How long did it take for your diagnosis?

Well...although I think it may have started when I was 19 and in a car accident, it was inflamed and became a major problem 7 years ago. At that time, I began losing feeling in my hands, losing strength, falling, having severe pain, severe TMJ, and the list goes on. For 7 years I tried to get answers, and the military dr's kind of looked at me, then eventually said that there was nothing wrong and that I just needed to be a tougher military wife and deal with it. Finally, I was allowed to get an off-post civilian Dr, who sent me to a rheumatologist, who rapidly figured out what was wrong. Now, I am taking Lyrica, and have a life again, with much less pain! After all these years of not being listened to!

I was fortunate enough to get a quick diagnosis. I developed fibromyalgia shortly after (or maybe even before) I gave birth to my second child. I was on maternity leave and expected to return to work. I new I couldn't in the condition I was in so I got prompt appointments to various doctors and was diagnosed quickly. Unfortunately that was followed by a 5 month legal battle with my company's insurance company. Eventually I got a lump sum settlement (not enough as far as I'm concerned. That was almost 7 years ago and you can be sure that money is long gone. But I have learned my limitations, how to pace myself, found the blessings and learned to accept the things I cannot change. Attitude can go a long way in helping people cope with life.

I don't want to give bad news...but it took me over 5 years to get an official DX of fibromyalgia. I have been having problems for 7 or 8 years and realized about 2 years into the symptoms that fibro existed. I started trying to find a doctor who would help me, but since fibro doesn't show up in a test, they would all tell me that nothing was wrong. I even had one to pat me on the shoulder and tell me that I was just depressed and this is hwo life would be for me from now on. I fired him! Since then, I have been told that "we think you have fibro, but let's keep testing because I don't like that DX." I have also been told that I don't have fibro, I have a vitamin/mineral deficiency. Ummm....not anymore and I still hurt like you wouldn't believe. I have just recently gotten the firm DX of fibromyalgia and have found a doctor who is willing to really work with me on trying to alleviate the symptoms so taht I can have as normal a life as possible.

I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia for almost 5 years now. I had it longer than that but they had to rule out other conditions. I was checked for all auto immune diseases and had to get my thyroid condition under control. Once all of that was complete they said I had fibromyalgia. I have 60 symptoms and conditions associated with fibromyalgia. If I didn't have it I don't know what they'd say I have with that many things that go along with the condition. I know it's hard to live with this problem. I'm hurting really bad today because rain is coming. I could never live somewhere it rained alot!

well i think i have had it my whole life since i dont remember a moment with out pain but i think i was like 23 before they figured it out.. i actually somewhat had figured it out at 20 because i saw on a tv show where some one had fibromyalgia and so i looked it up and figured it out and then went on the insane journey of trying to find a doctor that believed in it and believed me and that took years of tests and being told i was faking it and everything.. i finally have docs now for fibro but none of the medication has helped so i am just winging it day to day

I have had symptoms on and off for about 10 years. When I started losing feeling in my fingers and toes and losing sleep, I was tested for everything- I thought it was MS or diabetes. My primary care physician was checking my throat, glands, and neck for the umpteenth time and looking at my chart in a puzzled way. Then it was just like a light bulb turning on above her head- She stated in a gleeful way: I think you have Fibromyalgia! She seemed happy for a minute and then turned serious. She told me I wasn't going to die and to look it up online. She gave me Elavil to sleep at night, Flexeril to combat the muscle cramps and spasms and Tramadol for pain. Then she set me up with a rheumatologist to care for me from then on. So my diagnosis took 8 years but the symptoms all built up during that time until I was a total wreck. I am doing better now, but it still sucks. Oh and I took Lyrica for 6 months and had to stop. I gained close to 30 lbs and I slept ALL the time. It does work for some people though so don't be afraid to try it.

I'm not sure exactly when my fibro started. Perhaps if the medical community had a better handle on what causes it, it might give me a better idea of when it started. I had a back injury in 1997, was rear ended in my car twice in 2000 (in one I had a whiplash injury), then had a knee injury in 2002. The pains never went away...and I developed new pains and started getting "foggy brained". I had IBS for about 15 years. My hands started tingling and I was told that's often a sign of arthritis, but there were no signs of it (then). I started being tired all the time, and yet had trouble getting to sleep. Finally, in 2003, I saw a rheumatologist, who diagnosed the fibromyalgia. To do that, he tested for all sorts of things - arthritis, lupus, etc. and came to the conclusion that since it wasn't any of those, it had to be fibro.