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[Sketch2019]

Does fibromyalgia get worse

[desquinn Partner Volunteer FMAUK Trustee]

it is not a progressive illness like cancer that destroys cells. However, your quality of life can get worse especially if treatment is not suitable or activity levels are not maintained for example. Lack of activity that the pain encourages causes loss off muscle tone and weight gain which puts further strain on body and fibro, Everyone is different with thier own journey.

[Grannie5461 in reply to desquinn]

I'm afraid I agree! I am 66yrs. Started with arthritis 20+ years ago, then developed polymyalgia rheumatica then fibromyalgia about 6/7 years ago. At the moment having a bad flare of fibro and arthritis so having blood tests and change of medication. Keep smiling!🙂

[MaggieSylvie]

The worst thing for me was the neck pain and frequent crippling migraines. When I cut down on work I stopped having them. Now I don't know what's going on because I have OA in the knee (which was excruciating but is now bearable) and I've sprained my lower back three times in just over a year. I'm waiting for an assessment but the pain trying to get out of bed is getting worse every day. Once I've been up for a while, sat in my therapy chair with painkillers, it's bearable but I can't do much on my feet. I think this is all set off by resting my knee for so long and so not being active. So yes and no to your question. You can say goodbye to some symptoms if your lifestyle changes but others come along to take their place but you don't know whether the new ones are FM or not. Keep moving Sketch2019.

[Sketch2019 in reply to MaggieSylvie]

I agree given myself a kick up the rear and refuse to give in 💜💜

[MaggieSylvie in reply to Sketch2019]

That's typical of Fibro people!

[SusieSquirrel]

My fibro has gotten worse. I used to have about 4 flare ups a year. Then I had a bout of flu 3 years ago. Since then I'm in pain constantly and have daily flare ups. Sometimes the daily flares leave me in so much pain I can't even think straight and getting an ungarbled sentence out is impossible. Thanks fibro fog!

[Sosbach in reply to SusieSquirrel]

Hey susiesquirrel, interesting that you say things got worse after the flu. They are discovering more and more things are “ post viral”.... like so many of us with fibro, there’s the theory it’s connected to glandular fever. Also autoimmune illnesses... And now Coronavirus leaving some people with potentially long term problems. I don’t know about others but I’m terrified of getting Covid-19: 1) because of the aches and pains and 2), what else might it leave us with?

[SusieSquirrel in reply to Sosbach]

I had a very bad case of glandular fever about 30years ago. My mother also had it in early teens and developed polymyalgia years later

[Sosbach]

Sketch2019, despite my other post here I wanted to say I don’t think it necessarily gets worse but it does seem to change, eg new bodily locations and other mysterious symptoms seem to come and go. Psychologically I think it actually gets easier because you learn how to manage, mitigate and cope. I even think there is the potential for some unusual personal development (and I don’t mean whacky🥳) - more in the vein of that which doesn’t kill me...

[Midori in reply to Sosbach]

I totally agree!

Cheers, Midori

[Cape_Cod_Sharon]

I am not so sure I would classify it as progressive...but we get 'add-ons' as we continue on our fibromyalgia journey. And chronic pain is progressive, so I think aspects of the disease ARE progressive, not necessarily the disease itself