At some point, this made me think the good times would keep up, and I was no longer feeling like dead weight to everyone around me. Reality is a bitch, though, and doesn't care about anyone. Eventually, the work began to dry up. Every month, the amount of work decreased to the point I am today, with barely any paid work in the last three months.

We have a saying here: “no money, no vices”. I had gotten used to a manageable level of pain (keep in mind that what I consider manageable is still a crazy amount of pain), and I had forgotten how bad it gets. I didn't forget this shit is awful, but I had forgotten exactly how painful it can get.

Let me give you a fresh example: last Monday, at dinner, my fingers were hurting so much I could barely cut my own food.

Now, I'm back to literally burning my back just to get a small relief. I'm not joking or exaggerating. Almost a week later, I still have blisters from putting a hot water bag directly on my back a few times per day. If I don't brute force the pain signals with other stuff, like the burning feeling, I can't get pain relief. This is what I suspect happens with the weed: the increase in serotonin production forces the brain to allocate more resources to it, leaving less for the pain signals.

I'm currently trying to find another work option, but it's not an easy thing to do when you have these constraints.

#ChronicPain #Fibromyalgia #Ramblings #Pain

Most of the people in my life just stopped reaching out, and I'm left to do it if I want to talk to them. And if they won't do it, I sure as hell won't because I have other stuff to worry about, like having the energy to cook. It may not even be a small task for you, but for someone with chronic pain, IT IS a big endeavour.

#ChronicPain #Fibromyalgia #Health

Knowing I'm not one of the few who struggle with accepting this and all the limitations it imposes is like taking weight off my chest. And to be honest, I don't think I'll ever fully accept this. Why would I? To me, that's like giving up, conceding defeat. Yes, I still cling to the hope that either a cure will be found or a medication will be developed that actually stops the pain. Or that the pain might one day stop by itself, just like it started.

Accepting it would mean I've given up on hope.

Of course, this doesn't mean I haven't adapted. I've developed strategies to deal with the pain level I'm feeling as I perform whatever task I'm doing and how it changes as I execute it.

A good example of this is cooking. Even if I'm just cooking a simple stew, there are days that I have to start cooking it 4 to 6 hours before the usual time and do it in small steps, with long periods of rest in between, because standing up for 10 minutes feels like torture. Think: “Getting the pan out and the ingredients. Rest. Chop some ingredients. Rest. Chop more ingredients. Rest.”

This may not make sense to you. That's OK. It probably wouldn't make sense to me either if I didn't live with nonstop pain.

#Fibromyalgia #ChronicPain

Let me use today as an example. When I woke up, I brushed my teeth and then cleaned Chico's toilet. In a matter of seconds, my t-shirt was soaked in sweat, and my eyes were burning from the perspiration dripping from my forehead and into my eyes.

But it gets worse. Sometimes, I feel so hot that I have trouble breathing. And today was another example of that.

All of this because I woke up, got out of bed, brushed my teeth, and cleaned my cat's toilet. Just this.

There's an upside to this, though [I'm trying to look on the bright side of this, ok...]. Occasionally, before I start feeling the pain increasing, I start feeling crazy hot and sweating. This allows me to at least have a few moments to prepare myself for the upcoming pain increase. Those few moments can go from a few seconds to a few minutes, but never more than that, unfortunately.

Better than nothing, though 🤷.

#ChronicPain #Fibromyalgia #Pain

I already had a few of them, due to other comorbidities, like allergies, asthma or IBS (this one is common in people with fibromyalgia), but they got worse after this fucking syndrome ruined my life. I also always had a sensitive nose, but not to the point of detecting a gas leak from a bottle with a hair-thin hole in it (the hole was barely visible with the naked eye, and no one around me noticed the leak except my now way too sensitive nose!).

Some sources suggest there are up to 200 symptoms associated with fibromyalgia. Below is a comprehensive list categorized by system:

Musculoskeletal Symptoms

• Widespread muscle pain • Muscle stiffness • Joint pain • Muscle spasms • Muscle weakness • Chronic fatigue • Tender points (sensitive areas on the body) • Reduced exercise tolerance • Restless legs syndrome • Feeling unrefreshed after sleep

Neurological Symptoms

• Chronic headaches or migraines • Numbness and tingling in extremities • Burning or prickling sensations • Sensory overload (hypersensitivity to light, sound, and touch) • Poor coordination • Dizziness or vertigo • Brain fog (cognitive dysfunction) • Memory problems • Difficulty concentrating (“fibro fog”) • Slowed processing speed • Speech difficulties (word-finding issues) • Increased pain sensitivity (hyperalgesia) • Phantom pain (pain with no clear cause) • Sensory processing disorder-like symptoms

Sleep Disturbances

• Insomnia • Frequent awakenings at night • Light, unrefreshing sleep • Delayed sleep phase disorder • Sleep apnea • Hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness) • Difficulty maintaining sleep • Increased pain sensitivity at night

Psychological Symptoms

• Anxiety • Depression • Panic attacks • Mood swings • Irritability • Emotional sensitivity • Feeling overwhelmed easily • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) • Increased stress response • Low stress tolerance

Gastrointestinal Symptoms

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) • Constipation • Diarrhea • Abdominal cramping • Bloating • Nausea • Acid reflux (GERD) • Food intolerances • Sensitivity to gluten or dairy

Cardiovascular Symptoms

• Palpitations • Irregular heartbeat • Orthostatic intolerance (dizziness when standing) • Low blood pressure • Raynaud’s phenomenon (cold, discolored fingers/toes) • Poor circulation

Immune System Symptoms

• Frequent infections • Swollen lymph nodes • Flu-like symptoms • Allergies or worsening allergies • Sensitivity to mold or chemicals

Hormonal & Endocrine Symptoms

• Menstrual irregularities • Painful periods (dysmenorrhea) • Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) • Low libido • Thyroid dysfunction symptoms (even with normal labs) • Adrenal fatigue-like symptoms • Weight fluctuations • Hot flashes or night sweats

Sensory & Skin Symptoms

• Skin sensitivity • Rashes or hives • Itching (pruritus) • Temperature sensitivity (hot or cold intolerance) • Excessive sweating • Bruising easily • Dry eyes or mouth (similar to Sjögren’s syndrome) • Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) • Blurred vision • Heightened sense of smell

Urinary & Reproductive Symptoms

• Bladder pain (interstitial cystitis) • Frequent urination • Urinary urgency • Painful intercourse • Pelvic pain • Erectile dysfunction (in men)

Metabolic & Energy Symptoms

• Chronic fatigue • Hypoglycemia symptoms (without diabetes) • Sugar cravings • Difficulty maintaining energy levels • Feeling drained after minor exertion • Non-restorative rest

Temperature Regulation Issues

• Feeling excessively hot or cold • Sweating abnormalities • Poor heat tolerance • Cold hands and feet

This list captures many of the most commonly reported symptoms, but fibromyalgia is highly variable, meaning people experience different combinations of symptoms.

Here are some of the less common (but still reported) symptoms:

Neurological & Sensory Symptoms

• Olfactory hallucinations (smelling things that aren’t there) • Tingling or buzzing sensations in the skin (paresthesia) • Feeling like your skin is sunburned without an actual burn • Electric shock sensations in the brain or body • Difficulty distinguishing temperatures (e.g., not realizing something is too hot or too cold) • Changes in depth perception (difficulty judging distances) • Spatial disorientation (walking into door frames, tripping) • Sudden “jelly legs” or leg weakness

Psychological & Cognitive Symptoms

• Derealization or depersonalization (feeling detached from reality) • Hypersensitivity to emotions (excessive empathy or feeling drained around people) • Intrusive thoughts or mental overstimulation • Extreme irritability before storms or weather changes • Lack of motivation despite wanting to do things

Skin & Hair Symptoms

• Hair loss or thinning (often linked to stress or inflammation) • Skin mottling or marbling (livedo reticularis) • Sudden bruising with no clear cause • Extreme skin dryness despite moisturizing • Bumps or lumps under the skin (lipomas or fibrous nodules)

Cardiovascular & Circulatory Symptoms

• Feeling faint after standing too long (due to blood pooling) • Heart palpitations with no clear cardiac issue • Frequent cold hands and feet, even in warm weather • Random hot or cold flushes without fever

Gastrointestinal & Metabolic Symptoms

• Metallic taste in the mouth • Burning tongue syndrome • Random aversions to foods once tolerated • Episodes of extreme hunger or complete lack of appetite • Unexplained weight gain or loss despite no change in diet • Swelling in the hands, feet, or face (fluid retention)

Respiratory & ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) Symptoms

• Feeling like you can’t take a full breath (air hunger) • Chronic post-nasal drip or unexplained nasal congestion • Recurring sore throat with no infection present • Hoarseness or voice changes without a clear reason • Increased sensitivity to strong smells causing nausea or headaches

Urinary & Reproductive Symptoms

• Pain during ovulation (not just during menstruation) • Sudden onset of interstitial cystitis (bladder pain syndrome) • Feeling like you need to urinate immediately after going • Lower abdominal bloating that mimics pregnancy

Sleep & Fatigue Symptoms

• Waking up gasping for air (not sleep apnea related) • Extreme difficulty waking up despite a full night’s sleep • Sudden episodes of body exhaustion with no warning • Vivid or disturbing dreams that feel real

Immune System & Autoimmune-Like Symptoms

• Frequent canker sores or mouth ulcers • Random fevers or flu-like symptoms with no infection • Easily getting sick but recovering slowly • Reactions to vaccines or medications that others tolerate well

Rare Pain Symptoms

• Pain that migrates randomly from one part of the body to another • Tingling scalp or burning sensation on the head • Feeling like your limbs are “too heavy” to move • Painful swelling in one finger or toe with no arthritis diagnosis

Many of these symptoms overlap with other chronic illnesses, which is why fibromyalgia is often misdiagnosed.

#Fibromyalgia

#Fibromyalgia #Sleep #ChronicPain

As far as I know, that's it for Research. A team or even two might be doing work around fibromyalgia, but publishing it will probably take a while. Even after that, assuming the identification of the syndrome's origin and the development of an effective treatment, it will take even more time to adjust the current shitty therapies available that fail miserably at keeping the pain at bay or at least at non-hellish levels.

Every day, the hope of getting access to an effective treatment for fibromyalgia during my lifetime fades away, little by little.

#Health #Fibromyalgia #ChronicPain #Research

#Fibromyalgia #Noise #Ramblings