A better description of Fibromyalgia pain

I have CFS. I had been improving from my CFS, but over two months ago, I had a surgery for something unrelated and ever since the initial pain meds wore off I've been in pain all over and the fatigue has gotten way worse. I am bedridden. I only get up if I absolutely, positively must. Bodily functions haven't always been a must. I am in pain all over, and it doesn't seem especially related to the surgery site. I'm really scared of addictive painkillers, but NSAIDs aren't working, except to relieve the headaches. It's terrible. My doctor says there are a few things it might be, fibro being one of them. But when I read the descriptions of fibromyalgia pain, they aren't very specific. It's hard to distinguish from other things. I know that's partially because the pain isn't in any specific part of the body and the symptoms vary for different people, but there are some things I'd like to know more about fibro pain. For example:

On this more descriptive version of the "happy face" pain scale, what number range do/did you fluctuate between when you weren't on pain meds? What was your most common number? And how different is it when you're on pain meds?

What about on this super-descriptive 14-point scale? What parts of the descriptions were true for you before pain meds? And how different is it when you're on pain meds?

Someone said they feel pain on their skin that moves around a lot, like it's just raw and prickly in lots of different places. Is that common? Are there other types of fibro pain besides the muscle pain and headaches?

Does doing anything, like any particular movement, make it worse? Can you or a doctor do something that makes it hurt, besides the tender point test, like raising your limbs, walking, carrying things, clenching your muscles, etc.? (Obviously some of these affect your tiredness, but I'm curious about pain.)

And that leads me to, what do you actually feel, like a good description, when they do the tender point test? I just feel pressing on something that already hurts, so it hurts, but I also read that men (I'm male) aren't as sensitive to the test. Maybe the pain I feel is what I'm supposed to feel but I don't realize it. What kind of pain do you feel when they press a tender spot? How bad is it? Is it like "Ow, stop!" or just "Yes, that hurts, I hurt all over."

I can't find much detail about trigger points. I know they make pain shoot to other areas, but I can't find an image of where they are. All I can find are the tender point diagrams. Where are the trigger points, and where does it make the pain shoot to? What does shooting pain even mean, do you feel pain all the way in between the place that was pressed and another place, or is the pain just in two separate places at the same time? How bad is it? Does the non-touched location just feel a non-painful sensation or some other reaction, or is that spot just as painful as the touched spot?

Thank you a lot! I know this is a lot of questions, but it's hard to find really detailed descriptions so I can say "that's me" or "that isn't me."

Post Edited (Dave in Cincinnati) : 5/16/2015 10:39:11 PM (GMT-6)

Hi Dave. For me it started in my hips and knees and those 2 areas along with my neck and shoulders are my major complaint now. of course I've also had all the other stuff like carpal tnnel and tmj and imsonia for years. My tender spots feel like someone pressing on a bruise. My worst has been a 10 during a flare but with lots of excercise and gabapentin mine stays managed pretty well and stays between a 2-5. I rarely ever take narcotics and when I have I've never taken anything more than a vicodin once in while if I'm in severe pain. I also forgot to mentiin that migraines have been one of my most debikitating symptoms but those are pretty well managed for now too. Everyones symptoms though vary widely as do their respinses to treatments. You've found a great place for information and support. Just remember you're not alone and I hope you find some answers and some relief soon

By the way, I can't take your poll as you added body movements that aren't necessarily mine.
I would be 7-8 w/ out meds. But the mouth ect .?.????

Hi Dave,
Mine started a long time ago when I was young, although I didn't know that's what it was. My father paid for some very expensive test to find out what was wrong. My first migraine happened when I was 10 yes old. Later my muscles started hurting and ripping. My hips would hurt but I put that down to track. I was an active kid and teen.
Through the years I've gotten worse but never anything I could say was solid for diagnoses. Finally, I saw a doctor who diagnosed me with osteoarthritis, he sent me to a reumatalogist. He put me on celebrex, but it didn't work for more than a couple of years. Between not sleeping and hurting I was losing myself to fybro-fog. Last year I was sent to a QUICKER CARE which is like aER but not as expensive. The diagnosed me with FM.
I was diagnosed with FM because the muscles in my shoulders were burning and ripping causing huge bruising my leg muscles were doing the same thing. They tried me on anti-depressants, gabapinten,muscle relaxers (they helped), lyrics (too expensive) ext.
Now they have me on hydrocodone it helps a little, but now my sciatic nerve has joined the frey. There are more days than not that I cannot walk, which is bad considering I work 10 to 12 hrs.a day.
This is the first time I've told my story, but there are things you should know. I am the last child of seven girls. I come from an abusive home, where none of us were safe and the doctors and I believe my mother had FM. She also had migraines and three major strokes. I have one other side effect that can occur with FM I'm an adult bed wetter. Very embarrassing but my mother was one too. Sorry so long. I hope you find the answers your looking for, but I believe that narcotics are NOT good for long periods of time.

Ugh, Julie, I remember brushing my teeth in the beginning was a terrifying experience because my arms simply couldn't handle the tiny consistent muscle movement needed to brush.

Trigger points are a cluster of muscle strands that are basically stuck together in a knot. This area also collects toxins which are difficult to detox and it ends up being a catch 22. Muscle manipulation, heat/cold and good nutrition help but I have found that some of my bad ones are just never going to go away. I used to do the lidocaine injections in them which helped for a few months but I paid for it dearly (unable to use that muscle for a week). I gave up on injections and just do what I can (and use a ton of heat and muscle relaxers at night).

My 'fibro pain' is really this radiating pain that starts from my spine and branches out. Think of your spine as a tree trunk and the branches are the pain. It often comes with anxiety. I'm basically trapped in this little terror/pain bubble. My quadrant pain is the muscle spasms which I would take ten times over my spine tree pain.

I hate fibro.

Fibromyalgia is WEIRD. Very very weird. Different for everyone. Drugs help some and not others. Trial and error of drugs gets you to where you can function. I take Magnesium, vitamin D, Cymbalta, Buspar and Baclofen. I get up in pain and I go to bed in pain at about a 3 being baseline for me. Flares 7.

Started out with feeling just like the flu. Progressed rapidly to not being able to work. I hate taking all these meds too but I need them. I'm fortunate to have good health insurance. I also am able to have warm water exercises which help a LOT.