Soon after whiplash I developed widespread pain. I hurt from head to toe. I had tender points that when touched made me almost leap in the air, and I was diagnosed with FM fairly quickly.
I definitely fit the FM criteria but within a couple years I felt like I didn't strictly fit the FM category. I always suspected something else was going on and I fit the CDN ME/CFS criteria too. At times I was clearly dealing more CFS than FM, although I could not convince my GP that it was anything other than FM, so I quit trying. Recently, I've been diagnosed with dysautonomia, and I've learned to not put a lot of weight on labels since so many things overlap.
The interesting thing is I don't have FM pain now and I haven't for maybe 6 months. I usually do not have it in the spring for about a month but it returns with the humidity. This year it hasn't - knock wood. I don't think I would even be diagnosed with FM now because my tender points are not all that tender (just slightly). If I over do an activity I can get the pain, but it doesn't last as long and it's not as intense. I've not changed anything to account for this, it's just happened. Now, that doesn't mean I'm cured or healthy because I'm still having other forms of pain and a lot more CFS and dysautonomia symptoms instead and I know the FM pain may return at any time.
But I was wondering how many have noticed this change in their symptoms over the years, like a shift in a cycle? If you have more than one illness, do you notice that only one flares up at a time? Or certain symptoms become more predominant for greater lengths of time while others recede? Why do you think that is? Is the body trying to heal? Or slight changes to the nervous system that account for new (or old) symptoms being front and center? Maybe I've finally learned to pace myself better....but I don't think that is the case.
I definitely fit the FM criteria but within a couple years I felt like I didn't strictly fit the FM category. I always suspected something else was going on and I fit the CDN ME/CFS criteria too. At times I was clearly dealing more CFS than FM, although I could not convince my GP that it was anything other than FM, so I quit trying. Recently, I've been diagnosed with dysautonomia, and I've learned to not put a lot of weight on labels since so many things overlap.
The interesting thing is I don't have FM pain now and I haven't for maybe 6 months. I usually do not have it in the spring for about a month but it returns with the humidity. This year it hasn't - knock wood. I don't think I would even be diagnosed with FM now because my tender points are not all that tender (just slightly). If I over do an activity I can get the pain, but it doesn't last as long and it's not as intense. I've not changed anything to account for this, it's just happened. Now, that doesn't mean I'm cured or healthy because I'm still having other forms of pain and a lot more CFS and dysautonomia symptoms instead and I know the FM pain may return at any time.
But I was wondering how many have noticed this change in their symptoms over the years, like a shift in a cycle? If you have more than one illness, do you notice that only one flares up at a time? Or certain symptoms become more predominant for greater lengths of time while others recede? Why do you think that is? Is the body trying to heal? Or slight changes to the nervous system that account for new (or old) symptoms being front and center? Maybe I've finally learned to pace myself better....but I don't think that is the case.