Is this still "just" Fibro? (long)

I'm 65. My life has been filled with funky physical happenings. My joints/muscles/tendons seemed to flare up in my teens. Perimenopause was hell for me......migraines, fatigue, pain, insanity, etc.
I was told I needed surgery on my fingers and knees (replacements), but I have chosen to not go that route.

I have been to podiatrists for years, but they can't seem to help anymore, so I've learned to fashion my own orthotics. I've figured out what kind of exercises help with my painful knee. I've gone to so many doctors in the past, spent so much money and haven't made much progress with any of them. Plus, I have a social anxiety/doc phobia which doesn't help. I do have an internal medicine doctor whom I trust, but still find it hard to go see him.

Okay.......so I limp through the days with pain. We have a large property and I've tried to keep up with vegetable gardens, a couple small water gardens and weeding, taking care of chickens, preserving food from the garden, cooking good meals, etc., etc., etc.

A couple months ago, my legs and arms began to tingle a lot. I started taking B12 tabs a couple times a day. I do take calcium/magnesium/ D3 routinely too. I have TMJ, for which I wear an oral mouth thing at night. I use cpap every night for a sleep disorder.

Last Saturday, I was out fertilizing my water plants, when the area between my bad knee and ankle began hurting so bad I could hardly stand it. Then I felt that my brain went somewhere else..........like in a different dimension. This may have been like a panic attack from all the pain and thinking something worse (once again)
was happening. Since then, I have had intense pains/jabs/stabs/aches migrating all around my body.........
thighs/hips/hands/feet.......everywhere. Last evening, all of a sudden my left wrist started hurting so bad I could barely use it, and it still hurts.
I'm using ice and/or heat. I'm wrapping my knee and lower leg with an ace....which helps with walking.
But I'm really concerned with all these intense migrating pains. Is it possible that my knee got worse and it is flaring my FMS? I've had FMS for a long time, but have never had such pain. I can't take NSAIDS, so I ration out tylenol so I don't kill my liver.

All this has sent me into a deep depression. I'm stuck between a rock and an another rock. I have a real angst about going to another doctor again. I've had tests for years, and they are ALWAYS normal. (except for needing my appendix out last summer). Everything is always normal. I've been to a rheumatologist and he said I have erosive arthritis. Nothing to do except be on those horrible meds that could give you leukemia or cancer.

Is my mind, once again, playing tricks on me? I don't have a fever or any swelling. Just pain, pain, pain.
All day long, a new pain pops up. I feel like I really try to power through things, but this has really gotten the best of me. Being a retired RN, I'm always trying to figure things out for myself. I think my female hormones are still causing problems too. I would always go a little crazy with hormone fluctuations. I haven't had a period in 10 years.........but my FSH level is at the bottom level of what's considered menopause. I had 4 migraine auras in July........which is a lot for me, so i'm thinking my danged hormones are still screwing me over......and could possibly be causing these pains.

I'm sorry to whine so much. You people are about the only ones who understand this stuff..........this crazy, crazy, stuff.
I know some of you will say I need to see the doc, but I just can't right now........so maybe you can come up with some other ideas? I also wonder about some disease from mosquitoes, since I've been bitten a ton this summer, or Lupus, M.S., Polymyalgia Rheumatica, etc., etc. But my inflammation tests are always normal. I don't have any weakness, and my energy has been good.

We're just always trying to make sense of this, aren't we?
Thanks for listening.

Cathy, you sound so anxious about everything. I would really see my doctor if I was like this.

That being said, I get horrible traveling pains sometimes. I have realized this happens when I don't stretch. I have to stretch after doing anything active because my muscles tighten up so bad. Sometimes I have to soak in a very warm bath first.

I know this sounds simple but it would be worth a try. You sound like you are very active. I use to can vegetables and all the scrubbing and cutting made my arms and hands/wrists hurt for days.

Good luck.

Thanks everyone.
You all have good things to say.
Yes, I will probably give myself a time limit to feel better, then force myself to go see my doc. So many times I thought something was horribly wrong, and it seemed like the day I would finally go see the doc (or the dentist), the pain would disappear. So.......I will give it a little time. And when I said I can't do it now, yes it was because of the anxiety. :(

Yes, I am a very anxious person. I think I always have been. I'm on a little bit of sertraline and a little Toprol (to calm down my hyperactive sympathetic system). I'm going to go up a little on my sertraline (zoloft), but I can't tolerate much more, as it gives me horrible diarrhea. It might be time to change the SSRI, since I've been on this for about 7 years now.

My fingers are bent from arthritis. The rheumatologist said there wasn't much to do for them, except to go on some hard-core med.

Hmmm.....about the fertilizing my water plants. I did get a lot of the fertilizer on my hands (dry), while trying to get it into a lotus bog........but I think the worst part was having to lean over and walk around on uneven yard, and it being so very hot out.

I am also considering my hormones causing this. Ever since perimenopause, when they act up, I freak out over physical things. Sometimes, I'd just like to be someone else for awhile.........somebody who's "normal". ;)
Thanks for your input. I appreciate it.

And btw, I think this MCS, mold stuff is mast cell related.

Good. I usually find that if I set my worry aside for a few weeks, things work themselves out.

Remember-noticing a pain/new symptoms and having those be a big problem are different things. Chances are, if it is something new, it's not that bad as of the moment. It's easy to blow things up into something bigger than they are when there are chronic conditions in play. The majority of the time--it's just some new, no big deal, stuff.

You might want to talk to doc about new ADs. There are some new ones, that are generally more effective. Also, many people benefit from using two different ADs, by having another added to the mix. If you are into limiting medications, that's cool. But fear of possible side effects is not useful for you, or for anyone. It's almost like an excuse for inaction. Yes, trying new medications is always a drag. But there is a fair-middling chance that things could improve, and for me it's worth the effort.

Again, YOU are worth it! We all are!

I wouldn't suggest taking two antidepressants together because there is a chance of serotonin syndrome that way.

Sherrine

http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/combination-therapies

Sherrine,you might want to check some of the new research on anti-depressants. Some doctors now are finding better results on a combination therapy for depression and anxiety. This doesn't mean you can pair two different drugs willy-nilly, but a balance can immensely improve symptoms.

Thanks Sherrine....I'll check that out.

I've been thinking about the idea of maybe my sertraline just quit working. It would probably be like suddenly stopping an SSRI you've been on for years.....which can be very painful and make you crazy. I'm almost hoping that's what it is, rather than my entire body just going kaput.

I agree with the serotonin syndrome thing; been on two SSRIs for a year and have felt sick for a year. I couldnt figure out what was wrong until I looked at the drug interactions. They were major. Now I am on a journey to find another Doctor and get off these meds. The best thing for pain is healthy eating, rest, and exercise. So sad most doctors never think twice about putting someone on two antidepressants.