What is the percentage of people who recover from Fibromyalgia?

I’ve had FMS symptoms for almost 43 years.

No one recovers from FMS. There is no cure. If someone tells you that they “used to have” FMS, they are mistaken. Their diagnosis was wrong.

You learn to cope with FMS. You learn what your limits are and how to protect your energy. You may have many comorbid conditions such as clinical depression, chronic headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, sleep disturbance, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc. You learn how to deal with each of these conditions. You learn what modalities help you feel better. You learn what drugs help you.

You exercise to the best of your ability without exhausting yourself or your energy. Walking and water exercises are the gentlest. You have a sleep study to determine if you have apnea or if you need sleep aids. You may need narcolepsy drugs to keep you alert at work.

You continue working if at all possible. Studies have been done that show that those who continue working do the best in the long run. Effort on through and keep being active.

FMS does go into remission from time to time. Enjoy it while it lasts. Stress or injury can trigger flares. Retirement helped me a lot! Less stress and time to rest led to a reduction in pain and fatigue. I’m no longer plagued by chronic fatigue.

Constantly read about FMS and about strides being made in diagnosis and treatment. Stay up to date on the current FMS news. Also, read Lyme Disease materials. The symptoms are very similar.

Persevere! For another perspective on what we face, read about the “spoon theory”. The author of this piece has MS, not FMS, but her coping method works for us also.