Male 20 fibromyalgia? sorry about the length.

So for only dealing with this for almost 6 months i have a bit of a long story. Sorry. And hello!
I was in a car accident on feburary 21st 2011 i ended up with a torn l5-s1 disc and two symetrically bulging discs in my neck
I developed panic attacks that very day, and had them for a few weeks, i couldn't get in my car and drive more then 15 feet down
the road before i seized up in a panic attack. after a few weeks of zoloft the panic attacks went away and i was able to work almost the entire month of march at ups without missing a day. On march 25th i got really sick and have not been the same since.(Disclaimer gross stuff ahead.)
It started with some muscle aches all over my body and then progressed to extreme abdominal pain, I ended up in
the e.r three times that weekend alone for the worst pain i had ever felt in my life I cried for the first time
in years from the pain. Since then i have had almost continuous pain in my abdomen my legs my arms chest pain,
headaches and back pain, not to mention switching between diarhea and constipation on an almost daily basis I went
from 190 pound down to as of today 152 pounds, I have dealt with much easier bruising and slow wound healing.
I have had numerous medical testing done, lupus, arthritis ,illnesses of many kinds. I've been stuck with IV's Needles
so many times i stopped counting and actually outgrew my fear of them. I went from going to the e.r only for like a 104
degree fever to camping out in front with my car most nights of the week, I was so afraid of what was going on with my
body and that it could not be diagnosed. eventually the zoloft stopped working and i was a wreck dealing with 10-20 panic attacks
a day and eventually becoming so crippled by it i refused to leave the house by myself and still do not wish to. I went from taking no pills . to having at least 12 diffrent pill bottles sitting on my desk for everything from Anxiety disorder, to ulcer pills, nausea, dizzyness medications, lyrica to sooth muscle pain etc. (None of it helped) Diagnoses ranged from anxeity to neuropathic disorder, to IBS, and to my favorite which pissed me off the most"Somataziation disorder" I was actually told this was all in my head and i was looking for attention. (And my primary doc thought i was making it up to get a medical marijuana card) In two months to this day I have been to work twice. I go back tomorrow and hope i still have my job. My last doctor "Quit" on me. he's the one who gave me the diagnosis of it was all in my head and told me i was messed up. not even kidding last appointment i was in there i asked for back x-rays for an unrelated problem and he told me no that we didn't need to spend any more money trying to diagnose anything that it was all in my head. In three months i went from being happy healthy and loving life to wondering if i was going to be able to live one more day. It's terrifying to be in so much pain and not knowing what it is and on top of that feeling shunned everytime you step foot in a hospital. I never used to think about dying, it was not on the top of my list of things to wonder if it was going to
happen that day. Now its almost consumed my life. The next statement is not an indicator of being suicidal its just how i feel.(I do not want to die i am terrified of it.) Have you ever gone to bed praying that you would still be alive the next day, and then being disappointed at the same time because your problems had not gone away in the night and everything was not okay. (In easier to digest terms people who are still afraid i am wanting to off myself.
"Life for me at this time is like waking up on christmas morning and there are no presents under the tree.") Everyday i wake up is like christmas to me
because i'm still alive but at the same time its disappointing. Fast forward 4 months from when i wrote this. My pain scale has constantly been redefined. The "Working diagnosis" at this point is a Severe Anxeity disorder, Gerd, Ibs, Fibromyalgia, and severe allergies. I'm picking up more and more food allergies. And because of the anxeity i'm scared i'm dying almost every single day. My current doc refuses to prescribe me anything besides zoloft. Everything hurts, I get burning sensations, stinging sensations itching, stabbing i have like 5 diffrent tender/trigger points in my stomach muscles alone. let alone how messed up my back and shoulders are from the anxeity, and I have like 6 diffrent kinds of chest pain. I'm hurting so bad i have issues falling asleep and then i'm plagued by my anxeity in my dreams and wake up multiple times. I'm sorry this ended up being a complete pity post but i just need to know could this happen to a 19/20 year old male who before this was in good health and had no major issues?

Welcome to the forum...I'm so sorry that you are dealing with so much pain, both physical and emotional. The accident in itself was a life changing event for you, triggering your anxiety and pain. Many of our menbers were diagnosed with fibro after tragic incidents...no one really knows what causes Fibro for sure.

I do understand the frustration of trying to get a diagnosis so that some form of treatment can begin to give you relief. Lot of our pain is increased by stress, It is so important to do what you can to relieve it. I know...easier said than done but I have learned how. First things first...you either have control or you don't over things, If you have some control and you can change things, do it. If you have no control over a situatuion, then let it go. No amount of worrying ever changed the outcome of anything.

Doing relaxation therapy has helped me. I do deep breathing exercises, smell the roses...blow out the candles. Meditation and using visualization can relax me and prevent me from having full blown anxiety attacks. Exercise has helped give me a sense of control...it makes me feel better physically and emotionally. Once you feel you have some control it gives you power. You don't feel as helpless, you find you can get through your anxious feelings.

Believing things will get better with you being a part of the solution does help. Being proactive in our treatment is important. Finding a doctor who is willing to partner with you is a big step. Don't ever let any doctor intimidate you...they work for us. Go to each visit prepared with a list of questions and symptoms. Be as open as you can with your doctor about all your concerns. If you don't like your doctor, there are good ones out there. It took me three rheumys to find one that seemed caring and willing to go the extra mile to help me.

Many of us have found heat to give us some pain relief. I like soaking in a warm tub and I will use moist heat microwve heat pads through out the day.

For fibro I take Savella daily along with supplements...Vitamin D and B12. I use muscle relaxers for flares.
We all tolerate meds differantly...what works for one might not work for another.

If you haven't already, be sure to read fibro 101 on the top of the page. Sherrine has put together a wonderful resource for us.

I'm glad that you have joined us...keep posting...we do care:)Things will get better

Hugs, Robin

Thank you for all the replies to just clear a couple of things up, I am only taking zoloft 75 mg and 2000 ui of vitamin d a day right now. I've been through lyrica (Nasty drug imo) and cymbalta before. I read an article somewhere that had like Q and A for fibro and The guy answering said he's always happy when he gets a male fibro paitent because he can usually find something else wrong with them. this confuses me as to whether or not i should keep looking

Scaredfibro,

You've gotten a lot of good advice already, but I just want to put in my 2 cents worth.

My brother was in a car accident 15 years ago, and since then has suffered from severe, constant headaches. It's just a matter of degree from day to day. He was a normal, active guy and now spends at least half of his time lying down, or it becomes unbearable. Countless tests, experimental treatments, and they still can't tell him why. The only thing that brings it down to a dull roar is high doses of methadone. Very sad.

I also went through the "it's all in your head" crap from multiple doctors. It's extremely disheartening! In my case, it was an allergist/internal medicine doctor who finally took me seriously. That's the beginning of relief. If someone believes you, you have a chance of getting help, providing it's a smart doctor.

Keep posting! We really do care, because we've been there. (To one degree or another, we're still there.)

Debbie

Scaredfibro said...
The "Working diagnosis" at this point is a Severe Anxeity disorder, Gerd, Ibs, Fibromyalgia, and severe allergies. I'm picking up more and more food allergies. And because of the anxeity i'm scared i'm dying almost every single day.

Make sure you have calcium magnesium twice a day... And take 4000ui of vitamin D daily. Take melatonin to help you sleep, its natural and non addicting, it will make your guts a tonnnn better. Trust me, theres lots of research on IBS and melatonin.

Also, if you have GERD, allergies, anexity, if you have the time to do a water fast... DO IT... Do one for 2 days minimum, and max 10 days and youll feel a ton better digestively, and your allergies will chill out. The longer the better, just dont go past 35 days, you might die... Body needs food, but it also needs time to regenerate and clear out bacteria/mucous.

Good luck!