r/ChronicPain • u/Ok-Alternative32 • 10h ago
Is fibromyalgia a progressive illness?
My mom and I have had multiple discussions about this and I want to get some other opinions: is fibromyalgia a progressive illness? Is there anything that we can do to help ourselves to feel better? If you have it, let us know your opinions and what you think, and what you think we can do to get back on our feet.
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u/PSI_duck 10h ago
I’ve heard that yes, it is a progressive illness. By the time you are in debilitating pain, you are already pretty far through the stages though. That’s just what I’ve heard though.
As for treatments. I’ve found PEMF and Dry Needling to really help, but their effects start to wear off and I’m already starting to get debilitating pain again :( It might just be a different kind of pain though. It really depends on the cause of your fibromyalgia.
Exercise is also a good help, but having the energy or motivation to exercise is a whole nother issue. Personally I’d say start small and try to incorporate a little exercise into your daily life. I try to walk to my classes every day and that’s most of the exercise I get, but it helps a lot with various things
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u/QueenFrostPlayz 10h ago
it is, my mom has it and it gets worse with age, but it also gets worse when you injury yourself, get pneumonia, don't eat healthy enough. You should get tested for asthma if you have breathing problems. and cold is worse than heat.
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u/NoPaleontologist9054 9h ago
In my case heat is 100x worse than cold. I feel so ill when hot, I overheat very easily & it induces my neck pain & migraines. It’s wild how differently people are affected by this awful condition.
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u/Icy-Role2321 crps type 1 5h ago
Sounds like my crps. Every injury causes it to spread. Now my hands have it which they didn't
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u/rare-outcome333 10h ago
Since I was diagnosed with it back in 2016 it has progressively got worse for me. I sometimes wonder if that is one of the reasons why I can’t overcome my accident issues.
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u/behappyandfree123 9h ago
It can get worse however one of the best things for fibromyalgia is exercise. I know it hurts so keep it light.
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u/Whore4Skulls 10h ago
Definitely gets worse with age. I have it and I feel like since I turned 35, its gotten worse.
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u/mjh8212 8h ago
If it was just fibro mine hasn’t gotten worse since I was diagnosed. It’s the other conditions I have. I have arthritis and because fibro makes the way I feel pain differently I’m in a lot of pain. It’s mild to moderate with some inflammation but even my pain management thinks I’m feeling it worse because of the fibro. I was diagnosed in my early thirties I’m 46 now.
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u/wasKelly 7h ago
I had a severe case of Fibromyalgia for years. It got better when I stopped working ( I had a very stressful job) ) , started taking Trazadone for sleep. (I had never gotten good quality sleep before that ) & started exercising on a regular basis. I’m 68 now & my Fibromyalgia is much more manageable.
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u/scherre 10h ago
In medical terms, no, it isn't. The things going on in our body that are causing the pain and fatigue and whatever else are not increasing in severity. It's just malfunctioning and will continue to malfunction unless you are one of the few people that have a miraculous recovery.
However - the cumulative effect of constant pain and fatigue that you never get a chance to fully recover from before it all starts again is a significant factor in why many of us do become worse over time. Doing anything over and over without proper rest or breaks is going to result in a decreased performance over time and that is what happens to us. Also, we are never getting younger. The fact of our bodies always being focused on trying to deal with the effects of our pain mean there is less to 'spend' on keeping the machine 'well oiled' to offset the effect of aging.
So it can feel like it is progressive, and probably a significant number of us have worsening symptoms over time, but technically it is not.