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Fibromyalgia pain

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Posted 2/27/2010 6:29 PM (GMT 0)
How does the pain manifest? Is it leg aches, shoulder aches. Can anyone describe it?
Posted 2/27/2010 8:55 PM (GMT 0)
From what I can tell it's different for everybody but my experience is any problems that I had before that caused me pain is where it manifests itself for the most part. I was a factory worker for 23 years and I had shoulder, neck and back pain from the work I did. That seems to be where most of my pain is.
Posted 2/27/2010 9:04 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Angie, and welcome!  I think the pain manifests itself differently with each person.  We all respond differently with various medications too.  We just have to keep trying things to see what works for us.  You see, since the doctors don't know what is causing this, there is no set pattern at all.

 

I was watching television and had my toes start aching, then the tendons in the top of my feet, then my ankles, then knees....all the way up until it hit my elbows.  This, by the way was happening on both sides of my body.  When it hit my elbows, it was like I had banged the nerve really badly and had that horrible "electrical shock" type pain shooting down in my hands and that didn't start to subside for two weeks!  I thought I had rheumatoid arthritis but it turned out to be fibromyalgia.  Anyway, I went from being pain-free to being in total misery in 45 minutes while sitting in my living room watching television.  I haven't been pain-free since.

 

I always have pain in my back, shoulders, and neck and usually a few other places on my body.  Those places change from day to day.  But, everyone's story will be different.

 

Be sure to check out the Fibro 101 thread...the second thread on the forum.  There are links to a lot of good information about fibromyalgia there.  You will learn a lot.

 

I'm so glad you found us and joined in.  Keep asking questions because we are here to help you.  I hope to hear more from  you soon.

 

Sherrine

Posted 2/27/2010 9:24 PM (GMT 0)

This post is from Mt. Lady.  You posted this question twice so I deleted the other question.

Sherrine

Hi Angie F

and welcome! I'm sure many will be along soon to give their input. First off, there is SO much written on the subject in today's world. I was diagnosed over 20 years ago and it was so difficult to really get any information on FM, much less find a doctor who believed in FM. In any case, to address your question, at least I think I am: Most of my pain and you will find that every person with FM is different, is the bottom half of my body, from my lower back out to my hips, down my legs, and it's different on different days, sometimes the front of my legs and sometimes the back of my legs, down to burning pain in my feet. It all feels like deep muscle pain. Then again, I also have some low back stenotic problems and it that is acting up, then I have sciatic pain down thru my butt and down one or both legs. The only time I get shoulder/neck/head pain is when I am flaring, and then it's pretty much the same as the lower half of me, deep muscle ache. If I had to score my pain, on bad days, or without meds, I'd score it 8.5 to 10. Thankfully, I have a wonderful rheumatologist that works with me, changing medications and just trying to keep me comfortable. The more pain I experience, the more anxious and stressed I become and it only makes the pain worse. I hope this helps you...

gentle hugs

Miriam

Posted 2/27/2010 10:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Angie,

Welcome to the forum. My pain started in my neck and shoulders and has been constant ever since, and this was in 2002. Some days it is worse than others. Though I can remember a time when it was in my legs and back and hips. I dont' have it there that often. I keep my pains under control with medications. I am always at a constant 3-4 on a scale from 1-10. But I don't notice the pain like I use to. I guess that I am use to it now. I try to stay busy and let it faid into the background.

I hope that this helps you some.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 3/1/2010 7:19 PM (GMT 0)
My pain started in my neck and shoulders as well although, I was on a Tricyclic Antidepressant and didn't feel much pain. When I went off that to an SSRI THAT'S when all H*ll broke loose. My neck and shoulders were the worst and eventually it just got me all over. Some days I hurt in every muscle and other days it's back to my neck and shoulders again. Are you trying to get a handle on what to expect? Just curious.
Posted 3/1/2010 8:28 PM (GMT 0)
My pain is mostly upper body. My neck is number one, number 2 would be my arms. They just hurt all the time, and feel weak. If I do too much at one time my back will really start to scream. My wrists, elbows and ankles hurt pretty badly, but now we are wondering if that is possibly Rheumatiod Arthritis and not fibro related. Some days I just ache every where. Kinda like when you have the flu. Some times my skin hurts to be touched at all, like if you were touching a huge bruise, but there is no bruise. I am tender all the time, and its hard for my kids to understand that that they cant hit on me to get my attention. :(

Another thing I wanted to add, since I dont see it said very often. Maybe people are embarassed, I dont know. Anyway, my breasts hurt ALL.THE.TIME. Like, If you have ever been pregnant you would understand what I mean. I guess since they are muscle and tissue it makes sense, but no one mentions this. Its really bothersome for me.

I actually initially though I was pregnant before I went to the doc for a dx...I was nauseaus, sore breasts, totally fatigued...it made sense to me.

Post Edited (Craftygal) : 3/1/2010 1:33:09 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 3/3/2010 2:29 PM (GMT 0)
At my worst, it feels like there are tiny (and not so tiny) pulled muscles all over my body--every square inch.  Then other times I have what feels like stretched muscle pain.  Also have neck and/or head pain which can feel like jolts of lightening. (Neurontin really helps this type of pain.) And, overall, I get a heavy, tired feeling in my body, and while I know some of it is physical, I believe there's a type of mental fatigue we get from dealing constantly with all this in one form or another on a daily basis.

Hope you are doing okay today!

Posted 3/3/2010 4:10 PM (GMT 0)
Its so interesting how different yet similar everyones pain is. Ya know? We all can relate to each other, even if our pain is totally differn in location or type.
Posted 3/3/2010 7:01 PM (GMT 0)
Harley, I believe you have confirmed my thinking about amitriptyline and it helping my pain. I was on ami when I was dxd and think that is why it took so long for the pain to become an issue. After trying to cut down about two years ago and going into a flare from hades for two weeks I won't be cutting down again for awhile.

 

My bad pain started with an all over flare that made me feel like someone had beaten me with a baseball bat all over. I just happened to have a doc app that day and he did a tenderpoint test and gave the dx. I had already been tested for about everything my doc could think of cause of fatigue.

 

After the first flare it seemed every time I would have a flare I would have more pain after it was over that wouldn't go away. My worst pain is in my head, neck, shoulders, shoulder blades, back, ribs and upper arms. I only have a lot of pain in my hips down if I do something to cause it like going up and down stairs, ladders or walk for a long ways.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 3/6/2010 6:47 PM (GMT 0)
My pain started after childbirth. Headaches started and my doc told me it was stress from 2 children and a fulltime job. This was back in 1983. Slowly it took over neck and shoulders and I became tired all the time - thought everyone with my workload felt this way. Fibromyalgia did not have a name at that time. My mother also had same symptoms and she always called it "tired blood". Boy, how far we have come and yet no cure or answers. Now my arms and legs feel like there are sand bags tied around them. Sometimes when I'm cooking or standing in one place for too long (Walmart checkout), it feels like energy starts draining from top of my head and drains out of my feet onto the floor. Long car rides can leave me on the sofa for a couple of days - hadn't figured that one out. My only hope is that my mothers symptoms have lessened with age (great huh - by the time things get better, your old). Anyway, didn't mean to depress anyone - I'm determined to beat this thing!!!! Just started Savella - left this on several threads hoping to get personal opinions - for some reason I can't start a new thread - I've tried many times. Will just have to stick with reply boxes for now. Look forward to hearing from someone on Savella. Thanks for letting me vent - such a nice group of people.
Posted 3/6/2010 7:11 PM (GMT 0)
Thought of something kinda funny - when I'm around people, they have no idea of my health problems. This is another reason no one takes our illness as serious as it is - makeup also covers a multitude of sins - lol. I was even told at one job that I was always so upbeat and happy. I just thanked her and never corrected her. If she only knew. This is why I try and not judge people so quickly when they seem like an irritable person - they may be dealing with a personal illness - you never know if a kind word was just what they needed. An old saying. "People may not remember what you did and people may not remember what you said, but people will always remember how you made them feel"
Posted 3/8/2010 8:44 AM (GMT 0)
My fibro started with stomach and back pain, then my neck, traps ans shoulders. My back is killing me every day. Then i started having migraines daily, then it "traveled" to my feet and knees. My feet feel swollen and knees hurt like i have arthritis but i dont. My shoulders/neck/traps feel like a deep "muscle" sunburn. It is really weird. I also have a lot of numbness occasionally. Another thing is hot flashes and chills that do not really depend on room temp or outside weather... Strangly my stomach hurts every day (smooth musculature affected as well ) but im trying to get more tests done cuz it sucks badly!
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