Does anyone think hypothyroidism, depression, IBS and restless legs are linked in any way to fibromyalgia?

[Seashellz1974]

I have all the above and have been off work the last 6 months with muscular and joint pains All my tests have come back normal and no painkiller works The docs have suggested i may have fibromyalgia As im new to this, i have o idea what to expect Any idea on how its diagnosed please Any help would be grateful Many thanks

[Ebony]

I was dx with FMS in 2003, but i had had IBS for many years prior to this, i also have restless legs and both these conditions are quite common with FMS. I also find that most painkillers do not help with the pain, i think my doctor is running out of pain killers for me to try.

Take care

[Seashellz1974 in reply to Ebony]

Thank you for the reply..Ive been put on many different painkillers, which like you say, have no effect..I havent been diagnosed with FM yet..but its what my doctor THINKS i may have Im being sent to a rhematoid specialist to see what they can do

[Seashellz1974]

Thank you so much for the reply Seems after reading what other members have written, quite a lot have many other illness's Im so fed up with being in pain and nothing working and no-one really understanding or thinking im over-reacting..especially my boss!! Doesnt matter what i do im in pain..and get soooo tired..its very frustrating..i just dont know what to do

[Hidden]

Me too. Depression - although the Prozac help a lot, I rarely suffer these days - terrible RLS for many many years, underactive thyriod for many years and IBS for as long as I can remember.

I'd love to give up work, I've been really busy all day today clearing a large cupboard out and I'm sooo tired and I ache and I'm working tomorrow. I just know I'm going to regret this.

I was diagnosed by a rheumatologist in August last year, my doctor said he thought I had fibro and I said I agreed with him. lol.

Good luck with the rheumatologist.

[Seashellz1974]

Hi Sue, thank you for replying. Wow, im not sure i could do anything that strenuous at the moment!! Well done!! ...Ive been off work for the last 6 months, as im finding just doing normal everyday things too much for me to handle, let alone full time work!! Its so frustrating not being able to do normal things like putting on my socks for goodness sake, without being in pain..If i have to give up work because of this, im really worried about the battle im going to have getting ay financial help and suppoet...after reading many other members comments, its a hell of a job to get DLA to believe you...more added stress, which i could do without :o(

[Kestrelflyer]

Hi - I have suffered with IBS for about 17 yrs, have suffered with stress and depression on a few occasions and none of my pain killers work 100% for me. I got my diagnosis from a Rhuematoligist after 2 yrs of getting nowhere with my GP. I haven't been able to work for about 2 yrs now, due to my condition, and I'm having to fight for DLA. Your symptoms sound very similar to FM but the specialist should be able to give you a definite answer. Also ask to be referred to a pain management clinic for the right pain killers. The specialist will check for 11 pain points which are typical of Fibromyalgia. Good luck!

[LindseyMid]

IBS and RLS are linked to Fibro. IBS is a functional condition where the gut doesn't respond correctly to stimuli - if you think of it as Fibro for the gut, you're not far wrong. And RLS is linked to low dopamine, as is Fibro.

Hypothyroidism is a differential diagnosis for Fibro - it should be ruled out or in as part of the diagnostic process. If it's "in" then either it needs to be stabilised or you need to be able to identify whether pain or hyperalgesia may be as a result of this, before Fibro can definitely be diagnosed. If you do have another condition like this, then the 2010 Fibro Diagnostic criteria for GPs to use doesn't work well, so you do need to see a specialist and really you need to get a well-done tender point test done (or otherwise be assessed for widespread hyperalgesia).

Depression doesn't cause Fibro. But depression can cause physical symptoms, including pain. This is called somatisation and is pretty rare, but does happen and again, should be ruled out as part of the diagnostic process. Having Fibro may well make you more susceptible to depression, partly because it can be very depressing having a painful, debilitating condition that is badly understood and partly because the low dopamine associated with Fibro can also cause problems with lack of impetus to do anything and/or less satisfaction from doing something.

[Seashellz1974 in reply to LindseyMid]

Thank you for you reply..im not really up with medical jargon, so not really sure what hyperalgesia is, i will have to look it up..All i know is im in pain all the time, like my body is always fatigued and aching I sometimes get sharp stabbing sensations..i get numbness..pins and needles..hot and cold feelings..painful joints..itchy and or really sensitive skin..I got depression before i experienced all this, i know fm hasnt caused it,,but its not helping!!

[LindseyMid in reply to Seashellz1974]

Hyperalgesia is hypersensitivity to pain. It's what the tender point test is supposed to check for

[FionaGFG]

These are also the common symptoms of people with coeliac disease. So do ask your Dr for the blood test for this as well. It is an auto-immune disease and so the symtoms can mimic other immune problems or go hand in hand with them.

[LindseyMid in reply to FionaGFG]

Coeliac should be ruled out as part of the diagnostic process for either Fibro or IBS, but sometimes isn't ruled out properly. If anyone with Fibro and IBS hasn't been checked for Coeliac, then you should ask to get properly checked.

[bevhepting]

IBS and Restless legs are a part of my diagnosis. Blood tests have shown nothing else sinister however I can suffer a range of things and wonder what is going on.

[Glenys]

All these are symptoms of fibromyalgia, but of many other things too.

Check with your doctor what the exact results of your blood tests were. Somethimes you can be borderline Thyroid, diabetic, anaemic etc, which means you can have symptoms but the doctor doesn't really have to treat you because you are not within the recommended treatment threshold. Interestingly enough when I last looked into it, the GPs in the USA were treating thyroid at a lower reading than in the UK, but that was a while back, so don't quote me!

I have also read that if you do have FMS, then even on a borderline you can feel the symptoms af other conditions more than someone without FMS would.

XG

[onhereagain]

I had a doctor who said I was borderline underactive thyroid, diabetic etc and deemed it not necessary to inform me I had been diagnosed with Fibro by the hospital.

My next Dr advised there is no such thing as borderline you are or you are not however some need less medication than others

I have all the above plus Diabetes, Gout and degenerative spine in various places.

However as my health has been much better since told this and medicated I believe the second Dr

[Loopy-fifi]

I have all these symptoms and I have M.E/CFS . All blood works come back normal for this condition and it's a case of ruling everything else out. It took five years to get my diagnosis.

There is also no cure, just managing it which I have to say is very hard to so as it entails big changes in lifestyle , diet etc, I still haven't got there.

Good luck to you