I'm a new member, probably one of the few male members.
I am not new to fibromyalgia, however. I have had this condition for many years - decades.
I was initially diagnosed in 1991, when many more doctors than now dismissed overall body pain. Fibromyalgia had only recently been given it's present name - it had a number of names previously. And most doctors blew it off as non-existant. I happened to visit, just by accident, an older doctor (I'll call him doc #2 for clarity) for ongoing prescription things from my regular doc (doc #1) who was out of the country on extended leave . Doc #1 was foreign born and took yearly extended holiday back to the old country .)
I had been with my doc (doc #1) for many years at that time (and I stayed with him when he returned until he retired about 15 years later.
When I visited doc #2 for the first time that day, at the end of my appt. I got up the nerve to ask him "Why do I hurt all over?" He looked at me and said "What do you mean? Explain that." I did. told him that I hurt all over - some days not a bad as others. He wanted to know where. He grabbed my arm and said "here?" or "here?" I told it was in many places - not constant, but bad enough that it affected the way I did things, my participation in things, etc.
He poked and prodded - pushed on back shoulder muscles .. Said he thought I had fibromyalgia. I had never heard of that.
Turns out he said he had always been interested in pain - he was a GP MD. He gave me a cortisone injection in each shoulder muscle along my clavicle on each side that day. I knew that wasn't going to do anything long term - because I had had this condition for a very long time - since my youth. But I was somewhat happy to have gotten this pain thing off my chest - and found that there was a name for it, and that it was a condition.
I had never told any other person about this pain condition. Simple reasons. When I was young I thought everyone felt that way. I never knew any different. But as I got older, it tended to worsen and I was having difficulty living normally.
I was approaching middle age when I saw doc #2. I have always been a very active person. Swim teams when younger, water skiing and snow skiing. Horse back riding for many years - I taught riding for 6 years - had an Arabian - have been ballroom dancing for decades - even today, swam laps for decades - now gym and weightlifting since I became allergic to pool chlorination chemicals... Lots of activity.
That day Doc #2 gave me his card with his home phone number on it (I know. Very unusual for a doc). But seeing him that day and him giving me that card probably saved my life. You see, a few days later I had a bleeding ulcer at home - a gusher - and I did not know what it was. I'd go to the bathroom and pass black diarrhea - three, four times. Started to pass out - thought I was getting the flu - and lived alone. I remembered his card - called him at 11:00 at night - he told me - bleeding ulcer and get to a hospital immediately. In the hospital for a week - nearly died. The why? I had been taking aspirin like candy for the fibro for years. Didn't know what else to do - I felt bad - didn't tell anyone. The aspirin ate a hole in my stomach. I didn't know about that danger back then either.
And this is what I think goes on with some men who have it. They don't complain - because that is not "manly" - nor is it perceived as manly by others - another reason to hide it. Many may self-medicate with a variety of things. And you can't blame them - they feel bad. But no one may know.
Early docs tended to put me on anti-depressants - they never worked - just made be feel bad - and for years. I've been on a lot of different meds in my life for this pain most of no use.
I must say that I now have a very helpful and believing doctor. It makes a big difference.
That's it.
I am not new to fibromyalgia, however. I have had this condition for many years - decades.
I was initially diagnosed in 1991, when many more doctors than now dismissed overall body pain. Fibromyalgia had only recently been given it's present name - it had a number of names previously. And most doctors blew it off as non-existant. I happened to visit, just by accident, an older doctor (I'll call him doc #2 for clarity) for ongoing prescription things from my regular doc (doc #1) who was out of the country on extended leave . Doc #1 was foreign born and took yearly extended holiday back to the old country .)
I had been with my doc (doc #1) for many years at that time (and I stayed with him when he returned until he retired about 15 years later.
When I visited doc #2 for the first time that day, at the end of my appt. I got up the nerve to ask him "Why do I hurt all over?" He looked at me and said "What do you mean? Explain that." I did. told him that I hurt all over - some days not a bad as others. He wanted to know where. He grabbed my arm and said "here?" or "here?" I told it was in many places - not constant, but bad enough that it affected the way I did things, my participation in things, etc.
He poked and prodded - pushed on back shoulder muscles .. Said he thought I had fibromyalgia. I had never heard of that.
Turns out he said he had always been interested in pain - he was a GP MD. He gave me a cortisone injection in each shoulder muscle along my clavicle on each side that day. I knew that wasn't going to do anything long term - because I had had this condition for a very long time - since my youth. But I was somewhat happy to have gotten this pain thing off my chest - and found that there was a name for it, and that it was a condition.
I had never told any other person about this pain condition. Simple reasons. When I was young I thought everyone felt that way. I never knew any different. But as I got older, it tended to worsen and I was having difficulty living normally.
I was approaching middle age when I saw doc #2. I have always been a very active person. Swim teams when younger, water skiing and snow skiing. Horse back riding for many years - I taught riding for 6 years - had an Arabian - have been ballroom dancing for decades - even today, swam laps for decades - now gym and weightlifting since I became allergic to pool chlorination chemicals... Lots of activity.
That day Doc #2 gave me his card with his home phone number on it (I know. Very unusual for a doc). But seeing him that day and him giving me that card probably saved my life. You see, a few days later I had a bleeding ulcer at home - a gusher - and I did not know what it was. I'd go to the bathroom and pass black diarrhea - three, four times. Started to pass out - thought I was getting the flu - and lived alone. I remembered his card - called him at 11:00 at night - he told me - bleeding ulcer and get to a hospital immediately. In the hospital for a week - nearly died. The why? I had been taking aspirin like candy for the fibro for years. Didn't know what else to do - I felt bad - didn't tell anyone. The aspirin ate a hole in my stomach. I didn't know about that danger back then either.
And this is what I think goes on with some men who have it. They don't complain - because that is not "manly" - nor is it perceived as manly by others - another reason to hide it. Many may self-medicate with a variety of things. And you can't blame them - they feel bad. But no one may know.
Early docs tended to put me on anti-depressants - they never worked - just made be feel bad - and for years. I've been on a lot of different meds in my life for this pain most of no use.
I must say that I now have a very helpful and believing doctor. It makes a big difference.
That's it.
