Joint cracking?

Hello, I hope that everybody is having a great weekend! I am new to these forums and I have not been diagnosed with Fibro yet, but I have been having a lot of symptoms that lead me to believe that I may have Fibro. I have been worried that I might have ALS though, as some of the symptoms seem to be similar. I was hoping to get some advice. Lately, all my joints seem to be popping whenever I move. My knees, legs, shoulders and even my hands. Can Fibro cause joint cracking? Also, I have been having some other symptoms. Okay, I have been having certain symptoms for over a year that lead me to believe that I have either MS or Fibro. Let me start from the beginning. May 2010, I began getting mild headaches, widespread muscle twitching, blurred vision and lighheadedness. They were all an on and off type of thing, sometimes going away for a few days and then always returning. After a few months, I began getting a ringing in my left ear that was also on and off. I went to my doctor, he ran blood tests as well as gave me a CT scan without contrast and an MRI with and without contrast. Everything came back normal with the exception of a vitamin D deficiency and I also had the beginning stages of fatty liver which was diagnosed VIA an Ultrasound. I had also been diagnosed with mixed sleep apnea. So, I started on a diet and attempted to lose weight. I was 350 lbs and Now I am 260 lbs. My fatty liver is pretty much non-existent and my sleep apnea has gone away to the point that my pressure is now way too high for me on my CPAP machine. But, though I have lost close to a hundred pounds, my symptoms still remain and I have even gotten a few new symptoms. Now, the headaches are far and few between, the lightheadedness, muscle twitching, blurred vision and ringing in my left ear still come on and off. But now I have also been having pain in my neck, pain in my lower back and also bad aching pain in both my legs. The leg pain begins around my knees and goes all the way down to my feet. Often times after I walk, I get this vibration feeling on my left arch of my foot that feels like a cell phone is underneath it on vibrate mode going off. My legs ache so badly that it is often difficult to walk on them. Then, it will go away for a few days and I will be able to walk fine, with no pain and no foot vibration. A few times when the leg pain symptoms was present, I actually heard a creaking nose in my foot as I attempted to move it. There has been more cracking in the joints of my knees, arms and legs as of late. Also, my feet often feel tingly, like they're falling asleep. I have felt the same tingly feeling in my fingers at different times. With the fact that I had a clean MRI with contrast, I think personally that my chances of having MS are very low. My biggest worry is of ALS. But also people have told me perhaps Lyme Disease or perhaps just a pinched nerve. I have been going to my doctor regularly, but she hasn't figured this out yet. I was just hoping that someone might be able to give me an opinion on this. I know that nobody here is a licensed physician, but since a lot of you have Fibro I was hoping you could assist me in figuring out if Fibro could be causing my symptoms. Thank you very much in advance for any help, it is much appreciated!

Not sure if this would help you but I use Bio-Sil for the popping and cracking.
It's a cute side effect of the arthritis I have. Bio-Sil is a plant base and used
for rebuilding the callogen in the joints. I went off it for quite a while and am now
feeling the effects. I just started back on it about 2 weeks ago and am feeling better.
The joints didn't get trashed overnight and they won't heal completely overnight.
I get it at the herbal shop I go to.

Hi, JoLo, and welcome!  I'm glad you found us and joined in.  Yes, I do have joint cracking, ringing in my ears, and a myriad of other symptoms that come with fibro.  But, I've also had a full and enjoyable life in spite of this illness. 

 

I'm sorry that I couldn't read your entire post.  When it is one long paragraph, I keep losing my place.  But, I scanned it and picked out a few things you were mentioning.  The vibration or buzzing sensation happens to many of us.  It's like you stepped on a buzzer.  I've also has the sensation of bugs crawling on my skin or water dripping down my legs.  Also, I'll get places that feel cold, hot, or wet...but they really aren't!  This definitely is a weird illness!

 

I hope your doctor has been running you through a lot of testing.  They need to do that to rule out other illness that have many of the same symptoms as fibromyalgia.  They usually do this before a diagnosis of fibro is given.

 

Be sure to check out Fibro 101...the second thread on the forum.  There are links to good information there and you will learn a lot.  Be sure to read the links called Symproms, What Else Could It Be, and A Thorough Explanation of Fibromyalgia.  These are great starting places.

 

I'm looking forward to getting to know you better.  Don't hesitate to ask questions because we are here to help you.  Hope to hear more from you soon.

 

Sherrine

I have the joint cracking, too, and am only in my 30s, BTW. And thank you for mentioning the buzzing, JoLo and Sherrine - I've had this a handful of times in my legs, I believe, and thought I was losing it! :) Have literally felt for my cell phone, and realized it wasn't on my person, then glanced around to make sure we weren't having an earthquake or something - seriously. What a strange sensation, right? When I finally find a doctor who seems well versed in fibro, I'll let him/her know about this symptom, too. Thank you for sharing.

also small fiber neuropathy should be checked if emg and nerve conduction tests are negative they do that with a thermal test,qsart,it tests temperature or sweat.I want to have this done when I see my neurologist again because my emg and nerve test came back negative.