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Can having fibromyalgia cause the body to shut down where you are unable to walk, get out of bed alone?

I 'm told that I have fibromyalgia but it has never been explained in the right way. I have done some reading and I don't think that is what I have. My body has been attacked to the point that at times I can't walk, get out of bed, just trying to get through the day can be very hard. So I just want to know if fibromyalgia can be that bad off.

Public Comments

1. I think you get a couple of opinions with various doctors
because although it can be myalgia it could be other things
also.

2. The short answer is yes. Who told you that you have fibromyalgia? Were you diagnosed by a MD? If you weren't you need a thorough work-up to be sure. Fibro is diagnosed by eliminating everything else that could be causing your symptoms. With fibro you will have 11 out of 18 trigger points & pain in all 4 quadrants of the body. Again, if you have not had a thorough diagnostic work-up to rule out other more serious conditions, you need to. But, yes, fibromyalgia can be that bad.

3. Yes fibromyalgia can be that bad! But there are things that you can do to help yourself. First of all make sure that you have the right diagnosis. Symptoms of fibro can mimic symptoms of other illnesses. So make sure that a rheumatologist is who diagnosed you. ONce you are sure of the diagnosis, then look online for support groups. There are several and they can help a lot!!! Most of all be good to yourself.

4. I was diagnosed with fibro about 7 months ago. I am trying to learn what some of the triggers are that set my really bad days off. Stress and over exsertion can cause mine to flair up bad. Today is the first day I have really been out of bed in 3 days. Its hard to live with, but you learn things that help you. I try to stay as relaxed as possible and eat right, and get a little exercise. But to date the firbro is def. winning. Read everything you can on fibro and hang in there...you are not alone!!!! God luck and God bless

5. Absolutely, I've lived with this monster for about 10 years now...there are those days when I can barely move. Not all days are like this.. Weather, stress, and pain levels have a lot to do with it. You will learn to pay attention to your body and what causes you to have "fibro flares." Read all of the literature that you can find. There are a lot of good books out there.

6. I have had SEVERE FM since 1991, 16 looooooonnnngggg years. The first 10 years, I was completely bedridden to the point of having to have my husband roll me over. The only time I ever got up was to go to the bathroom and to shower occasionally because even that made it so much worse.

My family would tell me that what was keeping me sick was all the meds I was taking (13 meds at that time) . In 2000 we moved to another city and as my meds ran out, I just didn't get them filled. I crashed BAD (those with FM know what I mean by crash) and ended up at the county mental health. I told them that I didn't want anything that wasn't necessary to my survival. I ended up with an antidepressant, Neurontin for the muscle pain, and a sleep aide. In 2 weeks I was out of bed, but still very sick.

When I got back to CA, I went to the county mental health and a NA decided he was going to find out what was wrong with me other than just the FM. I said "go ahead, 50 doctors before you couldn't". He diagnosed me with General Anxiety Disorder. I said "that's great, but what do you take for that, because I don't want to get on a bunch of meds again." He said "Effexor". I was already taking that, but turns out, the dosage was just under what they prescribe for the GAD, so we up'ed the dose, and 2 weeks later I was feeling great, and 2 weeks after that, I had a part time job and worked there for 4 years. I am at home now, don't work, but I still get out of bed everyday.

If you are taking a bunch of meds, ask your doctor if you can ween off of some of them. Exersize is vital. Also, watch what happens to your symptoms when the barametric pressure changes, like going from sunny to rainy, or from cold to warm, or windy. That is when I am at my worst (sucks to be in CA for that). I watch the forcast on the news and if there is a change in weather coming, I will know that it is going to be a bad day for me then.

The best thing that you can do for yourself is to learn EVERYTHING you can about your condition. Knowledge is power. Not everyone's FM is the same, so pay attention to your body. Also, very important, keep a journal. I can't tell you how helpful it is to me to read back to the days I was in bed for 10 years and prayed for death every night. Also, a good support group is important. It helps so much to talk to people that actually know what you are dealing with. My extended family was SOOOOO not helpful, but my husband was great, took care of me for 10 long years. Surround yourself with people that believe that you are sick and want to help. The skeptics are not good for your stress level, and that means more pain for you.

Hope all the answers here help you find peace and hopefully comfort. We can all help each other cope.