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What's this cracking and swelling? Confused

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Fibromyalgia
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Posted 9/4/2016 9:21 AM (GMT 0)
I guess i'm going through a flare up which could be due to some stressed i've faced. my hands are aching, both of them.and i feels some swelling on the arms, just above the wrists. i googled about it and the results were quite confusing. some sources seem to suggest that swelling is one of the normal things in fibro. i saw a detailed articled about it which also explained that such swelling is more of an edema. then there were sources where people were saying that swelling cannot be fibro related. it's really confusing.
also i have these cracking sounds coming from my arms and legs, and i'm scared because my mom had these when she was diagnosed with arthritis. so i'm panicking. again on the internet some people seem to be complaining about cracking with fibromyalgia and other suggesting that cracking can't happen just due to fibro. life is so sadistic sometimes.
Posted 9/4/2016 1:34 PM (GMT 0)
We can get the cracking sounds but I haven't heard of the swelling. I don't know how that could be caused from fibro since fibro isn't an inflammatory illness. Since you have anxiety over this, you might "think" you feel swelling. Anxiety can do this.

You have mentioned your fear of arthritis. Why don't you get checked for arthritis and let the doctor know of the family history. It's best to face any illness head on so you can get help to keep it under control. This would help your anxiety. You have fear of the unknown so do get checked for arthritis.

Sherrine
Posted 9/4/2016 4:36 PM (GMT 0)
I can get swelling at times.. One area was from an old injury..but others just seem to come and go.. My stomach even swells at times with a flare...

We can have so many symptoms and many have different things wrong other than the fibro.

Its best not to let it all freak you out. A simple blood test would show inflammation if its regular arthritis. My therapist says our in flamation is at the nerve level. So its there but does not show in bloodwork.

Lj
Posted 9/5/2016 2:28 PM (GMT 0)
Voice, here is a list of symptoms that people generally have if they have fibro. This list is from the Mayo Clinic.

Fibromyalgia
Also called: fibrositis
about
SYMPTOMS
TREATMENTS
Requires a medical diagnosis
Widespread muscle pain and tenderness are the most common symptoms.
People may experience:
Pain areas: in the muscles, abdomen, back, or neck
Pain types: can be chronic, diffuse, sharp, or severe
Pain circumstances: can occur at night
Gastrointestinal: constipation, nausea, or passing excessive amounts of gas
Whole body: fatigue, feeling tired, or malaise
Muscular: muscle tenderness, delayed onset muscle soreness, or muscle spasms
Sensory: pins and needles, sensitivity to cold, or sensitivity to pain
Mood: anxiety, mood swings, or nervousness
Cognitive: forgetfulness or lack of concentration
Hand: sensation of coldness or tingling
Also common: acute episodes, depression, difficulty falling asleep, headache, irritability, joint stiffness, painful menstruation, or tingling feet
Consult a doctor for medical advice
Sources: Mayo Clinic and others.

There is no mention of swelling as a regular symptom. Swelling is generally caused by inflammation and fibro isn't an inflammatory illness. Another cause is eating too much sodium. If I do that, I get noticeable puffiness in my hands, feet, and ankles. It's gone the next day. I have had swelling in one wrist and the joint was red, tender to the touch and warm to the touch. I couldn't move my thumb to hold a pen, etc. That was Arthritis caused from my Crohn's disease.

The thread Rockon pulled up is five years old. I forgot about it. I've been moderating this forum for eleven years and don't hear complaints about swelling...at least not often. It's so easy to blame fibro for anything you don't understand that you have.

In your case, if I am recalling correctly, you have not been diagnosed with fibro and are frightened that you might have arthritis. I have some arthritis from Crohn's disease and have it totally under control. You should see a board certified rheumatologist and be thoroughly checked out so you know exactly what is going on with you and get help if needed. Fear is disabling and causes anxiety. That's a horrible mess. I went through that and was able to kick anxiety to the curb...mainly after reading the scripture I have in my signature. Your anxiety levels will go down once you get thoroughly checked out and know what you are dealing with. You shouldn't turn to Dr. Google with undiagnosed problems. There is much more inaccurate information than accurate on the Internet.

If you have a symptom and you think it might be caused by something, sure as shooting you can find a site on the Internet that claims it. That's not good enough. You NEED to see a good doctor to know for sure. If inflammation comes up in the blood work, this could be arthritis but only your doctor can tell you that. And a good doctor will know exactly what to do to help relieve your symptoms. We do have good arthritis forums on HealingWell too, if it turns out you do have arthritis.

Let us know what you find out because we do care about you.

Sherrine
Posted 9/21/2016 3:31 PM (GMT 0)
Tiger,
I know I certainly appreciate you input and hope that you stick around. I as well have many less common symptoms associated with fibro like systemic inflammation, and will continue to discuss what I experience so that those like us don't feel so alone.
Posted 9/21/2016 6:20 PM (GMT 0)
"Fibromyalgia is not a form of arthritis (joint disease). It does not cause inflammation or damage to joints, muscles or other tissues. However, because fibromyalgia can cause chronic pain and fatigue similar to arthritis, some people may think of it as a rheumatic condition."

Fibromyalgia - American College of Rheumatology
American College of Rheumatology ›

Please note that the above quote is from the American College of Rheumatology. We have many members diagnosed with fibro with absolutely no inflammatory markers. But many of us have inflammation caused by other problems. I am a great example of this. I have four illnesses that are inflammatory so I deal with the inflammation...ankylosing spondylitis, diabetes, Crohn's disease, and auto-immune inner ear disease. Fibromyalgia is not one of them.

The next two quotes are from the University of Maryland Medical Center.
"For relief of mild pain, acetaminophen is most often recommended. Anti-inflammatory drugs, which are commonly used for arthritic conditions, are less useful for the pain of fibromyalgia, because the pain is not caused by muscle or joint inflammation."

"The pain in fibromyalgia, however, does not appear to be due to autoimmune factors, and there is little evidence to support a role for an inflammatory response in fibromyalgia."

So, according to these good sites, if you are having swelling, pain, with heat which shows inflammation, you should be looking for a different cause. It's too easy to blame fibromyalgia for all our symptoms.

Sherrine
Posted 9/21/2016 11:03 PM (GMT 0)
*enh* Tiger, I am sorry to hear you are so upset about this. I understand it can be odd being relatively new to a discussion board--and all members are indeed welcome. I would ask to put aside your belief that you were being reprimanded for a moment. I am sure you realize most discussion boards have ground rules, both formal and informal. These are to prevent meanness and keep the focus on fibromyalgia, a condition most here either identify with as being diagnosed, or suspect a diagnosis.

Sherrine's explanation back on the food thread is accurate--there was a huge blow-up, with factions and much internet meanness, very little support or kindness, all due to diet and food choices. It started small, with an innocuous discussion of gluten and sugars. Soon, it was all anyone wanted to talk about, and virtual punches were being thrown on every thread. The end result was several posters blamed others for causing their own pain due to their food choice, all based on anecdotal evidence, or that of dubious medical sources like Mercola. Nice, hunh?

There are two sides to this fibro problem-right? The presence of a symptom and whether the symptom is or is not linked to a condition. I see both sides, truly. One one hand-Correlation does not imply causation. On the other--there is little known about the condition, its causes, and the connections with others issues.

Most accepted science up to now points to a nervous system problem being the cause. New studies are being done about the gut-and how colon health may,or may not, be connected to our body's health.

The other issue at hand, making this condition a particularly devilish one, is the individuality of the symptoms based on each sufferer. All we can do is make observations based on symptoms, and what seems to have an impact on making them better or worse. Age, gender, socio-economic level, environment, family/support system, location, access to a medical system, exercise patterns, sleep patterns, AND other medical conditions all impact and mold our experience of fibro.

Many of us twofers and triple threats (those with multiple diagnoses), as well as those who have been managing the condition for some time, want to help others and support others as best we can. None of use are medical professionals. We are lay-people trying to share knowledge gained from personal experience.

*stepping off box, dusting it, and sliding it under desk*

Be well, all
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