Fibromyalgia Case Studies: February - March, 2006

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3/15/2006:
First Name: Michelle
Male or Female? Female
Where Were You Born? Laguna Hills, California
Where do you live now? Missouri
How long have you lived there? 7 years
Your age at the onset of symptoms? 26
How long have you had fibromyalgia? almost 10 years
What line of work? Still working? i was a banker...stay at home mom now.
Any prior injuries or trauma? during the delivery of my son in 1996, the nurse putting in the epidural slipped and hit the spine. that is when it began.
Does exercise help? What type? absolutely!!! yoga is what my Dr. prescribed at the onset and i have kept up on that...cardio, weights...what-ever i have the energy and/or pain tolerance for each day. its always different.
What were your very FIRST symptoms? numbness to the point of pain...every-where!
What are your CURRENT symptoms? pain on bad days. mostly just muscle pain every-where. i had developed IBS and lactose intolerance but i have since worked through those by changing what i eat.
Did you ever have a long lasting virus? not that i remember.
Military Service? What years served? no
Exposure to chemicals or heavy metals? no
How has fibro affected your life? spring is supposed to be fun but every time a storm comes crawling in, i have to lay still. it keeps me extremely aware of how i live, what i can eat, how much i should sleep, how far i can go in a day. its hard some-times to be this young and know there are days you cant get out of bed because it hurts so bad.
What makes symptoms worse? weather, not exercising or just staying still too long, eating processed food
What makes you feel better? yoga, sleep, aleeve, warm compress' or a warming rub, like ben gay or some-thing related
Theories or Comments? i was told 10 years ago this was a syndrome and was just annoying. there was nothing that could be done. it could incapacitate me but would do me no REAL harm. death i guess? i know it is very painful and takes its toll on muscles, but are there any vital organs that other people have had affected? im curious how much is coming out day by day. i dont keep up too much on all the latest medical news.
Are we missing an important question?! has any-one been admitted into the hospital for this and if so, what was done to alleviate the pain? are pain-killers and/or aspirin the only answers?

3/12/2006
First Name: Rhonda
Male or Female? female
Where Were You Born? newton, ks
Where do you live now? va
How long have you lived there? 14 years
Your age at the onset of symptoms? 27
How long have you had fibromyalgia? 18 years
What line of work? Still working? bus driver, not currently working, not because of the Fibromyalgia, though
Any prior injuries or trauma? no, however, I used to be a Type A personality, usually high strung, as well
Does exercise help? What type? even though I try to exercise an hour or more per day, it doesn't seem to help, but at the same time, doesn't hurt any worse.
What were your very FIRST symptoms? joint pain
What are your CURRENT symptoms? severe overall body pain, fatigued, can hardly move at times...every little part of my body literally hurts sooo very bad...from the top of my head to my toes...it's absolutely horrible. I've been tested for depression in the past,since it supposedly goes along with Fibromyalgia, but I've never had it...although, lately, the pain is soo much worse, I could be depressed now.
Did you ever have a long lasting virus? no
Military Service? What years served? no
How has fibro affected your life? I can't seem to do ordinary activites like I used to. I used to be so particular about everything, but now it all seems like a huge hassle, because of the pain. Currently, I'm not working, but have been wanting to get back to it. I'm wondering if I'll be able to do anything, though.
What makes symptoms worse? staying in one position for more than 10-15 minutes. I've noticed many people on here have listed climate as a problem. In my case, it doesn't matter how cold or hot it is. It just plain hurts
What makes you feel better? massage helps for a few minutes, a scalding shower provides relief while in there
Theories or Comments? I have been trying to distinguish patterns for many, many years and have not come up with anything significant. I do believe diet may have something to do with it...especially all of the "prepared foods," anything not natural, added chemicals, etc....
Are we missing an important question?! Any type of exposure to chemicals, heavy metals, including mercury teeth fillings that they may be aware of?

3/1/2006:
First Name: Donna
Male or Female?: female
Where Were You Born? new jersey
Where do you live now? new jersey
How long have you lived there? 27 years
Your age at the onset of symptoms? 30
How long have you had fibromyalgia? 8 years
What line of work? Still working? secretary/office manager (having a hard time working)
Any prior injuries or trauma?: I had gallbladder surgery, which went bad. Almost died so there was trauma.
Does exercise help? What type? 'Depends on the day. Stretching is good. when I first got fibro - i had so much pain i couldn't hold my neck up.'
What are your EXACT symptoms?: EXTEME PAIN and FATIGUE - sleep disturbances, urinary frequency, fibro fog, numbness, Irritable bowel, endometrosis, uclers, dizziness, mitro valve
Did you ever have a long lasting virus?:I had mono -
How has fibro affected your life? Fibro, has been very hard, I never had been suicital in my life, but I felt I didn't want to live with chronic pain and disease. Years later, I've learn to adjust the best I can. Although now Im dealing with endometriosis, which is caused by the fibro.
What makes symptoms worse?: doing too much! Stress and changes in barametric pressure.
What makes you feel better?: the warm weather. I usually feel decent from May - end of July. For some reason with me in August I seem to start with symtpoms and winter forget it! It become full blown.
Theories or Comments?: I believe it's a combination of hormonal imbalance, lack of nutrition, and a problem in the immune sytem. I believe diet and feeding the body to live will help. I believe artificial drinks, sweetners do contribute. I believe all the chemicals from can goods and packaged foods are destroying our bodies and aid in fibro. Eat foods the cause the body to live. Fresh fruits and veggies, nuts, chicken and fish. NO CANNED GOODS, ARTIFICIAL SWEETNERS, SODA, PROCESSED FOODS! Water and tea only.
Are we missing an important question?! What were your first symptoms

3/1/2006:
First Name: Anonymous
Male or Female? Female
Where Were You Born? Metro Detroit
Where do you live now? Metro Detroit
How long have you lived there? 40
Your age at the onset of symptoms? unsure...13....21....26......31.....or.....34
How long have you had fibromyalgia? diagnosed 9/2003
What line of work? Still working? Software Development
Any prior injuries or trauma? Too many to list.......both emotional, but mainly physical which caused several surgeries.
Does exercise help? What type? Stretching and warm water swimming helps a bit.
What are your CURRENT symptoms? Full body/joint pain. GERD. IBS. Thyroid problems. Flashes. Insomnia. Fatigue!!! Symptoms have improved greatly since diagnosis.
Did you ever have a long lasting virus? Several. Seems everyone I talk to has high antibodies for EBV and CMV including myself.
Military Service? What years served? No
How has fibro affected your life? This was my wake-up call. That's all! I now spend all of my free time on personal healing (not a band-aid, not a cure). This involves doing whatever it takes to keep mySelf in balance physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. I have made tremendous progress fully expect to rid myself of FMS with full contact.
What makes symptoms worse? Desk work, commuting, Imbalance of any sort.
What makes you feel better? Meditation, Myofascial Release, Warm water swimming, corrected sleep pattern, stretching, ridding myself of deep-seeded staph infection using homeopathic remedies. No dairy!!!! Keeping energy field clear....find 90% of remaining pain comes from energy sources (spirit?) other than my own that are not trying to hurt me, but are at a different vibration.....asking them to step away clears most of the pain. Important to keep energy body in balance too.
Theories or Comments? Quiet your mind. Be still. Get in touch with your higer-Self. Ask for help. It will come!!!

2/22/2006:
First Name: Shirley
Male or Female? female
Where Were You Born? Holland, Manitoba ,Canada
Where do you live now? Winnipeg, Manitoba,Canada
How long have you lived there? 40 years
Your age at the onset of symptoms? 38
How long have you had fibromyalgia? 22 years
What line of work? Still working? Accountant not working
Any prior injuries or trauma? 5 whiplash car accidents
Bad break to left arm and shoulder
hysterectomy
surgery for anal fissures
dental surgery/dental implants
Does exercise help? What type? Aquasize in warm pool-(this is the best for me without a doubt).
Yoga
very mild weights for arms and basic mild leg exercise and walking in gym
What are your EXACT symptoms? Chronic pain all over body
Chronic fatigue
SAD
Just developed severe GERD and LPR
Anxiety
Unable to sleep for more than 1-1.5 hrs without medication
Overactive Bladder
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Degenerative discs throughout spine
Osteoarthritis
Carpal Tunnel
Swelling in Knees and ankles
Did you ever have a long lasting virus? Had a viral hepatitis when I was 29 do not know if A or B
Contracted every virus going around the office
How has fibro affected your life? Unable to work
Diffculty walking makes all aspects of life challenging
Fatigue interferes with such basic tasks as personal hygiene
SAD - depression -
What makes symptoms worse? Stress - emotional and physical
Overextending my capabilities
Cold - weather, water,etc
Falling barometer
What makes you feel better? Aquasize
Mild exercise
Bright sunshine
Rising barometer
Yoga- mild form
Theories or Comments? I believe that the combination of stress - physical and emotional - several physical traumas , a genetic predisposition and a sedentary lifestyle contributed to my present state of health.I devoted the greater part of my energy to my job for most of my life.If only the rheumatologist who diagnosed my fibro in 2000 had explained the importance of exercise (done correctly for fibro) to me I might not be in the position I am today.

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2/24/2006
First Name: Denise
Male or Female? female
Where Were You Born? canada
Where do you live now? texas
How long have you lived there? 14 years
Your age at the onset of symptoms? 15, maybe younger
How long have you had fibromyalgia? 2 years (started 2 years ago)
Does exercise help? What type? no
What are your EXACT symptoms? Aching behind knees, wrists, lower back and shoulder blades.
Did you ever have a long lasting virus?
How has fibro affected your life? It was hard to take care of two small infants
Theories or Comments? I wanted to say that many (most) many cases of fibromyalgia are simply undiagnosed thyroid disease (read Dr. David Derry and google him). FIrst, not everybody will fall outside of the TSH thyroid range. SOme never do and will suffer because of it. The medical society has created a range that is so wide, that many are missed. SInce 2003, the TSH range has been change from .4 - 5.5 to .3 - 3.0. JUst think, for years, all those patients with a TSH of 3.1 - 5.5 were sent home with a clear bill of health. Because they were said to be normal, they probably aren't running back to have their thyroids checked again; therefore, still suffering - SCARY!

Please, get your thyroid checked by a GOOD doctor (one who prescribes Armour, who is willing to test your cortisol levels, hormones and yeast). The only tests that really matter are the free t4, free t3, and thyroid antibodies (although many may not test positive for them). Think of it this way. I would much rather do a trial of Armour thyroid than dangerous liver damaging pain killers & anti-depressions meds to deal with the ongoing pain. Many of you are screaming "THYROID DISEASE" and I just can't believe it hasn't been thorougly checked out. Good luck. After my diagnosis of thyroid disease (which I have been begging doctors for years to check - they did but said I was NORMAL) and high dose thyroid meds to suppress the TSH (yet keep my free t4 and free t3 in the high end of the ranges), I have even trained for a half marathon (never did it, but the notion of me even running 20 miles a week was out of the question until NOW). Good luck everyone!!!

Are we missing an important question?! Yes, have you been THOROUGHLY tested for thyroid dysfunction. This means tests including:
free t4
free t3
TSH (not always reliable)
thyroid antibodies: TPO & TgAb
female hormones (saliva testing is best) & testosterone
Cortisol (saliva is best)

Earth Clinic Note: Please read our Iodine Folk Remedies Page for more information about thyroid deficiencies.

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2/22/2006
First Name: Angela
Male or Female? female
Where Were You Born? West Virginia
Where do you live now? Alabama
How long have you lived there? less than a year, lived in Maryland,Connecticut, Florida, Illinois also
Your age at the onset of symptoms? approx. 36 but may have been going on since 20
How long have you had fibromyalgia? recenty, Dr.says it could be depression or FM
What line of work? Still working? office can't work now
Any prior injuries or trauma? Found out my husband was having an affair with my "best friend". I have had a pretty stressful life even before that but it seemed to start me on the way.
Does exercise help? What type? No,I can't exercise much. On my good days I will exercise (walking) but then be sick for several days after. I was always active prior to the illness.
What are your EXACT symptoms? much fatigue,muscle problems(cramps,soreness,weakness,
stiffness headaches,TMJ,hearing loss(unknown cause of scar tissue),memory loss,brain fog,itching,shortness of breath,yeast infections,depression occationally,feeling overwhelmed, and left side pain in jaw,head, neck. Some days I am so tired I take my daughter to school, come back home and sleep till time to pick her up.
Did you ever have a long lasting virus? None that I know of. However, I had surgery on my ear and they found scar tissue they said may have been from a viral infection.
Military Service? What years served? No, but my husband was in Navy for 6 yrs. we were stationed in Groton, CT
How has fibro affected your life? I can't work, volunteer at church or school. I can't keep up with the housework. My husband is looking into hiring someone to clean our house. It used to be immaculate. I used to be in charge of the entire accounts payable department at a large manufacturer. Now I can't balance the checkbook and sometimes have trouble spelling simple words. I can't teach my daughter to play basketball and volleyball. I am basically sitting on the sidelines of life waiting for someone to help me. I can't even get a doctor to treat me for anything more than depression when it is only a small part of my problems. I have depression maybe 5% of the time and everything else is 100% of the time. I don't even think they believe there is anything wrong with me. That could be causing the depression!
What makes symptoms worse? Overdoing it. Cold or damp weather. Definately stress.
What makes you feel better? Lots of rest. Keeping warm. Destressing life as much as possible. I haven't tried any medications or supplements. There are so many ideas on what to take, I don't know where to start.
Theories or Comments? I seems the majority with FM have two things in common. First of all trauma or injury. Second, a thyroid condition. Mostly hypothyroidism. If your thyroid is not functioning properly, it can cause the some of the same symptoms as FM, Chronic Fatigue etc.
However, endocronolgists have nothing to say about a connection. If your blood levels are within there normal limits, that is all they seem to be concerned about. Perhaps there needs to be medical research into the thyriods role in all of this. Maybe with less nutrients in the food we eat today as compared to 50 years ago, the thyroid is void of a basic nutrient or something that causes it to malfunction. The thyroid controls hormones and maybe the emotions caused by trauma or injury overloads it's depleted state. Thank you very much for collecting data on FM. It seems like everyone just wants to push a pill at the symptoms and not get to the root cause.

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2/9/2006:
name: Doris
sex: female
how has it affected your life: It's hard to socialize when it has flared up because I am so
tired all I want to do is sleep but I don't get rest and I hurt SO bad like I have the flu ten times amplified.
age at onset: early to mid 30's
born: Hot Springs, AR. US
current city: L.R. AR US
exercise+ history: I work out 3-5 days a week doing cardio and weight lifting. Exercise helps with the pain unless I overdo it then it exacerbates it.
how long since diagnosis: 4-5 years
how many years in current city: 17 years
military: no
pesticide exposure: I'm sure i was
prior injuries or trauma: no
prior medical history: Irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure, migraines, thyroid disease
symptoms: Muscular aches especially lower back where pressure points are. Neck and upper middle back aches. Chest pains. My hands hurt so bad I can't hardly touch them at times. Headaches,fatigue and some facial pain.
theories: None
what has helped: EXERCISE in moderation, I am now trying natural herbs.
what makes condition worse: stress, rain, to much exercise
work: supervisor

11/15/2005:
age at onset: 25 approx.
born: Ogden, Utah, USA
current city: Tucson, Arizona, USA
how long since diagnosis: 4 years
name: Andrea
pesticide exposure: planes flew over the fields by my house to spray the fields for mosquitos when I was a kid, I don't know with what
prior medical history: Hypothyroidism, undiagnosed until after the fibro diagnosis. Problems most likely as a result of years of untreated Hypothyroidism: asthma, carpal tunnel, digestive problems (IBS), depression,
etc. Many injuries to all parts of my body, there was a tendancy to continuously have problems after healing with where I was injured. Psoriasis, mostly as a kid.
sex: female
theories: I think that the untreated thyroid problem was a big contributer, but I also went through a very traumatic 2 years where I was basically kidnapped and forced to stay in a disreputable drug rehab. A therapist afterward said that many of us exhibited symptoms like prisoners of war. I think all traumas mental and physical may contribute. On the other hand it could be that the weaknesses caused by the traumas gives something else the advantage to take over. I wish I had something more enlightening to add, but I'm as stumped as the next
person.
what has helped: acupuncture, Traumeel, cranial sacral treatment, massage
what makes condition worse: stress, rain, extreme heat, overexertion, allergies, Valley Fever fungus
work: most recently accounting clerk

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11/16/2005
age at onset: 42
born: Anahuac, Texas, USA
current city: Tyler, Texas, USA
exercise+ history: yes...walking, riding a bike, dancing, volleyball
how long since diagnosis: 6 years
how many years in current city: 12 years
prior injury: surgery
name: Tina
sex: Female
work: Teacher

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11/25/2005:
age at onset: 42
born: buffalo, ok harper county
current city: banning calif, riverside county
how long since diagnosis: 15 yrs
name: thomas
pesticide exposure: yes, farm chemicals(who knows?)
prior medical history: scarlet fever @ age 5. So many viral attacks that I had to start school a year late. So many extreme sore throat attacks, that it seems to have damaged my thyroid gland.
sex: male
theories: Viruses? maybe. Too many back injuries? maybe. Still trying to find solutions after 26 yrs! Chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, and finally after 25 yrs: severe depression & two suicide attempts. Otherwise I'm just peachy.
what has helped: Thyroid tablets;4 gr a day. Bupropion: 225 mg/day
Best thing was just to retire and reduce most activity,aft age 65.
what makes condition worse: physical effort and lack of sleep
work: retired aerospace engineer

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11/21/2005
age at onset: 8 years
born: houston
current city: arkansas
how long since diagnosis: 34 years
name: angel
sex: female
what makes condition worse: Fronts/hot and cold chage in weather
work: Realtor

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age at onset: 45ish
born: Johnson City TN
current city: Big Stone Gap
how long since diagnosis: years
name: Coty
pesticide exposure: Not that im aware of
prior medical history: High Cholesterol, high blood pressure, overweight etc.
sex: Female
theories: Candida is a possible cause. Not exercising, not eating right, depression, stress. My grandmother
who has fibromyalgia, never sees anyone besides me, who isn't ill. She never got exercise or went outside, she never ate healthy or drank water, she drank 6 to 7 cokes a day. I believe THAT is what causes fibromyalgia.
what has helped: EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE, not using your muscles. it is my opinion that not using your muscles is the CAUSE of the pain. Your body hurts when something is wrong, and exercise is vital for good health. Not moving, your body signals that something is wrong, causing pain. Even if it hurts at first, exercising a little every day is the ONLY way, although there are things that may help, ONLY way to cure fibromyalgia 100%. Though she is still recovering, she, my grandmother, is improving so much. It was wonerful to hear the spark to return to her voice, and see her improving. Her goal is to be 100% better by Christmas, and I feel that she will reach her goal ahead of time. If anyone with fibromyalgia would like to talk to me, my email is [email protected].
what makes condition worse: Sitting around a dull house
work: Unemployed

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12/5/2005:
age at onset: 26
born: West Covina, CA USA
current city: Las Vegas, NV USA
exercise+ history: Very physically active until past 6 years, including gymnastics, vollyball, cheerleading/dance, martial arts (both point and full contact) and running. Currently any exercise, even a 15 minute Tai Chi work out, makes the pain worse with extremely long recovery times.
how long since diagnosis: 10 years
how many years in current city: 3 years
injury: yes - car accident and sports injuries (including full contact martial arts)
name: Jeanene
pesticide exposure: I do not know
prior medical history: Yes. Difficulty fighting off infections leading to removal of toncils and appendix, cronic urinary tract infections, easy bruising and bone breakage, irregular (heavy and heavy clotting) menstrual bleeding, "growing pains" in legs that did not respond to treatment, irritable bowel, difficulty digesting foods, cronic ear infections, weak uterine wall leading to preganacy difficulties, some type of fibrodial mass leading to hysterectomy
sex: female
theories: Two: one is a malfunction of the brain synapsis - prone to misfiring at different times, thus affecting different systems of the body at irregular intervals. The second could be from the mass innoculation the military uses - the large amounts of them entering the body when the body is already stressed, combined with a pre-existing immune problem, confuses the immune system, causing it to attack the wrong things. I would add a question asking about military service (self or anyone with intimate contact) to your questionaire, as my personal questioning has shown a 76% rate.
what has helped: Acupuncture at fibro points leans temp. relief to shoulder/neck pain, DHEA adds energy, Ativan helps to ignore pain
what makes condition worse: Stress, physical exertion, sudden changes in weather, humidity
work: custom sewing & knitting

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11/25/2005:
age at onset: under 12
born: Port Elizabeth, South Africa
current city: Johannesburg, South Africa
exercise+ history: yes. swimming and heavy gardening. swimming helps. anything other than hydrotherapy worsens the symptoms.
how long since diagnosis: all my life
how many years in current city: 3 years
injury: crushed right thumb, open fractures
name: Jacqui
pesticide exposure: possibly as a child
prior medical history: restless leg syndrome, viral meningitis twice
sex: Female
theories: stress - was molested as a child. attempted rape at 15 and raped at 17
what has helped: massage and acupuncture helped for a while, but then started to worsen the pain
what makes condition worse: electric storms, rain storms, drop or rise in pressure, stress
work: legal p.a.

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11/26/2005:
age at onset: 62
born: grove city-pa=usa
current city: cleveland ohio use
how long since diagnosis: 1 year
name: mary d
pesticide exposure: don't know
prior medical history: hypoglycemia, menier's syndrome, tmj
sex: female
theories: no how can we get help
what has helped: vitamins
what makes condition worse: everything
work: office

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11/26/2005:
age at onset: about 48-51yrs old
born: Brooklyn, NY, USA
current city: Saugerties, NY,USA
exercise+ history: Extremely physically active...running, swimming, biking, hiking, dancing, racketball, tennis, yoga etc. Sometimes it helps, sometimes not.
what makes it worse...sitting, standing, in bed too long, walking too far, sudden movements, dampness, stress.
how long since diagnosis: about 14yrs
how many years in current city: on and off since 1963
injury: yes. Fell into a well.
name: Shelley
pesticide exposure: i was exposed to toxic cibachrome photo chemicals and some pesticides such as apple orchard spray.
prior medical history: nothing outstanding. osteoarthritis and multiple chem. sensitivities diagnosed about the same time as fibro.
sex: Female
theories: not until recently...then i read that a traumatic accident or injury can trigger it. ADD the question...HOW HAS FIBRO EFFECTED YOUR LIFE? (Earth Clinic note: Thanks, we just did.)
what has helped: DMSO, DLPA, Glycine
work: artist, crafter, dog care

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11/28/2005:
age at onset: 40
born: Kalamazoo, MI
current city: Plainwell, MI
how long since diagnosis: 3years
name: Mary
sex: female
theories: trauma
what has helped: Inderal LA, Water exercise
what makes condition worse: stress, cold
work: Secretary

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1/6/06
sex: Female
age at onset: 15
born: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
current city: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
exercise history: no. I try to exersise, but I am so week, I overdo it, and can
not remain consistant.
how long since diagnosis: Suspect my whole life
how many years in current city: 26 years
injury: no
pesticide exposure: no
prior medical history: Graves disease, depression (suspect was from the pain),
Asthma
theories: I suspect I have had it my whole life. I remember experiencing pain in
my back and shoulders as a child, and thought it was normal. It wasn't until an
extremly stressful time in my life at the age of 12 I sought treatment.
what has helped: None yet
what makes condition worse: Stress, over exertion
work: Stay at home mom, before that, call center

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1/9/06
name: Jackie
sex: female
age at onset: 24
born: Wilmington, Delaware, USA
current city: Memphis, TN, USA
exercise+ history: Yes, track and field, baton twirling, extremely active in other ways. Always the sports person that could pick up the activity with ease and succeed. Exercise can help sometimes but pain is usually around the corner within a couple of days.
how long since diagnosis: 14 years
how many years in current city: 5 months
injury: Severe illness 1 month prior to onset without diagnosis - thought I was going to die
pesticide exposure: Unknown
prior medical history: Often get UTI's, fibroid cysts, had an automobile accident after onset that seems to have worsened it.
theories: Stress seems to be the main thought. I was working three jobs and had just married a man I didn't want to marry (he wasn't working), and had two small children. The pattern I have seen from the above case studies have been the stress factor.
what has helped: Marijuana (moves the muscles) along with massage, have started using apple cider vinegar recently (not enough to assess progress yet).
what makes condition worse: Stress, snow, rain
work: Administration and Sales

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1/22/06
name: Cynthia
sex: female
age at onset: 28
born: Florissant, Missouri
current city: Defiance, Missouri
how many years in current city: 7 years
exercise history: For the most part, I've been active throughout life. Certain
periods of inactivity during school. Used to run; now must walk or other low
impact cardio; yoga and pilates work as well. I can't do every day.
how long since diagnosis: One year
injury: Major amount of stress; handle it internally; completion of dissertation hinged on cooperation of people outside of my control; poor health habits (down to 102 lbs); pesticide exposure: I'm sure I was but no more than anyone else prior medical history: I have scoliosis which makes me experience nerve spikes in left leg and lower back pain. Beyond that, nothing before FM.
theories: Stress physically manifested itself through my body in the form of aches and pains. I internalize stress and believe this has something to do with Type A personality as well. It seems many of the folks on here were/are career oriented women. We may be focusing on other things in our lives (family, career, concern with work-family conflict) more than we are on ourselves. This results in lack of excercise, poor diet, fatigue. Work on the root cause...in small doses of course so to stay on track. Thanks for all the helpful hints. what has helped: Accupuncture seems to help. Got off of anti-depressants; my personal preference. However, needed them to get through the worst of it when diagnosed. Had a headache for 90 straight days. Yoga and walking. Lowering stress in life.
what makes condition worse: STRESS, bad job, weather (cold and rainy), inactivity, over activity, I avoid lifting and require a desk chair with armrests for typing
work: Human Resources/Organizational Consultant Ph.D.

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1/22/06
name: Eva
sex: female
age at onset: 47
born: Germany
current city: Dayton, OH
how many years in current city: 12 years
exercise history: Yes...Aerobics, dancing, walking,
how long since diagnosis: 1 year
prior injuries/illnesses: Head injuries, child hood molestation, very abusive ex husband,
witnessed extremely cruel death of younger sibling, lost 2 children to drugs, severe job stress,the list goes on and on and on....
pesticide exposure: Yes, Bug spray at work and home
prior medical history: No...I was healthy as an ox before that
theories: I honestly do not know, could have been caused by stress....who knows????
The worst part is that Docs dont tend to believe you and tell you its all in your head...that makes life even more stressful
what has helped: Nothing so far...but am trying ACV starting today
what makes condition worse: Stress, cold weather
work: None any longer, too weak to work

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2/6/2006
name: JoAnne
sex: female
age at onset: 57
born: Shelbyville Tn. USA
current city: Lynchburg, Tn. USA
exercise history: YES , VERY ACTIVE.Treadmill and walk alot. Less since I have the pain so much. Bottom of feet stay very sore. Can't sleep due to pain. 24/7 Excersise helps for a short time. Sometimes makes pressure points hurt worse.
how long since diagnosis: 1yr
how many years in current city: 26yrs
pesticide exposure: only normal kinds. House hold use types
prior injuries or trauma: 4-11-00 had aortic valve replaced in my heart. Was attacked by a pit bull while walking on my road two times by the same dog.
prior medical history: High blood presure, Mitral valve works at 50% only. Atifical Artic valve.
symptoms: all muscles hurt. But rotate from one point to another at times. More at night when lying still. So I move all night. Very tired. No energy. Mind get foggy at times. Eyes also get blurry.
theories: I believe stress causes alot of it. Living with constant stress in a daily basis makes it worse. I think being around happy people makes it better. Holding in your feelings makes it happen and worse. It seems every one has something similar. Have thought about moving. But I really think it's our minds not dealing with whats really going on in our lives. I hold every thing inside of me which I believe causes stress to build up and cause muscles to weaken, then fibromyalgia.Our bodies can't fight off everything.
what has helped: Have tried many alternative supplements. Can't seem to find one that helps. Do not take precription drugs. Massage therapy helps some. Going to try meletonon next to see if I can get a deep sleep and not feel the pain.
what makes condition worse: Too much sugar, stress. cold weather
work: House Cleaning

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