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Fibromyalgia
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Posted 4/25/2009 5:13 PM (GMT 0)
Hey all, I'm new here. As if that's not obvious to you regulars. LOL

Luckily, today is a fairly good day. However, this pain I've had for YEARS is going to lead me directly to a straightjacket. I've started seeing a new PCP about the pain and maybe this one will finally listen.

I started noticing the pain about 7 years ago. It started in my outer thighs and hips and felt like an intense burning.......kinda like running several miles and waking up the next day with that "exercise pain". But, this didn't follow any pattern like that. It was constant. It became harder to get any exercise and was really bothering me. I mentioned it to my doc at the time and she just blew it off and said it was probably nothing. That prevented me from bringing it up to any doc for years.

Over time my pain has been increasing and spreading. about a year and a half ago my neck became so terribly sore in one concentrated spot that I had a hard time moving my head. This was accompanied by a very hard time concentrating and some physical nausea. I was in college at the time, newly divorced, a non-trad student who had to work while attending classes, lots of stress. I went to a PA at the student health clinic who seemed concerned about my symptoms. She ran blood tests and sent me for an MRI. Nothing was found in my neck on the scan, but there was a lump in my throat. Of course, all the docs decided to ignore my pain and go after this mysterious lump and I was told that my pain was probably muscular and I would just have to go for physical therapy. Phys. therapy wasn't covered by my student insurance and I didn't have the money to pay myself, so I was again thrown out on my face with my pain. I still have that lump because I want the pain fixed first!!!!!!!

Now I have graduated, work full-time, and have medical benefits so I decided to try again. My PCP mentioned fibro and said she doesn't believe in managing it with strong meds. She is holding off on an official diagnosis until we rule out other causes. She currently has me taking fish oil capsules every morning to reduce any possible inflammation. Unfortunately, I went through a very trying time recently (sexual assault) which has triggered my stress, depression, and OCD which all helps to just increase the pain. The fish oil doesn't seem to be working to reduce my discomfort. I have another appt. with the doc in a week and a half. In the meantime I'm trying to just hold on. I've done it for this many years. *sigh*

Anyway, hi all!
Posted 4/25/2009 6:46 PM (GMT 0)
Hi There,

I am so sorry for what all you have been through. And stress like that can put us into what is called a flare. It is when you are in severe pain and discomfort for a period of time. So hopefully as you take care of the ptsd and get through the symptoms from the attack, you will be feeling better with your fibro. It does sound like that is what you have.

We have a wonderful thread called fibro101. You might want to check that out and get some peace of mind from answers to some of your questions.

I hope that you are having a good day. Keep posting as we are here for you.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 4/25/2009 7:08 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Girl, and welcome!  I'm so glad you found us and joined in.  Fibromyalgia can cause pain like that and some other "goodies" too.  It's a difficult illness to understand...the doctors don't understand it either.  So, we just keep trying things and see what works for us.  What works for one might not work for another.

 

I see Karen directed you to the Fibro 101 thread...the second thread on the forum.  There are links to good info about fibro there including symptoms, some exercises, and a link to What Else Could It Be.  Fibromyalgia has some of the same symptoms of other illnesses so a good doctor will run tests to rule out the other problems before the diagnosis of fibromyalgia is given. 

 

Be sure that the doctor you use does believe that fibromyalgia exists.  There are some doctors that consider it a "catch-all" illnesses or they think it's all in our heads.  Yeah, right!  So you want a doctor that believes and will listen to you.  Many use a rheumatologist for their fibro.  I use a board certified Internist.  Once you get a diagnosis then you should be given some help to help you control the pain. 

 

Read back posts and ask questions.  We are here to help you  I hope to hear more from you soon.

 

Sherrine

Posted 4/25/2009 9:07 PM (GMT 0)
hi there,
i am new too and i feel your pain i got diagnosed on Tuesday last! Oh and i so understand what its like everything is falling into place for me last year i was hospitalised for 2 weeks in March they done every type of invasive testing frightening me that either i was having mini strokes or MS at the end they couldn't confirm or deny any results but decided to go with Migraine but treating me with a form of Aspirin to thin the blood incase it was strokes and they show up for six weeks after the last episode i had going into hospital i could hardly use my left side kept having lost vision, pains, weakness, i was like a zomby i could hardly look after my 2 children i of them being 4months at the time. Anyway i went back after 6 weeks crying saying it can't be migraine it must have been a stroke and they said no migraine. I had to accept to stay on Aspirin but when this was all going on we had already planned to move to France so i had to go ahead with the move once i got to France i went to a nurologist he done another MRI and said it was clear i tried to get my files for weeks from the hospital in Ireland impossible then i started to feel better as he put me on another type of aspirin so basically i never went back to the nurologist and just kept taking the aspirin. Anyway i cut down on the aspirin in March actually i stopped taking it bold me and on the 1st of April i noticed i became very poorly and decided to go the doc, she sent me for tests and then to the nurologist he was able to this time diagnose it - it was such a relief when i heard it because for so long i just felt am i going mad because when doctors make you feel like nothing is wrong with you and just deal with it you start to wonder!
What i wanted to ask people on the forum aswell was does anyone else take the likes of Aspirin my one is Kardegic and do they think this helps or hides fybro???
I am on Lyrica since Tuesday i have to say the pains have eased so much i am afraid to say they are gone but they seem to be at the moment, but i am taking it very easy i am still very weak, the memory loss,forgetfulness is terrible too, i am sleeping better though - its a start i have also taken an appointment to see a physcologist even though i am happy and not depressed i believe after reading up on fybro that mine probably comes from a traumatic event 9 years ago that i never got help from and relives me everyday.The funny thing is when i rang for the appointment the physcologist told me that she had just been to a conference about fybro.
Hope you get sorted soon and get some relief...
As they say in french Bon courage
Posted 4/25/2009 11:37 PM (GMT 0)
I'm soo sorry honey hang in there -
Posted 4/27/2009 2:32 AM (GMT 0)
God bless you, you have been through a real lot. I'm kind of new here myself,found this site w/ great,compassionate people just last month. No official dx. for me yet either. Too many other issues,Rheumatoid arthritis, recovering alcoholic and other stuff. It was when I was in rehab.last year that I woke up w/ severe back pain that made me feel like the wind was knocked out of me and there are other adjectives I could use to describe it ! They gave me motrin,tylenol,hot/cold packs,physical therapy and an antidepressant. It was out of their primary area of concern to pursue it. But I have had some lesser episodes since then. When I look back over the course of the years,there have been other events of pain from no obvious reason,also fatigue,migraines,asthma,bladder problems, dry eye and mouth. It's so weird ! And when you add menopause to the equation how fun is that to have night sweating ,day hot flashes and poor sleep quality. Boy o Boy !! .... shocked I have an MD. appointment tom. morning. And It has taken me 2 hours to struggle to type this combined w watching the swine flu updates !! Hope you feel cared about.... :-)
Posted 4/27/2009 3:04 AM (GMT 0)
Yes do hang on. There is a medical provider out there that will work with you on your illness.

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