Could fibromyalgia be a progressive disease? Despite being one of the leading conditions affecting the muscles, joints, and bones, medical professionals around the world do not classify the chronic disorder as “progressive.” However, fibromyalgia sufferers believe that their symptoms got worse over the years and these could be six phases of fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia does not have a definitive cause, but possible causes may include:
- To be a woman.
- Pre-existing conditions (for example, arthritis).
- Have a mood disorder (for example, anxiety or depression).
- Being physically or emotionally abused in the past (PTSD).
- Low or no physical activity levels.
- Other family members also have the chronic condition.
Table of Contents
6 phases of fibromyalgia, a progressive disease.
Whatever the cause, it is the fibromyalgia community who is experiencing the symptoms first hand. In general, they have collectively reached the so-called stages of fibromyalgia. Some believe that there is less, while others are convinced that there is more, but this originally compiled list includes six that, while it will not be literally the same for all people, yes, they usually happen in some way or another like this. way.
These phases, do not be afraid, are to understand more how this disease usually progresses, which fortunately is not fatal and can be overcome in different ways. It is so that you can realize if it is the same thing that happens to you and open the panorama to you to be able to act accordingly. It does annoy and it does paralyze at times, but if you know your body well and are determined to bear the load, you will find ways to do it.
If when reading the following points, you see that you are going through this and did not know what was happening in your body, you may consider going to consult with your doctor about fibromyalgia and find out if what happens to you is this or another disease of the same spectrum which may be autoimmune.
1. Unexplained pain, fatigue, and inflammation.
At first, it is not so bad. Increased hypersensitivity and increased fatigue are something you can live with for now. You start taking naps and you know that remedies it; You drink chamomile tea or whatever to try to improve sleep and digestion, or use fragrance-free lotions to soothe your hot skin.
Sometimes those things help, but most of the time, they don’t. You have responsibilities and commitments so you push yourself through pain and fatigue with or without medication to reduce pain because no one believes you are really having a hard time with your body.
The point is that you know that something is happening to you: you did not exercise and it seems that you always feel like after having done the heaviest exercise routine of your life; you have a feeling of having the flu all the time and no virus has caught you. You eat the same thing that you have always eaten and always, but you always have your belly swollen. Everything is being different in the functioning of your body and demands to be investigated.
2. Realization that it is chronic.
Your pain and fatigue are becoming an everyday problem now. You have gone to see your doctor to consult about all this and he ends up giving you something to remedy the pain and poor digestion, without giving you the much-desired diagnosis because you really want to know what the hell is wrong with you.
Definitely stress or hormones cannot be. This starts to smell bad after all your visits to the doctor are becoming a habit and not fruitful.
You understand that the medical system was really not as good as you thought, that you could even know more than they did at this stage of your life because you had no choice but to investigate on your own, and after so much searching, you realize that yours could be something chronic called: fibromyalgia.
Thus, you have already discovered the magic word that you wanted so much for a certified doctor to tell you but that was not in their collection and it is fibromyalgia. You’re lucky after all, just a couple of years ago, it was worse: you’d have to almost think explaining to your doctor about it. Even so, you can’t accept it because you hardly know it and you’re done, “this can’t be happening to me, it must be something else.”
3. Constantly hurt and always tired.
It seems that no matter how much you want to be well, it is already part of your day to day to get up like this, and with a possible diagnosis, which you learned on your own, or if you were luckier, because of the diagnosis of a medical professional, it seems that this is going Seriously.
You’re increasingly avoiding outings and events, family functions, and even hangouts with friends. You start to get lazy, even have fun and you start to fantasize more often about going to bed to rest. Joint pain and muscle aches make you wary of physical contact with anything or anyone else; other people are beginning to notice as well.
You can’t open the jars as easy as before, your feet hurt much more and at this point, taking analgesic or whatever for the pain is almost a constant if not, you don’t yield, although there are still good streaks in which you don’t need as much of remedies, however, you want to know what makes those streaks keep you more or less well and you don’t know yet.
Your lack of sleep and poor concentration are seriously affecting your performance. If you are employed or self-employed, the worry of losing your job or not being able to provide for yourself (and much less your family) is generating more anxiety and depression. That is if you have no other option but to work to generate income, otherwise, if you have the option of not working, you may already be literally spending more time lying down.
4. Relentless feelings of pain.
If you still have a job, you start missing more. The combination of physical and emotional pain and stress is debilitating. You spend most of every day in bed. Every now and then you will experience a miraculous day, a window of time where fibromyalgia flare-ups are minimal or non-existent.
But the inflammation, depression, fatigue (and more) return. Your friends start planning outings without you, and some family members start teasing you for not wanting to do anything. They just don’t understand what you are experiencing.
It is during this stage of fibromyalgia that depression can really set in and last a long time if it is not controlled, so at this stage it is suggested that you really have someone to hold on to and that they know about the disease, it can be family, partner, partner or friends who care about you, it is essential to keep you wanting to continue.
5. It has cost you your education, job and relationships.
If you are an employee, you are exploring how to get started with permanent disability admission and the stories of other fibromyalgia patients who are being denied increase your stress and anxiety. For years, you have been a mother and now, suddenly, the children have grown up and it is you who needs constant care.
You still have dreams and passions, but you are so tired and in too much physical and emotional pain to pursue anything. An advantage is that people who suffer from fibromyalgia can identify with you and the community continues to be of great help since they are capable of understanding you much more than your family who does not experience what you feel firsthand. Besides, you can know that you can count on them and learn strategies to overcome impediments.
6. Fibromyalgia is your lifestyle.
You have been living with fibromyalgia for a long time, yet it is something you never seem to get used to. Simpler daily tasks like getting dressed or brushing your teeth require a great deal of effort.
Any anti-inflammatory medication and other pain relievers are doing more harm than good, helping to remedy the situation, but leaving you plagued with unwanted side effects. Your true friends and family are incredible blessings, but you still feel like a burden. No specialist or medicine seems to help. You don’t know what to do, but you know deep down that there are ways to solve it.
What things can help fibromyalgia symptoms?
The stages paint a bleak picture, but one of the best things you can do is find a strong and loving support system. That is going to be imminent to have it because moral and emotional support is essential for this to be bearable, which it can be.
Additionally, individuals with fibromyalgia are often prescribed an ever-growing list of medications. Whether or not you agree to take them is your choice, of course. But there are some effective alternative treatments that you may want to consider.
- Increase your magnesium levels to soothe muscle aches.
- Take melatonin to help improve sleep.
- Eat an anti-inflammatory diet to ease joint pain. (Diet is very important and can go a long way toward reducing inflammation.)
- Keep track of your fibromyalgia attacks because no one knows your body better than you.
- Take care of your mental health because once you give up, it is more difficult to recover. Remember, this disease can be bearable and above all: it is not fatal.
- Keep track of your fibromyalgia attacks because no one knows your body better than you.
- Take care of your mental health because once you give up, it is more difficult to recover. Remember, this disease can be bearable and above all: it is not fatal.