I recently went to the hospital for intense pain in my stomach for 4 days. I believe I told a few nurses and a couple of doctors that I never know when the pain is something serious or just fibromyalgia. I don't think it is a waste of time to try and determine what is causing it even if it is just fibromyalgia. I would like explanations. But it is frustrating because I find most of my answers on the internet. I read about other fibromaygia patient's experience

And also, don't just take a med because doc said so. If you try it and don't feel right, move on and try something else My doc swore the answer for me was amitriptyline. I know it helps many, but it was awful for me. Doc insisted I need to stay on it ...get used to it. I literally couldn't function. Some people just can't tolerate some drugs.

Okay. For me, reluctant to see doctors kind of gal I am, if something is too painful, extreme, or alarms me, I go to the doctor. Since he does not specialize or even generalize in Fibromyalgia, I'm there to rule out things OTHER than Fibro. If it is something else he will usually find it or recommend a specialist to look into it. If it's not identifiable that way, and it's not a psychological pain (emotional, etc.) I figure it's Fibro. For me, Fibro is the last box for "not sure what to do with this" items. Which translates into "Nothing other than Fibro going on, so now it's time to find coping mechanisms!"

Hi Teri you are spot on when it comes to " new pain" twice I have fell and both times I put the pain down to my Fibryo until I couldnt stick the pain anymore anyway it turns out that I had broken my collar bone ( 6 months before I found that out) Second time I had broke my arm so please people if you have new pain go and see someone about it a.s.a.p xxxx

I don't know, but I do figure out, that it's Fibro when everything else is ruled out. My rheumatologist (temporary, one visit recommendation from PCP) showed me using 3 MRIs and 21 x-rays how I have 5 different degenerative diseases at work in my spine. These are progressive, no cure, no treatment. So, I know that the pain from that keeps my Fibro flaring pretty much most of the time. After a while it's not so much what it is as what can I do about it? Beyond meds, I do stretching, moving and a little dancing to help ease the pain.