Hi, thesamedaycafe, and welcome! I'm so glad you found us and joined the family. We have a great group here that love to help one another and, as a bonus, really do care about each other, too. I think you will like it here. You might not get the usual responses since this is a holiday weekend but we'll all get to know you soon.
We can have muscle pains and heart palpatations but don't usually have chest pain unless we have costochondritis. There is a link about that in Fibro 101. When I developed the palpatations, I was thoroughly checked out with tests to rule out heart problems. But, Applevenus said she gets chest pains so I suppose you could but please get other problems ruled out first before giving that the tag of a symptom of fibro. That's so easy to do because we have many weird symptoms. I always get thoroughly checked out when having unusual symptoms. Right now I'm having totally extreme fatigue and shortness of breath periodically...where I just sit and stare. (I do continue my one mile walk but I'm just putting one foot in front of the other.) It's horrible and my doctor has been doing a work up on me. We aren't sure what is causing it but fibro could be a possibility. I've had fatigue with fibro but not like this...just total exhaustion. So, please get checked out
Some of this could be anxiety, too. Most of us are dealing or have dealt with anxiety issues with fibro.
The muscle pain in the shoulders and neck is one of the symptoms of fibro. Many have a Bed Buddy that helps. You can find these at Walgreen's and other places. Or, you can make your own by taking a tube sock, filling it 2/3's full of raw long grain rice and tying a knot at the end. Pop this in the microwave and it gives off moist heat due to the moisture in the rice. I have a really nice one that came from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. It's like a shawl that you heat up in the microwave. Boy, these feel good!
I get a gentle massage once a month. I wish I could afford it twice a month but can't. You want a massage therapist that is trained to massage fibro patients and you don't want a deep massage. They would be carrying me out on a stretcher if they did a deep massage n me. The link below is to an organization that has about the best massage therapists out there. They have to take courses to continue to be in this organization. Mine has certificates all over the place...massage for fibro, myofacial pain syndrome, etc. She just finished a course on massaging cancer patients! You should be able to find a massage therapist in this organization that is close to you on this site.
http://www.amtamassage.org/findamassage/index.html?utm_source=%2Ffindamassage%2Flocator.aspx&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=redirect
Fibromyalgia, they think, is a neurological-based illness. Certain things can trigger it. Some say traumatic events, or accidents, or extreme stress, etc. has brought out the symptoms. If you have fibro, you probably will not get over it. I've had it for 24 years and still have no idea how it happened. I was just watching TV one night...pain-free...and within a 45 minute period I was in a world of pain. But, fibro waxes and wanes. You will have good days and bad days but it doesn't go away, at least I've never heard of anyone that this has happened to. If the pain left forever, then you didn't have fibro to begin with.
But, you can get in control of your pain and live a full and enjoyable life in spite of it. I know I have! I use ibuprofen with food (600 mg), extra strength Tylenol (1,000 mg), malic acid/magnesium supplements and vitamin D3 supplements to help with my pain and fatigue. Two ibuprofen do nothing for me but three helps a whole lot. That surprised me but my doctor told me that this was so and so I tried it and it worked. I will take it up to four times a day, spacing it every 6 hours. Some people just can't take it and you do need to be careful because it can cause ulcers but all meds have a ton of side effects worse than this so I chose this route.
There are links in Fibro 101 about malic acid/magnesium supplements and vitamin D3 supplements. They made a big difference for me, too. But, with fibro, what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. You have to try different things to see what works best for you.
I also do gentle stretching exercises (in Fibro 101) and I do gentle daily exercises, too. I walk and swim. Yoga is another gentle exercise that's good for fibro. I add to this the meds and massages I mentioned above. Lastly, I pace myself. Things do get done but in a different time frame. This helps heaps!
You will find a Positive Thinking article on Fibro 101. It is very good reading so check it out. I think positive thinking has helped me as much as any medication in controlling the pain. If I think about how I feel, I can be quite miserable. But, if I focus on other things and count my many blessings, a smile comes on my face and I feel so much better. Smiling really helps...at least for me.
I'm looking forward to getting to know you better. Don't hesitate to ask questions because we are here to help you. I hope to hear more from you soon.
Sherrine