Superstar singer and actress Lady Gaga got personal on Twitter yesterday, sharing that the cause of her chronic pain is fibromyalgia. The singer has been more open about her health struggles since the first promo for her documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two was released.
In our documentary the #chronicillness #chronicpain I deal w/ is #Fibromyalgia I wish to help raise awareness & connect people who have it.
— xoxo, Gaga (@ladygaga) September 12, 2017
The film recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and will be released on Netflix next week. The singer has been very vocal about her struggles with debilitating pain, often sharing suggestions for treatment and management with her followers and fans. However, this is the first time she’s talked about the cause.
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Like so many celebrity advocates, Gaga’s revealing tweet has sparked a conversation about the disease. Fellow sufferers started sharing their personal experiences and offering words of wisdom to the star.
You are helping just by being there. It lets him know he us not alone. With Fibro we feel alone alot. having love & support makes a diff.
— Betty J Mullins (@BettyJMullins) September 13, 2017
It’s incredible how just this one tweet has created a discussion about fibromyalgia and chronic pain and is allowing many to open up
— Anthony | Lady Gaga (@antpats2) September 12, 2017
It’s incredible how just this one tweet has created a discussion about fibromyalgia and chronic pain and is allowing many to open up
— Anthony | Lady Gaga (@antpats2) September 12, 2017
I have #lupus & #fibromyalgia. Saw u @fenwaypark. U touched me w your story about #Joanne & your knowledge of lupus. Ty 4 sharing ur story❤
— Kimberly Nadeau (@Butterflyk7) September 12, 2017
I also have Fibromyalgia and CFS. It’s a struggle everyday and I usually don’t write about it on here. It helps to know you’re not alone 💗💗
— Rhiannon (@virginmary85) September 12, 2017
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I’m glad L. Gaga is bringing this to the public. I only hope that if she is ‘cured’ and returns to performing, FM sufferers will not be invalidated by the public, eg ‘if L.Gaga is ok, what’s wrong with the others’ type of attitude. Sad she has it, but it looks like she is experiencing some meaningful changes in her life. That will be learned by her many young followers influenced by her.
There are times when we FM sufferers can ‘push’ ourselves to do physical activities. However, I know that for three days after I’ll be ‘down and out’ paying the price. Example: My cousin treated me to the Philly Lady GaGa concert on September 11, 2017. Not understanding my FM impact, my cousin arranged to take a train into Philly, then Septa to the venue. We needed to walk including up and down steps. I felt like I was carrying heavy weights, was weak, and in much pain/tired/perspiring. The concert was well worth it, but the next few days I was ‘punished’ for my outing with more intense pain and tiredness. I can only imagine how GaGa felt pushing herself to the limits and now I know why she paused between songs to just catch her breath. Nutrition, Sleep, Hydration, Mental Rest and some exercise as tolerated are the keys to at least less pain than otherwise.
I appreciate her talking about this condition. I’ve been living with fibromyalgia for 25 years. I also have multiple conditions too. Arthritis, and degenerative disc disease. Most of us don’t have the luxury of having a masseuse like was shown in the beginning of your documentary. Good for you but we don’t have the same resources. I’m grateful and disgusted at the same time. I couldn’t watch even the first 5 minutes
In the documentary Gaga says that she can’t imagine what it’s like for those of us out here that have fibro and don’t have the money and [resources to get help and have a personal massage therapist. Anyone with fibro would have one as well if they could and that’s exactly what she said that she feels bad because everyone else doesn’t have that. I think good for her if she’s able because I know I def would as well.
I am so thankful for Lady Gaga coming out and showing pictures of her in the hospital. She is really in pain and I do not know how she has performed the ways that she has in the past. I think it all caught up to her and put her down. But she has the resources that most of us do not have and she will get better soon. I am so thankful that she has spoken out for FM.
It’s great that Gaga is willing to lend a voice to Fibro – but if she can continue to perform it can hurt those of us that have trouble walking because of the pain and fatigue. We’ve known many years of hating to say we have fibro because of public perception of it. And we’ve known people who saw a Lyrica commercial and decided they had Fibro.