Fibromyalgia and PTSD

[Clm1978]

Hello all, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 4 years ago, and less than a year later diagnosed with PTSD also. I am interested to hear of any Fibro members who have also been diagnosed or are suspected to have PTSD, and if yes could you please respond with details of diagnosis or suspected diagnosis? and in which order were the two diagnosed please?

Cara.

[M0AL61 Moderator Volunteer]

Hi Clm1978 ,

Yes, I have been diagnosed with PTSD.

I was diagnosed with fibro in 2001, and with PTSD last year.

[Clm1978 in reply to M0AL61]

Thanks for responding M0AL61 if you don't mind me asking, did you experience a traumatic event after the Fibromyalgia diagnosis which led to the PTSD diagnosis?

The reason I am asking is because I experienced a particularly stressful trauma back in 2006, the next few years were a drunken blur up until 2011 when i fell pregnant with my Son. I suffered severe post-natal depression and prenatal depression according to my GP. Although I was diagnosed in 2015 with Fibromyalgia, I was struggling with irrational angry outbursts which were really causing me concerns about my struggling mental health. After completing a questionnaire with me to measure the severity of my behaviour and she asked if I had suffered any very traumatic of emotional recently, i disclosed the details of the trauma I had experienced but I argued that this had happened 10 years ago, she concluded that as she had spent at least 8 of those years treating me for several alcohol and depression/anxiety related issues, that I had likely been suppressing the symptoms with the alcohol and that the responsibility of having a young child mean't that I was obviously no longer able to suppress the symptoms and they were now manifesting in terms of the emotional imbalances and angry outbursts just to name a few. That's when my GP referred me for evaluation for suspected PTSD. I am as a result wondering if perhaps the untreated PTSD is what led to the development of fibromyalgia.

[M0AL61 Moderator Volunteer in reply to Clm1978]

No, in my case the traumatic events came first - before my diagnosis of fibro, and I believe that it was the traumatic events which led to fibro in the first place. Well a combination of traumatic events and stress. Last year I was having very bad nightmares and flashbacks, and that's when I was diagnosed with the PTSD x

[aud01]

Hi cara

I haven’t been diagnosed with PTSD but I have on more or one occasion feel I’m suffering from it too. I joked to my doctor I feel that’s what I have and why my depression so bad but he hasn’t asked me to go for tests and that ... but like you I feel that dice losing my health and my brilliant lifestyle due to fibro I suffer from traumatic stress ...

Good luck xx