Have I got fibromyalgia?

[BeeBee63]

My Mym actually suggested I may have fibromyalgia. I have looked at the symptoms and I tick the majority of them.

Fatigue....this has worsened since I had reactive rheumatoid arthritis recently, I had an undiagnosed virus and developed rheumatoid arthritis.....a stay in hospital for 6 days because I was in agony and a CRP of 450! I had a few months off work.

Since then the fatigue is much worse, particularly when I work. I’m completely floored and need to sleep.

I have Restless Leg Syndrome and what I call Mind Fog! I’m going through the menopause so put Mind Fog down to that. I suffer with anxiety and depression.

I sometimes feel like I want to crawl out of my skin, I feel uncomfortable??

I have what I call ‘irratic bowels.

I’ve looked at pressure points, I do have tender spots. Getting out of bed I can be very stiff, my feet feel tender?

I’ve had another stay in hospital last year with an inflamed gall bladder.....went in to have pancreatitis and an op.

It seems every time I get an infection or virus it completely floors me and I have problems on top.

Yes....my sleep is irratic too.

I’m off work again! I’m a health professional and was on phased return.....I had a 7.5 hour shift ( supposed) to be 6! I crawled off the ward, ended up with sciatica.

After all that I’m due to see my GP, should I mention I think it’s fibromyalgia. I feel there is something going on with my body, possibly for the last 5 years or more.

Does any of this ring bells with anyone.

Thanks in advance

[Dinkie]

Hi BeeBee and sorry to hear you have had such a traumatic time health wise. By all means mention the word fibro to your GP but be prepared he/she may be one of those who do not believe in fibro! It's not unusual for fibro to take years to diagnose. In my own case from 1987 to a couple of years ago. Fibro is usually diagnosed by a rheumatologist once all other tests have proved negative/inconclusive. Fibro presents differently for all of us and one day we may have one symptom dominating and the next day something completely different, this is partly what makes diagnosis so difficult. Some of the members here take prescription drugs and others like myself cannot tolerate them and have to rely on other things to keep us reasonably comfortable. Personally I rely on a processed food free and refined sugar free diet, epsom salt baths, heat bags, tens machine, gentle exercise (even stroll down the garden) chiropractor treatment and hypnotherapy. No doubt some other members will be along to give you an idea of their regimes and offer some advice to help you.

[BeeBee63 in reply to Dinkie]

Thanks for the reply. I have seen Consultant in Occupational Health who wants my GP to refer me to a rheumatologist. I will just have to see what happens with the GP

Thanks

[Dinkie in reply to BeeBee63]

good luck. Do keep us up to date.

[M0AL61 Moderator Volunteer]

Hi BeeBee,

I can't really add anything more to what Dinkie has said, other than to say sometimes it's best to say to your doctor … " Is it possible I could have fibromyalgia?". They seem to take better to suggesting could you have it, rather than saying I think I have …… whatever.

Good luck x

[BeeBee63 in reply to M0AL61]

Good point

Thanks

[KarenWW in reply to M0AL61]

Hi. I hope you dont mind me asking but was the op.that of having your gallbladder removed? For myself, as well as being diagnosed with fibro a few years ago, I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome a year last september. Then in February I too ended up in hosp with severe gallbladder inflamation. My mri scan a few weeks later picked up nothing. However once i eventually had it out in June within 2 days i was feeling better than i had for years. I was careful not to push myself incase i crashed after. But i just got better. All the symptoms related to fatigue, brain fog and migraines completely disappeared. I had been battling daily headaches and they went. Then the hosp wrote to me and said they had checked the gallbladder and it showed evidence of chronic infecction. Seems like that was culprit to large portion of symptoms. I still have fibro but that is much calmed down and all fatigue symptoms have vanished and 99% of headaches. My cfs started with really bad chest pain that resulted in a&e but nothing found. This happened about monthly after that. I still have gallbladder type upper rhs abdominal pain since op and am having an ultrasound done today to check for sphincter of oddi dysfunction (related to bile duct). It would explain the chest pain i get. It can also cause pancreatitus and even the chronic version (which doesnt give the pain in same way as acute, just like gallbladder): which would also give fatigue, brain fog, etc as well as other things. Dont know if any of this fits your pattern.

[BeeBee63 in reply to KarenWW]

Hi, I had my gall bladder removed which was very inflamed, it came on very quickly and I had 3 hospital admissions one being pancreatitis. I demanded they take the damn thing out which they did.

My fatigue etc hasn’t gone, it became worse after my last illness....reactive rheumatoid arthritis. I’m concerned because I keep having acute illnesses and symptoms and is it all related?

[KarenWW in reply to BeeBee63]

You may well have fibro. But in my experience once you are diagnosed with fibro the gp tends to say cant do any more for you: its a fibro symptom. Hence my chronic gallbladder inflamation wasnt picked up until i had a severe acute patch. Repeated occurrences of acute pancreatitus can lead to the chronic form (and pain in that is not so acute but makes you v.unwell). You definitely need to convince a gp how ill you feel but as well as the fibro route i would query the chronic form of pancreatitus and digestive system nr gallbladder. Should ask if there something going on that is adding to fatigue symptoms.