Newbe

[Erica1409]

Have recently been diagnosed with fybromalgia. Have particular pain in shoulders and arms. Is that common? which effects me dressing, getting out of bed etc Amytryptolin hasn't helped so just started on Pregabalin 150 a day and keeping my fingers crossed! Can't find a support group in Cardiff so I am glad I have found this site.

[cyberbarn]

A lot of people that have symptomatic hypermobility have problems with their shoulders which lazy doctors diagnose as fibromyalgia. Are you hypermobile at all, or were you? Problems with shoulders are very common in those people.

[Erica1409 in reply to cyberbarn]

Thanks for that. I have looked it up but I didnt fit the profile for symptomatic hypermobility. Do you suffer with Fibromyalgia yourself. If so I would be interested as to what has worked for you re reducing the pain.

[cyberbarn in reply to Erica1409]

No, I don't have fibromyalgia, I have hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. But a rheumatologist tried to diagnose me with fibromyalgia without actually taking me through the criteria so I made him take it off my records. Research has shown that around 75% of all diagnoses of fibromyalgia are probably incorrect.

I do have a friend with fibromyalgia and she found duloxetine was really helpful and gave her back her life, but at the same time the pain in her hips got a lot worse. Eventually they x-rayed them and it turned out she also had osteoarthritis. When the pain is specific to a joint, it might not be fibro.

Who diagnosed you?

[Erica1409 in reply to cyberbarn]

My GP diagnosed me on the basis that all my blood tests were normal including the tests for inflammation. He explained it is not treatable and perscribed amytriptyline t to hopefully dampen down the pain but all it did was to make me even more tired. The second GP I saw has just put me on Lyrica. Neither had time to talk to me about Fybromyalgia so if this doesn't work I think I will pay to see a Rheumatologist so he can check the diagnosis and advise on other options.

[cyberbarn in reply to Erica1409]

It sounds like seeing a rheumatologist would be a good idea. Fibromyalgia actually has a strict criteria, but some GPs will use it when they don't know what else to do with a patient. A physio might be able to help too. Good luck, I hope you find something to help soon.