Fibro plus cervical disc disease

[Indianagal]

For the past 2 years thought all my pain was due to the fibro but also have been diagnosed this year with cervical disc disease. Sure some of it must be due to that. I am in pain 24/7. I read about some of you having flare-ups and have no clue what you are even talking about. No matter what I am doing I can feel the pain all the time in my muscles and joints. Anyone else have cervical disc disease that can relate to this?

 

[MercyL]

I have two blown discs in my neck, with arthritis and stenosis, so I can definitely identify with your plight. I have pain 24/7 and must take morphine to control it.

Flares differ, but my flare ups usually happen with sudden changes in the barometric pressure. My muscles spasms increase and my range of motion, for head turning, narrows significantly. I cannot think, I don't dare drive or bend over. The pain breaks right through the morphine, so I must take Vicodin for that break through pain. A flare is when pain suddenly increases, beyond its usual level.

Hope that helps answer your question!

 

[mariposa]

MercyL, that's very interesting about the barometric pressure... because I know that it also affects people with migraine problems. Personally I have inner ear issues (dizziness, light headedness, etc) when there's a low barometric pressure. I live where we have both tornadoes (although it's not real common) and blizzards. I can always tell when either of those things are close-by because of the barometer dropping fast and drastically.

I think this would make a fascinating research study since it seems to affect so many things in a lot of people!

 

[1sweed]

This is interesting as I noticed in Florida, when hurricanes passed by and the barometic pressure dropped I had trouble breathing and ended up with a bad headache. I think Hurricane Andrew was the worse one for me in that regard. It also seems to make a difference in how strong the storm is and how close it is to where you are. I hope everyone here who lives in the areas effected by tornadoes are safe and no damage has been done.

 

[Broken Cowgirl]

I have lumbar DDD and spinal stenosis and they think I have developed Fibro, I'm Reverse lol

 

[Indianagal]

Thanks for the replies. Currently taking 200 mg lyrica twice a day, 60 mg cymbalta twice a day. My neurologist did mention possibly starting on morphine. Not sure if I can pinpoint changes in weather. I am in pain all the time except when I sleep. I have been waking up after 5-6 hours of sleep and then feel exhausted after I have been awake just a few hours. Some days I go back to bed and catch up. I can feel the tightened up muscles in my back and legs but it is different each day. Sometimes the knots are in my upper back, lower back, in back of my knees, it is just different each day as to where the pain is most severe. Phillips colon health capsules seem to help with the IBS. Today my upper back is killing me and both arms hurt more than usual. It is weird...I live in NW Indiana and we have blizzards here, lake effect snowstorms and violent thunderstorms and at times tornado watches and warnings. The day Oklahoma got hit by the first round of tornadoes for whatever reason I felt absolutely great that day. It had been months since I felt that good....should of seen me able to just speed walk like I use to. Was moving around like it was no problem. Lasted 2 days and then had a really bad day. Yesterday was awful, had to go back to bed at 10am...slept till 2pm and then just couldn't seem to wake up fully. I was ready for bed again by 6pm.

 

[SulaBlue]

I started with degenerative discs in my lumbar spine with radiating sciatica. More recent scans (2009) show bone spurs on my vertebrae. My most recent X-rays show arthritis from L1-S1. The pain is pretty much constant if I'm still in any one position for more than about 15 minutes. There's times it keeps me up at night. I figured the fibro out when I got a new bed and the back pain subsided some (but not all), and then I noticed the REST of the pain. I'd just thought i felt laggy from lack of sleep due to back pain. It was bad enough to mask the fibro pain to some degree. My fibro kind of crept up on me during a year long depression. I wasn't doing much, barely leaving the house, so I guess I just never really noticed it and thought the lack of energy had to do with being fat and out of shape. Now that I'm trying to do more, it's painfully (literally) evident. I was trying to put pillow cases on my pillows yesterday and it felt like I was lifting sacks full of bricks.

 

[Indianagal]

You saying the pillows felt like sacks of bricks brings to mind how I feel when I wear blue jeans. I know they don't weigh too much but they feel like a 20 pound garment to me. And when I wear them I feel like I have lead weights on. Finding I prefer a light weight slack or shorts anymore.

 

[1sweed]

I can stand the jeans which I wear most of the time, but I can not stand to wear belts or scarves or necklaces, carry heavy purses or wear heavy shoes. It either makes me feel really tired or like I am carrying a heavy weight or as in scarves or tight turtlenecks, around my neck like I am choking.
I have a few wore disks in my lower spine that give me grief if I bend over to much. I also have trouble with my knees, but the fibro makes it hard for me to stand up again if I kneel down to do a chore. Old age and fibro. UGH!

 

[MercyL]

You saying the pillows felt like sacks of bricks brings to mind how I feel when I wear blue jeans. I know they don't weigh too much but they feel like a 20 pound garment to me. And when I wear them I feel like I have lead weights on. Finding I prefer a light weight slack or shorts anymore.

My skin seems more sensitive during hot weather and I cannot stand wearing blue jeans or other rough fabrics against it.

During the summer, I live in long lounge wear made of tricot or other fabrics that emulate satin or silk, with a strapless bra, so that very little fabric actually touches my skin. I have been known to wear a caftan over my "gowns" for trips to the super market.

Wearing night gowns outside of the house seemed weird, at first, but then I realized the gowns cover more of my body than a pair of shorts with a sleeveless top would!

 

[rfogle]

I also have fibro and cervical disk problem. I have had fusion at levels 5 and 6, also have a rupture at levels 3 and 4. Before being diagnosed with fibro this was thought to be the root of all of my pain but I got no pain relief from the fusion. It did however give me back the full use of my right arm. For years I have had many many tests, xrays, ct scans, mris and they are all ok. My pain is pretty much everywhere some days but what I call my epicenter is my upper back, shoulders, neck, head and chest wall. After going thru many doctors and getting no answers I am finally getting some relief with pain management. I take cymbalta and opana. I have been thru tons of other medications that the side effects were horrible and may make one thing somewhat better but created a new problem. SO Im down to the 2 that help with the least side effects for me. Everyone is different in what they can and cant handle I have learned. I have also learned that there isnt a wealth of compassion or understanding out there for fibro. Im new to the forum and it feels good in a way to know that there are people that understand!

 

[jesnyc01]

It's interesting to hear this because I was in remission and as of last week starting experiencing fibro symptoms again. And at first I thought it was sciatica - that's how out of touch w/ fibro I was - and have now realized that it feels like the muscles and joints are inflamed and are pressing on the nerves causing pain. And I've always had random pain in my cervix area, so maybe it's all related? I'm going to a doc on Mon to get re-evaluated for the first time in over 20 months, so I'll see if any of this applies. I never even thought about the possibility that my spine could be affected by this...ugh. The fun never ends, right? : )

 

[kat744]

On top of fibro, I have fibroid which give me hell. Am in pain through out and my lower back kills me. Doing simple things like bending or washing clothes becomes a problem because if I over do it, I start spotting. Pain has become pert of my life, I can not even remember how not having pain feels like.

 

[evrythnghz]

I was diagnosed with degenerative disc in my neck when I was 40. They told me I was way too young to have it and that it usually doesn't happen under age 60. It seems to be a common thing though for females with fibro. How many of you have autoimmune things going on?

 

[MercyL]

I was diagnosed with degenerative disc in my neck when I was 40. They told me I was way too young to have it and that it usually doesn't happen under age 60. It seems to be a common thing though for females with fibro. How many of you have autoimmune things going on?

Aren't doctors funny? You are not too young to have a condition if you have it, and discs degenerate for many reason. A fall I took when I was 16 was probably the first insult my c-spine suffered. My chronic pain stems from that first injury. I probably had symptoms of something slowly going terribly wrong for years, and just didn't know I had a problem.

I think doctors use the "too young" line as a shield against having to focus on that particular problem, opting look for something they know they can successfully treat and cure instead. I repeat, if you have a condition, you are not too young to have it.


However, I have no autoimmune complications, yet. I am in the right generation, though. My maternal grandmother had rheumatoid arthritis. If it skips generations, I would be next in line.