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Fibromyalgia
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Posted 10/3/2010 3:36 AM (GMT 0)
I'm so confused about this disease at times.  I mean I've been diagnosed for years, but sometimes the more I read the more confused I get.  Would someone clear this up for me, is fibro an inflammatory disease or not?!  I run a SED rate of 50-something.  I've been told it must be my osteo-arthritis that is causing the elevated SED's.  Then I read on a website regarding SED rates that elevated ones do not indicate oeteo but rather rheumatoid arthritis!  My doctors do not feel I have RA.  I have always had a lot of tendinitis with my fibro so I had always felt the two were related.  I have heard over the past several yrs though that fibro is not an inflammatory disease.  How can that possibly be?

Right now I am so sick of having fibromyalgia.  The edema in my ankles and feet is terrible.  I had to go off my maxide because I have terribly low potassium levels.  I was placed on another water pill called aldactone which is supposed to be easier on your potassium levels, but is not doing the job for me.  I will make an appt. to see the new doctor again.  I have to go in and have the potassium levels rechecked this week anyway.  Does anyone know if edema is a common symptom we must deal with?  The doctor's advice to me today on the phone was to keep my feet up.  That is impossible!  I still have to work and buy groceries, do laundry, etc.  I'm taking naps when I can with my feet on extra pillows, but off my feet is not going to happen.

thanks for letting me rant!

drowsy

 

Posted 10/3/2010 3:45 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Drowsy

I think you're very brave. Welcome to the club - you sound like a contender. As for the confusion, our lovely moderator (Sherrine) should be able to help steer, clarify, answer and advise.

Good luck
Oxygne
Posted 10/3/2010 4:16 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome, Drowsy....

I've always heard that fibro is not an inflammatory disease.  But with this crazy stuff, who knows?

Debbie

Posted 10/3/2010 3:09 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Drowsy and welcome to the family! I am also still completely confused by fibro. i have only been dx'd since Feb. of this year and still amazed at the things this disease can do to us. I hope you keep posting, you can get alot of good info and support here. Take care.
Posted 10/3/2010 3:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi drowsy just wanted you to know that I get the swelling in my legs and feet too. Never thought of it as being part of fibro though. I do know that there are alot of things that seem to go hand in hand with fibro and alot of them are are inflamatory diseases so it is baffling how they can say that fibro is not. Sorry I dont have better advice for you and welcome to our fibro family.
Gentle Hugs
Shirley
Posted 10/3/2010 5:18 PM (GMT 0)
I sure wish I had the answers for you.  Check out the medications you are taking.  Some meds can cause edema.  Also, are you on a diuretic?  That would be helpful.  I don't suffer from edema myself but I know others on this forum do.  I hope you are avoiding sodium.  That will just make things worse.  If I were you, I'd become an avid label reader when purchasing foods.  Also, keep moving.  Walking helps keep the blood flowing and could help too.  I know if I sit at the computer too long, my feet will feel puffy but all I have to do is get up and walk around and it goes away.  Standing doesn't count.   devil  

 

I know they say fibromyalgia is not an inflammatory illness but I've always doubted that.  I'm not a doctor and am guessing along with everyone else here but I know that ibuprofen, an anti inflammatory medication, helps me a lot when I take 600 mg at a time.  (400 mg., which is two tablets, did absolutely nothing for me but 600 mg. does.)  It helps quite a few people because it is one of the drugs they try first...at least they did.  I was diagnosed when this illness was called fibrositis and they didn't have all the high-potent meds that they are giving now, thank God!  I was given ibuprofen and back then it was a prescription medication.  That was the only relief available except for narcotics.  So, I worked with it and found I could be in control of my pain.  So, it seems to me that there has to be some inflammation someplace.  Now you have ME confused!   turn   

 

We do have to remember that the doctors don't know what is causing this.  They are doing a lot of research right now but they are kind of guessing, too.  They want to help us but don't know how.  Some doctors can't handle the fact that they can't find out what is wrong with us so they say it's all in our heads.  Nope.  Not so!  But I do think help is on the way. 

 

We just have to keep trying things and see what helps the symptoms that are giving us the most problems.  That's where this forum is a treasure.  What works for one doesn't necessarily work for another but we all share what helps us and you can decide what you want to try to see if it helps. 

 

Sherrine    

Posted 10/3/2010 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
I was given voltaren for my arthritis and it helps with the fibro which makes me wonder too. I really think sometimes that there is inflammation especially when it's my shoulders, buttocks, and hamstrings. Someday we will probably know for sure. idea
Posted 10/3/2010 6:00 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you so much everyone for the kind words and advice. Yes, I am taking a diruetic. I'd been on Maxide for yrs which did help my tissue swelling quite a bit. That was very recently switched to Aldactone because my potassium is so low and it was thought that the Maxide was the cause of that. Maybe the Aldactone isn't as strong as the Maxide?

I'm hoping the edema is gone by tomorrow. I do child care and have to be on my feet (in more than one way!) tomorrow! Plus it's getting pretty cold here in northern Michigan and I've only been able to wear flip-flops lately!

Thank you all,
drowsy
Posted 10/3/2010 11:46 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry to butt in. I was just cruising the new posts and saw this discussion about ibuprofen. Although advertised as an anti-inflammatory it's really more of a pain reliever.

Inflamed/injured cells produce chemicals called prostaglandins. Nerve cells that convey pain signals to the brain are very sensitive to these chemicals. Ibuprofen acts by reducing the production of these prostaglandins so that the nerve cells transmit less pain to the brain.

Now, I'm off to take my nightly ibuprofen :)
Posted 10/3/2010 11:57 PM (GMT 0)
There are many types of inflammatory arthritis, are you seeing a rhuematologist? Keep trying, if your sed rate is high then you need to find out why or at the least be on meds to lower the inflammation. Inflammation can cause other problems, with the heart and many other organs. Email me if you want, I will try to find the info I had on the potasium.
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