties?(your brain is not fully developed until you aree arouond 26 yrs old. varies by a few years in some people)
15. do any females in your family suffer from fibro as well?
16. is there any history of thyroid disease in your family?
17. is there any history of problems with conception, carrying a child to full term, or childbirth in your family?
18. do you have a history of alcohol or drug abuse?
19. is there a history of alcohol or drug abuse in your imediate family?
20. what medication are you taking to control your pain from fibro, and do you suffer from other diseases as well?
these questions are very personal and i understand if they are too personal to answer. when i send the information to her i will delete any names or identifying information before she sees anything. i believ in protecting everyone's privacy. you can send your respobses if you wish to my e-mail account if you wish. or, if you do not mind sharing your answers with the community you can respond directly to this posting so others may see comman factors as well. maybe together we can find an answer. because nobody is as dedicated to finding a cure than thise who live with fibro everyday. thanks you.
also: i am a second year student so i have no proffesional experience creating questionares. if anyone has any experience in the field and has any critiques or suggestions on how to improve it please feel free to help me make this as thourough and scientificly valid as possible. thanks again.
trailertreasure@hotmail.com
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When I was a child severe pain in legs
2. how long after that did it take for you to be diagnosed with fibro, and what kind of doctor diagnosed you?
30 years
3. have you have any history of childhood abuse? emotional, sexual, physical, or even watching the abuse of a family memeber while growing up?
Survivor of childhood sexual abuse and emotional abuse. Adult survivor of physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
4. were you sick often as a child? did you miss alot of school because of illness?
No
5. do you suffer from generalized aniety disorder or panic attack disorder? if , at what age did you first start to experience these disorders?
Had panic attacks and nervous breakdown in 98
6. did you start your period later than normal?
No
7. is your period irregular? if so, has it always been irredular or only recently?
severly irregular always
8. have you ever had an abortion or experienced a misscarriage?
Had etopic pregnancy
9. have you ever had ovarian cysts? if so, have they ever ruptured, causing you pian or discomfort?
Yes to both
10. when you have your periods, do your fibro symptoms increase or decrease or stay the same?
Increase
11. have you been in one or more car accidents that you recieved enough injury from to seek medical care or miss school/work for any amount of time?
No
12. have you ever suffered from depression, bi-polar, or manic depression before you experienced fibro symptoms?
No
13. have you had alot of stress in your life before you experienced fibro symptoms? for ex. deaths of family or friends, poverty(financial stress), high stress work enviroment, stress an relationships with friends or lovers, stress from child rearing or raising an ill child or caring for an ill parent or other family member, anything t hat would cause you to feel stress for long periods of time.?
yes
14. have you had a history of eating alot of fast food, or of malnutrition when developing as a child or in your teens and early twenties?(your brain is not fully developed until you aree arouond 26 yrs old. varies by a few years in some people)
No
15. do any females in your family suffer from fibro as well?
Possibly my oldest daughter
16. is there any history of thyroid disease in your family?
No
17. is there any history of problems with conception, carrying a child to full term, or childbirth in your family?
Yes
18. do you have a history of alcohol or drug abuse?
Clean meth addict for 9 years after 23 years of use
19. is there a history of alcohol or drug abuse in your imediate family?
Yes
20. what medication are you taking to control your pain from fibro, and do you suffer from other diseases as well
Am on oxycontin and lamictal and flexeril for fibro pain. I also have a nonmalignant brain tumor
Leg pain ( growing pains?) as child.. same all through my teen and young adult life..doctor said it was possibly the "beginning" of arthiritis. I was disabled by it in 1993...pain and IBS were the primary symptoms for me.
2. how long after that did it take for you to be diagnosed with fibro, and what kind of doctor diagnosed you?
I was diagosed with fibro at the age of45 in 1993 by a rheumatologist
3. have you have any history of childhood abuse? emotional, sexual, physical, or even watching the abuse of a family memeber while growing up?
No
4. were you sick often as a child? did you miss alot of school because of illness?
No
5. do you suffer from generalized aniety disorder or panic attack disorder? if , at what age did you first start to experience these disorders?
NO
6. did you start your period later than normal?
No
7. is your period irregular? if so, has it always been irredular or only recently?
It was irregular..now I am apst menopause..interestingly enough with NO symptoms no hot flashes etc..
8. have you ever had an abortion or experienced a misscarriage?
no
9. have you ever had ovarian cysts? if so, have they ever ruptured, causing you pian or discomfort?
no
10. when you have your periods, do your fibro symptoms increase or decrease or stay the same?
used to be worse.. after menopause fibro pain somewhat better.
11. have you been in one or more car accidents that you recieved enough injury from to seek medical care or miss school/work for any amount of time?
no
12. have you ever suffered from depression, bi-polar, or manic depression before you experienced fibro symptoms?
no
13. have you had alot of stress in your life before you experienced fibro symptoms? for ex. deaths of family or friends, poverty(financial stress), high stress work enviroment, stress an relationships with friends or lovers, stress from child rearing or raising an ill child or caring for an ill parent or other family member, anything t hat would cause you to feel stress for long periods of time.?
no
14. have you had a history of eating alot of fast food, or of malnutrition when developing as a child or in your teens and early twenties?(your brain is not fully developed until you aree arouond 26 yrs old. varies by a few years in some people)
no
15. do any females in your family suffer from fibro as well?
Yes,an aunt several neices also one male
16. is there any history of thyroid disease in your family?
I had overactive thyroid.
17. is there any history of problems with conception, carrying a child to full term, or childbirth in your family?
no
18. do you have a history of alcohol or drug abuse?
no
19. is there a history of alcohol or drug abuse in your imediate family?
no
20. what medication are you taking to control your pain from fibro, and do you suffer from other diseases as well?
motrin,I use biofeedback, medication yoga stretching and other exercise and relaxation techniques
these questions are very personal and i understand if they are too personal to answer. when i send the information to her i will delete any names or identifying information before she sees anything. i believ in protecting everyone's privacy. you can send your respobses if you wish to my e-mail account if you wish. or, if you do not mind sharing your answers with the community you can respond directly to this posting so others may see comman factors as well. maybe together we can find an answer. because nobody is as dedicated to finding a cure than thise who live with fibro everyday. thanks you.
also: i am a second year student so i have no proffesional experience creating questionares. if anyone has any experience in the field and has any critiques or suggestions on how to improve it please feel free to help me make this as thourough and scientificly valid as possible. thanks again.
trailertreasure@hotmail.com
Good luck with tnis research!
Let us know your findings..
1. at what age did you first experience the symptoms of fibro, and what were they?
About 19. Extremely tired all the time, showers hurt, forgetfulness, reliant on alcohol
2. how long after that did it take for you to be diagnosed with fibro, and what kind of doctor diagnosed you?
About 26 or so. Can't quite remember. My mom also has Fibro/Arthritis. It was my regular doctor.
3. have you have any history of childhood abuse? emotional, sexual, physical, or even watching the abuse of a family memeber while growing up?
Yes. Mother was physically and mentally abused by her husband and I was by my first boyfriend.
4. were you sick often as a child? did you miss alot of school because of illness?
Didn't miss school but was sick quite a bit. Had every childhood illness out there. I also was born paralized on the outside of my legs, pinch esophagus, one leg shorter than the other and seen a Chriropractor from the time I was a toddler. He's the reason I can walk, have babies etc.
5. do you suffer from generalized aniety disorder or panic attack disorder? if , at what age did you first start to experience these disorders?
I've only had one panic attack. I went to the hospital and they gave me an ECG. It came back normal. This after my hubby had a stroke, mom nearly dying and in ICU, daughter's double jaw surgery (5, 10 hour trips) in 6 weeks and my dad's quadruple bypass surgery all within the year!
6. did you start your period later than normal?
Was 12
7. is your period irregular? if so, has it always been irredular or only recently?
Just recently. I think I'm perimenopausal. Have doctor's appt on Tuesday.
8. have you ever had an abortion or experienced a misscarriage?
No abortion, one miscarriage at 19 and 2 born children. I think the miscarriage triggered my FM.
9. have you ever had ovarian cysts? if so, have they ever ruptured, causing you pain or discomfort?
no.
10. when you have your periods, do your fibro symptoms increase or decrease or stay the same?
Increase. Fiber, back and kidney pain, yeast infections etc. I think I have toxic shock syndrome so try to avoid tampons.
11. have you been in one or more car accidents that you recieved enough injury from to seek medical care or miss school/work for any amount of time?
no.
12. have you ever suffered from depression, bi-polar, or manic depression before you experienced fibro symptoms?
no.
13. have you had alot of stress in your life before you experienced fibro symptoms? for ex. deaths of family or friends, poverty(financial stress), high stress work enviroment, stress an relationships with friends or lovers, stress from child rearing or raising an ill child or caring for an ill parent or other family member, anything that would cause you to feel stress for long periods of time?
Yes to all. I am in the "caregiver" roll. It's draining.
14. have you had a history of eating a lot of fast food, or of malnutrition when developing as a child or in your teens and early twenties? (your brain is not fully developed until you aree arouond 26 yrs old. varies by a few years in some people)
No, I never ate much fast food as a child and even less now. It makes me sick. My hubby is an awesome cook and makes better, healthier meals than restaurants. I also have IBS, so dread going to restaurants.
15. do any females in your family suffer from fibro as well?
Yes, mother, possibly my grandmother and 1 aunt (they never were diagnosed but have the classic symptoms), my daughter has rheumatoid arthritis and my son has fatigue.
16. is there any history of thyroid disease in your family?
not sure.
17. is there any history of problems with conception, carrying a child to full term, or childbirth in your family?
No, mother had easy labours, I had 24 hr and 34 hr labours. Both of my kids weren't breach but were upside down.
18. do you have a history of alcohol or drug abuse?
Not drugs but alcohol. I quit when I got pregnant and don't drink much anymore.
19. is there a history of alcohol or drug abuse in your immediate family?
yes.
20. what medication are you taking to control your pain from fibro, and do you suffer from other diseases as well?
Melatonin, FibroSense herbs, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, massage. Getting something added on Tuesday, just not sure what yet but need something stronger now.
thank you to everyone who has responded so far. some of these questions are not easy to answer or to make public. i salute your courage and i am amozed at what some of you have survived. you are all strong and brave women. even though it may seem like a small step, i hope that this can someday help all of us.
1. at what age did you first experience the symptoms of fibro, and what were they?
28. extreme fatigue and numbness in my arms. pain in my legs when i walked even on a flat surface. especially hard to go up and down stairs.
2. how long after that did it take for you to be diagnosed with fibro, and what kind of doctor diagnosed you?
i first had syptoms in sept, of 2006. i was first diagnosed in june of 2007 even though i had suspected i had it way back in march of 2007 from doing my own research on the internet. my pain mangement doctor and my chiropracter toldme it was probably fibro.
3. have you have any history of childhood abuse? emotional, sexual, physical, or even watching the abuse of a family memeber while growing up?
a long and almost constant history of emotional, occasionally physical, and sexual abuse. i was also constantly being moved between my mom's and my dad's houses. both were abusive in different ways.
4. were you sick often as a child? did you miss alot of school because of illness?
i was sick alot as a child. i missed tons of school but i think some of it was due to constant stress and depression.
5. do you suffer from generalized aniety disorder or panic attack disorder? if , at what age did you first start to experience these disorders?
i suffer from both. my first panic attack was in the fifth grade. when i was 15 it became a nightly experience that lasted all night until dawn for alomst a year. the full blown panic attacks have decreased over time, but i have had bouts of anxiety alot more lately. especially since i first became ill.
6. did you start your period later than normal?
i didn't start until the day after my 15th birthday. my mother also started later than usual.
7. is your period irregular? if so, has it always been irredular or only recently?
i have always had an irregular period
8. have you ever had an abortion or experienced a misscarriage?
i have has two abortions. one at 19, one at 26. one miscarriage at 24
9. have you ever had ovarian cysts? if so, have they ever ruptured, causing you pian or discomfort?
i have had one big one rupture causing a great amount of pain. after which is when i first started having fibro symptoms
10. when you have your periods, do your fibro symptoms increase or decrease or stay the same?
i rarely have periods anymore. i sometimes go months without having one. usually when i am on opiates. i have recently been bleeding lightly for almost two weeks now.
11. have you been in one or more car accidents that you recieved enough injury from to seek medical care or miss school/work for any amount of time?
i have been in one car wreck that i went to a chiropractor for. i experienced back problems several months later and had to take vicodin several times a day for the pain for two months.
12. have you ever suffered from depression, bi-polar, or manic depression before you experienced fibro symptoms?
i have had several periods of time when i was depressed, but alot of it was circumstantial.
13. have you had alot of stress in your life before you experienced fibro symptoms? for ex. deaths of family or friends, poverty(financial stress), high stress work enviroment, stress an relationships with friends or lovers, stress from child rearing or raising an ill child or caring for an ill parent or other family member, anything t hat would cause you to feel stress for long periods of time.?
my life has been constant stress as long as i can remember
14. have you had a history of eating alot of fast food, or of malnutrition when developing as a child or in your teens and early twenties?(your brain is not fully developed until you aree arouond 26 yrs old. varies by a few years in some people)
i never had regular meals growing up. i ate alot of fast food and ate sporadically in my teens and early twenties
15. do any females in your family suffer from fibro as well?
i think my mother has had it but has never been diagnosed
16. is there any history of thyroid disease in your family?
my mother and my aunt have both had thyroid problems
17. is there any history of problems with conception, carrying a child to full term, or childbirth in your family?
no
18. do you have a history of alcohol or drug abuse?
from the ages of 17 to 26 i drank alot and have done a lot of opiate drugs. i got clean at 25 from drugs except for those two months of back pain and of course the meds i tok for my cysyt and the resulting syptoms. i slowed down my drinking at 25. before that i would take breaks from drinking while i was using drugs. up to two months at a time. i now drink maybe once or twice a month. and only beer.
19. is there a history of alcohol or drug abuse in your imediate family?
my maternal grandfather was an alcoholic. my biological dad's side has alot of drug addicts and alcoholics.
20. what medication are you taking to control your pain from fibro, and do you suffer from other diseases as well?
i take 3o mgs up to 60 mgs of methadone a day. i take flexaril for muscle cramps and klonippin for anxiety.
i also have ibs. i take pepto bismal . i don't have it alot unless i am drinking heavily or for consecutive days.
generalized anxiety
panic diisorder
acid reflux(tums, pepto)
post traumatic stress disorder from an abusive childhood (this is the opinion of my friend but it makes some sense)(klonipin)
1. at what age did you first experience the symptoms of fibro, and what were they?
- 14 years old, gastrointestinal symptoms (major!) followed by foot pain (really bad) and then generalized pain.
2. how long after that did it take for you to be diagnosed with fibro, and what kind of doctor diagnosed you?
First a chiropractor diagnosed me when I was 16. But I was "officially" diagnosed when I was about 21 or 22 by a gp with an interest in FMS.
3. have you have any history of childhood abuse? emotional, sexual, physical, or even watching the abuse of a family memeber while growing up?
Yes
4. were you sick often as a child? did you miss alot of school because of illness?
Yes
5. do you suffer from generalized aniety disorder or panic attack disorder? if , at what age did you first start to experience these disorders?
Yes--Between the ages of 8-10
6. did you start your period later than normal?
No
7. is your period irregular? if so, has it always been irredular or only recently?
No
8. have you ever had an abortion or experienced a misscarriage?
Yes to both
9. have you ever had ovarian cysts? if so, have they ever ruptured, causing you pian or discomfort?
no
10. when you have your periods, do your fibro symptoms increase or decrease or stay the same?
Stay the same
11. have you been in one or more car accidents that you recieved enough injury from to seek medical care or miss school/work for any amount of time?
no
12. have you ever suffered from depression, bi-polar, or manic depression before you experienced fibro symptoms?
no
13. have you had alot of stress in your life before you experienced fibro symptoms? for ex. deaths of family or friends, poverty(financial stress), high stress work enviroment, stress an relationships with friends or lovers, stress from child rearing or raising an ill child or caring for an ill parent or other family member, anything t hat would cause you to feel stress for long periods of time.?
Yes
14. have you had a history of eating alot of fast food, or of malnutrition when developing as a child or in your teens and early twenties?(your brain is not fully developed until you aree arouond 26 yrs old. varies by a few years in some people)
Yes
15. do any females in your family suffer from fibro as well?
No
16. is there any history of thyroid disease in your family?
No
17. is there any history of problems with conception, carrying a child to full term, or childbirth in your family?
No
18. do you have a history of alcohol or drug abuse?
No
19. is there a history of alcohol or drug abuse in your imediate family?
No
20. what medication are you taking to control your pain from fibro, and do you suffer from other diseases as well?
- Percocet, Flexeril, Zoloft for depression
27, extreme weakness and fatigue, at first just a burning sensation on the skin behind my armpits, which rapidly progressed into everything except my head, feet, and neck feeling like I had been beaten severly with a baseball bat.
2. how long after that did it take for you to be diagnosed with fibro, and what kind of doctor diagnosed you?
About 5 months. Iwas diagnosed by a very young family doctor.
3. have you have any history of childhood abuse? emotional, sexual, physical, or even watching the abuse of a family memeber while growing up?
no.
4. were you sick often as a child? did you miss alot of school because of illness?
very healthy child.
5. do you suffer from generalized aniety disorder or panic attack disorder? if , at what age did you first start to experience these disorders?
Diagnosed with GAD in my 20's, but was having anxiety attacks at 16 or 17.
6. did you start your period later than normal?
14.
7. is your period irregular? if so, has it always been irredular or only recently?
Well, it's fine time wise, but it has always been very heavy, and I went from normal take an advil cramps before fibro to monthly ER visits for excrutiatingly bad cramps within 2 yrs of getting fibro.
8. have you ever had an abortion or experienced a misscarriage?
no.
9. have you ever had ovarian cysts? if so, have they ever ruptured, causing you pian or discomfort?
one on my left ovary, it ruptured with very bad pain that lasted 20 to 30 minutes.
10. when you have your periods, do your fibro symptoms increase or decrease or stay the same?
INCREASE!!!
11. have you been in one or more car accidents that you recieved enough injury from to seek medical care or miss school/work for any amount of time?
no.
12. have you ever suffered from depression, bi-polar, or manic depression before you experienced fibro symptoms?
Yes, I have suffered from chronic depression since I was 14.
13. have you had alot of stress in your life before you experienced fibro symptoms? for ex. deaths of family or friends, poverty(financial stress), high stress work enviroment, stress an relationships with friends or lovers, stress from child rearing or raising an ill child or caring for an ill parent or other family member, anything t hat would cause you to feel stress for long periods of time.?
Only being in an extremely violent high school for 3 yrs. I was scared every day that I had to go to school there.
14. have you had a history of eating alot of fast food, or of malnutrition when developing as a child or in your teens and early twenties?(your brain is not fully developed until you aree arouond 26 yrs old. varies by a few years in some people)
Lots of McDonalds! Also, my mom worked constantly, so we mostly ate canned, frozen, or box mix meals.
15. do any females in your family suffer from fibro as well?
My aunt on my mom's side
16. is there any history of thyroid disease in your family?
no. well, not other than my adopted brother.
17. is there any history of problems with conception, carrying a child to full term, or childbirth in your family?
Extended family, yes. Immediate family, no.
18. do you have a history of alcohol or drug abuse?
What was it Reagan used to say? "I have no recollection of that event" please pass the Ho Hos. I also tried acid once about a year or two before getting fibro. hmmm...
19. is there a history of alcohol or drug abuse in your imediate family?
no.
20. what medication are you taking to control your pain from fibro, and do you suffer from other diseases as well?
Flexeril and Percocet(that is technically only for my once a week in he** every month, but I use it for very bad flare ups only). Depression, anxiety, Restless Leg Syndrome, eczema, and a very recent diagnosis of Adenomyosis.
Suggestion: Open ended questions like these are almost impossible to really put together meaningful data from. Try the 1 to 10 scale, true/false, check all that apply (with an option for other would have worked well in this case) Good luck with school and the research, hope some of this helped.
1. 10 years old. It began in my shins and ankles, sometimes flaring up to the point where I couldn't walk. This was also when the fog set in.
2. 9 years, as I had never had much money or good insurance with which to be diagnosed.
3. I was picked on at school every day, had no friends, and got into many, many fights. I was also exposed to porn at 6 years old (though I have beaten the addiction now). My mom and dad often spoke of divorce and fought (not physically) often. I also spent 6 years alone with no one but my parents. I also have 9 mental illnesses, if that could be relevant.
4. I had pneumonia 4 times, had ear infections, and had random "food poisoning" episodes.
5. Yes, among other disorders. The earliest I can remember was the age of 6-7.
6. Hopefully I will never have a period. ;)
7. Refer to above question.
8. N/A
9. N/A
10. N/A
11. I have been in many accidents, but only two of them kept me from working for around a month.
12. I had developed several mental illnesses long before the onset of fibro, so yes.
13. Indeed. My entire childhood was filled with abuse, death, violence, and stress from many sources.
14. Fast food was all I ever ate as a child.
15. One of my aunts, I believe, but other than that, no.
16. Yes.
17. My grandmother miscarried twice, and my mother had cysts develop in her uterus before giving birth to me.
18. I am addicted to amphetamines, but that addiction came on after fibro did.
19. Very much so, but not my mother, only my dad's side of the family.
20. Percocet, Ultram, Lortab, Zoloft, Perphenazine, Soma, and a few others. I have no other diseases.
these questions are very personal and i understand if they are too personal to answer. when i send the information to her i will delete any names or identifying information before she sees anything. i believ in protecting everyone's privacy. you can send your respobses if you wish to my e-mail account if you wish. or, if you do not mind sharing your answers with the community you can respond directly to this posting so others may see comman factors as well. maybe together we can find an answer. because nobody is as dedicated to finding a cure than thise who live with fibro everyday. thanks you.
also: i am a second year student so i have no proffesional experience creating questionares. if anyone has any experience in the field and has any critiques or suggestions on how to improve it please feel free to help me make this as thourough and scientificly valid as possible. thanks again.
2. took two years. a Orthopedic surgeon diagnosed me as fibro.
3. no
4.no
5. no
6.no
7.no
8.no
9.no
10. no
11.no
12.no
13.no, i was too young
14. no
15. no
16no
17.no
18.yes
19 yes
20. valium
SYMPTOMS STARTED AT AGE 23, PAIN STARTED IN MY NECK, SHOULDERS AND BACK
2. how long after that did it take for you to be diagnosed with fibro, and what kind of doctor diagnosed you?
DIAGNOSED 2 YEARS LATER, FIRST BY MY GENERAL PRACTICIONER, SENT TO A CHIRO, HE ALSO AGREED I HAD FIBRO. HAVE SINCE BEEN DIAGNOSED(AFTER SEVERAL INSURANCE CHANGES OVER THE YEARS) BY A PAIN MANAGEMENT DOCTOR AND RHEUMOTOLOGIST OF WHOM I NOW SEE.
3. have you have any history of childhood abuse? emotional, sexual, physical, or even watching the abuse of a family memeber while growing up?
I WAS PHYSICALLY ABUSED BY EX HUSBAND, 2 YEARS OF PHYSICAL ABUSE. ALL BEFORE FIBRO PAIN STARTED OR DIAGNOSIS. STARTED WITH FIBRO PAIN 2 YEARS AFTER ABUSE ENDED.
4. were you sick often as a child? did you miss alot of school because of illness?
NO
5. do you suffer from generalized aniety disorder or panic attack disorder? if , at what age did you first start to experience these disorders?
I HAVE JUST RECENTLY STARTED WITH ANXIETY ATTACKS THE LAST 6-8 MONTHS.
6. did you start your period later than normal?
STARTED AGE 13
7. is your period irregular? if so, has it always been irredular or only recently?
ALWAYS BEEN IRREGULAR, HAD HYSTERECTOMY 2 YEARS AGO
8. have you ever had an abortion or experienced a misscarriage?
NO
9. have you ever had ovarian cysts? if so, have they ever ruptured, causing you pian or discomfort?
YES, HAVE HAD CYSTS. NO RUPTURED CYSTS THAT I KNOW OF
10. when you have your periods, do your fibro symptoms increase or decrease or stay the same?
WHEN I HAD A PERIOD, FIBRO PAIN WAS WORSE SOME MONTHS, SOME MONTHS NOT
11. have you been in one or more car accidents that you recieved enough injury from to seek medical care or miss school/work for any amount of time?
NEVER BEEN IN A CAR ACCIDENT THAT NEEDED MEDICAL ATTENTION
12. have you ever suffered from depression, bi-polar, or manic depression before you experienced fibro symptoms?
NO
13. have you had alot of stress in your life before you experienced fibro symptoms? for ex. deaths of family or friends, poverty(financial stress), high stress work enviroment, stress an relationships with friends or lovers, stress from child rearing or raising an ill child or caring for an ill parent or other family member, anything t hat would cause you to feel stress for long periods of time.?
NO
14. have you had a history of eating alot of fast food, or of malnutrition when developing as a child or in your teens and early twenties?(your brain is not fully developed until you aree arouond 26 yrs old. varies by a few years in some people)
NO
15. do any females in your family suffer from fibro as well?
NOT THAT I KNOW OF
16. is there any history of thyroid disease in your family?
NO
17. is there any history of problems with conception, carrying a child to full term, or childbirth in your family?
ONLY ME, HAD TO HAVE MEDICAL HELP TO GET PREGNANT
18. do you have a history of alcohol or drug abuse?
NO
19. is there a history of alcohol or drug abuse in your imediate family?
MY DAD WAS AN ALCOHOLIC
20. what medication are you taking to control your pain from fibro, and do you suffer from other diseases as well?
NO OTHER DISEASES OR CONDITIONS.
I TAKE, MS CONTIN, XANAX, NEURONTIN, PERCOCET AND SEROQUIL
I would like to thank you for taking the time to do this. I have been asked every single question that you posted from many doctors over the years.
Please let us know what you come up with when you are done.
Thank u, wonderful post.
2. Diagnosed 6 months later, by GP.
3. Some emotional abuse but not too major.
4. Sore knees, growing pains. Didn't miss school though.
5.PTSD symptoms started at the onset of FM, but has since been fixed.
6. No
7.Was, but is fine now.
8.No
9.Small cyst that went away
10.Increase
11. Had car accident that triggered FM but wasn't physically injured.
12. yes, clinically depressed about 10 years before.
13.Yes
14.Not particularly
15.No
16. No
17. No History, but first baby 5 weeks early.
18. No
19. No
20. Sleep meds - amytriptiline, prozac. Pain meds - Mobic, Oxycontin, acupan, norflex, paradex, dixarit. No other illnesses yet :)
Right around 26-27 yrs old.
2. how long after that did it take for you to be diagnosed with fibro, and what kind of doctor diagnosed you?
10 years and it was family practioner
3. have you have any history of childhood abuse? emotional, sexual, physical, or even watching the abuse of a family member while growing up?
yes
4. were you sick often as a child? did you miss alot of school because of illness?
not really
5. do you suffer from generalized aniety disorder or panic attack disorder? if , at what age did you first start to experience these disorders?
no
6. did you start your period later than normal?
no
7. is your period irregular? if so, has it always been irregular or only recently?
no
8. have you ever had an abortion or experienced a miscarriage?
yes
9. have you ever had ovarian cysts? if so, have they ever ruptured, causing you pain or discomfort?
yes several times during teenage years
10. when you have your periods, do your fibro symptoms increase or decrease or stay the same?
had hysterectomy at 25
11. have you been in one or more car accidents that you recieved enough injury from to seek medical care or miss school/work for any amount of time?
yes
12. have you ever suffered from depression, bi-polar, or manic depression before you experienced fibro symptoms?
no
13. have you had alot of stress in your life before you experienced fibro symptoms? for ex. deaths of family or friends, poverty(financial stress), high stress work enviroment, stress an relationships with friends or lovers, stress from child rearing or raising an ill child or caring for an ill parent or other family member, anything t hat would cause you to feel stress for long periods of time.?
very much so
14. have you had a history of eating alot of fast food, or of malnutrition when developing as a child or in your teens and early twenties?(your brain is not fully developed until you aree arouond 26 yrs old. varies by a few years in some people)
no
15. do any females in your family suffer from fibro as well?
yes
16. is there any history of thyroid disease in your family?
no
17. is there any history of problems with conception, carrying a child to full term, or childbirth in your family?
yes
18. do you have a history of alcohol or drug abuse?
no
19. is there a history of alcohol or drug abuse in your imediate family?
no
20. what medication are you taking to control your pain from fibro, and do you suffer from other diseases as well?
Lyrica, Prozac, and Flexeril