new here, not sure if have FM

Hello everyone,
I am new. I have not been diagnosed with FM but I am starting to think that I may suffer at least partially from it. I have a long and convoluted medical history and i am only 31!!!
At around age 20 i started to suffer quite badly from depression. no particular incident happened it just sort of started. i went for a few years untreated then i finally went and saw my doctor. i was given Paxil first and it made me nuts. then i was given Zoloft and was on that for several years. it made me gain a TON OF WEIGHT. i gained 50 lbs in one year on it. i used to be extremely thin, very active sort of thin, not sick thin now i have been overweight for years and cant get it under control.
finally i went to see a psychiatrist for medical consultation. he immediately took me off the Zoloft (and made a comment about how he didnt understand how a Dr could do that to someone) and after trying a bunch of other stuff through trial and error I ended up on Cymbalta. i have been on Cymbalta pretty much since it was allowed to be distributed. he gave it to me specifically because he said it should help with the aches and pains i complained about. i am always sore. he said that alot of people who suffer from depression also suffer from unexplained aches and pains. i was also constantly tired. just wiped out ALL THE TIME.
the cymbalta works well for the depression, i cant say im jumping up and down happy aned excited about life but im not jumping off any buildings either. it has stabilized me enough that i dont want to try anything else.
a few years later i was basically like a walking zombie. tired ALL THE TIME, if i sat down on the couch i would basically want to fall over and sleep. couldn't get out of bed, often found myself drifting to sleep while driving. my MIL had recently been diagnosed wtih sleep apnea and was like WOW you have all the symptoms. so i ended up having a sleep study done and sure enough i had really bad sleep apnea. i ended up having surgery because i didnt like the idea of the CPAP mask. i had my huge tonsils and adenoids removed and they also widened my airway a little. after recovery i had a second sleep study and while it was MUCH better they said i was still in need of the CPAP (YUCK!) so i got the icky CPAP and have been using it ever since.
i even had a third sleep study at a certain point to make sure i was at the right pressure level.
i (and my sleep Dr) feel my sleep apnea is under control BUT i am still tired a lot. i get home from work and i dont want to do anything. i am constantly in pain. not the kind of dire pain alot of people seem to talk about but just sore. aches and pains throughout my legs, back, and ankles.
i have been having back problems that started this year. the pain in my upper back (rhomboids) got so bad that i was waking up because i was having muscle spasms to the point where i was gasping for air. i have had x-rays of my back and there is no issues with my spine, its the muscles i guess. i had acupuncture done several times on my rhomboids and have been doing yoga ALOT to help deal with the back pain but also all my other aches and pains. i have one bum knee. i dont know what is wrong with it but it crunches when i go up stairs and if i am sitting on the floor i have to get up like an older lady would and my whole knee makes a ripping sound. i have had x-rays of this knee done twice and the first time i swear someone said (sports med Dr) i had bone spurs and the second time (reg Dr) they said it was clean. i looked at it myself with my mom (who is a nurse) and it *looks* fine. i started to do physical therapy but only went to one session. i had to quit due to financial constraints. the physical therapist said my muscles were unbelievably tight. she gave me some stretches to do that while i see how they would help my muscles i didnt understand how it was supposed to help the crunching in my knee.
lately i feel like all my symptoms have been getting worse. i am always worn out mentally. i have this overall feeling that i just cant get my @&*$ together. like if i could just get it together i would be ok. i am always achy. my back problems though better have not gone away. if i do not do yoga EVERY SINGLE day i wake up really sore. my bum knee is often really sore and the outsides of my legs (ilio tibial bands) are often really sore. my ankles get really sore after walking or sometimes throb for no reason. i also get headaches alot.
i also have various stomach issues. it seems like everyday after lunch i get really really bloated and feel ill for the rest of the day. i am a vegetarian and normally eat pretty well but i do have a weakness for sweets. i have a low tolerance to dairy which i discovered only in the past 5 years.
i started reading up on FM and i have alot of the symptoms. i noticed on webmd it also says frequent urination can be a symptom. i pee ALL THE TIME. i go to the bathroom like 15-25 times a day (i counted once). there are two pregnant women in my office and i pee way more than them. i do drink a lot of water and an ok amount of coffee but still.
in my reading on FM i see that a lot of people say diet is hugely important and exercise. i feel that i am really active despite always feeling worn down. we walk our dog every morning for about 2 miles and i do yoga regularly and ride my stationary bike. exercise does help with my aches and pains but my overall feeling of tiredness and achiness often keeps me from exercising. i have decided to start cutting out white flour and white sugar and ween myself off coffee. i read somewhere that they should help with my symptoms. i figure its worth a shot.

so sorry this was long but im new to this and im wondering if maybe i have FM or CFS??? anyone have any feedback or suggestions? any results with cutting out sugar and flour?

thanks so much for reading.
Lisa

Hi, Lisa, and welcome!  I'm so glad you found us and joined in.  You could have fibromyalgia but there are other illnesses that have the same symptoms.  You need to sit down with a good doctor that does believe the fibro exists and let them know what you just told us.  They will run tests to rule out other problems before a diagnosis of fibromyalgia is given.

 

I see that Bootknife directed you to the Fibro 101 thread...the second thread on the forum.  There are links to good information about fibro, including a list of symptoms, some good stretching exercises that really work, and a link to What Else Could It Be?"

 

Crunchy knee, huh?  Welcome to the Fibromyalgia Rice Krispies Club!  Many have body parts that crunch!  LOL  Makes life interesting.  At least we know you aren't a cat burgler! 

 

I take malic acid/ magnesium supplements for pain and fatigue and they have helped me.  They have helped others, but not everyone.  There is a link in the Fibro 101 thread all about these.  Also, many with fibromyalgia are deficient in Vitamin D.  I live in Florida and was shocked that I had that problem, with all the sun we have.  I'm now taking 3,500 IU of D3 a day.  This would be another good thing for your doctor to check you for.  A vitamin D deficiency can cause pain and fatigue, too.  I still get fatigued but not nearly as much.  Medications can do this to you, too.

 

Anyway, read back posts since there is a world of information in them, and ask questions.  We are here to help you.  I'm happy you are here.  I think you'll like it.  I hope to hear more from you soon.

 

Sherrine

 

 

 

 

thanks for the welcome everyone.
i took a look at that thread and some of the info in there but there was so much info i got a bit overwhelmed
i havent been having a good day, i threw my back ot this mornng so i have been in alot of pain all day and it made it difficult to concentrate on reading
its actually never happened to me before despite prior back soreness issues and muscle spasms.
NOT a fun day.

Bootknife, when you say supplement my protein do you just mean eat more? i am a vegetarian and have been for 12 years so it is hard to get protein in. i will try and make a point to eat more!

Sherrine thanks for all the info, i didnt know people with FM had the "crunchies" maybe that explains my knee!
my MIL has been pushing me to get my vit D levels rechecked. i had them rechecked a year or so ago and i basically had zero vit D in me. i live in New England and am super fair and try and stay out of the sun so yeah, no vit D in me. they originally gave me an Rx for it but it made me ill so i started taking 3000iu daily. i just recently bumped it up to 5000iu a day after my MIL was talking to me about it again. she also said they should check my B12 levels and she said her Dr was going to start giving her B12 shots for her fatigue.

beautymom5, my MIL also suggested D-Ribose which i had never heard of before! im on the lookout for it i assume i have to buy it at a health/natural food store.

im doing pretty well with cutting out the "white stuff" and even had a salad at a resteraunt today instead of the bad food i really wanted
i was feeling pretty good until i threw my back out and even after that besides the back pain i felt ok, was not tired like normal.

anyways i look forward to reading through some of the posts to learn more