Fibromyalgia

Miss Chybil RN, BSN, RN · Aug 23, 2007

I have all the ssx of what they call fibromyalgia: extreme fatigue, soreness in the shoulders (I've had that since 2nd grade)...etc. but I believe it is due to severe anxiety and depression I have suffered with most of my life.
So if I get officially diagnosed with this does that mean I can get a disability check?

Are you disabled?

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2007

I have all the ssx of what they call fibromyalgia: extreme fatigue, soreness in the shoulders (I've had that since 2nd grade)...etc. but I believe it is due to severe anxiety and depression I have suffered with most of my life.
So if I get officially diagnosed with this does that mean I can get a disability check?

Are you disabled?

I was treated for cancer when I was in my late teens. Occasionally, this comes up in conversation. And invariably, someone will ask, "Why aren't you on disability?".

Because I am not disabled.

Nightcrawler, BSN, RN · Sep 2, 2007

I have found that there is such a stygma behind fibromyalgia that I stopped telling anyone that I had it. None of my current docs know that I have this old diagnosis. I self treat by trying to limit stress as much as possible, and ensuring that I get adequate sleep.

I love my cat! · Oct 19, 2007

I have all the ssx of what they call fibromyalgia: extreme fatigue, soreness in the shoulders (I've had that since 2nd grade)...etc. but I believe it is due to severe anxiety and depression I have suffered with most of my life.
So if I get officially diagnosed with this does that mean I can get a disability check?

I am sorry about your chronic pain, depression and anxiety. Life is hard enough and to have to deal with that on top of it is awful.

You may qualify if your physical pain and/or depression and anxiety prevents you from doing any type of work. SSD can be a very, very long and frustrating process rough, so be patient. I know that in California, cases can take over 2 YEARS to be approved.

Many people lose everything that they own in the process, including their self-esteem and dignity. Patients that I have dealt with have told me it was the most humiliating thing they have ever gone through.

Below, I have listed the US Governments criteria used to qualify one for disability (to add, from what I understand, disability rarely pays more than $1000 a month)....but I suppose it is better than being disabled and getting nothing

I have a lot of patients that are on disability. They appear to be fine physically, but emotionally they are severely impaired.

1 Are you working?

If you are working and your earnings average more than a certain amount each month, we generally will not consider you disabled. The amount changes each year. For the current figure, see the annual Update (Publication No. 05-10003).

If you are not working, or your monthly earnings average the current amount or less, the state agency then looks at your medical condition.

2 Is your medical condition "severe"?

For the state agency to decide that you are disabled, your medical condition must significantly limit your ability to do basic work activities--such as walking, sitting and remembering--for at least one year. If your medical condition is not that severe, the state agency will not consider you disabled. If your condition is that severe, the state agency goes on to step three.

3 Is your medical condition on the List of Impairments?

The state agency has a List of Impairments that describes medical conditions that are considered so severe that they automatically mean that you are disabled as defined by law. If your condition (or combination of medical conditions) is not on this list, the state agency looks to see if your condition is as severe as a condition that is on the list. If the severity of your medical condition meets or equals that of a listed impairment, the state agency will decide that you are disabled. If it does not, the state agency goes on to step four.

4 Can you do the work you did before?

At this step, the state agency decides if your medical condition prevents you from being able to do the work you did before. If it does not, the state agency will decide that you are not disabled. If it does, the state agency goes on to step five.

5 Can you do any other type of work?

If you cannot do the work you did in the past, the state agency looks to see if you would be able to do other work. It evaluates your medical condition, your age, education, past work experience and any skills you may have that could be used to do other work. If you cannot do other work, the state agency will decide that you are disabled. If you can do other work, the state agency will decide that you are not disabled.

I hope this helps. Here is the site to go to if you want to apply:

http://www.ssa.gov/

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Oct 21, 2007

I know a nurse who got a handicapped sticker just for her fibromyalgia

simply amazing

Miss Chybil RN, BSN, RN · Oct 21, 2007

I know a nurse who got a handicapped sticker just for her fibromyalgia
simply amazing

What I find simply amazing is people in the health care field who are oblivious to the debilitating pain suffered by others.

For all those who happen to "believe in" fibromyalgia, I have a little update for you. If you haven't heard, Lyrica has recently been approved for treatment of fibromyalgia. Lyrica is commonly used to treat shingles pain, pain associated with diabetic neuropathy, and epilepsy. You can Google Lyrica to read about the study in which fibromyalgia sufferers who were treated with Lyrica experienced a 50% decrease in their pain level.

Not to sound like a drug commercial, but not all people can take Lyrica. Some people gain a lot of weight while taking it. Others suffer from edema and must stop taking it. I have been taking it for over a month now and find it nothing short of a miracle. My pain level has been so reduced I have been able to start practicing yoga almost every day - which in itself helps my pain level. My life is in order. My house is clean. I WANT to socialize and I'm able to sincerely laugh and have fun.

I feel like a new woman. I feel young again, like my personality is coming back. My depression is gone, my overwhelming exhaustion is gone. Now, that I have fairly little pain, I realize just how much I was hurting before. I hurt so bad for so long, I thought is was normal. I couldn't even wear my bra around the house, it hurt so bad! A walk through Costco was excrutiating. (Was I on disability during my over 7 years of suffering? No. But, I did earn a Bachelor's degree and am started on my second one. This is the first medication my rheumatologist has given my for my fibromyalgia, besides Lunesta, and I've been going to see him for over three years. So see, we all aren't drug seeking, $100-a-month-check seeking malingerers.)

I have gained three pounds, and I am already overweight, but I am trying to keep a lid on the pantry! The medicine makes me very hungry, sometimes. Doing a little research on the web, I find many people will not take the medicine because of this side-effect. I'm hoping it won't overtake me. I love how I feel right now. I can do things without it taking a Herculean effort and without pain!

It is becoming more and more evident that fibromyalgia is a neurological disease. Now, that the compass is pointed in a particular direction regarding the study of this disease, I'm very hopeful they will find a cure, or a treatment that everyone who suffers from the disease can tolerate. In the meantime, it would be nice for those who are unfamiliar with fibromyaligia and it's effects to spend a little time researching it, talking to their patients and friends who are afflicted by it and keeping an open mind to those who suffer.

Miss Chybil RN, BSN, RN · Oct 21, 2007

For some reason I can't edit my previous post so I'm just going to add this here. Here is a nice article for those who want to know more about fibromyalgia, the abnormalities in the spinal fluid of patients afflicted by it and treatment with Lyrica.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/salife/health/stories/MYSA101607.01P.Fibromyalgia.1e7296b.html

tammyc-lpn · Oct 21, 2007

I am hearing a lot of people say they have it also, sometimes I wonder if some of them are using it as a sympathy tactic. The ones I hear complaining about it are also ones that don't work and depend on a spouse for full support. I am 45 yo attend school full time (4 days a week) and work 2 or 3 days a week depending on the week I hurt all over every day, and the stress well all of u who work and attend school know about the stress. So what are we to do. Some of these people are applying for disability.

steelcityrn, RN · Oct 22, 2007

They have done studies on patients suffering in pain from fibromyalgia, and their ct scans of the brain were abnomal in comparing them to someone not in pain. This is a true dx with a insurance code.

Miss Chybil RN, BSN, RN · Oct 22, 2007

...Fibromyalgia is a neurologic disorder," said Russell, an associate professor of medicine in the division of immunology and rheumatology at the health science center and director of the University Clinical Research Center. The National Fibromyalgia Association estimates about 10 million Americans have fibromyalgia, defined as a chronic condition of pain in muscles, ligaments and tendons also marked by fatigue and disturbed, non-restorative sleep.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/salife/health/stories/MYSA101607.01P.Fibromyalgia.1e7296b.html

Also in the article:

People with fibromyalgia have abnormally high levels of Substance P, a neuropeptide in the spinal fluid. Too much Substance P lowers the pain threshold, partly by facilitating the responsiveness of spinal cord neurons to pain messages. The effect is that even the lightest pressure or stimulation causes pain. Lyrica, recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of fibromyalgia, helps because it reduces amounts of Substance P.
*Two other substances, norepinephrine and dopamine, are at low levels in the spinal fluid of people with the disorder. These are potent modifiers of brain function, but their role is not fully understood.
*A significant factor linked to the painful symptoms of fibromyalgia is an abnormally low level of serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in mood, sleep, appetite and pain regulation. Women produce less serotonin than men, which may explain why more women have the condition. Among women 50 to 60 years of age, 8 percent to 10 percent suffer from fibromyalgia.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/salife/health/stories/MYSA101607.01P.Fibromyalgia.1e7296b.html

RN1980 · Oct 22, 2007

hey my mom has this fibromyalgia crap, and let me tell you it can me a sob...heck, i'd love to see her get a handicap sticker on her car cause i see first hand at some of her troubles she has.

I love my cat! · Jan 15, 2008

I am hearing a lot of people say they have it also, sometimes I wonder if some of them are using it as a sympathy tactic. The ones I hear complaining about it are also ones that don't work and depend on a spouse for full support. I am 45 yo attend school full time (4 days a week) and work 2 or 3 days a week depending on the week I hurt all over every day, and the stress well all of u who work and attend school know about the stress. So what are we to do. Some of these people are applying for disability.

Personally, I don't think having this disease would be a very good sympathy "tactic" seeing there are so many people that do not believe in this disease. I think people suffering from this syndrome receive a lot more eye-rolling than sympathy, sadly.

You are also correct that some are indeed applying for disability.

ANYONE can apply for disability, but in order to receive it, a person will need a lot of medical documentation to back it up in addition to meeting the SSDI Governments' criteria of a disability. If an individual meets this criteria, they will be awarded disability.

Remember, people with Fibromyalgia suffer from a number of chronic and debilitating illnesses, not just body aches and/or stress.

Then again, look at PTSD. This is a stress disorder and any individuals dx with this receive disability. One does not need to have a physical limitation in order to qualify for SSDI. Many people get SSDI for invisible disabilities.....they look fine on the "outside", but suffer greatly from illnesses not visible for others to "judge".

:flowersfo (