Status
Not open for further replies.

Pegleg84

Active member
Joined
Mar 8, 2017
Messages
82
Reason
DX FIBRO
Diagnosis
05/2017
Country
CA
State
ON
Hey,

I am currently being evaluated for Fibro, and finally see the rheumatologist on Monday. I'm not sure entirely what to expect, but probably they will check for tender/trigger points.

I'm pretty sure I have several, though probably not all of them. There are spots on the side of my elbows and knees that are painful when pressed. The pain doesn't necessarily spread, but it will often get worse after a few seconds. I'm not sure the exact location of all the points, but there are definitely a few places that are consistently sore when pressed lightly.

Anyway, my GP started me on cymbalta to help with my pain and I've been on 30mg for almost a month. I'm over the worst of the side effects, and as far as I can tell it's helping (Just went on vacation and only had one bad day, on the week that is generally my worst for pain). My anxiety and pain are both quite minor right now. I was apprehensive at first, but now I don't know if I could have gotten through my vacation without it.

However, I wonder if being on meds will affect my diagnosis, since I'm not in pain as usual, or should I be able to feel any tender points regardless?

So, how many points do you have? Are they always tender/painful when touched or does it come and go? What does it feel like? Are you able to distinguish tender point pain from the rest of your fibro pain?

Any information or advice would be helpful.
Thanks
 
Hi! I'm glad you're getting some benefit from the cymbalta. I have tender points in all the places on the fibro classic map, but some are definitely worse than others. I'm not sure what to tell you about whether the cymbalta will affect the eval, other than I'm not sure the doctor who prescribed it would want you to stop it suddenly. It would certainly make sense to let the rheumatologist know you are on it. Since you will likely need to return, I suppose if the doctor wanted the eval without it, maybe it could be done later. Another idea is to call the office the eval is with and ask. For me, no medicine completely takes away the pain in the trigger points when pressed. I just had a physical therapist eval and he pushed on all the points while I'm on some medicine, and it hurt while he pressed and for hours afterward. You might want to have someone able to drive you home in case that happens. Also, make sure you agree with the rheumatologist' philosophy of fibromyalgia before you invest in them.
 
Hey,

I am currently being evaluated for Fibro, and finally see the rheumatologist on Monday. I'm not sure entirely what to expect, but probably they will check for tender/trigger points.

I'm pretty sure I have several, though probably not all of them. There are spots on the side of my elbows and knees that are painful when pressed. The pain doesn't necessarily spread, but it will often get worse after a few seconds. I'm not sure the exact location of all the points, but there are definitely a few places that are consistently sore when pressed lightly.

Anyway, my GP started me on cymbalta to help with my pain and I've been on 30mg for almost a month. I'm over the worst of the side effects, and as far as I can tell it's helping (Just went on vacation and only had one bad day, on the week that is generally my worst for pain). My anxiety and pain are both quite minor right now. I was apprehensive at first, but now I don't know if I could have gotten through my vacation without it.

However, I wonder if being on meds will affect my diagnosis, since I'm not in pain as usual, or should I be able to feel any tender points regardless?

So, how many points do you have? Are they always tender/painful when touched or does it come and go? What does it feel like? Are you able to distinguish tender point pain from the rest of your fibro pain?

Any information or advice would be helpful.
Thanks
Dear Pegleg84,

Good luck with your medical appointment. In my experience the Rheumatologist was very experienced in diagnosing causes of pain and instantly put me at ease. A full history was taken followed by a thorough examination in which many points on the body....not just the fibro pattern...were pressed firmly and swiftly. I was asked for a quick response to each spot in the way of a yes, no or ouch. I was completely honest in my responses. The Cymbalta is relevant (I haven't tried it) and they will take into account the possible effects of it and how you were before it. The unknown is always a daunting thing but I was grateful for having such a thorough and caring specialist.
Let us know how you go.

Peaceandquiet
 
Saw the rheumatologist yesterday, and it's more or less official: I have fibro.
He checked for tender points, and while I didn't get a count, there were a bunch, a few that I hadn't noticed before, at least 8 of them. That plus my symptoms all add up. Thankfully, all told my symptoms are still relatively mild and managable. I'll stay on 30mg cymbalta until I feel I need to increase my dose, I'll keep moving and do low-impact excercise. I'll meditate more and try not to focus on it too much.
Even though I knew this was coming, having it made official did hit me pretty hard. I now have two life-long conditions that i'll have to manage constantly, but like my Celiac Disease, hopefully I caught it early and will be able to avoid the worst of it if I keep on top of treatment.
Anyway, I'll see my family doc in a couple weeks to discuss further treatment options. You'll see me on this forum a lot, asking questions and complaining, but I have to keep pushing on doing everything I can, not thinking about what I might not be able to do. After all, I just walked all over belgium, rode a bike, climbed a huge windy narrow belltower staircase, and aside from legitimately sore muscles, still felt great! Maybe it's coming back to haunt me now, but it was worth it, and other things in the future will be worth having to take it easy for a few days after. I'm still young. Not going to put my life on hold.
Thanks a bunch for the advice!
Peg
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top