How Does Fibro affect you?

Hmmmm, good question. For me, I do have trigger points...all of them actually, but I feel the pain most in my muscles...legs, arms, neck/shoulders and hips/buttocks. I've had hip pain for many years and always assumed it was part of the Fibro, but after an MRI (for other reasons), I discovered I have something called Femoralacetabular Impingement, so it's not related at all.

The pain I feel with Fibro is a deep ache in the muscles and extreme tenderness and pain over the trigger points if touched...like a stabbing sensation. Needless to say, I don't like being touched! My joints are all sore, but I have no inflammation in them according to all the blood tests I've had done, so not sure if that's related to Fibro, or something else.

Mostly, I just ache...deep, constant and unrelenting. I had been on Lyrica for awhile, which helped with the Fibro pain, but I couldn't manage the side effects - I had huge weight gain, double vision, migraines, dizziness...it was too much to handle. I stopped the Lyrica and started on Cymbalta, which has helped lessen the pain a bit, but not a lot. Still, I'll take what I can get, and so far this, combined with the narcotics I'm on for other issues, is helping somewhat overall.

I hope you're able to get some answers. I've never experienced my Fibro in the chest area, but I have sometimes wondered if having "lumpy" breasts is partly because of it.

Good luck to you!

Pam

I would decribe my day to day fibro pain as an allover achiness. When I'm flaring that
allover achiness turns to intense bone crushing pain. My whole body hurts, it would be
difficult to choose an area that hurts more than the others. In the past I would of said
my shoulders, back and legs hurt the worst, now it's a toss up!

Fatigue is a big factor for me. It is something I battle everday, Pacing myself is a biggie.
It doesn't take much for me to flare so I try to be careful not to overdo. I still exercise.

Fog is really bad when I'm flaring!

hope you get some answers soon and that you feel better!

hugs, Robin

Hi Confused. When my fibro started which I now think was many years ago it was mostly neck, shoulders, arms. As a child I did have hip pain and 'stitch in the side a lot'. Migraines were next. After 30 or more years it has become an allover ache but pretty bad in the hips, shoulders, arms, side of legs, buttocks, lower back, hands and knees. Sleep (or lack of it) was a huge problem for me since I was in my 20's and I am 64 now. I spent many middle of the nights soaking in a tub of hot water. When dx'd last Feb I had 16 of the 18 points very sore.

That being said, I do not let it control my life. I still bike ride, exercise often, and walk a big dog 2 miles every day. I follow all of these things with stretching and/or yoga, which I love. Malic acid/magnesium helps me. I take an anti-inflammatory daily and an antidepressant at bedtime. I sleep very well most nights now.

A flare for me is usually intense pain in my buttocks, making sitting impossible almost, a migraine with terrible neck pain. Car or airplane travel is very painful during this time.

I hope this helps.

I have pain in many areas but most noticeable for me is the neck, shoulder and back pain. I also have the fog many times and I'm sure people think I'm on drugs...well I guess I am!  The one thing with having fibro is that I can REALLY feel it when I've done too much. I was in bed ALL sunday because I guess I overdid it on Saturday. I baby sat for a 4month old, held her a lot and then went to a Hafla for my belly dance teachers anniversary. I did a bit too much dancing too I guess. Some days I'm fine with lots of activity but others I am toast the next day. It's frustrating!!

My worst areas of pain are my neck, back, shoulders and most recently, my chest. (Some of my pain is also due to a herniated disc-pain medication helps with that pain but does almost nothing for the fibro pain). I also have issues with knees and elbows. Tiring easily is a big problem. It is hard for my family to understand sometimes that Mom can't do everything. I was explaining to my 13 year old yesterday that instead of doing everything I want to do, I have to choose what is the most important that day. I can't grocery shop AND do laundry. I have to do one or the other, and some days I have to choose nothing but the bare minimum. If I get cocky and try to do everything I SHOULD be able to do at my age, I pay for it with several days of being incapacitated. I have terrible sleeping issues that definitely don't help the fatigue.

I get pins and needles feelings all over, especially at night that can be very uncomfortable -ashphobiax describes it very well with the bug crawling analogy.