Drug Approved but is Fibromyalgia real?

[Bouncer]

Fibromyalgia is a real disease. Or so says Pfizer in a new television advertising campaign for Lyrica, the first medicine approved to treat the pain condition, whose very existence is questioned by some doctors.

For patient advocacy groups and doctors who specialize in fibromyalgia, the Lyrica approval is a milestone. They say they hope Lyrica and two other drugs that may be approved this year will legitimize fibromyalgia, just as Prozac brought depression into the mainstream.

Full Story: Drug Approved. Is Disease Real? - New York Times

[SonofBone]

My wife, an MD, says she thinks it is BS. Pisses her off though when she gets restless leg or anything similar to supposed symptoms.

[blm]

Fibromyalgia is very real. My mother has it. A lot of dr's and patients alike are using it to write of other ailments when they don't have an explanation.

She has been all around the country to 'specialists'. Her and I would love to say it's bs but there is a reason that she is sometimes layed up in bed for days at a time in unbearable pain.

[The_Grinder]

It is real unfortounately. A very good friend of our family suffers from fibromyalgia. She used to be very active. She ran, worked out, played golf, played tennis, etc. She was also very successful professionally. Now she lives with her mother because she can't work, can't drive, it is a chore for her to even walk outside because the pain is so bad. It doesnt go away and come back or anything, she is just in constant debilatating pain. Very sad to see.

[Bouncer]

Fibromyalgia is very real. My mother has it. A lot of dr's and patients alike are using it to write of other ailments when they don't have an explanation.

She has been all around the country to 'specialists'. Her and I would love to say it's bs but there is a reason that she is sometimes layed up in bed for days at a time in unbearable pain.

I think it has more to do with depression. It is amazing how powerful the mind is.

[Bouncer]

It is real unfortounately. A very good friend of our family suffers from fibromyalgia. She used to be very active. She ran, worked out, played golf, played tennis, etc. She was also very successful professionally. Now she lives with her mother because she can't work, can't drive, it is a chore for her to even walk outside because the pain is so bad. It doesnt go away and come back or anything, she is just in constant debilatating pain. Very sad to see.

i would like to know what happened in her life between the time she was active and playing sports to the time now where she lives with her mother. I would bet that the pain just didn't come out of the blue. I would bet that something traumatic happened to her. A death in the family, divorce, break up, fired from a job etc.. i think it is directly connected to depression/anxiety.

[SonofBone]

Whether it is real, depression, a mental issue, etc., it is sad that people's lives take such a decline in quality. My nerve crap in my neck last year made me realize how quickly everything can be taken from us.

[Bouncer]

Whether it is real, depression, a mental issue, etc., it is sad that people's lives take such a decline in quality. My nerve crap in my neck last year made me realize how quickly everything can be taken from us.

for sure, mental issues can fuck you up real fast. i have said this before but it is worth saying again. in a 2 years span, my grandpop died, my parents split, my puppy died, and we moved to a place that I hated. i tell ya, i never felt weaker in my life. i was in a hole and couldn't get out. luckily, with the help of family and friends and my strength inside i was able to pull myself out of that funk. it took a good 2 years though. i went throw all kinds of stomach and muscle pain. the pain was absolutely real and intense. i thought i was dieing. the more i dwelled on it the worse it got. i really feel bad for those who cannot pull themselves out of that mess.

[blm]

I think it has more to do with depression. It is amazing how powerful the mind is.

Unless you know someone that has been diagnosed w/this then you really have no idea...you can only merely speculate. As far as my mom, she has never had any depressions issues (nor does she now), she never gives up or sits on the sidelines (despite what some dr's may recommend), she has a fighting spirit that is nothing short of inspiring and this disease has twisted her life into a painful living nightmare. She still approaches every day with strength and optimism that I truly cannot comprehend. I'm "healthy" and I still can't bring my self to cope with life as well as she has/does. Call it Fibromyalgia or call it whatever other label you choose, the symptoms she has are real, they are painful and they are life altering. If they were simply mental she would have defeated them along time ago.


I don't disagree with the power of the mind and psychosomatic illnesses, but this is definitely not the case.

[The_Grinder]

Unless you know someone that has been diagnosed w/this then you really have no idea...you can only merely speculate. As far as my mom, she has never had any depressions issues (nor does she now), she never gives up or sits on the sidelines (despite what some dr's may recommend), she has a fighting spirit that is nothing short of inspiring and this disease has twisted her life into a painful living nightmare. She still approaches every day with strength and optimism that I truly cannot comprehend. I'm "healthy" and I still can't bring my self to cope with life as well as she has/does. Call it Fibromyalgia or call it whatever other label you choose, the symptoms she has are real, they are painful and they are life altering. If they were simply mental she would have defeated them along time ago.


I don't disagree with the power of the mind and psychosomatic illnesses, but this is definitely not the case.

100% agreed. Unless someone has actually seen someone who is suffering from the condition, you just wont understand how bad and real it is.

As far as our friend of the family, she had no tragedies, depressions, to speak of. She was actually doing very well professionally and moving up the ladder. She played golf with my dad every weekend. Now she suffers from constant physical pain. And it was a relatively sudden change from when she was active to the point of which she is basically disabled because of her pain.

[WonderWoman]

for sure, mental issues can fuck you up real fast. i have said this before but it is worth saying again. in a 2 years span, my grandpop died, my parents split, my puppy died, and we moved to a place that I hated. i tell ya, i never felt weaker in my life. i was in a hole and couldn't get out. luckily, with the help of family and friends and my strength inside i was able to pull myself out of that funk. it took a good 2 years though. i went throw all kinds of stomach and muscle pain. the pain was absolutely real and intense. i thought i was dieing. the more i dwelled on it the worse it got. i really feel bad for those who cannot pull themselves out of that mess.

sorry for all your loss Bounce.

I have seen you talk about mental issues and stress and such lately, Bouncer. So true. I had walking pneumonia develop over stress related issues, a gastric attack that put me in the ER when I had to stick my daughter in daycare and watch her cry every morning as I left her there.. I would sit in my car and cry before I drove away. I also had this pinched nerve in my neck years back when my now ex was going thru his divorce - talk about DRAMA, lol.

Geeez..... the mind is very powerful and can MAKE YOU or BREAK YOU..

sorry if I went off topic, lol.

[redsquirrel]

My wife, an MD, says she thinks it is BS. Pisses her off though when she gets restless leg or anything similar to supposed symptoms.

Oh, that RLS disease is the biggest line of bullshit I'veheard in a long time. I mean, let's get serious- "restless legs"????. It really seems like poor circulation to me. I've got another name for it. It's called:

Get Your Ass Up Off The Couch and Go For a Walk SYNDROME!!!!!!!

[Bouncer]

Unless you know someone that has been diagnosed w/this then you really have no idea...you can only merely speculate. As far as my mom, she has never had any depressions issues (nor does she now), she never gives up or sits on the sidelines (despite what some dr's may recommend), she has a fighting spirit that is nothing short of inspiring and this disease has twisted her life into a painful living nightmare. She still approaches every day with strength and optimism that I truly cannot comprehend. I'm "healthy" and I still can't bring my self to cope with life as well as she has/does. Call it Fibromyalgia or call it whatever other label you choose, the symptoms she has are real, they are painful and they are life altering. If they were simply mental she would have defeated them along time ago.


I don't disagree with the power of the mind and psychosomatic illnesses, but this is definitely not the case.

not saying she is or she isnt but how do you know she isnt depressed? depression is not something that you can always see. you can be depressed and still go and do things etc..

not knocking the disease or your mom or anything like that bro. just trying to understand if there is anything that causes this etc.

[Bouncer]

Oh, that RLS disease is the biggest line of bullshit I'veheard in a long time. I mean, let's get serious- "restless legs"????. It really seems like poor circulation to me. I've got another name for it. It's called:

Get Your Ass Up Off The Couch and Go For a Walk SYNDROME!!!!!!!

sorry red but i have to call you out on this. take the title out of it for a sec. imagine every time you sit down or lay in bed you feel like worms are in your skin in your legs? don't knock something you don't know about or have never experienced. i have never experienced that kind of thing but i sure would hate too.

trust me, i was the guy saying people with depression are a bunch of fakers and pussys. than all that shit happened in my life. until you walk in someone shoes you really shouldn't call bullshit on anything.

[blm]

not saying she is or she isnt but how do you know she isnt depressed? depression is not something that you can always see. you can be depressed and still go and do things etc..

not knocking the disease or your mom or anything like that bro. just trying to understand if there is anything that causes this etc.

I know your not knocking my mom or anyting like that. I know my mother isn't depressed because she knows she isn't depressed. She isn't sad, she isn't moody, she isn't down, she doesn't walk around w/a negative attitude or saying "woe is me." She is very upbeat despite her condition. I know what depression is...I've dealt with it for many years and she was right beside me for many of them. We're kind of experts on the subject, lol (not really...).