SSDI for Fluctuating Illnesses: How to Prove Disability When Symptoms Come and Go
Fluctuating illnesses like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and lupus pose a unique challenge in disability claims. Why? Because you have good days and bad days – and Social Security wants proof of the bad days.
The “Good Day Trap”
Many claimants lose because they explain a single good day incorrectly:
“Some days I’m okay, so I try to do chores.”
The ALJ hears: Able to work.
But the truth is: Unpredictable symptoms make full-time work impossible.
Evidence That Wins Episodic Cases
Winning proof includes:
- Long-term medical tracking
- Frequency and severity documentation
- Fatigue and pain logs
- Doctor notes describing flare cycles
- Cognitive impairment testing for “brain fog”
The goal is to show consistent inability to sustain work, not constant incapacity.
Functional Examples to Document
Instead of: “I get tired easily.”
Say: “I need to lie down 4–5 hours on flare days and experience them 10–15 days a month.”
Specifics win cases.
How Attorneys Help
We:
✅ Build symptom tracking evidence
✅ Ensure doctors describe episodic impairment
✅ Prepare testimony that accurately reflects fluctuations
✅ Connect flare-ups to vocational limitations
If your illness fluctuates, we at The Law Office of Irene Ruzin build the evidence to show the full picture – not just the good days.
📞 Call for a free consultation.
