Help pls

Hi everybody
I would like anyone here to tell me if these symptoms sound familiar with fibro or not. Going crazy with fear that it might be MS.10 yrs ago I went to a neurologist coz i had severe arm pain, this was deep ache and the inability to raise my arms or do repetitive motions, he pressed several tender spots on my shoulders and said i had fibro and gave me muscle relaxants. Those transformed me into a zombie and i didnt believe i had fibro so i stopped them. Over the yrs the pain in my arms was constant and never stopped and now it extended to my hands and fingers. I have also suffered from constant migraines, stomach troubles, acid reflux and vertigo, i also had migraine auras and saw lighted zigzags for a while, also i have shoulder pain, and tingling in my head, my arms ,cheecks, shoulders, hands and legs and feet cramps. It has also became difficult for me to look at striped designs as they get muddled and bother my eyes and i cannot function at all in hot weather. Fatigue is also a usual thing and a yr ago i had an episode of severe fatigue that i collapsed in bed fr 10 hours over night.
Some months ago i had severe muscle cramps in both legs( like u get after exercising for the first time) and it continued for 2 or 3 days and then stopped.
This week when i walk for long times ( not really long tho) or at the end of the day i get a dull cramping pain all over my left leg with slight tingling, noe it is concentrated above my left knee, it is a dull ache and the muscles there feel cramped.
Does any of this sound familiar, pls help coz im soo confused

Post Edited (Reemag) : 4/6/2013 3:39:39 PM (GMT-6)

Hi, Reemag, and welcome!  It is frightening when you don't really know what is happening to you.  I do hope you have good doctors.  Many here use board certified rheumatologists who treat fibro patients.  You do need to check because there are doctors still in the Dark Ages when it come to this illness.  But they would run the correct tests to see what is going on with you.

 

You see, the symptoms of fibro are similar to the symptoms of other illness including MS, Lyme disease and lupus.  But there are tests for these other illnesses.  You need to have those test taken to rule out those illnesses.  If they all come back negative, then you usually get the diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

 

I see Mrs. Bugzy directed you to Fibro 101...the first thread on the forum.  There are links to good info about fibro and you will learn a lot there.  Good starting links for you would be the ones called Symptoms, What Else Could It Be, and A Thorough Explanation of Fibromyalgia.  You just might see yourself there.  All the links are good so do check them out.

 

Try not to get upset.  Self-diagnosing is a bad thing to do.  We need to leave that up to good doctors. The stress will make your pain worse and your symptoms worse if you have fibro and you sure don't want to do that.  So find a doctor that you know is good and will listen to  you and present to them what you have told us.  That will get the ball rolling and you can find out what really is going on and get on the right medication to help yourself.

 

By the way, there are many with MS that live a full life.  There is even a television anchor that has MS and is quite a busy person.  You would never know he has the disease but he has it under control.  So try to relax.  We sure can conjure up horrible visions but there are medications and therapies to help with these illnesses.

 

I'm looking forward to getting to know you better.  Don't hesitate to ask questions because we are here to help you.  Do let us know what you find out, too, because we really do care about you.  Many of us have been "there".  I hope to hear more from you soon.

 

Sherrine 

That's what I was talking about when I said our minds can conjure up the worst case scenarios. We picture in our minds the worst that can happen when we are afraid and don't know what is happening. Then, when you add anxiety to the mix, you can get more "symptoms". It's a vicious cycle.

People with fibro do get muscle cramping. I have a prescription muscle relaxer that my doctor gave me that has made a significant difference in my pain. Also, cramping can be caused by low calcium or low potassium or low magnesium in your body. There could be a lot of things that could cause that symptom. I'm glad you have seen a good doctor though

I live in the US and many people and some doctors don't know much about this illness so you are not alone there either. But, if you read Fibro 101, I think that will help you some. I also agree with you in that I'd rather have fibro than MS.

No matter what you have, we will be here for you. Just ask your questions and we will try hard to answer them.

Sherrine