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Posted 2/4/2014 5:26 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone,

So I am obviously new here, I have been reading the posts for the last day or so, for example fibro 101. I have been dealing with chronic pain for the last 5 or 6 years. I am only 27 years old, so whenever I would tell friends or family about this issue they would scoff and say, "Ha, you are way too young to have pain like this!" and now for about the last year, every month, I get flu like symptoms (swollen lymph notes, body aches, fever, chills, teeth hurt...) at least 4 times a month. I stopped telling people I was sick again for the 4th time this month because this is what I would hear, "Oh my gosh! How can a 27 year old be so sick?!" "You complain too much" "Well loose some weight!" "You need to start taking vitamins and eating better!" So I typically will suffer in silence, alone. I can't sleep because my whole body goes numb, my hands and feet swell and hurt (I have carpel tunnel and planter fasciitis), my eyes get blurry, my whole body just HURTS! I am so tired every day... I am tired in the morning, exhausted in the mid afternoon and so dead tired by the time I get out of work. I have tried working out to help make me feel better, but it actually makes it worse, I get nauseous and very dizzy. On Saturday I went to the urgent care because I was feeling flu-like for the 3rd time this month, and the doctor was listening to all my symptoms and suddenly blurted out, "Have you ever been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia?" I was shocked... I had heard of it before, but never put two and two together. She then said that I needed to make an appointment with my primary care doctor to follow up and get more tests done to rule out lupus, MS and Lyme's disease..... WTH?!!?!? I am very scared! Please help. Any advice would be wonderful. Thanks everyone.

Posted 2/4/2014 5:46 AM (GMT 0)
((((((((Gentle hug))))))))

Take a breath......
As a person with fibro and lupus I can quell some of your fears.
Good new fibro is not a killer, it's just your body's nervous system reading signals wrong.
Lupus is not a death sentence either. Both just require you to slow down and take better care of yourself.
Please make sure you talk to your doctor about the testing the ER mentioned. If he refuses then tell him you want a referral to see a rheumatologist. If he refuses that find a new doctor. Your symptoms do sound like my lupus symptoms though. :-(

To find out more about the symptoms of lupus go to lupus.org website. You're also welcomed to email me privately by clicking on the little envelope under my name.
Posted 2/4/2014 6:23 AM (GMT 0)
Hello, Lass. I'm sorry you have to be here, but glad you found this site. It's a good one. We do care about eachother, and we're here to help.

I'm actually amazed that an ER doctor would have the wisdom to suggest Fibro and direct you to your PC to check everything out! (In my experience, they haven't been the greatest in that area...)

Hope to hear more from you ~ good luck with your doctor!  :-)


Debbie

Posted 2/4/2014 7:50 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome charming! I am sorry your having chronic pain, but I am glad you found this fibro forum. I hope we can lead you in the right direction. Many of your symptoms can fall under fibro, but if search around too much it could fall under many other diagnoses too. Fibro has similiar symptoms as many other auto immune diseases. The best thing you can do is call around and find a board certified rheumatologist who works with fibro patients. Some of the Dr's are still in the old books and doesn't recognized fibro. Some of the rheumatologist reguire a referral in order to see them. They will examine you and do lots of blood work. Many of your test might come back normal. That is one characteristic of fibro, everything almost comes back normal. It can be frustrating, especially when your having so much pain.

If you do get the diagnoses, please remember you can have a good life with it. It's all about learning how to manage it and coping with it. The ones that get diagnosed in these years are better off then we were in years ago. You can educate yourself with many books, forums and support groups. It does take some adjustment in your life style to manage fibro better.

Try not to stress too much until you get checked out. The stress just makes your health worse. Please feel free to ask more questions. Let us know how things are going. Your not alone in your pain anymore. We do understand where your coming from.
Posted 2/4/2014 1:48 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome, Charming! I know this is a frightening time for you but you will be fine. We do share many of the same symptoms as other illnesses but there is no good test for fibro. That's why we have to go through testing for other illnesses to rule them out. Our test results usually come back "normal". So, that ER doctor gave you some excellent advice. You could see a good, board certified rheumatologist who treats fibro patients, too. Do ask before making an appointment since there are still some doctors in the Dark Ages when it comes to this illness.

I use ibuprofen with food, Tylenol, magnesium malate, vitamin D3, and a prescription muscle relaxer, Robaxin, to help me be in control of my pain and fatigue. I also exercise but we do need to do gentle exercises. I walk and/or swim for my daily exercise. Yoga is another good one to use. I also pace myself when doing things and that helps a lot, too.

Yes, you are not too young to have fibro. We had a mod here a few years ago who had it since she was a toddler. She thought everyone felt this way!

I had plantar faciitis about twenty years ago and switched to Birkenstock shoes and that took care of the problem. They have to be the ugliest shoes on the planet but walking without pain made it all worthwhile. It did take about six months of wearing them to get rid of all the pain I was having. Try googling "Birkenstock plantar faciitis" and you will see what I'm talking about.

You will be fine. You just need to find what helps you control the pain. It's a trial and error process since what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. But once you find what helps you, you can have a full and enjoyable life in spite of this illness. I know I have!

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
Posted 2/4/2014 3:25 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you all so much for your support. It really means a lot to have people who completely understand and do not judge. I called my doctor yesterday and made an appointment, the earliest they could get me in is on the 21st of this month. I told the receptionist, "There is nothing sooner?" and she stated, "I reviewed the notes from your visit on Saturday and I don't think it will hurt you to wait a couple weeks".... ARE YOU SERIOUS?! I told her, "Umm... really? Because you live in my body and know how much I actually do hurt?" She stated, "Sorry... didn't know you were in pain." People are so ignorant... I have never seen this doctor before (got new insurance in October and still haven't been able to get an appointment with her, hence why I have been going to the urgent care) so I hope that she is nice and that she is not "stuck in the dark ages". Ugh... We shall see. So I don't know if ya'll are interested but last night I sat down and typed up all of my symptoms... Seeing all of them on paper is rather alarming, these are everyday or so....so here they are... My Symptoms Chronic headaches (tension and migraine) Sleep issues (restless leg syndrome and my paid and numbness wakes me up) Dizziness and nausea (It is random but also happens when I work out or do vigorous activity) Memory impairment (Short-term and long-term) Random stabbing pains all over my body (sometimes sharp and deep and sometimes pins and needles. Especially under my ribs or in my heart region) Anxiety Depression Fatigue (tired all day long and absolutely exhausted when I leave work) Muscle twitching Vision problems (Blurred vision) TMJ (My jaw hurts and it’s hard for me to eat) Weight gain (45 pounds in 4 months) Cold/flu symptoms (4 times a month for 9 months) Morning stiffness (hard for me to even get out of bed) Whole body pain (widespread) Carpel tunnel Plantar fasciitis IBS Horrible menstrual cramping Horrible mood swings No sexual interest Nerve pain or damage (just know that it feels like pins, burning, and numbness) Numbness all over my body (been having this for 5 years or so) Sensitive to lights Ringing in my ears Heart palpitations (been having them for at least 6 years now) Frequent vaginal yeast/bacteria infections Swollen limph notes
Posted 2/4/2014 4:30 PM (GMT 0)
Go into Fibro 101...the first thread on the forum...and check out the link called Symptoms. You will see nearly all of your symptoms there.

Sherrine
Posted 2/4/2014 8:59 PM (GMT 0)
Are you taking any OTC pain relievers? That can help, some. I cannot take aspirin/ibuprofen/naproxen, but others can, with great success.

Hot baths are also good.

Keep moving, even a little. A lot of people (myself included) will use a microwavable heating rock or a heating pad.

Valerian Tea can help the body sleep better. Keep a sleep schedule. Do not nap--it's not helpful.

Print out your list, and take to the doctor with you!

Welcome. No reason to be scared. We are all still here!
Posted 2/5/2014 3:11 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you all so much for your support. I appreciate it.
Posted 2/5/2014 5:05 AM (GMT 0)
I just want to add my encouragement. Try to stay positive as you are on your journey. I know it's not easy but it is possible.
Posted 2/5/2014 7:20 AM (GMT 0)
Charming- I would probably say you have a huge chance of it being fibro. Just remember it will take some time to learn how to manage your fibro. Once you can get control of the pain, then some of your other symptoms may improve.

I wrote my symptoms down like you did and I would right down a treatment beside it. I learned many of my treatments from the forum. This way I could see the whole picture.

Look into getting some books on fibro. I bet you will see yourself in it. I learned many things about fibro that my Dr. never shared. You will learn more here believe me on this.

I know my depression came from the pain. I finally seeked mental health therapy for my chronic health issues. I truly believe it made a huge difference in managing my fibro. It's not uncommon for fibromites to see a psychologist.

I do the following for my fibro. Light exercise, eat healthy, limit stress, rest when I can, magnesium, calcium, vitamin D, remron, heat and subutex for pain. The vitamin supplements really make a difference in helping with pain. Just remember we all respond different to meds and treatment.

I am glad you got an appointment. Try to limit your stress. It really will reduce fibro pain.
Posted 2/6/2014 1:44 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you so much Angel!! :-)   I am in a much better place today. My mood has gotten a lot better since Monday. I was a wreck on Monday at work. I think it's just that.... Since obtaining my job I have felt these symptoms more severely. I have been in chronic pain for at least 6 or 7 years now (ever since I stopped using hardcore drugs. I will be clean for 7 years on May 21st this year). But since obtaining this full time job as a substance abuse counselor in July, I am always in pain, tired and just all the symptoms that I listed above. I am WAY stressed out. I know that being a substance abuse counselor and having to listen to my clients takes a toll on me, because I am co-dependent like that, but I feel a lot of it has to do with the center that I work for. It is very fast paced and busy. I am the lead counselor and I am the only one who gets 40 hours a week and has a caseload of 30-40 clients at any given time. Not only that, but I work every other Saturday doing my old job (dog groomer). Being a dog groomer I believe is what started all the pain in the first place. That is what caused my horrible carpel tunnel (which by the way is killing me today... oh and I had surgery on my right hand 2 years ago for the carpel tunnel, and it came back with a vengeance) and it also caused my plantar fasciitis. Oh almost forgot... and I am going to school one night a week at University of Phoenix for my Bachelors Degree in Human Services. So.... needless to say.... I am one busy/stressed out chick. I know I need to slow down... but I really don't have any options at this point. I cannot cut down at my hours at work because I have a big caseload and need the time to be there for them and to document in their charts, and I was working EVERY Saturday as a groomer but I told my boss I needed to do every other weekend because of my health issues, and really the only reason why I am staying there is because I need the extra money to not only survive but to pay off my massive student loans. UGH!!!! Sorry, feel like I am rambling. But ya... I know I will get through this. I am putting positive vibes out into the universe. turn
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