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Foot and heel pain as first symptom? Make sense?

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Fibromyalgia
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Posted 3/1/2011 2:20 AM (GMT 0)

Hello All: Well, I got my diagnosis last week. And now I am here. Here is my short story. I had chronic heel pain and achilles tendon pain for a year...first in one foot, than the other. I tried to ignore it, but I run, so it was hard. I finally went to a doctor, he gave me some ibuprofen, and it worked pretty well for about six months. Then, after six months, it came back. Except this time I had pain everywhere...shoulders, neck, hips, lower back, knees, wrists, elbows, and sometimes elsewhere too. Lots of tests later, the doctor said it was almost certainly not arthritis, and then said "fibromyalgia." My big question for all you out there is this: Anyone get started down this long, ugly road with foot or heel or achilles pain? Did it progress like mine? A small part of me thinks it might be something more awful...like spondylitis or psoariatic arthritis, or even RA. But the blood tests are always normal, there has never been any swelling, no redness, little stiffness, just pain. This, along with some blurry vision, fatigue, and some other stuff made the doctor say "fibromyalgia." What do you all think? And thanks for reading this!!!

Posted 3/1/2011 3:04 AM (GMT 0)
Hi FibroProf. Welcome to the family.

I have had FMS all my life, but I wasn't dx w/ it till almost 5 yrs ago. I had that heel pain for about 5 months back in '05. It was horrible, couldn't find a place to put my foot that did not hurt. Walking, standing, sitting, laying down, no position was comfortable. I happened to read something in my paper one morning. We have a column from a pharmacist each wk, he had someone write in that had the foot pain. The recommendation was to stop eating bananas. The person had stopped eating them and the pain went away.

I thought that was weird. I had a banana each day and I loved them, but I tried it. Gave them up and w/i 48 hrs the pain stopped. I was at PT awhile after that and another woman had the problem. I mentioned that to her, the therapist thought it was weird, but it couldn't hurt.

I also changed the type of sneaker I wear since then. I have a shooting pain now & again, but thank GOD, I've never had that severe pain since then.

It may be as simple as something your eating - or not eating.

I have the pain top to bottom, and I also have OA. I do have swelling, lots of stiffness. Lots of pain and fatigue. I have Fibro. AND other fun stuff. LOL

Check out Fibro 101. One of the top posts, there is so much info. I still reread it. Very helpful.

Hope you have a good day today.

God bless.  Alice.

Posted 3/1/2011 3:34 AM (GMT 0)
Sounds like gout to me... shocked
Posted 3/1/2011 5:33 AM (GMT 0)
Hi FibroProf!

And welcome to the Fibro Family! My fibro didn't start with foot pain but your story does fit in with how fibro seems to start. There hasn't been definitive studies about how and where our pain comes from but most of the current research feels it from the central nervous system. Also, there is some propensity for fibro to run in families. That said, most people can remember some 'episode' or insult to their body or system and soon after the fibro pain started. It's also very common for a diagnosis to take several years. Since there is no test FOR fibro, the doctor has to rule out as many other things as possible.

In my opinion, if your doctor has run the regular tests to eliminate other diseases/disorders then you can be pretty sure he's got it figured out. It's a tough diagnosis to make since the doctor doesn't want to take a chance on missing something else that might be going on. Most of us also have some other disorder to deal with like IBS, chronic fatigue, vision problems, along with a host of other miseries.

I would highly doubt it's gout. My husband has had that for several years and so did my father. Gout is in the arthritis family. Here's a description from the NIH...

Gout is caused by having higher-than-normal levels of uric acid in your body. Your body may make too much uric acid, or have a hard time getting rid of uric acid. If too much uric acid builds up in the fluid around the joints (synovial fluid), uric acid crystals form. These crystals cause the joint to swell up and become inflamed.

Fibro isn't known for swelling, red tender joints or only relegated to the foot, ankle or knee.

I hope you find some answers that make your life a bit better. We're in this together so let's do the best we can to hold each other UP! smilewinkgrin

Hugs,
Chutz
Posted 3/2/2011 4:11 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Fibroprof and welcome to the board I'm a newbie here myself being recently diagnosed and I have the achilles tendon problem 2... sometimes sooo severe to the point where i cant walk for 2/3 days both ankles together sometimes or alternating. The worst was 2 yrs ago before i was told i had fibro i was in vegas and couldnt walk.. i had to stop everywhere and just rest and the worst part our room was in the back of the hotel... i wanted to sleep on a curb the pain was so horrible you cant lift your foot or anything without the shooting stabbing like someones cutting your leg open. I also had the ibs really bad too during then. the thing is i didnt take pain meds with me. i felt fine but when it started raining my body starting falling apart w the ibs tendonitis and arthritis symptoms. I have had tendonitis in my right wrist and shoulder as well. My initial injury started with a back injury years ago though not the tendons. I did go to the hospital when i came back they gave me a toradol shot tylenol 3s and naproxyn. I can only take pills when absolutely necessary more than likely i will puke them up anyway.. i get bad nausea and vomiting w migraines for some reason now. never had it this bad before its happened for the last 4 months.
Im a 36 yr old 105lb non smoker non drinker mom of 3...used to be an athlete so the high blood pressure thing and bad knees etc are things that arent really normal for someone of my age n stature the doc says. I also get the shooting radiating sharp burning-like pain across my feet mostly my right one it goes kind of across diagonally towards the toes outward it sometimes lasts a minute to an hour the doctors still havent told me what that is yet... im still trying to pronounce fibromyalgia without getting tounge twisted. thats fun too when your friends think you sound like a total idiot lol
Sometimes certain symptoms are worse than others im not sure if youve expd that yet. like the muscles will go crazy and joints together.. the tendons later like next week.. my hands are always stiff and sore in the mornings but later my hips start spasming and i get the shooting pains like sciatica and have to watch when i walk. then nightime comes the rls anxiousness. Currently im not taking any meds at all even tylenols are upetting my somach so i have to take a break and grin and bear it.
Posted 3/9/2011 4:32 AM (GMT 0)
My fibro started with right foot pain.  I started with some numbing tingling feeling in my big toe and then the ball of my foot, then the spasms became worst.  I saw a foot dr monthly for a year and he tried all kinds of treatments - meds, injections, stockings, braces, custom orthotics - nothing helped.  Then I was diagnosed with fibro because of all over-pain but my most aggravating pain is my foot.  Now I am getting ready to have an epidural steroid injection in my spine for spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal) because that is believed to be the reason for my foot numbness.  I sure hope it works.  I know a lady with the same exact symptoms as mine and she had her injection in November and she said she has instant relief in her foot numbness and pain and is so glad she took the injection.  Wishing you the best.
Posted 3/9/2011 6:22 AM (GMT 0)
Hi again~

I've never heard of this type of injection but I sure do hope you are another success story! That type of pinpoint pain would drive me nutso, like fibro doesn't, but I' hopeful that you will be find afterwords.

Will say a prayer for you tonight asking for relief and quick healing.
Chutz
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