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FMK

Updated 1y ago

Share Your Experience: Early Signs of Fibromyalgia

How did your fibromyalgia start out like? What were your symptoms in the beginning?

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AI-generated answer based on the text from previous posts and comments

One person described their fibromyalgia starting with a burning sensation in their hands and feet, followed by pain in all of their joints over the course of a week. Another person mentioned experienc...See More

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hmmmm

1y

mine started with chronic migraines for a couple months and then neck pain that progressed to neck and shoulder pain. i started getting awful migraines whenever i would work on homework for one of my classes and then that december the neck pain started. that was the fall semester. then in the spring semester i would get headaches (just normal headaches) almost every night when i went to do any homework. and during that semester the pain spread to my shoulder. i went like a year with just the pain i think and there was a couple months where it decreased a bit but then it came back and hasn't left since (it's been 4 1/2 years since the initial migraines). i then started to develop fatigue, which for about a year i thought was actually just my asthma getting worse because it mostly presented after walking up stairs (i still sometimes confuse fatigue attacks and asthma attacks) and i actually talked to my asthma doctor about daily asthma medication (which i took for over a year with no effect). i believe the theory that fibro can start after being triggered by a stressful event because i really do feel like that one class set off my fibro (it was a methods class with A LOT of coursework). tldr: migraines, neck (and shoulder) pain, then fatigue
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asdfghjkl

1y

chronic migraines & shoulder pain were my first indicators
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Aiya_the_ill

1y

Mine started with a 24/7 tension headache from severe tightness in my shoulders. Then came major fatigue. Then it all went downhill from there 🙃
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Bubbles18

1y

Mine started with horrific migranes and joint pain. Then I started feeling sick all the time and getting exhausted extremely easily.
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Doc_Eosino_Thrill_Ya

1y

Mine was caused by a huge influx of white blood cells caused by asthma. I swelled up like 25lbs of fluid and everything ached like i was covered in bruises. It just felt like someone was punching me. I got the asthma under control but the pain stayed
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faerywyrm

1y

Mine started with an increase in my migraines and trouble moving in the mornings. I was teaching in the field all day, climbing around the badlands. Within a month, my back and legs were very painful all day. It took five years to get the right diagnosis, and I had to change jobs twice during that time.
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BJSTREEHOUSE

1y

My fibromyalgia started with pain in my hands. Couldn't stand for my husband to touch them. My Dr said it might be RA beginning. To take ibuprofen as long as it worked. (Bad advise as I ended up with an ulcer in my small intestine) I was taking it 4-5x a day. Shortly after I had debilitating fatigue. I couldn't get through the day without having to lie down for awhile. At 34 I knew this wasn't normal. Everything I did took tremendous effort, like I was moving through jello or sludge. Didn't realize what a brain fog I was in until I started getting better with medication.
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faerywyrm

1y

I can well understand the frustration. I went through something similar starting in the third year of my battle. My rheumatologist tested me for RA and MS before confirming fibromyalgia. He told me that I had overdone so much that my fibromyalgia had become quite bad.
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FMK

1y

What if I'm not having the migraines? I talk to my doctor today but I have just about everything other than that. Has anyone had really bad roaring in their ears so bad it hurts?
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faerywyrm

1y

yes. My migraines were just an uptick in my chronic migraine. The roaring in my ears didn't really start until year 2. I was told it was tinnitus.
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Aimless

1y

Mine started like a thyroid problem (my thyroid is fine). My neck muscles swelled with the smallest stressors, I got pain that shot through my nerves and swirled around like marble all over, which caused fatigue so strong it made me nauseous to fight it too long without a nap. I gained weight without increasing my food intake. I developed food allergies that I've never had, and so many different types of hives too. As soon as I turned 30, this hit me like a brick. I had to quit working after 5 months of trying to keep my management position through the brain fog and pain. I just couldn't keep it up.
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LadyPasta1

1y

Mine started with generalized pain all over. My husband couldn't even put his hand on my leg. I also had migraines. Eventually I eliminated the migraines when a specialist told me to go on an organic diet. It eliminated the migraines and decreased my overall pain.
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Red914

1y

Mine started with unbelievable fatigue and muscle weakness. I'd collapse. I had already been living with chronic pain from a hip issue, so I really didn't notice the pain first.
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Jimaine

1y

My pain was in my left leg and lower back. It was misdiagnosed as sciatica. It wasn't until the pain moved to my shoulder and a change of GP that I got the right diagnosis.
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KhronicKoder

1y

First symptoms for me were pins and needles in my face (including in my mouth and eye). This spread to my hands, feet, legs, and back of the head with numbness. The sensitivity came next, a slight touch would make me jump and I had to get earbuds for noise sensitivity. The fatigue and fibro-fog came around the same time, and the widespread pain came a couple of months later, with all of the other symptoms (migraines, ibs, anxiety, etc). Took around 3 months for them all to show.
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FreyaB

1y

Mine started with knee pain then to my hips, wrists, ankles, back, neck, jaw etc and while that was happening, I got pain and sensitive points on my body. I also experience headaches and general tingling.
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chickybones

1y

Extreme daytime fatigue. Headaches every single day. Joints achy. It basically feels like having the flu imo
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Elle01

1y

Extreme fatigue. I had other symptoms, too, though. I was initially suspected of having bowel cancer. After no cancer was found in my body, I then saw a rheumatologist who suspected ME or fibromyalgia. I was then referred to a pain and fatigue clinic that deciphered fibromyalgia from the rheumatologist's notes.
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sorenachy

1y

oh my goodness! That had to have been extremely stressful to be told you had cancer
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qveenofthecastles

1y

Chronic migraines at age 12.....
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sorenachy

1y

Mine was literally just pain. There was no explanation for having the pain, but the bone ends of my shoulders is very tender to touch. I already had been taking meds for depression for yrs also with the chronic insomnia. I went for yrs being told the pain in my hips was bursitis, but when I got cortisone injections they did nothing. It took me yrs to finally get a doctor to give me the diagnosis. The first one to bring it up refused to give me the diagnosis because she said she didn't want me blaming everything in fibro.
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Zebrapotato37659

1y

Really sore and body pain as a child
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mamauwu

1y

I started getting really fatigued, and my muscles started feeling like they were burning and tearing apart after a short while of physical activity (walking, etc.) My menstrual periods were also really heavy and painful. This was around the age of 12-13.
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apechesh

1y

I got VERY sleepy they originally said chronic fatigue but one doctor said fibromyalgia and I got pains just a few weeks later.
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idk_182

1y

First symptoms were disturbed sleep and tons of pain when trying to be mobile and major fatigue. I also began getting abdominal pain and after scans and antibiotics and everything under the sun no doctor could find a cause except possibly it being related to this
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LauraAnnT

1y

My thyroid just cut out. I didn't get a goiter, but it just all the sudden quit. Got it treated, and the symptoms never really resolved. I had mono as a teen, and I think those two things really did something to me. I have no energy now. My heart skips around at least once a day. Aches and chills every day, almost like clockwork. My nerves are crap. Chemical sensitivity. Hot flashes, chills. Headaches. Night sweats. Nausea. IBS. It's like my whole system is haywire.
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Babegirl2012

1y

My symptoms started out like I’d been working outside all day but over time they got me on lyrica 150 and dulonetine20 mg and it helps alot better then gabapentin

The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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