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New here and don't know if I have fibro-sorry its long

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Fibromyalgia
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Posted 7/31/2013 3:03 AM (GMT 0)
I have had so many health problems the past 7 years but as each resolves or at least stabilizes, a new one shows up.  I recently went through a BAD depression which included this unbelievable fatigue and poor concentration which I called "brain fog". Got myself to the psychiatrist and back into therapy, and the depression lifted...but the fatigue and poor concentration has not.  My psychiatrist prescribed Adderral which sort of freaked me out becuase it is an amphetamine but it does give me 6-7 decent hours a day when I feel like myself again.  Within the next few weeks I will be seeing every specialist under the sun and having a sleep study (I have apnea and use a machine---maybe it needs adjusting).

1. Anyone else take Adderral for Fibro or CFS?

2. Can I have Fibro if I do not have all those weird overwheleming pain issues. I do have pain (lower back, neck, an ovarian cyst that flares up from time to time, hand pain from nerve damage and complications of carpel tunnel surgery) but all of that easily shows up on MRI's or xrays. I don't have the all over aches and pains or trigger spots that fibro folks complain of. Can I still  have Fibro without the typical fibro pain issue or might it "just be" CFS (or what some call post viral fatigue---I had Bells Palsy this past January)? 

3. Good ol' reliable been around forever Prozac works for my depression. My PCP suggested Cymbalta but I am afraid to switch becuase my depressin was dangerously bad. Anyone have success with Cymbalta for pain and depression? I see it is now approved for back pain too. I happen to be a clinical psychologist with A LOT of knowledge of psychotropics from working in hospitals and with PCP's and am not impressed with Cymbalta as an antidepressant (plus its miserable to get off of if it doesn't work).

PS. My thyroid is ok. I take synthroid and am on the highest dose possible without going hyperthyroid. I am also diabetic and that has not been under good control but it rarely has been becuase all these other medical conditions mess with my glucose and I can't exercise like I need to. I don't think the diabetes is causing the fatigue since the fatigue is NEW whlke I've been diabetic about 7 years.  Thanks!

Posted 7/31/2013 3:10 AM (GMT 0)
Have you been checked for an autoimmune disease? Ask your doctor to run your ANA with titers. You sound like it's more than fibro.
Posted 7/31/2013 3:19 AM (GMT 0)
I don't think that you have fibromyalgia, although of course I can't see you and I'm not a doctor. Are you hypersensitive to touch? Do you have any pain for which there is no known cause? If the pain is worse than would be expected but still linked to a proveable condition, you may have complex regional pain syndrome - it might be worth checking that out.

If they can't find any underlying causes for your symptoms, you possibly do have CFS which is serious and not to be belittled as a small ailment. Do you keep getting infections and bugs? Is your immune system always run down? Are your glands always swollen? Do you always have a sore throat? When you exercise, does it wear you out for MORE THAN 24 HRS? Do you have headaches of a new type and/or frequency? Do your eyes feel sore all the time? Do you feel like you never sleep deeply?

If your only new symptoms are fatigue and brain fog, then let me suggest that they may be caused by the depression. You may still need to catch up on sleep from before or you may still be depressed but repressing your feelings.

I hope they figure it out soon and that you get better.
Posted 7/31/2013 3:21 AM (GMT 0)
So far Lyme is negative, Epstein Barr showed past expose but not current infection, and the ANA stuff looks normal. HOWEVER, weird autoimmune stuff runs in my family BIG TIME. In fact, my infertility was entirely autoimmune related though it took a genious (and years of other tests that supposedly tested for immune issues) to figure it out. I have an appointment with an Infectious Disease Doc because I thought for sure it was Epstein Barr stemming from my bout with Bells Palsy but I should probably see a Rheumatologist too, right? My elderly dad has an immune related nerve probem in one hand and an aunt who had terrible RA.
Posted 7/31/2013 3:27 AM (GMT 0)
You should see a rheumatologist if you're getting more muscle/joint pain and/or muscle weakness than would be expected.

Sounds like autoimmune disease is definitely a possibility, especially because you keep developing new problems and you already have one autoimmune problem and such things are genetic for you.
Posted 7/31/2013 3:33 AM (GMT 0)
I don't get infections or bugs too often, and I don't think I have swollen glands. One day of mild exertion and I am DEAD for 1-2 days after, though the Adderral helps. I can sleep 11 or 12 hours and still feel tired. If I don't take Adderral I will need a nap within hours after sleeping all that time,and by nap I mean another 2-3 hours of sleep. My eyelids twitch when tired (yup been to eye doctor).  When I first started feeling better on Adderral, the eyelid effected by Bells Palsy started twitching and that is when I realized "wow I am really tired. Not depressed tired but my muscles are actually fatigued." Now both eyelids twitch.  Its so weird. I really do not think it is depression. I've dealt with depression on and off much of my life (and I am a psychologist really in tune with my emotional issues---right now some unresolved grief after losing my husband  and fianncial stress from not working are the main issues). I keep thinking maybe it is the diabetes, and of course a sleep disorder would explain it. I am doing a massive sleep study Sunday-Monday this week. I am hoping they find something that might be relatively easy to fix. Only time in my life I ever remember feeling this tired was when I had Mono when I was 15 years old.
Posted 7/31/2013 3:43 AM (GMT 0)
Hi LippyLuLu,
I have taken Cymbalta for pain and it helped tremendously but the side effects took over. I am a business woman that has client visits and it made my head sweat really bad so that did not work to well for me. You are absolutely correct about coming off of it that was HORRIBLE and made me feel crazy! I went through a series of withdrawal symptoms that included crying for no reason at all, dizziness, nausea and just feeling like crap. I don't have answers to your other stuff and I am searching for some of my own but I wanted to share that with you. I hope we get some answers soon.
Posted 7/31/2013 3:52 AM (GMT 0)
I had to go off the cymbalta because it began causing migraines. It was an absolute misery. For weeks I felt horrible, like a bad bout of the flu but with an additional zap feeling in my brain. All of that and I was on a low dose. I have depression, too. I felt like cymbalta kept me out of the really bad lows but I wouldn't say it totally helped with my depression.
Posted 7/31/2013 3:57 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for sharing your experience on Cymbalta. Since pain is not my major issue, I can't see risking the depression by switching. When my pain is bad, it responds to narcotic pain meds and I am lucky I don't get high, sedated or addicted to them. Docs hate giving them which is a problem but they work for me (as long as its not nerve pain---nerve pain like when it comes from my neck or hands do not respond to traditional pain meds).Thankfully I am not dealing with nerve pain at this time but when my hands were really bad (complicated by my neck-called Double Crush syndrome).
Posted 7/31/2013 3:58 AM (GMT 0)
Yes the brain zaps coming off Cymbalta are awful...I have heard this from MANY people.
Posted 7/31/2013 4:33 AM (GMT 0)
I would say that your symptoms don't exactly match the fibro symptoms and I know nothing about CFS, but everyone is completely different, so it's worth checking out.

I'm a pharmacist and I rarely see Cymbalta used for depression. Of the several patients I have on it, I can't think of any that use it for depression. There are a lot better options out there, as you know, stick with good ol Prozac since you know it works!

Good luck figuring it all out. It's a long, crazy journey for sure.
Posted 7/31/2013 8:53 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Lippylulu, and welcome!  Fibromyalgia patients have pain in all four quandrants of their body...not necessarily all at the same time.  It is an illness of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, primarily, but we also have cognitive memory problems (brain fog) and fatigue among other things.

 

Be sure to read Fibro 101...the first thread on the forum.  There are links to good info about fibro and you can get a better idea about this illness.  Good links for you would be Symptoms, What Else Could It Be, and A Thorough Explanation of Fibromyalgia. 

 

As far as diabetes goes, I've been diabetic for 21 years but do keep it under control.  It can give you fatigue if your blood sugar is higher than it usually is.  Stress can cause this, too.  Also, if you don't have problems walking, it is a wonderful exercise for both fibro and diabetes.  I think this could help with the fatigue, too.  At least it helps me. We also have a wonderful diabetes forum here on HealingWell so you might want to check that out, too. 

 

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

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