Lupus vs Fibro aches and pains

please can anyone who suffers with both types lupus/fibro pain tell the difference between them,i don t know if i have fibro aswell as sle but my pain lately has been constant mainly in neck,thighs,back ect when can you tell if its fibro flare or lupus flare.

[flutterby]

Hi I have both. I tend to think that with me the joint related pains are lupus and the more muscle type 'achey' pain is fibro. I find my joints are worse in the morning, and my aches are worse later in the day. With the more muscular pains, I get them thighs and upper arms particularly I find baths and gapabentin help, whereas tramadol and ibuprofen seem to help the joint pain. I do agree it can be difficult to work out the difference and unpick what is going on! Hope for relief from pain for you xxx

[RuthGoodey in reply to flutterby]

Hi I was diagnosed with mild sle 15 years ago, joint pain, facial rash, fatigue, headaches, depression. 2 years ago or more , I can't recall these days, the aching muscle pain changed in some way. Difficult to explain ! My legs felt really heavy and my heels were so painful it was making me limp at times. Also pain and tenderness in my right shoulder up my neck and down my arm. Tenderness in the elbow through to my thumb. Pins and needles sometimes. My very nice rheum at that time, went through all the pressure points for fibro and told me that I had fibro too. How can you have both I asked and of course with sle you can. I have more pills to take but at the mo I don,t feel like taking any of them and sometimes go days without and of course pay the price. From fed up.

[roobarb]

Yes, it's very confusing. I was diagnosed with lupus 5 years, & the consultant added fibro about 2 years ago. But I can't tell the difference either. I do know that steroids will work for lupus, but not fibro. Yet, how can 2 overlapping conditions need different treatments. I hope others on here can shed more light on this.

Best Wishes. X

[Purpletop]

Lupus is the immune system overreacting, that overreaction manifesting itself as inflammation, which is why steroids work to calm it down. Fibro is a CNS disorder in that the pathways by which the pain signals are transmitted seem to be affected. No inflammation is present with the fibro, which is why steroids don't work, nor ibuprofen which is an antiinflammatory but pregabalin does, which deals with the way the nerve messages are perceived by the brain.

Have a look at the fibro community on health unlocked to see the pain points for fibro, to distinguish from lupus.

[Thaddeus]

Lupus or Fibro?

There's only one way to find out. F I G H T !

[Thaddeus]

Sorry.

I cannot tell what is what, my joints and muscle hurt so much some days, and either solo or in chorus. One day there will be a unifying theory I am sure.

[MaximumRide]

Thaddeus you made me laugh!! Lightens the mood that the pain brings

Could any one tell me how to find the health unblocked for fibro please? I have been diagnosed only a couple of months and also struggle to distinguish between the two but it does make sense when you take tramadol and the pain is still there that it would be the fibro!!

[Purpletop]

To get to the fibro community you scroll up and on the green header click on Find Your Community and then scroll through all or go to it directly under F.

[Purpletop]

Sorry, on the green header under My Communities.

[corrie4]

have SLE . DL Reynulds Sorgjens Hypermobility.Osteoporosis most from 2001 just been diagnosed with fybromyalgia am on hydroxy and MM.went to supermarket withe friend to day LOST my cashcard Twice. Burst into tears. I dont do tears. Dont know if its lupus fog or fibro fog or i just got a double whammy