Any info fibromyalgia related

[Kielyc]

Hi everyone this is my first Post

I’ve been suffering loss of strength in my arms along with an ache in them as well as my shoulders, necks and my hips.. I also suffer regular headaches and have what I call Brain fog! I also get dizzy spells and occasionally nauseous. I wake up in the morning and feel like an 80 year old (I’m 40) stiff and achy.. this has been going on well over 4 months now.. my blood tests for inflammation markers have come back normal but my iron levels are low and the doctor has said I’m anaemic so to take iron tablets and come back in 6 weeks. I felt a bit brushed off i’m honest. I’m not happy about this has anyone else had this experience? The more I have read about fibromyalgia the more I am convinced this is what I am suffering.

[Hazel_Angelstar Administrator FMA UK Staff]

Hi and a warm welcome to our community. Here you will find information support friendship and laughter too. You can find general information on fibromyalgia at our main website fmauk.org and read our patient information booklets at fmauk.org/publications

[LoneEra]

Hello 🌼 Yes, quite a few of us on here have struggled with dismissive GPs! In fairness to the doctors, they do have to do a lot of tests to rule out any other causes of the pain. And if they find something like low iron, they will ask you to get that back to normal before reviewing the pain. So your journey sounds about right so far (sorry) - you have to jump through these hoops first.

Once the low iron is fixed, though, and if there are no other obvious causes, this will be the time to push a bit harder on the fibromyalgia angle.

I was told for years I did not have fibro (I have had rheumatoid arthritis for 15 years and was repeatedly told my symptoms were part of that...but I felt very strongly that they weren’t). Then I paid to see a private specialist and he diagnosed me within 20 minutes.

[Cat00]

Sounds very familiar im 43 and have always felt old. I agree with LoneEra the GP will focus on the iron in the hope you have an easily treatable condition ( you never know ) once thats resolved one way or the other it might time to push for a different diagnosis if you still feel this way.