Depression, joint pain and migraine

[BrianWolfe]

My colleague keeps getting severe joint pain and migraine. Her migraine is so bad that she actually feels pain in her scalp and when she combs her hair she actually feels pain and says to me "my hair is hurting". She has severe joint pain and is feeling depressed all the time. I have been asking her to get an expert opinion on the problem.

Is there a possibility that she might have fibromyalgia? What would be the most conclusive type of test to determine if a person has fibromyalgia?

 

[1sweed]

BrianWolfe,
I have those pains in my scalp many times and it really hurts to even touch your head let alone comb your hair. Sometimes this condition is a part of having arthritus conditions like fibro, but it also can be part of having a migraine headache or other type of headache. I had severe pains when I had viral infections and the doctors were not helpful to me in finding a cause for it. She might want to be checked out by a neurologist, as the head is their area of knowledge. If that does not pan out then a rheumatologist would be in order to see if it has to do with fibro.
Does she have other symptoms like fibro?

It is hard for us to say what she might have because lots of different dieases start the same way and with the same symptoms. So seeing a doctor is here best choice. okay.

 

[ponooch52]

Brian> Fibro has many symptoms but no testing that can diagnose it. It is usually a rheumatologist who makes this diagnosis & to see an RA specialist, she will need a referral from her family doctor. Fibromyalgia can present with pain all over the body, usually around the joints but not particularly "in" them. There are 18 (what they call) "tender points" throughout the body, that when pressed on cause excruciating pain. Google Fibromyalgia tender points & you should find some information on this. If you test positive on at least 11 of these 18 tender points... then you could be diagnosed with fibro. (I personally test positive for all 18). My research & my RA doc says that RA & fibro are or can be diagnosed together, so it is very difficult to tell which is causing the pain, lack of movement or motion, swelling etc... Fatigue is also a very big part of fibro as is depression... but that depression is usually brought on by the continuing & escalating lack of abilities and pain. She really needs to see her own doctor & explain or complain loud & clear! Some family doctors don't believe in the fibro diagnosis yet! I'm lucky in that I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis first & referred to a specialist who also diagnosed the fibro immediately... which brought my family doctor on board immediately. Good luck to her!