Trying to Determine Whether I Have FM - Kindly Request Your Feedback

[kwest326]

I just found this forum and am very thankful for it. I am hopeful that someone here can help me pre-determine whether I have FM or not as it has been quite a journey these past three months and I will try to keep things as short and concise as possible:

Dec '16: Started with right lower back pain (mild). Had MRI which showed a bit of arthritis in my SI joint. Over the course Dec pain turned from mod-severe and ran across my entire lower back and buttocks.
Jan ’17: Intermittent pain in elbows and upper arms. Sometimes sharp stabs, sometimes dull. New pain in my front upper thighs and between my knees. When I wake up in the morning I am stiff all over and also have pain behind my knee joints.
Feb ’17: Stiff neck, pain in shoulders and between shoulder blades. Tenderness on my skin between shoulder blades as well. For some reason, so far, it seems that the tenderness comes and goes based on the weather (cloudy and wet seems to bring it on, but I am not sure about that).
Mar ;17: The pain continues

I have been to a rheumatologist and have tested NEG for autoimmune ANA I have some of the FM pain points, but not all. I have pain in other areas then the main pain points as well. All of my bloodwork is normal (so far). I am beginning to worry that all of this bone pain may be something even more serious then FM (such as multiple myeloma).

During the day the pain is worse when I sit for any length of time and I cannot drive anywhere more than 20 minutes as my lower back hurts too much to be in that position for too long. I am between jobs and was going to start looking again this month, but I would not be able to go to an 8-hour a day job with this kind of constant pain. I have tried acupuncture, physical therapy and went off NSAIDs as they were starting to bother my stomach.

After reading some of the posts on this forum I see for some people the pain waxes and wanes, but for me it seems to be constant. Is this atypical?

Night time is the worst and I usually have to take something (either a sleeping pill or like last night a Vicodin as the pain was so bad).

One more thing - I have read that this could be related stress/trauma. Starting in 2012, I was going through a very high conflict divorce and lived in a lot of fear. Six months before my divorce was final, my almost ex died of a heart attack. It left me alone with my teenage son.

Any thoughts? Appreciate your time in reading this – any feedback is good.

Karen

 

[Forgetmenot]

Welcome.first off,have you ever hurt your back.? Fibro pain comes and goes.moves around the body.and sometimes finds a home in your legs or arms or back,and without so much as a good morning moves in.and stays.
Fibro is nerve ending that fire off without any reason.telling the body you hurt when you don't.fun isn't it.
Has anyone told you that's what you may have .have your ask your gp,or anyone who has examined you.?as your bloods came back fine it does sound like fibro.
But I'm no dr ,and I don't have your medical history.so I'd say if you have not asked your dr ,then ask.or ask to get referred to someone who can.
Hugs x

 

[Sagey]

Hi Kwest,

It's difficult to say because it has been a short period of time. Pain is definitely a symptom but not the only.There are many other symptoms that can also be part of the disease.

Fatigue is definitely one of them.Many Fibromyalgia patients complain of moderate to severe fatigue.
Some can work and others find they get to the point where there body just can't function anymore, there too weak.

Some doctors diagnose with the tender points on the body, but that may be only part of it.
They need to do many test to rule out other diseases in order to get to Fibromyalgia.
They might do nuerological testing ,EMG, MRI's,stress test, blood test, etc.

Once they rule out other diseases they can make an educated diagnosis.

I would definitely continue to be seen by the Rheumatologist.And if he is not willing to do further testing, then see another doctor.

Most drs like to wait and see if your pain decreases.


In the mean time u can see a pain management for your pain.There are alternatives therapies other then medications that they can suggest.

Also I don't know if your doctor suggested physical therapy. Usually they like to start with that to see if it will relieve your pain, since you said there wasn't much on the MRI.

Feel better and I hope I can get relief!

Sagey

 

[kwest326]

Thank you ForgetMeNot. I have never hurt my back. Yes, the rheumotologist suggested FM, but he believes I do not have enough of the other symptoms besides pain so he is questioning it. Therefore, I sought you out to get more info. Thanks again - I will continue to try to figure it out. Karen

 

[kwest326]

Thanks Sagey, Yes, I will most likely go back to the rheumatologist soon. I am wiped out with this constant pain. Thanks again.

 

[Cajuncamaro96]

Have you ever tried an endocrinologist

 

[vickythecat]

If pain is your only symptom, I would look try to see another specialist about it. Physical therapy often helps relieve some pain - often not the fibro pain. But no matter what it is very important to keep moving, keep muscle strong and lean.

In my case, I believe I had fibro for most of my life but life was tolerable. It was when I went through a traumatizing event that went on for more than 3 years that my body and brain simply gave up. It was like I was breaking down piece by piece - IBS, extreme fatigue, horrible nights, pain in the muscles I did not know I had etc. So stress/trauma can definitely be a trigger for pain and more.

It is therefore to find ways to relax, try some meditation (simple breathing in and out), basic yoga moves, keep a diary of how you feel (inside and out), taking care of yourself with 'me, myself and I' times during the day. It could be a short walk, some stretching/yoga, listening to music, resting in bed, enjoying a cup of herbal tea etc.

It is also now more important than ever to put healthy fuel into your body, so try to eliminate anything pre-made from your diet.

Sadly for most of us, even those with a different diagnosis than fibro, it is often a long road of listening to our bodies, getting to know our new pain and aches and always being on the look-out for the right treatment.

I hope your doctor(s) find the cause and you settle on a treatment plan asap. all the best!

 

[kwest326]

Endo? Do you mean for thyroid or diabetes? I have had all the bloodwork and nothing points to either of those areas. Or you are thinking this could be hormonal somehow? Thanks.

 

[kwest326]

Thank you so much Vicky the Cat. Yes, I agree, that I am not convinced this is it due to pain only. I would much rather it be FM then some horrible cancer, however. I am between jobs right now and I agree with you. I have decided not to go looking for a new one, even though I do need to do that at some point as I am self supporting. But I have decided to simply take care of myself at the moment and try to keep the stress level down (although not having any answers for this pain does not help with the stress). Thanks again.

 

[Cajuncamaro96]

I can give you several things that can cause you to have the same symptoms of fibromyalgia.

 

[Cajuncamaro96]

Endo? Do you mean for thyroid or diabetes? I have had all the bloodwork and nothing points to either of those areas. Or you are thinking this could be hormonal somehow? Thanks.

I


Yes there are several different glands in the body that when not properly functioning can cause these exact symptoms of fibromyalgia

 

[1sweed]

Karen, Your symptoms could be from fibro, as many times people who have had emotional upsets in their life develop similar symptoms. You might also have PTSD, as you stated you went through a divorce and lived with a lot of fear. However, your back pain might be related to disk problems or pinched nerves in your lower or upper spine areas that would cause constant pain.

Many comments above gave you some good relaxing tips and coping skills, but I might suggest you consider speaking with a counselor to see if some of your symptoms might be stress related or even ptsd. I speak from experience on this topic and find it is comforting to have someone to talk with about issues that regular doctors don't understand. Best of luck. Look forward to seeing more posts from you around the forum.

 

[kwest326]

Karen, Your symptoms could be from fibro, as many times people who have had emotional upsets in their life develop similar symptoms. You might also have PTSD, as you stated you went through a divorce and lived with a lot of fear. However, your back pain might be related to disk problems or pinched nerves in your lower or upper spine areas that would cause constant pain

.

Hi, Thank you very much for your response. I have had MRIs and there are no spine issues related to the pain I am feeling in my back. In addition, I wake up every morn as stiff as a board and the pain goes beyond my back, to my thighs, upper arms, sometimes flashing in forearms, etc. I really have a hard time believing that my mind can control my body that much, and also, this last year has finally been stress-free and that is when the symptoms started. Maybe you are right though - maybe feeling this pain brought on additional anxiety which I hear makes pain even worse. I am going to continue with the Rheumo and see where this takes me. All blood work is negative (so far).
THanks again.
Karen

 

[kwest326]

I can give you several things that can cause you to have the same symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Hi Cajuncamaro96, what are these things that would cause similar symptoms? Thanks. Karen

 

[Cajuncamaro96]

Hi Cajuncamaro96, what are these things that would cause similar symptoms? Thanks. Karen

Drug abuse, domestic violence, emotional abuse. Traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. Endocrine dysfunction, prescription drugs