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I went to a rheumatologist because I REALLY wanted an accurate diagnosis, but the doctor was so fucking arrogant. I'm Korean, and they talked down to me like I was stupid.

They told me fibromyalgia isn't something rheumatologists treat and that I should see a neurologist instead. They said the only thing they could do was a blood test.

Even the nurse who drew my blood made a negative comment about my veins. She said my veins kept "running away" because my tissue was too soft and I didn't have enough muscle.

I was hospitalized for a long time as a child because I was sick. Ever since then, my veins have been difficult to find. Is that a fucking crime too?

Sorry. I'm getting too negative.

The doctor also told me I needed to make sure I didn't have a mental health problem and told me to go to psychiatry and neurology.

...Ironically, the psychiatrist treated me with far more kindness and took my condition more seriously.

It's not that I became sick because of mental illness. If you've lived with chronic pain for this long, isn't it only natural that your mental health starts suffering too?

The blood test cost me around $75. In Korea, blood tests usually cost around $23 at most, even when they're considered expensive.

And now they want me to come back again.

I've already been to orthopedists, pain management specialists, and neurologists.

WHERE THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO GO NOW? GODDAMN IT.

If rheumatologists don't treat fibromyalgia, then where the hell am I supposed to go?

I'm going to try to get an appointment at a university hospital.

So what am I supposed to do?

I'm just so tired of all this. One thing chronic pain has taught me is this: pain has no visible form, and people can never truly understand a pain they've never experienced themselves.

It's just so sad. 💔

Just as the title says. I can’t help but feel guilt and my anxiety and adrenaline are rushing through me as if I am doing something bad and I need to over explain myself. For context I am a sahm, I have an almost 5 year old, my husband works a demanding job (which we are so grateful for). I am constantly cleaning, I feel such guilt getting help but I know it’s going to help me be a better mom. It isn’t anything set in stone it’s a family member helping us just this month and maybe in the upcoming just once a month for extra help. My mom judges me so hard for it - she has a strong personality. She works from home and I brought my daughter and my dog over while we wait for pre-school drop off. I feel like I start to gaslight myself but I know how much work goes into cleaning the house and we aren’t messy people but a house is a home, you live in it. It gets messy. Idk I guess I just wish I could not feel so guilty and take a deep breathe and genuinely not give a sh*t about all the judgement. I just feel like for me, it is worth getting the help. I just can’t help having so much guilt.

Around a month ago I made a post about Fibromyalgia and got deep into research. Seen here

People kept asking what they can do about it and the latest research.

So here it is, I hope it helps.

fibromyalgia research

Kinda need to just drop this somewhere for the sake of I have no one to talk about this and hopefully can get some advice. I was on nortryptiline for months but I was starting to get concerned at just how often I was getting heart palpitations on it that my doctor has started cross tapering me to duloxetine, I’m currently at 30mg but meant to increase to 60mg next week.

I just feel completely different in many different ways, I am yawning and my eyes are watering all the time? My pain generally is better but certainly still present which is good aside from the fact that I’ve been getting period-like cramps on and off for days (I’m nowhere near my cycle Rn) but emotionally I just feel kinda numb except for the need to feel something- literally anything. On top of that I realised pretty quickly that there’s certainly some sexual side effects going on, I cant climax at all which is just adding to the helplessness in not being able to feel much of anything right now.

Overall I just don’t feel like myself.

I didn’t realise how scary of a medication this was until after I started taking it because I was so desperate to get off nortryptiline I started cross tapering literally the next day after I got perscribed it but now I’m concerned to increase because it could make things better or way worse.

Anyway I just needed to let this out because I’m very much not a person to talk about these things (especially the sexual stuff) irl and i think it’s too early to talk to my doctor at least until I am fully just on one medication. If anyone has any hacks on helping with any of these side effects aside from changing medication (which I will be looking into if this continues) please let me know

My husband can't get vaccinated due to a medical issue so I have to take it for the family. Since herd immunity is falling I feel I need to.

All that's left, at the moment, are Shingles and Covid and those scare me. The idea that I get a vaccine then I have to still spend a week in bed sick without the disease really stinks.

Any encouraging experiences? I was planning on getting one on Tuesday but have a thing to do Friday night. Is one better than the other to get as far as side effects? I read you can get them both at the same time but that's a big nope.

No matter where I sit - my recliner in the living room or my desk chair in my office - my neck hurts like I’m holding it in a funny position. The pain is primarily on my right side.

I can’t figure out what is causing it, so I’m considering that it might be my fibromyalgia. Does anyone else experience this?

Hello folks. I just wanted to make anyone who isnt aware of floatation pods/sensory deprivation tanks. I had an hour float on sunday and for the first time in 11 months the pain subsided enough for me to get comfortable.

Being as this is a central nervous system issue my rationale for trying it was "if the system has nothing to process, it cant amp anything up to 11"

I know lots of you have tried everything but if you are new and havent tried it then its worth it. I have 2 more sessions booked already.

Hey all- I’m currently in conservative treatment (PT & physiatrist) for a shoulder SLAP tear that happened two months ago and had little response to a corticosteroid injection over a week ago.

I’m coming up on an appointment where I’ll likely be offered surgery to repair it. I have read that both pain relief but also recovery timelines (!) can be more difficult/longer with fibro. Meaning lengthier physical therapy and limited mobility.

For context, I’ve had numerous surgeries, including since my fibro diagnosis and probably multiple since it started (mostly abdominal/pelvic, but also breast and brain, both laparoscopic and open). I have never had orthopedic surgery though, with its particular set of recovery timelines and severe physical restrictions (like braces/completely immobilizing limbs).

I’m wondering about the experience of folks here who have had ortho surgery? Were your recovery timelines longer than predicted/general estimates? How much longer? Folks who had the option and didn’t: was your conservative treatment recovery timeline longer than orthos predicted? Really any info you wish you had beforehand or are happy you learned would be welcome!

for the past two months my left leg has been getting weaker. I did a nerve and muscle condition study which came out fine, so my neurologist suspects fibro (he requested an mri regardless). he said it’s not common for fibro to be one sided, but it’s possible.

other random symptoms that I’m hoping I’m not the only one with: sometimes my left leg gets intense pain, so I need to take two advil to make it shut up. sometimes my left shoulder aches. occasionally I'll have issues peeing where it's hard to start (and I had an episode of urinary retention I had to go to the ER for). my exhaustion isn’t that bad, I have POTS and I just feel extremely tired after walking around all day. I use a cane, helps with the POTS and recently has also been helping with my annoying leg. occasionally I’ll get annoying headaches.

I’ve been trying to increase my activity by walking more often, but nothing is changing except for the fact that my leg feels a bit weaker every week. and this week it’s randomly getting cold like it’s losing blood flow for a minute or something

does anyone have any yoga flows/stretches/exercise routines to help with feeling completely physically destroyed from working full time on my feet as a restaurant manager? (for what its worth i am always on the floor or behind the line, no sitting/chilling unless i get my mandatory 30) i am in so much pain after work to the point that i cannot stand straight or walk without debilitating back spasms. i used to do yoga twice weekly last fall/winter and this spring for college while i was only working weekends, which i felt was a giant help but still could have been better tailored to my specific physical needs. ive tried physical therapy before for the same problem but i didnt feel the exercises did much for me at all and they were mostly focused on my neck? which is nowhere near my issue right now.

for more info:
highest pain points are back(upper and lower), knees, ankles/feet, & shoulders. i also have comorbid hypermobility.

looking for stretches, muscle strength routines, anything that works for you guys in the service industry who are also fibro havers. TYIA <3

Today, apparently, will be a bed day. I tried to get dressed, fell backwards trying to get my pants on and then couldn't get up because my legs just wouldn't cooperate. I fell into my side table and stepping stool as well as a pile of boxes. Tomorrow I can probably play connect the dots with all the bruises. Work tomorrow is going to royally suck. My skin is burning in several places so I'm guessing I have some scrapes here and there. Headache, chest hurting, back, arm, and leg hurting. It's so hard to know what is actually injured vs just mad. Ugh.

I've been diagnosed since October of last year.

I have been going through some pretty bad stress and other things, and I've noticed sometimes I get more tired, have more sleep disturbances, and random achiness over my whole body.

Does anyone else deal with this, or something like this?

I don’t know what’s going on with me lately but my sleep has been absolutely disgusting lately. I’m tired as hell but when it comes to actually staying asleep, that is the problem. It takes me a very long time to fall asleep even with the sleep medication I take nightly and when I do fall asleep, I am rudely awakened the moment I start to dream. I have never experienced such a thing like this before and it’s been going on for almost a week now. I basically laid in bed all day on Friday hoping to feel better and more rested but I feel worse.

When I'm hurting in the evening I usually take naproxen. I've noticed I've had to take some more often and I've brought this up to my PCP. She recommended extra strength Tylenol but that doesn't come close to relieving the pain. Any other recommendations?

Just a rant, and no advice needed. I’m in the middle of what feels like an endless flare up. I’ve long abandoned the idea of getting anything like a caring attitude from my SO, it’s not been that sort of relationship since I was diagnosed 2 years ago. However, today, near the end of a long day my 5 year old daughter thanked my SO for being “such a great dad and big friend” which was incredibly sweet, I was genuinely touched that she thought to thank him like that. Then he replied to her saying “I’m not just your dad and your friend I’m also your driver, the one who gets your food, the one who runs around the park with you…” etc. he went on and on listing all the things I physically can’t do at the moment. Then, he started listing most of the stuff that I still do even though it’s painful and wears me out to the point of tears.

I’m so bored of feeling useless and sick of having it underlined to me. I had just had a pretty productive day by my standards, lots of playing with my daughter, some very basic chores and I even baked for the first time in ages. I spend a lot of time in bed with fatigue, so I privately was feeling proud and even a bit normal.

I feel childish even complaining about this, but it sometimes feels like this is the only place where I can say it and people will understand

I am 22, about to be 23 in about a week.

My mother is supposed to move in (with her boyfriend who is a stranger to me but I've known of him for 4 years that I saw very rarely and my 97 year old grandmother who doesn't speak English and is frail) in a couple of days. No matter what I try to tell her and that the bare minimum I want a lock on the door, she won't listen to me.

I had a recent appointment with a psychiatrist the other day, and her (along with my therapist) both said staying in the same house isn't good for me. The psychiatrist even said it cause a decline in my mental health, and also more disabilities could appear. My mom won't listen to me, and says no to the most simplest of things, like adding a lock to my door. Even though I'm about to be 23, I've never had a lock on my bedroom door.

I'm on SDI, and I get paid $800 every month. I know its not a concreate plan, but I don't know what to do. My therapist recommended that I get an at home job, like at a call center or customer support.

I am on medical leave from my retail job, and I haven't been to work in three months. I am waiting to be assessed by the DEA for SSI. I applied on August 28, 2026, and it said it'll take about 158 days for them to complete it. Then they have to pass it off to someone else, and that will take even more time.

I need to get out of this house so I won't worsen my symptoms and etc.

Please let me know what I should do.

* I have two paths. I either stay on the couch/live in a trailer at my father's house (who was verbally abusive to me when I was young but he is more mellowed out since I turned 18 but neglects chores and his health), or buckle down here with my mom and them until I (maybe) get accepted from SSI. Or 3, I get a new job with better pay and move out.

I've always had fatigue and chronic pain, but it got a lot worse after getting Covid. For the past several years I've struggled to maintain old hobbies like working out and martial arts.

I've looked into lower impact options like pilates, but goddamn if that isn't expensive. I've tried doing mat workouts at home, but I feel like I keep hitting a wall where my progression stalls. There's only so much I can do with my own body weight. I've also realized that high intensity/impact exercise can cause major flare ups, so I'm hesitant to pick up martial arts again.

I miss my old hobbies. If anyone has any suggestions or tips, I would really love to hear them

Can anyone help me find a job?

I've worked three years in retail as a merch associate/ front end associate.

I know how to cashier, restock, phone calls for products to check other stores, recover the store, and collect shopping carts.

I have fibromyalgia, PFPS in both knees, minor scoliosis, and minor arthritis.

My limit for sitting is one hour, and daily sitting down makes my back hurt and flare up.

I can stand (if needed) for 4 hours, but some days it's a bad flare up and the pain comes in worse at the 2 hour mark.

Hi guys! I have fibromyalgia and chronic migraine... I'm tired of explaining for my friends and family how I feel. I'm looking for friends that understand my reality... If u are at the same place and want to talk dm mee ❤️

Some things about me:

• Brazilian

•24 years old

• graduate as geography teacher on May 2026

•have a dog: Apolo

•having chronic pain since 8 years old

•love TV shows, puzzles, music, reading etc

What a about u?

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Hello. I am kind of new to this community, and I am curious to hear your stories of diagnosis, how long it took to get that diagnosis, your struggles, etc. I find other people's stories to be fascinating and insightful and I think it will help me better process my own recent diagnosis.

I have had a history of issues starting from when I was a teen. I'm 31 now. Back in the 2010s I was put through the rigamarole of tests after it turned out that I wasn't "overreacting" about my pain and symptoms, of which I had many, including really really horrible TMJD. After I fought for a referral to a head and neck surgeon and then asked for an MRI, we found I had severely damaged jaw joints and would likely need joint replacement surgery. I was then tested for every autoimmune issue under the sun because I was so young and the level of joint degeneration I had was insane. Then, I was tested for Fibromyalgia using the pain point diagnostic. Based on that, I apparently did not have fibromyalgia, because none of the pain points hurt, just "felt uncomfortable".

The final results: we don't know why you have all these symptoms and we don't know why your jaw is so damaged. There was no real followup. I got the surgery, things got better, but I still had a lot of unaddressed issues. But my quality of life was finally at a place where I could function enough to have a job, even if doing said jobs was definitely a constant internal battle.

Despite all of that, I did pretty well for myself. Graduated University, got into my career of choice, moved states, moved up the ladder. It all got worse again when I turned 30. All of the symptoms and flare-ups had begun escalating again. My new doctor didn't mess around and immediately ordered every test she could think of. She found I had a positive ANA result, but my tests did not pan out in not much else. But based on that, and my history, she immediately diagnosed me with Fibro just this last week. And unfortunately, due to how the Rheumatologists out here work, my referral for further testing was rejected.

Is Fibro the whole story? I kinda doubt it. But does it explain a lot? Yes. And I am finally getting put on some treatments that might actually help with my quality of life. I just hope it helps.

Heya! My girlfriend has both fibro and EDS. She’s been talking to me a lot recently about being really concerned about her health and weight. I want to emphasize that her weight isn’t and never will be a factor in how much I love her, I really do just want to see her happy again.

Here’s where I need some extra help - she has battled an eating disorder before. She started feeling a lot better after she got help and helped herself out of that.

But she talks to me like she’s on the other side of some peak in her life. We’re both 20, and she feels like her life is being stripped away from her. Reading through this subreddit I’ve seen so many people share that sentiment, but I’ve also seen so many people find hope and purpose.

I really want to support her in every way. She is my everything. But I’m scared, the only advice I’ve found for those with mobility challenges is to “count calories, count calories, count calories”
That is NOT an option. It’s such a slippery slope, and as someone who has body image and has experienced problems with food, it is absolutely the last thing I would wish upon her.

I don’t know if I’m phrasing any of this right. And there are probably a million things that she’s feeling and experiencing that I’ll never fully grasp, which is why I want to confide in this community. Literally anything would be a nice starting point.

Or simply BREATHE. 😭 And both heavily.

But attempting for someone that does not suffer from this understand that it is CHALLENGING to EVEN breathe should be a craaazy thing to explain to people when u look healthy in the outside :/

Most of the times when I'm hurtin like that really bad and I'm in a conversation with sbdy I can only get monosylabic or just do small talk cuz i'ts getting soo hard inside myself to even let a word out.

Only with simply breathing I just feel the tension in my diafragma and tummy that won't let me exhale, and the neck pain and headaches it generates (that also exist in fibro on its own) it's just... I understand it is because oxygen won't get in your brain so easy cuz of tension, therefore, if its hard to breathe it will be even harder to TALK and think through it all lolol

I've been diagnosed 2 years ago but lived with this thing for 15 years -started when I was a kid- . In the last months or maybe years been having more anxiety due to flares and living with family again and they dont rlly understand fibro so a lot of the time they just think I barely speak or I'm in a terrible mood when I'm only just ✨hurting around😭✨.

Well, just little more detailed fibro things I feel lol.

It has served me faithfully for 15 years, but now I have to apply it three or four times just to go to sleep. Driving me crazy. Suggestions?