I truly wish that fibromyalgia was a fake condition, but that hasn't been my experience.
I'm a guy. I'm not neurotic (at least I don't think I am), not on opioids, not on SSRIs, and not on Lyrica.
Men definitely get fibromyalgia. My understanding is that men are under-diagnosed for a combination of reasons. First is that they tend to try and "suck it up" and keep going. Second, many doctors don't view fibromyalgia as something men can have. Third, men (from what I've read) tend to present differently from women who have it. For example, allodynia is more rare among men with fibromyalgia, while being a much more common symptom among women.
What is fibromyalgia like? Well, it's different depending on the person. For me? every morning feels like a combination of a hangover combined with the first day of a flu where you feel really run down and achy. Additionally, my muscles will be very tight. I have muscle pulls in my neck and shoulders all the time. That's a normal day. It gets a lot worse during flare ups.
In my case, I don't know what caused it. I didn't have a triggering event like an injury or illness. It just came on gradually and got worse over time.
I was an active person before fibromyalgia. I'm fairly sedentary now, compared to before, but I sure don't want to be that way. I have kids to raise, things to do, and all of the rest of the normal responsibilities of life. If you met me in real life, you wouldn't know I had it, and I wouldn't mention it, either.
Sorry to ramble, but just wanted to toss out some thoughts on this thread.
