Fibromyalga and It's Symptoms
By KrauseHome
@KrauseHome (36445)
United States
May 30, 2011 2:53am CST
I know there are others here that suffer from this horrible painful disease, and I was just wanting to learn a little more from it, and see just how much I relate with what you are going thru. They ruled out Rhumetoid Arthritis for me back like last September, and since then I have been doing a lot of reading and researching, and think my problem stems more from Fibromyalga, but never been completely diagnosed with this yet. My doctor is actually starting to believe me that I think this could be a lot of the problem, but time will tell for sure.
I do know from what I have learned, you hurt all the time, which I do, you can have Bad migraines or headaches, which I do, and tired all the time. Does this include anytime you do a lot of walking? Also with the Chest Pains, is this normal for people with Fibro as well? Are you always swollen when you hurt the worse? I know I am also Diabetic, and have the chronic wounds which does not help, but trying to put more of the pieces of the puzzle together first.
There is a doctor that works with Fibromyalga patients here in the town I live in without using drugs, and I am interested in seeing him, but first want to make sure this is what I have. This a hard thing to face sometimes and so little is really still known. Just know that sooner or later it would be nice to know more so that maybe it can make my life a little more easier to live as well.
~~TINA~~
3 people like this
15 responses
@celticeagle (189838)
• Boise, Idaho
30 May 11
If you also have diabetis then the two could be working against eachother. Some illnesses do trigger fybromyalgia so that could be the reason you are feeling this way along with your diabetis. Here is a link to what I found regarding chest pains and the disease. Hope it helps;
http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_chest_symptoms.html
2 people like this
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
3 Nov 11
Thanks for posting this my friend. I know that they have ruled out all the other things even with having all the pain, and shortness of breath, etc. The doctor I seen was the one who said if the Heart was fine even with the severe chest pain then it was fibromyalga. So when it starts hurting the worst, I just up the dose of the nurontin for a day or two and then just wait it out.
2 people like this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
30 May 11
well I was diagnosed with it in my shoulder the right one yersago and they finally gave me a triggerpoint shot have some trouble still if I do repetition work and my part was work related I just couldnt use my arms didnt have a head acke did swell didnt have chest pains. Think your doc ought to do more test before you think you have it!!!!
You can also think yourself into it
2 people like this
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
28 Oct 11
They have ran a lot of different tests, and I started suspecting this is what I had for months before it was diagnosed, and even though the neurontin does make my BP and sugar levels higher at a higher dose, I take what I tolerate and increase it on the worse days and seem to be doing a lot better. There are vein issues probably in my legs which does not help with the walking, but everything is better most days.
1 person likes this
@cher913 (25781)
• Canada
30 May 11
i pretty much only get the body aches and i am a horrible sleepoer (lately i have been dragging myself around all day but i think its because of my asthma.
i take lyrica for my fibro and it really helps. it seems right now, my fibro has taken a back seat to my asthma (its been a really bad spring for me!) i hope you find relief. i also hope that you will keep us posted.
2 people like this
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
20 Oct 11
Most of the research I have been doing is Via the internet. The interesting thing though is the conflicting things I have read from a Chiropractor who says that most Fibro patients would hurt less if they do more. But in everything I think each person is a little different in what works Best for sure.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51818)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
30 May 11
You're lucky to have access to a doctor who treats fibro patients. A lot of doctors still refer to it as "fake-omyalgia" simply because there is no defining blood test or xray to "prove" the diagnosis. Back in the 1800s, many diseases (gout, for example) were defined solely on the basis of how they presented. If fibro had shown up then, it would have more respect now from the medical establishment.
2 people like this
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
1 Jun 11
Personally I am not sure how much she wants to believe or such, but I think the more symptoms I mention I am experiencing and such, the more research she probably wants to do and find out for herself. She is younger though so that could be a lot of her believing me as well. But I know with being Diabetic and having the problems with the chronic wounds does not help how I feel, etc. as well.
2 people like this
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
28 Oct 11
Well, the medication they were giving me which I think does still give me a lot of problems at the higher dose does seem to help, and when hurting the most I will increase a little does seem to really help most of the time. I just need to learn how to prepare for days like now due to the weather getting cooler how to handle hurting more, and what is Best for me, but other than this, I just try to do the Best that I can and hope for the Best.
1 person likes this
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
30 May 11
Hi Tina. I don't have any swelling or chest pains and have never heard of them being associated with fibromyalgia. (I do have fibro, by the way, a somewhat severe case of it as some days I can barely get out of bed from the pain and exhaustion.) I've also only had one migraine in the 10+ years I've been diagnosed with it so I don't associate the headaches with it.
I think that you should listen to OreoCookie. After reading her comment, it sounds like she knows her stuff. Diabetic Neuropathy sounds like a very likely culprit for your symptoms, much moreso than fibromyalgia. If I were you, I'd be asking my doctor about DN and also MS, as OreoCookie suggested.
Good luck to you. I hope you get a definitive answer soon so treatment can begin. 
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
17 Oct 11
It was a Cardiologist that was the one who confirmed many of his patients have the problems with the Chest muscles who have Fibromyalga and end up having all the problems thinking it was their heart. They have done Bloodwork many times for these other things and they were all ruled out. As for the headaches and Chest pains, when I take the Neurontin these are most of the time pretty much held at bay.
1 person likes this
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
31 May 11
I hope you find out too so you can get it taken care of. I do not know much about Fibromyalgia. I hope you get to feeling better soon though.
@derek_a (10873)
•
30 May 11
It started with me about 25 years ago. I was waking every day in pain from head to foot and felt totally exhausted all the time. My doctor did a blood test and told me that they couldn't find any problem at all. In fact I am not sure that he believed what I was saying. I am a hypnotherapist and one of my clients happened to talk about her symptoms and suggested a specialist doctor to me. I went to see him and after questioning me for over an hour, and giving me a few tests, said I had M.E. (myalgic encephalomyelitis or CFS -chronic fatigue syndrome). It wasn't any thing that could be cured, but I would need to learn to live with it, and control its severity with diet. Apparently people with M.E. can end up being unable to move very well, yet medical science in those early days, didn't even recognise it.
I am controlling it, and think I would have been worse if I hadn't practised daily meditation. I have researched it on-line and read many reports on this condition and it is practically identical to fibromyalgia, so I wouldn't be surprise if another doctor was to tell me I had that. I tend to look after it myself now and rarely visit a doctor. 
_Derek
_Derek1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
1 Jun 11
Well, I know the 2 are really simular, an such. Not sure why I experience problems with Chest pains, etc. and others do not unless this is something different. Just glad I have a doctor willing to work with me as the pain now is something I have been dealing with daily for about 10 months now and somedays way worse than others. Just wish I did not have to hurt so much when I need to walk sometimes.
1 person likes this
@Netsbridge (3253)
• United States
2 Jun 11
There no illness or disease that cannot be cured with proper diet and some form of daily exercise. Go to my profile and follow link to article titled "Think Healthy!!!" for guide to a healthy lifestyle.
@skysuccess (8857)
• Singapore
7 Jun 11
Tina,
I hope that you would have your Fibromyalgia confirmed as I understand there are other illnesses that have similar symptoms.
I know that there are a lot of information we can get from the internet but wisdom would be to obtain diagnosis from relevant experts which may mean warding yourself into a medical facility.
We should let information assist us in better understanding and managing than diagnosing and medicating. So, please be very careful.
P.S.
I am unsure if you have this information from the University of Maryland Medical Center about illnesses that have similar symptoms to Fibromyalgia. Take care.
http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/what_conditions_resemble_fibromyalgia_000076_5.htm
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
31 May 11
I do know that a better quality of sleep, removal of stressors, avoiding things that aggravate it (such as prolonged sitting), stretching and exercise are all things that help me.
I don't have it as badly as some people, but when it first started, I couldn't sit for more than an hour at a stretch without my back muscles getting all knotted up. I never really had the fatigue side of it.
@junrapmian (2169)
• Philippines
31 May 11
At my present age, I am also suffering all the symptoms that youve mentioned except for diabetic part. The chest pains, muscle pains, migraines, light-headedness, arthritis, finger numbness, I have them all. I consulted a cardiologist about the chest pains but all my ECG and 2D-Echo were all normal. I only take pain relievers when I'm in pain and a Vitamin B-complex as supplement. Maybe, these has something to do with my hormonal imbalance since I'm nearing menopausal stage.
@myswirlyagelessmind (379)
• Philippines
31 May 11
I used to have a lot of those pains as well and for a long time I was made to believe that I had Guillain Barre' or ascending paralysis. There was a time when I couldn't even walk, I was confined to a wheelchair most of the time, my joints ached so badly and I had to have a ventilator beside me because I often experienced such difficulty in breathing. I spent a great chunk of my days crying because of the pain and discomfort. When I had my blood tested, it turned out that I was suffering from a very severe case of hyperthyroidism and toxic amounts of thyroid hormones have weakened my nerves. I was then taken to an endocrinologist and she was able to help me with the pain before I was finally made to undergo the RAI(radioactive iodine) treatment...after that, my pains became more bearable. My joints still ache quite often but they're more manageable now. Perhaps you should see an endocrinologist as well, most of them also treat patients with diabetes. Hope you feel better soon.
@lindaharding627 (1442)
• United States
17 Jun 11
Many physical therapists do free assessments for people with fibromyalgia. There are pressure points that are more sensitive to pain and physical therapists can help with diagnosis and treatment. I was diagnosed by physical therapy after being referred for management of chronic pain after a car accident.
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
31 May 11
My legs and hands were swelling and would have a burning pain. I would be in agony at night and didn't have any energy. A doctor gave me medicine for swelling and kept trying three different kinds and that wouldn't take the swelling down. He gave me lots of tests and nothing would show up. Then, he felt that the closest thing he could think of that it could be is chronic fatigue syndrome. I read later on the symptoms of fybromylgia and the symptoms of that sounds more like I have then chronic fatigue syndrom but I don't know for sure.
@changjiangzhibin89 (17239)
• China
30 May 11
It seems to me that you have a mood of pessimism about your disease, which is harmful to your health. You had better see a doctor once again and check you over.The erroneous diagnosis is nothing new.
