hello.newbie here, I've had chronic pain for aears which is recently getting a lot worse. Any advice welcomed.

[Northernturkey]

im on pregabelin for my undiagnosed pain. Take sertraline for anxiety and duloxetine for IBS.

I've been in so much pain ( all over my body in my joints ) that I can't do normal daily things anymore. Im supposed to work part time but I can't even do that now. I'm so exhausted most of the time. It is extremely hard to see or speak to my GP. i went to A&E to try get some help but they 'can't interfere with a GP s plan'

ive seen a rheumatologist once nearly 2 years ago ( I was feeling pretty ok at the time) who touched my arm and said ' you don't have fibromyalgia because you'd have said ow '

i feel like I'm constantly fobbed off by the medical profession.

ive had probably all the tests available. Bloods, x-ray, CT, MRI all clear.

can anyone give me some advice on how to move forward?

I've made a claim for pip but I'm not hopeful as I'm undiagnosed.

[CM1EDSUK]

Just to say as far as PIP goes, it's not about any diagnosis you may have/not have, but rather about whether you can functionally perform any of the applicable 12 activities/descriptors 'reliably.'

[JayCeon]

Hi there - sorry your post seems to have been overlooked, except the PIP question which CM1EDSUK has answered perfectly - I'll try to make up with a few hints, and if you'd like to delve more I'll be glad to do so.

Not important, but I think you probably mean something else for IBS, as duloxetine like sertraline is for depression (as well as pain, like pregabalin)...?

You claiming for PIP is a good idea as CM1EDSUK said. What about ESA?

Your A&E is right that they can't help, as it's chronic. It's your GP and rheumatologist that need sorting out. Have you tried switching them?

There are ways of doing this.

As you've probably had all the tests available it does sound as if your docs do do quite a bit for you, they seem to have excluded everything else. There are docs that don't even do that. I wonder what their conclusion is though, if they don't accept fibromyalgia.

Your rheums 'fibromyalgia test' sounds like a cheap prejudiced version of the tender point test, which is seen as outdated by specialists, since it is very unreliable, esp. in men. But it would have consisted of 18 points, not 1. (My first rheum said I didn't look like I had it, can't remember the tender points test, my 2nd rheum 3 months later said all 18 points reacted and diagnosed fibro. In my country the tender points test 'can' still be used.)

Apart from what you mentioned, I got my nerves and muscles tested by a neurologist, hormones by an endocrinologist and a spinal tap to make sure it's nothing serious like MS.

For the fibro diagnosis the ACR 2016 criteria checklist can help you: fmauk.org/files/acr2016Fibr...

The 2022 UK guidelines are based on these, but I prefer 'the original'.

You could fill it in and show that to your docs, that's what they're for.

My personal advice is actually to trial all the many many mental, physio, diet methods and learn to prevent or alleviate triggers, and try to get off the meds, esp. if you're not sure they're working for you, like it sounds, as they may be harming rather than helping.

I have a lot of success describing, analyzing and treating each symptom individually. You say "joint pain": If it were really the joints then it'd normally be some form of rheumatism. In my experience (and no-one's objected) it's actually the muscle tendons around the joints. These are best treated with gentle manual therapy, incl. myofascial release, osteopathy, trigger points, acupressure etc. - acupressure (youtube) and massage gadgets are things we can do ourselves with quite some success. Then there are loads of things like heat and cold and the TENS unit etc....

Anything helpful here to you?

[JoseT]

i would advise you to visit a chiropractor as soon as possible because they can have a look at you and help you with your pain regardless of what is the problem behind.