I have an AWESOME Rheumatologist! I'm glad you found a great Dr. too. And I do have CFS and it never goes away. Some days I can do more than others but there's rarely a day when I don't have to stop and rest at least for 30mins.

I just visited the doctor this morning -- needed to update my permanent disability categorization bc I've reached the age of "regular" retirement, so the Soc Sec will no longer have me listed as such, or some such crapola. At any rate, this is a brand new doctor for me -- I moved 2 yrs ago and so have had to find a new guy. I had answered a question here several months ago (and I think it was under this remission post) that I no longer had the pain like I did at the beginning. Someone said "you don't have fibromyalgia". Well, bull pucky to that, bc I will never be able to forget how the sheets hurt my skin just scraping across me! At any rate, when I explained this to the dr this a.m. he told me that older people who have fibro might experience a lessening of the pain -- so there might be hope after all -- and that chronic fatigue syndrome often manifests in tandem with fibro, so I could be listed as having CFS. Interestingly, though, when he did the trigger point exam (I thought they didn't do that any more, but he did) he still listed ten areas. So I guess I'm somewhere in between fibro and CFS. Anyway, I know that it's often an issue trying to find a dr who will work with you. I've been lucky twice -- the initial diagnosis and today. Keep looking, they're out there!

I agree with everyone else on the fact that when and if a person has a remission, all of the symptoms don't completely go away the symptoms subside somewhat, at least that's what I consider a remission, as we are all different it is very important to listen to ones body and find the things that work for you. Also in my last note I forgot to mention that when I had my remission I still had the fatigue.

I suppose you could call it a remission of sorts: I haven't had the pain for years -- maybe 8 yrs or so. I'm always kind of hesitant to share that, afraid I'll invoke the evil fibro pain gods! And I've had someone try to start an argument with me that then I didn't really have fibro, if I didn't have pain. Believe me, I still recall how those sheets hurt as they scraped across my skin in bed! So yes, I did have the pain. I just haven't had it for awhile; still have the fatigue though.

Yes, I have had several remissions with my fM, and then something seems to trigger it coming back, such as stress from a demanding full time job or in my case the cold weather in Oct, I seem to have a very low tolerance to the cold damp weather. Whenever I have one it is like taking a little vacation from my fm, it's great! I say go with and enjoy!