PLEASE HELP!

I have been in pain for a while now and I've visited my doctor twice w/ in the last 6 months. She says I don't have enough tender points to have fibromyalgia. I seriously think I have it. The main area that hurts is my chest area specifically around & under my arms. Other places that hurt constantly but not as much is my lower back, my neck, my shoulders, my hips & I get this weird pain in my lower abdomen where it literally will pull so bad that I have to spring back to stretch it out hoping it will stop hurting. It works most of the time but I'll stretch it out and return to a regular position and it'll happen again. I've even heard a weird click when I do it. Besides all this I am so uncomfortable it's a toss & turn night every night. I think I even have made myself insomniac from this.

Besides the point of being a mommy of 4 which is a stressful job all in itself, I'm also a very emotional person so every day life's struggles are harder to me than the norm. I wake up every morning @ 6:30 am to get the kids ready for school and don't go to sleep til' 4 in the morning. Mainly because I wait for my husband to come home because he works a swing shift in a warehouse so his hours vary every day. I find my chest pains a lot stronger when I'm in a very stressful situation which leads me to believe I have these pains regardless it's just stress makes it a lot stronger. That's my opinion.

In any case I think I have fibromyalgia but I don't know what to do. My dr. prescribed me IB profen & muscle relaxers along w/ physical therapy. I haven't done the physical as of yet because again I'm just a busy mom to think about myself. The meds though are doing nothing. What can I do about my pain.

Contact your doctor and explain to him/her that the meds are not providing relief. You could also try using ice in tender areas and gently massaging it. There are stretches to help with pain in that area as well, but I'm not familiar with them.

It might be time for a second opinion?? A rheumatologist perhaps?

Hi Unbearablepain and welcome. Read the fibro 101 thread, first one on first page, it contains lots of great info. First you need to find a doctor that will rule out all the other things it could be listed in the fibro 101 thread. The tender point test is not always reliable. Yeah I was in a full blown flare when my doc did the tender point test and they were all tender plus but if he had done it before the flare they may not have been.

 

It doesn't matter what title a doc has as long as they believe in fibro and are up to date on teatments. What you describe sounds very much like fibro. I have those tender spots under my arms on the sides of my breast and boy do they hurt.

 

The others are right you have got to sleep. It's nice that you wait up for your hubby but sleep is more important to you. I stay on a sleep schedule to bed at 10:00 pm and up around 7:00, it's usually around 11:00 before I go to sleep. Stress and lack of sleep does make the pain worse.

 

Use heat in any form for the pain. I use a little heater beside me in the mornings now that the weather is getting cooler and it feels so good on my muscles when I get up. Some use bed buddies you can buy at drug stores and some use long tube socks filled with uncooked rice with the end tied and put them in the microwave for a few minutes to heat them and use them on the sore muscles. Warm baths and a good showerhead massager feels good also.

 

You will learn a lot on here so stick with us.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Hi, and welcome!  Well, you have gotten the advice to get some rest.  You should put yourself on a sleep schedule.  If you don't, you will be in more pain.

I see you have been directed to the Fibro 101 thread.  You will find some good stretching exercises there that may help.  You will also find a link about costochondritis.  I have that and it can cause chest and rib pain, kind of like what you are describing.  My doctor has me taking ibuprofen with food for that and it does help.

Along with the ibuprofen, I use extra strength Tylenol, malic acid/magnesium supplements, and vitamin D3 to help with pain and fatigue.  There are links in the Fibro 101 thread about the malic acid and vitamin D3.  Many with fibro are deficient in these.

Moist heat really helps with fibro.  Ice doesn't help me one bit.  You can get a Bed Buddy at Walgreen's and other places that gives off moist heat or you can make one by taking a tube sock, filling it 2/3's full of long grain rice and tying a knot at the end.  Pop it in the microwave and it gives off moist heat that feels wonderful on thse muscles.

You do need to keep moving with fibro.  If you sit or lay too much, you will be stiff as a board.  Find a gentle exercise that you can do every day.  I walk.  I also swim.  Both of these are great for fibro and help to keep the muscles flexible.

Marlee is correct in saying that the tender point test isn't always accurate.  I have recently read articles that say that you don't have to have 18 tender points to have fibro.  I know the tender point test isn't accurate with me but I am taking ibuprofen and Tylenol so I don't hurt as much.

Yes, you need to get other illness ruled out.  Fibro symptoms are very similar as other illnesses so you want to have those illnesses ruled out first.

I'm so glad you are here and decided to join in.  Don't hesitate to ask questions because we are here to help you.  I hope to hear more from  you soon.

Sherrine

Hi there,

Age does not matter one bit with fibromyalgia. Once that monster picks you, you're it. We have had members as young as 14 here. So age does not matter.

I totally agree that rest is an important factor here. You have to keep a sleep schedule with fibromyalgia. There is no getting around it and no substitute for rest and sleep.

Gentle stretching and keep moving. That is the only way to go. The bed buddy is a fantastic idea too. I have one and couldn't live without it.

Also distracting yourself from the pain hurts. I started working part time and I notice that on the days I work, I hurt less than my days off. That is because I am too busy to think about the pain. The mind is powerful.

I also take the malic acid and vitamin D3. It really helps, especially with this season and the weather.

I hope that you have a good day. Keep posting and take care of you.

Hugs, Karen

Hi and welcome! I'm glad that you found us and can get some help getting through this.

As the others have pointed out, you need more sleep! I hope you will take this advice to heart?
I also have 4 children and it's hard to go out for therapy, massage, even docs appointments. But do make time if you can. You can go to therapy for a few weeks, learn the exercise techniques, then do them at home. You can always go back to PT if things get worse or you need a quick fix up. I have done that and learned some great exercises for my shoulders, my biggest problem area. Also, I make time to exercise regularly... it is a HUGE help in the amount of pain you get. And no, picking up after kids or playing with them at the park is not the same. I've let that slack these last few weeks with being busy and an injured knee, and it's hard to get back in a routine, but I really need to.

Read the list of symptoms in the fibro 101 thread and see which ones you can relate to. Even bring in this sheet to the doctor. My primary care is done by a nurse practitioner, he thought I may have fibro, but his supervising doctor didn't believe in it (he is since gone, yeah). But to get rid of me, he still sent me to a neuro and a rheumatologist. I didn't have many tender points either when the rheumy first saw me. 6 mths later, I was very sensitive. So now I know for sure what I have, after many blood tests and visits to the doctor.

Good luck to you, and I hope you stay on. you'll get lots of great advice and support here.