My friend's wife has had fibermyagia for several years and he indicates it's painful for them to hug, cuddle and they have sex every 4-6 months. They have a 3-year old & she also works full time. I am unfamliar with this disease and don't know how it really can affect you emotionally & physically. He is frustrated & has been for several years. For anyone out there who copes with it, do you have any solutions??

cz4n,<P>Fibromyalgia is a very hard disorder to be diagnosed. It's autoimmune, meaning the body is attacking itself from within, and every person who has it is affected differently. I'd suggest your friend's W see a board certified rheumatologist immediately. She shouldn't have to live in constant pain. Even though it is chronic, there are medications and therapies that can make her life more productive.<P>------------------<BR>Love is meant to heal. Love is meant to renew. Love is meant to oust all fear. Love is meant to harmonize differences. Love is meant to bring us closer to God.

cz4n:<P>Living with a spouse who has fibromyalgia? Been there. Done (and am still doing) that. My wife has had fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), plus other painful musculo-skeletal problems, for many years.<P>FMS is a very frustrating condition. For no obvious physical reason, the afflicted has pain in many places, and almost constant fatigue because FMS also prevents you from getting restful, restorative sleep. The pain and the lack of sleep feed each other in a vicious cycle. And there is no known cure yet, just symptom treatments that SOMETIMES work for SOME FMS sufferers.<P>And yeah, if your friend's wife is in near constant pain, sex is probably about the LAST thing she's interested in. Which gets pretty frustrating for the spouse.<P>How do I cope? Hmmm... well, sometimes ya gotta fly solo! But of course, that's no substitute for real intimacy. I'm not at my own computer, so I can't pass along FMS sites I've found. If you're interested, email me at midkid40@hotmail.com, and I can point you towards some good informational sites.<P>Caio.