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Posted 5/6/2009 7:39 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Everyone.. Im actually from the Lupus form but I have a few questions about Fibromyalgia again. I have been experiencing major skin tenderness everywhere. I can feel it while just sitting down and especially when I touch it. The pain feels almost like I was beat up and Im bruised everywhere without the bruising. The pain is located mostly in my shoulders and my ribs. Im not sure what to think of it... I went to my rhuemy yesterday and told her about it but she did not say much about it, she suggests that I could be developing shingles again but no rash has shown so Im doubting that. (thank goodness) I had shingles last year and they are horrible, plus I actually want to finish school this year with good grades! Yes, I am only 16 and recently diagnosed with Lupus, and I think I might be developing Fibro as well. I also have another question.. Since I have to live with this for the rest of my life, I know Im going to have to learn how to deal with stress better. I am in really hard classes right now such as trigonometry and chemistry. Is living with this disease going to get harder for me as I get older or do you think now when everything is so new to me?
Posted 5/6/2009 8:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Bigsanfer, and welcome!  Yes, we are very tender people!  When my children were home they would kid me and then give me a playful swat.  I'd yell from the pain and thought I'd have a bruise soon...but I never did.  My kids would feel badly and say they didn't hit me hard!  So we are sensitive.

 

The pain around the ribs could be some costochondritis.  That will come and go for me.  It is uncomfortable but it does go away.

 

I've had fibromyalgia for 22 years and it seems a little worse...but maybe it's because I'm getting older (62).  I have had a full and enjoyable life in spite of fibro and have traveled all over the place, done fun things like snorkeling, parasailing, etc.  I plan on trying out my daughter's wave runner soon!  shocked    I can usually find a way around the fibro pain or I sometimes push through it to do the things I want to do.  But, you do learn to pace yourself and your body lets you know what you can and cannot do.  Since fibro waxes and wanes, you will have good days and not so good days.  But, you can have a great life.  Just keep a positive attitude, a good sense of humor, and you will have fun. 

 

Check out the Fibro 101 thread...the second thread on the forum.  There are links all about fibro and you will learn a lot there that could help you.

 

I'm so glad you popped over to our forum.  Read back posts and ask questions.  We are here to help you.  I'm glad you're here and I hope to hear more from you soon.

 

Sherrine

 

Posted 5/6/2009 11:24 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome Bigsanfer,

I have the same sensitivity to touch. I about want to die when someone comes up behind my and taps me on the shoulder or my arm. OUCH! I can't stand rubbing either, like when my husband puts his arm around me and rubs his hand up and down my other arm. The side of my ribs can cause me some discomfort now and again too.

As far as it getting worse when you get older, I don't have that experience yet. I know that it is better than when I was trying to get a diagnosis of what was going on with my body. I have learned good ways to handle myself with stress from the 101 thread Sherrine told you about. I still have more to learn I know, but I sure am glad to have found this forum to share and learn from everyone here.

Good luck with those math classes, eek! :-b

Take care,
See ya around,

Hugs,
Posted 5/7/2009 3:36 PM (GMT 0)
Hi,
I've had symptoms of this disorder for my entire life and have found that the sensitivity hasn't really changed much, I've just learned to deal better. The things that make the pain worse are other pain problems such as arthritis, headaches, TMJ in the jaw joints and sunburn. It's like the fibro pain and the body pain play off of each other and start a cycle of pain that is difficult to break. One thing that I have found that helps with the sensitivity is swimming. It's like the movement of the water touching my entire body overloads the "sensitivity factor" in my brain and I feel extra refreshed and sort of an overall wellness on my skin. Hard to define... but it's kind of like the way you feel when you come out of a lake and put on a sweatshirt and wrap up in a towel. My skin feels tingly and de-stressed at the same time. I wish I could explain this better.
Posted 5/7/2009 6:49 PM (GMT 0)
I think that type of tenderness is one of the hallmarks of fibro.  Before I was diagnosed with fibro, I had recently had my second back surgery.  Afterwards, I was having a lot of pain in my legs, hips, back, and "gluteous maximus"  devil   that I blamed on the surgery (now that I look back, I know that some of it was probably fibro). 

One of the first clues that something else was going on was an extreme sensitivity to touch in my ribs and arms.  I couldn't blame that (and all of the other symptoms that started appearing) on the surgery, so I started pursuing a diagnosis and ended up with a fibro diagnosis.

 

Hugs - Austen

Posted 5/7/2009 9:13 PM (GMT 0)

I am pretty tender skin wise also. I screamed out in pain when the Chiropractor tapped me with that little thing that dr's have to test reflexes. I hate the blood pressure cuff at the dr's office.

HARA

Posted 5/8/2009 4:19 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone for the reply, I appreciate your help! Today I am actually worse but Im starting to learn what is more related to lupus or fibro. I dont think my doctor knows much about Fibro but my family wants to know if I am developing that but it is so hard being so young trying to find the right doctor for this.
Posted 5/9/2009 3:51 AM (GMT 0)
Try a Rheumatologist.

Posted 5/9/2009 5:27 AM (GMT 0)
bigsanfer,
I have a lot of tenderness when I have a flare and right now I'm in the biggest flair that I have ever been in.
I can barely walk and my hands feel like they're crushed.I feel like I'm in one big charley horse! I'm so exhausted because I can't stand anything to touch me so I play one the computer , read, or walk the house. I've got so much edema that I can't get my chlothes. I've lost about 1/3 of my hair too. I don't mean to sound so do down, but just wanted you to be prepaired. Hope you feeo better!
Nurse2
Posted 5/9/2009 11:58 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Bigsanfer,

I am sorry to hear that you are having so many medical issues at such a young age. Many of us who have fibro look back over the years before being diagnosed and realize the problem had probably started a long time ago.

My siblings couldn't figure out why I didn't like to be ticked in the ribs. I'd say because it doesn't tickle it hurts. I've had to give up wearing underwire bra's due to rib pain. My skin can be so sensitive that I can't stand a bra strap on my shoulders.

Part of me thinks I'd like to get a massage but the times when I've had them done it hurt for days afterward; like a bruise with no bruise...

I am still working on finding a good doctor who can work with me on a treatment plan. I have to do something to get the pain under control because it is wearing me out physically. That is the key thing I think....make sure you go to a good doctor.

Hope you get to feeling better. Sending hugs your way :-)

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