can fibromyalgia be mistaken for ms, or can they both go together?

[melissaVonD]

im being tested for ms, as well as already having the diagnosis of fibro.

[wednesday_focker]

50% of chronically ill people apparently suffer from fibro also, it comes alone, or goes along with other conditions, ive heard of ppl having both, but not heard of it being mistaken for MS, not that that means it cant be x

[crazycat36]

just as the others have said me and fibro can go hand in hand both cant take yrs to get diagnosed although the main difference is that me can show up in mri testing and fibro doesnt show in anything although i dont think it makes much difference as the problems u hav with me u also hav with fibro its just another thing to put into forms

[melissaVonD]

aww thank you for you messages, i guess if i have ms it diesnt really make a difference, if both ms and fibro are very similar. i think i should be rubbed out and drawn again, lol. im sure we all feel the same. xxx

[cyndarella59 in reply to melissaVonD]

MS is more serious than fibromyalgia. It can and does cause permanent damage and can get progressively worst. Fibromyalgia doesn't cause permanent brain damage or damage to the body. It just makes life miserable. People have died from the complications of MS though it is rare. Please don't dismiss the seriousness of MS if you get a diagnosis. Though Fibromyalgia and MS share symptoms they are nothing alike.

[Fibsuff in reply to cyndarella59]

I have fibromyalgia. Just like torture.

My 25 year old has over 15 lesions in her brain. I would do gladly take that on too.

Kills me so knowing how young and ill she is. 🌸

[melissaVonD]

ahh ok, that makes sence lynn. i seen a private rheumatologist and he immediately diagnosed me with fibro, but on my medical notes there is a note saying ms with a question make beside it. ive had numerous mri and 4 lumbar punctures and im waiting to see a specialist. if that fails to diagnose my mountin of problems im being shipped over to papworth hospital in cambridge to see if they can help. its taken almost 10 years to diagnose fibro, so i guess i can wait a bit longer lol. xxx

[cxs957]

I have never had an MRI to rule out MS, should I ask for one?

[jacky in reply to cxs957]

defo

[Kirby]

I have never had an MRI but I think there are huge overlaps between MS, Fibro and ME. Not only that, I think as with MS, some people possibly have more of a relapse-remit type of fibro (as in MS) and others seems to be more progressive. I think too there is possible a genetic link because my brother has Primary Progressive MS. His symptoms are a lot worse than mine because of his mobility, but I have worse headaches/migraines and all the hormonal stuff and very similar fatigue. I also have a friend online with MS and her symptoms sound very similar to my fibro!

[Hidden]

my understanding is theres no difinitive test for ms, mri s and lps can help but about 5% of people dont have any lesions or a positive lp, Ive had 3 mri no lp, my mri were 1.5T which Ive been led to believe arent really strong enough to show the majority of lesions

[melissaVonD]

i have a had soo many mri scans with contrast and there was a large white leison found, my first lumbar puncture was an opening pressure of 40, which meant i had intercranial hypertension.!!, so i was rushed to royal victoria hospital to a neuro ward for 7 days. the second lp showed pressure of 32 and third showed 22. is has stayed at 22, but every 8 weeks i have to go for visual feild exams and another tests where they numb my eyes and check pressure behind them. (grim). i still dont know why all of this is happening or if it has anything to do with fibro, but most docs that see me automatically assume i have ms and fibro and that is news to me. communication with docs is a nightmare. anyone else had any of there tests or experiences?

[Kirby in reply to melissaVonD]

No, but I know when I've had eye tests they say my eye pressure has been very high

[GaynorN]

Hi, I have had Fibro for many years now and last year my husband was diagnosed with MS. This took quite a bit of fighting on our part as the MRI head and spine came back negative. Luckily we have a fantastic GP who wouldn't stand for this and eventually we saw another consultant who did an EPT (eye test) LP and just as an after thought another MRI. All tests came back "more than positive" to quote the consultant. He has a lot of very similar symptoms as me but unfortunately mention Fibro and everyone looks blank, MS and they all jump to attention. We have even joked between us that MS is a proper disease where as Fibro well its just one of those new fangled diseases.....try telling a person who has been suffering for 30 years, doesn't know what to do with themselves they are so tired. In so much pain it hurts to even sit or lie still, head and neck aches like you wouldn't believe. Luckily my husband is in first stages MS so is symptomatic but mainly his eyes. To tell the truth though I have actually hoped for a diagnosis of MS or something that people actually acknowledge perhaps then us suffers wouldn't feel quite as alone. Yes I feel sorry for myself...well someone's gotta...be better tomorrow I'm sure.

[Violetta25 in reply to GaynorN]

Oh my gosh I can so relate to you.

27 years ago I had a flu like attack for a few days. The following week my husband got it. It resulted in him not being able to pee and he was hospitalised where he lost the use of his legs. He had private medical insurance at work and was able to be scanned very quickly. At 30 years old he was diagnosed with MS. and medically retired and I'm glad to say, until replacement knees and spine issues caused by arthritis and collapsing discs, has had a happy and comfortable life relatively MS symptom free.

10 years ago I got all the fibro symptoms and debilitating fatigue. I was eventually diagnosed with Fibro and I was off work for 6 months, returned for 6 months and then off again for 5 month. Since that time I've worked full time to support us, some years feeling pretty well. I do have several days off a year because of total and physically exhaustion. I was a very physically active healthy person but now I just physically can't do lots and lots of activity. Yet I love camping and music but it's just getting harder and harder.

Now I'm 58 doctors make comments like it must be my age. However I've just had 2 1/2 weeks off work and slept solid 12 hours a day. No more pain than just the joint pain I'm used. I'm back at work but hiding how tired I am. So tired I can barely think sometimes. Before and since my last absence I've been having to sleep and rest up outside of work just to keep going. So not a very exciting life.

I on the other hand have never had an MRI scan. Have had to work to support us all and am struggling to keep going. At this time I seriously doubt I'll last until my retirement date which pains me because an early retirement will hit us financially.

I know MS can have more serious repercussions for a person but Fibro can be just as debilitating yet we get absolutely no support.

Sorry feeling grumpy and needing to voice it.

[LindseyMid]

Yes and yes. If you might have MS, getting diagnosed is important because MS, unlike Fibro, can cause real damage to your body.

Everyone diagnosed with Fibro should have MS ruled out in some way. It may just be that your doctors do not think your symptoms are at all typical of MS. But this is one reason why it is important to get re-evaluated if you get significantly worse or develop new symptoms, particularly those that are atypical of Fibro.

[LUCINDAJANE]

YES IT CAN BE MISTAKEN FOR MS MY MUM HAD MS AND WHEN I GOT ILL AND HAD THE SAME SYMPTOMS THEY SAID THAT I HAD MS AFTER MANY MANY MANY SCANS AND BRAIN SCANS AND MRI SCANS AND A YEAR LATER THEY TOLD ME IT WAS NOT MS BUT FIBROMYALGIA

[Tortie]

I have MS which was finally diagnosed in 2001. I was originally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and struggled for years. It was only when I woke up one morning & couldn't see that my GP finally realised it was more. When he saw me that morning he told me he thought I'd had a stroke! He sent me to the local hospital where I was for 3 weeks before being told I did have MS which I had suspected for a long time. I now have a brilliant neurologist who has been a great help. He told me that people are told they have fibroymyalgia when they can't find anything else wrong.

[getactive]

Hi I am waiting to see the neurologist because I have no definite diagnosis. My MRI a year ago was clear but my GP says that not a definite no and I should have further test. Originally the neurologist said it was a problem for rheumatology then they said it was an orthapeadic problem so now going back to neuro-where will it end Fibro or MS have osteo as well. This is my first time on this page have been getting support on the fibro page hope its ok to be on both

Take good care of yourselves folks.

xx

[Ginger15]

I was diagnosed in 2001 with Fibro, now l'm having all these tests for MS, as my sister has MS!

Our symptoms are very much akin, wonder if l have both or was l originally diagnosed wrong!!! Makes me wonder, for 13 yrs which is now the right diagnoses.

[fairytails]

hi all havent commented but seen posts hope yourl all ok

this particularly interested me because for a very longtime ive also been suspecting wrong diagnosis my eyesight is really getting bad i have expolsive diareah ( excuse me saying that) and also alot of other symptoms that match m.s i recently went for a mri brain scan as my left ears hearing after an op to close a burst eardrum had dropped dramatically im hoping thatl also show up otherthings i say hoping because i called my doctor the other day after having full blood count and ceoliacs test and that came up normal but my thyroid came up high so i said to him im not trying to tell you your job but is there any chance this could be m.s? he said no the high thyroid has given u the diareah! now ive been suffering this bowel prob for years now and had tests inbetween for thyroid which have been ok ! i just worry that my fibromyalgia prog are wrong? as i said i have lots of other syptoms so what do i do now? my doctor who i barely go to becuase its not worth it i just call for more pain meds just seemed to be irritated by me asking and fobbed me totally off , so if theres anything on brain mri will it show m.s if it was done for my ear?? sorry for long post im so tierd of my non believing and non concerned docs im not even one of those that call everyday and he treats me like i do:(***

[jacky]

people who say that Fibro is nothing like MS im sry but your wrong!!!! im being tested for both ( been 3 years so far ) to bloody long