Reddit mentions of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain: A Survival Manual (2nd Edition)

I was diagnosed about the same time as you (will be 27 in the spring): Around 22 and in college. I also have a fused spine (L4-S1). The anti-depressant route never worked for me. The worst drug I was ever put on was Lyrica. Granted, I was on a ridiculously high dose (300mg twice a day), but still. There's a whole almost 2 years of my life I literally do not remember. My husband and I can joke about it now, but I know be being a zombie for so long was terribly hard for him. The drug that saved my ass was Savella. Bless that medication. I am currently off of it as I am pregnant (which was a fight all on its own...). I read lots of studies that suggested that pregnancy can throw firbo into almost total remission, and thankfully, that's been true for me. It will come back after the birth, but there's a chance it won't ever be as bad again. (Not to say you should go get knocked up, just sharing my experience. ;) ) I have joined ever fibro support group I could find, read endless books (This one was the most helpful for me: http://www.amazon.com/Fibromyalgia-Chronic-Myofascial-Pain-Survival/dp/1572242388/ref=sr_1_sc_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320687580&sr=1-3-spell). Mostly I learned as much as I could so I could be an advocate for myself. I've learned not to be afraid of "firing" doctors. Pill pushers and pill scrooges make me equally angry. Try to be as informed as you can, but don't lose hope on bad days! My doctors finally convinced me to get a service dog almost 5 years ago, and that has made the single biggest difference in my life. We went to college together and he saved my butt many times. :) I'm happy to share any info on that front if you're interested. Best of luck!!!

EDIT: Forgot the companion book, it was also a wonderful resource when I was first diagnosed: http://www.amazon.com/Fibromyalgia-Advocate-Devin-Starlanyl/dp/1572241217/ref=pd_sim_b_1

EDIT #2: It should be noted that neither book is the most up-to-date, however the majority of the info presented is still spot-on and worth the read. My copies are both shot to hell with notes and highlights. ;)

Yeah, it can be pretty painful - as my sister eloquently put it, "wow, your muscles are fucked up!" I've stopped asking her for help, because she either refuses to do anything or lectures me if I don't go to the gym on a near-daily basis to "help myself." My trigger points aren't as sensitive as yours, but a decent amount of pressure makes me see stars. I use this book and what I've learned from her to do myofascial release at home, and it really helps. The muscles in my neck used to get so tight that they would spasm and lock up, and I wouldn't be able to move my head for days. Using these techniques have kept it from happening for months, and it used to happen at least once a month.

If you want a better understanding of FMS, try to find a copy of this workbook. It's $25 new, but I got a near-mint copy on half.com for $4 including shipping. My wife said it's like reading a diary that she doesn't remember writing.