fibro or not fibro

had a mention of Fibromyalgia when i was a patient at a pain clinic, prescriptions for Gabapentin and later Amytryptilin neither of them can I take. I left the pain clinic and Fibro has never been mention ed by my GP since but I still have joint swelling , feeling

cold, and peripheral neuropathy down my left side. Am so fed up after suffering for years and still suffering.

[Sorebones]

My advice would be to ask your GP why Fibro was mentioned at the time and is it possible that you suffer from it.

Most of us go through years of various tests and meds etc before a firm diagnosis. So you are not alone 🐸

[skit]

I cannot think swelling is a Fibromyalgia symptom I can relate to. Suggest you ask for rheumi referral and find out what is what. Good luck.

[BlueMermaid3]

Hi there

Unfortunately Fibromyalgia is exceedingly hard to diagnose due to the fact that the symptoms can mimic many other conditions, which have to be eliminated first.

I am with skit here with regard to the joint swelling and can't relate that to Fibro. Fibromyalgia does not cause inflammation on the whole.

I think your best course of action would be to make an appointment to see your GP and ask for a referral to see a Rheumatologist. They are the Consultants who specialise in Fibro, although more recently Neurologists are now diagnosing Fibro too.

That way, hopefully, you would have an answer one way or another.

Many of us on the forum have waited many years to get a definitive diagnosis.

There are other medications that you could try or are you unable to take meds altogether?

Wishing you less pain and more peace

Lu x

Administrator

[TheAuthor]

Hi shopaholic2

I am so genuinely sorry to read this my friend, and I sincerely hope that you can get a diagnosis one way or the other. As the others have intimated, Fibro is not really an inflammatory illness. I have pasted you an excerpt from the *WebMD cache on Fibromyalgia:

*Will my Doctor Test for Inflammatory Arthritis?

Doctors who diagnose fibromyalgia usually test the red blood cell sedimentation rate. This test provides a rough index of inflammation in the body. In rheumatoid and other similar types of arthritis, this test is abnormal. It can also be abnormal with some infections. In cases of osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia, however, it is usually normal.

Your doctor might test for rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP antibodies. These blood tests together can help diagnose between 50% and 80% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

However, Polymyalgia is an inflammatory illness. I have pasted for you below an excerpt from the *HealthLine website:

*Polymyalgia rheumatica is an inflammatory disorder that causes muscle pain and stiffness in various parts of the body. It most commonly affects the: shoulders. neck.

It may be beneficial to discuss both Fibromyalgia and Polymyalgia with your doctor when you see them again? I want to sincerely wish you all the best of luck, and please take care of yourself.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken