Blood tests normal

[Betsy50]

Hi everyone okay so just spoke to gp and my blood tests normal !! He cant explain why I have all this pain moving around from joint to joint test say no inflammation!!! I'm at my wits end I know what I'm feeling!!! I've read so much that fibromyalgia can take years to diagnose its left me feeling really down this morning. I speak to Painmanagement next month just feel as though I'm hitting my head off a brick wall!!!! Sorry for the rant folks I'm just abit upset right now

[LeighBlyth]

"Fibromyalgia" is a label for symptoms, it's not a diagnosis of a specific disease.

Two things to start:

1. It's good news your blood tests are normal.

2. Your pain is real.

I've been there - the shifting pains but no real explanation of why. It was all due to a physical problem of my body that was not properly balanced and aligned. Physical restrictions ("stored trauma" of old injuries etc.) that reduced my range of movement and put all sorts of stresses on joints, muscles and caused a lot of (apparently random) pain and weird sensations.

Ask yourself:

How is your physical condition?

Is your posture (the positioning of your body) good?

Is your body free of tension?

Does it feel balanced and comfortable? Or is your body stiff and tense ?

Do you move well? Or can you feel areas that are restricted?

Be aware how the pains and weird sensations move around your body as you move. We are interconnected from head to fingers to toes and restrictions in one area can have distant sensations.

Myalgia

If you are not using the right muscles you are using the wrong muscles which results in myalgia (muscle pain), stressed muscles pull on their attachments which causes more pain. Connective tissues (ligaments, tendons etc. etc.) get sore which feels like joint pains.

The right muscles to focus on are the "5 main muscles of movement" .

baselinehealing.com/anatomy...

If you don't use your main muscles of movement other areas of muscle try to compensate but they become stressed, sore and fatigued and the body becomes imbalanced. "myalgia of imbalance" - what I believe is the basis of "fibro hotspots". From personal experience these areas get more widespread over time as the body becomes increasingly stressed and posture worsens.

The 5 main muscles of movement are:

1. pelvic floor Base

2. rectus abdominis Line

Think of the pelvic floor muscles as the Base of the body, a solid foundation that should be active and secure.

The rectus abdominis are the body's central Line. From pelvis to chest, these muscles should be active and elongated, supporting movement of the rest of the body.

Recovery starts from finding your Base-Line, working with these muscles and building the connection between body and mind. Then thinking about the other muscles too. (It was several months before I starting working with the other muscles - Base-Line is the key to healing the body.)

Start with "breathing with your Base-Line".

baselinehealing.com/techniq...

The other main muscles are:

3. gluteus maximus.

4. rectus femoris.

5 trapezius.

The anatomy can be a lot to take in all at once if you haven't studied it before, but keep thinking about how you use your body and build the connection between body and mind.

I'm more than happy to answer questions.

body balanced and aligned v. body twisted, misaligned and in pain.

[LeighBlyth]

I did try to post some images, but they've not worked. Look at images of your Base-Line pelvic floor and rectus abdominis muscles.

Find the muscles on your body and imagine them activating to start to work with your "core pillar of strength" and start the recovery process.

baseline pelvic floor and rectus abdominis muscles. activate as you breathe in.

[jointpain]

It might be a long shot, but it's how I found out what was causing a lot of the joint pain I was having. Try asking for a B12 blood serum test. It was partially due to B12 deficiency and a cervical spinal stenosis that has caused much of my pain. My blood tests have always showed no inflammation yet if when I am low on B12 I do get pain in my knees hips and lower back

[Betsy50 in reply to jointpain]

Hi jointpain thanks for the reply. Yes you see I'm not a big red meat eater either so you could possibly be right I have times where my iron and folic acid low and needs meds. I had back surgery in 1999 and suffer flare ups quite alot it's just so disappointing when there is no diagnosis and its deffo not in my head !!! Was on morphine for 6 years but tapered off it couldnt handle the brain fog any longer so now my pain level rocket high but speak to Painmanagement next month if it doesnt get cancelled again !!! Hope you are well

[Brenda800 in reply to jointpain]

Hi I recommend having a b12 blood test I have been diagnosed with polymyalgia 10 months ago on steroids which I hated of them now some side effects then another Dr sent me for blood test they came back positive I am now on b12 injections so hope I will be feeling better soon

[jointpain in reply to Brenda800]

Well done for you! I wish my doctor had done that for me when I was really suffering. It took me over a year to feel a good bit better, injecting every other day. Now I get by on an injection every four days. Hope they caught you in good time Brenda.

[Brenda800 in reply to jointpain]

I know but it helps to know someone knows what it's been like not just thinking I was moaning about nothing

[cyberbarn]

There are many conditions that don't show up on blood tests that can cause pain, one of them is Hypermobile Spectrum Disorder and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. There are also other rheumatological conditions that cause pain that don't show up in blood tests or on plain x-rays. One example is a condition where they said women couldn't get it, only men, and that it caused fusion in the spine. Eventually they found out that women do get it, but it doesn't cause fusion in the spine, it only causes inflammation, but in the early stages the inflammation doesn't show up in blood tests. Fibromyalgia is a cop out diagnosis and is often misdiagnosed. It is just easier to diagnose that than to look further at what is actually causing the pain.

Keep going, hopefully the pain clinic will listen and help.

[Betsy50 in reply to cyberbarn]

Hi cyberbarn yes you are right I've had a few different tests done and nowt showing but the pain is real for sure !!! Will see what Painmanagement come up with. Thanks for your advice

[Rosepetal60]

Always useful to get a paper copy of your blood test results. Request it from the receptionist. You may have to pay approx 10 p a copy. Good to have on file for any other blood tests you have in the future. I find hot wheaty bags beneficial for muscle and joint pain.

[Betsy50 in reply to Rosepetal60]

Hi rosepetal I hadn't thought of that tbh will ask for a copy. Do you mean like the wrap you put in microwave?

[Rosepetal60 in reply to Betsy50]

Unsure about “wrap” but it’s wheat in a sewn up material bag which you can buy online or in some shops. Mine are all second hand ones so can’t name the shops. I think someone gave me one that smelled of lavender at one time. And yes, they go in the microwave, I think for 2 minutes or it could be 3 minutes, not sure. Anyway I put them on where needed several times a day for about 10 days at most and they work well.

[Betsy50 in reply to Rosepetal60]

Hi rosepetal thanks for the reply I'll have a look on amazon thanks. Today is 3rd anniversary of my beloved mother feeling a tad emotional x

[Rosepetal60 in reply to Betsy50]

Your Mother must have been a lovely Mother to you. Remember the happy times you had together.

[Betsy50 in reply to Rosepetal60]

Hi I nursed my mother for 11 months as she didnt want to go into a hospice so I kept my promise to her. I lost 6 close family members and 2 others within 3.5 years it utterly floored me

[Hidden]

Could you have some trapped nerves somewhere?

[Betsy50 in reply to Hidden]

Hi jimton well I had back surgery in 1999 and suffer bad sciatica flare ups !!! It just not making any sense to me anymore feel as though no one really taking the time to fully investigate these issues. I speak to Painmanagement next month

[Hidden in reply to Betsy50]

Well hopefully they can sort you out.

I have a trapped nerve in my neck that effects my hands, numbness and pain..

[Betsy50 in reply to Hidden]

Hi oh I sympathise with you pain just so horrible to live with and unless you live it it's so hard for people to understand the rollercoaster of emotions that goes with it that's why I joined this site cos we all understand on here and the people on here are lovely. Do you have spondylitis? Thanks for replying much appreciated

[Hidden in reply to Betsy50]

I have Osteoarthritis in my neck, feet and one knee.. I had a hand crushed also that doesn't help.

You are right about living with pain, this place is really good it does help.

[Betsy50 in reply to Hidden]

Hijimton oh my goodness poor you. I fractured my wrist in april last year it just not healing so I've eventually got orthopedic to agree to an mri scan the pain horrendous!! Be a long wait due to covid !!! What meds do you take if you dont mind me asking ?

[Hidden in reply to Betsy50]

I have been given a cream for the arthritis and just paracetamol for everything else, i find exercise helps me more. I also take turmeric and black pepper capsules which help a lot.

I hope you aren't in to much pain.

[Betsy50 in reply to Hidden]

Hi again I was on morphine for 6 years but tapered off it the brain fog was taking over my life !! So now my pain level rocket high !!! Co codomol do absolutely nothing for me except give you constipation so I'm waiting to see what Painmanagement have to offer. I've been on gabapentin for years

[Hidden in reply to Betsy50]

They are bound to come up with something, I was given low dose anti-depressants for my trapped nerve, I couldn't continue with them because I felt like my skin was burning.

Some medicines make things worse.

[Betsy50 in reply to Hidden]

Hi oh I know it's about finding that happy medium I guess. Tried anti depressants dont work for me unfortunately. Just desperate to get some relief now

[Hidden in reply to Betsy50]

I bet you have tried everything you can think of..

Turmerc and black pepper capsules maybe, but uf they don't work you will have wasted your money..

[Betsy50 in reply to Hidden]

Hi so where did you purchase those ? Few people have mentioned turmeric?

[Hidden in reply to Betsy50]

I get mine from amazon..

I know a few people that use them and are happy with them, but they might not work for everyone.

You could look into an anti-inflammation diet, check for it on Google.

[Betsy50 in reply to Hidden]

Hi okay thanks I'll have a wee look soon. Aye need to look into what I'm eating just incase it is making my pain worse. You from Ireland?

[Hidden in reply to Betsy50]

I'm from Northern Ireland..

You?

[Betsy50 in reply to Hidden]

Scotland

[Hidden in reply to Betsy50]

Highlands, lowlands?

[Betsy50 in reply to Hidden]

Lowlands

[Hidden in reply to Betsy50]

It's a nice country, I've been a few times..

Have you ever been over here?

[Betsy50 in reply to Hidden]

No but I've been doing family tree and there is a connection to Ireland within our family but I've still got alot of research to do

[Hidden in reply to Betsy50]

I did family tree last year, got DNA done too, I'm 60 something percent Scottish, 30 something Irish, 3 percent Norwegian etc.. But as the Scots originate from Ireland that really means I'm 90 something percent Irish. I clas myself as Northern Irish though.

I used ancestry to do it, it was interesting.

[Rosepetal60 in reply to Hidden]

I must look mine up again on Ancestry, I have small amount Scottish, Yorkshire, and a fair amount of Irish which makes sense

[Hidden in reply to Rosepetal60]

Good luck, I hope you enjoy it and find loads.

[Rosepetal60 in reply to Hidden]

Beyond my capabilities finding people on Ancestry, but because one of my relatives was in the army, I have been able to put the names in of my Aunts and Uncles from his Army records and knowing some of them in the past. The thing is they have a habit of changing their first names ! My father did this as well.

[Hidden in reply to Rosepetal60]

Do you know why they changed their names?

[Rosepetal60 in reply to Hidden]

I think they did it because they didn’t like the name they had. The son of the one in the Army had the same first name as his Dad had, so he became Jack. One of my Aunts was known to her immediate family with one name but I only ever knew her as Auntie May ( wrong spelling) my father swapped his first name with his middle name and changed the spelling of it slightly. My Granny had the lovely name Alicia. But after coming to live in England she changed it. According to my mother, possibly because people didn’t pronounce it properly.

[Hidden in reply to Rosepetal60]

I think my grandfather might have changed the spelling of our surname at some stage but i cant find anything about it.It must have been common enough back then.

[Rosepetal60 in reply to Hidden]

Agree, similar to changing their age when joining an Army

[Hidden in reply to Rosepetal60]

I think my grandfather did it to get a job in Harrland & wolffs, he was a riveter and worked on a Titanic, it would have been a lot of work for him.

[Rosepetal60 in reply to Hidden]

But what a good opportunity to get a wage. So worked out ok for him. No official date of Birth on Army records in the 19th century. And when it came to him retiring, the info needed couldn’t be found in the different departments, most likely because he gave wrong age. Did give his right age on census though. But Granny did not, or on her marriage certificate.

[Hidden in reply to Rosepetal60]

It's amazing they did back then to get work, how easy was it to change things.

[Betsy50 in reply to Rosepetal60]

Hi yes I've been to Scotland people in Edinburgh got loads of information births deaths marriage certificates and also traced my great grandpa regiment number I'm going to try get a replica of his war medal seen as someone in the family claim to have misplaced it. It really is exciting stuff you get lost for hours !!!! My grandpa name so common in ireland and there is loads with the sme name lol

[Betsy50 in reply to Betsy50]

Depends on the name my grandpa name duffy and it's so common. My grandparents had 12 kids to our family tree massive!!! You need names obviously but dates are a real must have

[Hidden in reply to Betsy50]

There are a lot of travellers over here by the name of Duffy.

[Betsy50 in reply to Hidden]

Hi aye its alot of people with that surname. You see back in those days my family weren't told much so I actually know more about the family now. But still loads to do and my grandmother side even harder her name comasky but some are mc comasky

[Hidden in reply to Betsy50]

McComasky wouldnt be to common , think i have only heard it once or twice before.

[Betsy50 in reply to Hidden]

We all thought it was polish but it isn't but it changes from mccomasky to comasky cant explain why yet

[Hidden in reply to Betsy50]

It does have a Polish twang about it.

[Betsy50 in reply to Hidden]

I know that's what I thought lol