Do you have Fibromyalgia?

Is this something you have been suffering for quite sometime. Any headaches. numbness or tingling in the extremities. Problems swallowing. Loss of voice. The reason I ask this is that several times people are diagnosed with Fibromyagia and I really is not the case. There is another diagnosis that usually goes undetected due to the fact that in order to find it you have to have an MRI done. The disorder is actually a birth defect called Arnold Chiari malformation Or Chiari malformation. 3 of my children and my wife all have this disorder and the symptom are VERY similar to Fibromyagia. It is also sometimes complicated with another condition known as Syringomyelia. (Long name I know) This is a build of spinal fluid trapped in the spinal cord. If this is the case it is nessesary to keep a close eye on it. My wife and youngest daughter both have that. Because theirs got so bad they both had to have a surgery to correct the chiari. 2 wonderful site to find more information on these disorders is as follows asap.org and conquerchiari.org.

Fibromyalgia is syndrome of chronic pain. It wasn't accepted as a major cause of disability by the AMA until 1987 even though it has been documented as early as ancient Greece and probably earlier. It doesn't show up in blood tests or xrays. I had symptoms years before I got an accurate diagnosis. There are certain times the pain is worse. I haven't been getting enough sleep and I am in more pain right now. It is not really something someone comes down with because it's not contagious. There are many different theories on why some people have it etc. I am taking a new medicine called Lyrica that has been approved and marketed for treatment of Fibromyalgia.

Hi! I do have fibromyalgia. It took my about 5 years to get a diagnosis. They ran tests for every imaginable disease trying to rule things out. I felt like a pin cushion! My fibro started with a lot of headaches and pain in my lower legs. It wasn't joint pain and it wasn't strained muscles...it was a really strange almost deep bone type pain. It spread to my arms and then my neck and back. At the same time, I was having migraines and stress headaches 4 or 5 times a week. Then, as it progressed, I started feeling completely exhausted all the time. I would get up in the morning and want to just go back to bed. It has been a fight to just go to work each day...and I have to do that. I gave up just about everything in my life except work and church. I stopped going out with friends, travelling is horrible, I just sleep, get up, go to work, come home, sleep some more and start over. I have found that the fatigue is the worst part for me. that and the not being able to sleep. I used to joke that I slept in 30 minute naps. Bad thing was, it wasn't a joke, I really did only sleep about 30 minutes at a time and then I would be awake for 30 minutes to an hour and then back to the 30 minute nap. Since being DX'd, things are some better. I take medication for the pain and for insomnia. I also have antidepressants that help some with energy --but not nearly enough! I am still tired 5 days out of 7. I am sorry that you may be going through this...it is a horrible way to live each day.

I developed fibromyalgia while on maternity leave (with a colicky baby) or perhaps while pregnant. I first noticed the aches in my legs when I was pregnant but I just chalked that up to carrying extra weight around, however I didn't have that problem with the first pregnancy. My baby was colicky at night only so I was up all night. Once I got that straightened out I still couldn't sleep at night and found myself sitting at the kitchen table at 4 in the morning crying because I couldn't sleep for the pain in my legs. Unbeknownst to me, my sister-in-law has fibromyalgia. They never EVER mentioned it so I didn't know. She is the one who suspected that is what I had. Because I was expected to return to work soon I needed to find out what was wrong with me so I got a speedy diagnosis. Fibromyalgia consists of a million different symptoms. I am not exaggerating. It is sometimes referred to as the "irritable everything" illness. Irritable bowel, irritable bladder, depression, mood swings, heart palpitations, mytro-valve prolapse, migraines or frequent headaches, pain in various parts of the body (not just one), lack of concentration, clumsiness, ringing in the ears, etc. etc. To know for sure whether you have fibromyalgia you should see a rheumatologist. A lot of bloodwork needs to be taken to rule out other illnesses such as Lupus or MS. A tender point test will be done. If you have at least 11 out of 18 tenderpoints then you probably have fibromyalgia. But you can also have other illnesses along with it. As tired as you are, exercise is important to keep your muscles from atrophying and keep your spirits up. You could be prescribed an anti-depressant even if you don't feel depressed. Some work on other symptoms as well like sleep and pain. And please remember, what works for one person may not work for another. We are all different. It will take a lot of trial and error to find a regimen that works for you. I took 8 anti-depressants until I found one that works for me with little or no side effects. Be pro-active. Learn everything you can, know your limitations, pace yourself and MANAGE your illness, don't let it manage you. Good luck!

There are so many symtpmoms, and not everyone has all of them. The doctor who first diagnosed me was a rheumatologist. That is the kind of specialist who knows a whole lot about it.