Slowly and painfully accepting that this is fibro....

Hello everyone! This is only my 2nd post here to this forum. I wrote back in April asking tons of questions as I was brand new to the idea of having fibro and wasn't entirely sure that is what was going on. I have gone through cardiac testing, full exam with general practitioner/internal med. doc (twice), am regularly seeing a chiropractor for some alignment and spinal subluxation issues, and had two rounds of complete blood tests. Everything is coming back 100% normal with the blood tests, lung tests, heart tests. But I don't feel 100% normal -- I hurt. All the time. So doc is 99% sure that fibro is what I'm dealing with.

I do have many of the common symptoms that I've read about -- but a few are a bit abnormal, or at least seem outside of the realm of most fibro sufferers -- so I thought I'd mention them here in hopes that someone else can tell me it's all just a part of fibro and there's nothing else I should be worried about.

- General all-over achiness MOST days. Feel bruised all over. Tender points, yes, but also just a general all-over feeling of having been kicked around and bruised.
- Sometimes have flu-like feelings (feel hot and flushed, fatigued, sweaty -- but no fever.)
- Muscles between ribs ache. Wraps around under arms in upper ribs.
- Feel a tickly feeling in base of throat/chest (where throat dips in at the base, and also down towards chest). Almost like I need to cough. No chest congestion, though....dry cough. Hurts to cough. Worse right after eating. Feels hard to take deep breath sometimes. Also hurts chest to laugh really hard.
- Sometimes it hurts when food travels down esophagus; like esophagus feels tight and sore. Esophageal spasm? This sensation is worst when all of my chest/rib muscles are also in spasm.
- Some parts of my skin feels "touchy" and almost sunburned.
- Pain radiates. Moves everyday. But pain EVERY day. One day I have shoulder blade/rib pain; next day wake up with hip and leg pain. Next day wake up with jaw pain.
- Things like dental procedures involve much more pain and discomfort, and it takes SO long for gums and nerves to settle back down. What dentist tells me should take 2-3 weeks to settle takes me 3 months or more.
- Seem to feel full faster than I used to -- and frequent heartburn/indigestion.
- I have had IBS since 2001, but more frequency of pain symptoms and NOTICEABLE increase in gassiness and gas pain over the past year.


I'm not taking any prescription meds because of extreme sensitivity to almost any pharmaceutical drugs (I've tried many; from Topamax to antidepressants.) Trying to deal with pain with heat, massage, chiropractic adjustments, and nutrition. Supplementing with Vitamin D, magnesium, and turmeric capsules.

Thanks for listening. Any others with similar symptoms? Any tips or advice for ways to cope? I keep hearing about "flare ups" but this has been ongoing since February. I may have 1 good day out of 8 or 9. I keep waiting for this "flare up" to end!

Hi Gatory,

I have many of your symptoms and many of my tests have come back normal.

What has helped me the most is a healthy diet especially paying attention to which foods cause my fibro symptoms to become worse, doing stretches and exercises x2 a day, and seeing a cranial fascia massage therapist. I have had other types of massage and for me nothing else comes close to what my cranial fascia massage therapist has done for me. It's not a fix but it has helped.

I also can't take most prescription meds, another words I don't take any. But I do take supplements.

Hi, Gatory, and welcome! Yes, pain comes with the territory. I've had Fibro for decades and have not been pain-free yet. But don't let that frighten you. Myth will learn what helps control the pain and as you focus on other things, the pain will be more in the background. I have lived a full and enjoyable life in spite of this illness.

Be sure to check out Fibro 101...the first thread in the forum. There are links to good info about Fibro and you will learn a lot there. Good starting links for you would be Symptoms, What Else Could It Be, and A Thorough Explanation of Fibromyalgia. All of Fibro 101 is good so do read it.

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'm a redhead too, and I can readily believe we're different - just look at our skin.

I have to be numbed at the dentist when most people don't (recently, to have a permanent crown put on.) I've asked them at least twice whether just having your teeth cleaned can make you feel loopy, because it does me! They'd never heard of that one.

So much of this stuff can't be explained logically, at least not to me - a test dose of the epidural med was enough to totally numb me during labor. And yet, I needed to be completely knocked out for a D&C.

And I can take narcotics, but nothing stronger than Vicodin, and I never need to increase my dose.

Debbie

gatory7 said...
Hello everyone! This is only my 2nd post here to this forum. I wrote back in April asking tons of questions as I was brand new to the idea of having fibro and wasn't entirely sure that is what was going on. I have gone through cardiac testing, full exam with general practitioner/internal med. doc (twice), am regularly seeing a chiropractor for some alignment and spinal subluxation issues, and had two rounds of complete blood tests. Everything is coming back 100% normal with the blood tests, lung tests, heart tests. But I don't feel 100% normal -- I hurt. All the time. So doc is 99% sure that fibro is what I'm dealing with.

I do have many of the common symptoms that I've read about -- but a few are a bit abnormal, or at least seem outside of the realm of most fibro sufferers -- so I thought I'd mention them here in hopes that someone else can tell me it's all just a part of fibro and there's nothing else I should be worried about.

- General all-over achiness MOST days. Feel bruised all over. Tender points, yes, but also just a general all-over feeling of having been kicked around and bruised.
- Sometimes have flu-like feelings (feel hot and flushed, fatigued, sweaty -- but no fever.)
- Muscles between ribs ache. Wraps around under arms in upper ribs.
- Feel a tickly feeling in base of throat/chest (where throat dips in at the base, and also down towards chest). Almost like I need to cough. No chest congestion, though....dry cough. Hurts to cough. Worse right after eating. Feels hard to take deep breath sometimes. Also hurts chest to laugh really hard.
- Sometimes it hurts when food travels down esophagus; like esophagus feels tight and sore. Esophageal spasm? This sensation is worst when all of my chest/rib muscles are also in spasm.
- Some parts of my skin feels "touchy" and almost sunburned.
- Pain radiates. Moves everyday. But pain EVERY day. One day I have shoulder blade/rib pain; next day wake up with hip and leg pain. Next day wake up with jaw pain.
- Things like dental procedures involve much more pain and discomfort, and it takes SO long for gums and nerves to settle back down. What dentist tells me should take 2-3 weeks to settle takes me 3 months or more.
- Seem to feel full faster than I used to -- and frequent heartburn/indigestion.
- I have had IBS since 2001, but more frequency of pain symptoms and NOTICEABLE increase in gassiness and gas pain over the past year.


I'm not taking any prescription meds because of extreme sensitivity to almost any pharmaceutical drugs (I've tried many; from Topamax to antidepressants.) Trying to deal with pain with heat, massage, chiropractic adjustments, and nutrition. Supplementing with Vitamin D, magnesium, and turmeric capsules.

Thanks for listening. Any others with similar symptoms? Any tips or advice for ways to cope? I keep hearing about "flare ups" but this has been ongoing since February. I may have 1 good day out of 8 or 9. I keep waiting for this "flare up" to end!

Hello,

I was just recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia a few months ago. I also have many of the symptoms you've listed, especially the fatigue, flu-like symptoms, and pain between my ribs. The pain between your ribs could be costochondritis, which is inflammation of the cartilage between the ribs. (Here is a link to some information on costochondritis: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/costochondritis/basics/definition/con-20024454). I have read that it is very common in fibro patients and I have had pain between my ribs for years.

Have you seen a gastroenterologist? I wonder if the tickly feeling in your throat, dry cough, and pain when swallowing are due to GERD or eosinophilic esophagitis. I have both GERD and eosinophilic esophagitis and have had upper abdominal pain, chest pain, difficulty swallowing, a dry cough, and a sore throat due to these conditions. I am being treated for them now, so my symptoms have greatly improved. Also, allergies could be responsible for the tickly feeling in your throat and maybe even the dry cough (depending on what you are allergic to and how severely allergic you are to it). I just saw an allergy specialist and found out that I am allergic to cats (which I have two of) and two different foods. I believe the allergies contribute to the way I feel to a certain degree. Both GERD and allergies can be associated with asthma, which I developed this past summer. I was coughing a lot at night and sometimes felt short of breath. I'm just letting you know everything I experienced, because it is possible that you may have some other gastrointestinal or allergy/asthma problem. However, it is possible that you do not have these problems and maybe this is all due to the fibromyalgia. I can relate; I hope that your symptoms improve and you're able to find something that works for you. I am only taking prescription medications for GERD and IBS-C, but I am considering taking an antidepressant to see if it helps with sleep, pain, and overall mood. Also, I have recently got into mindfulness and meditation and hope that will help as well. Yoga is also great.