I had a pretty ANA which is non-specific, so my rheum put me on Plaquinil and when that didn't work, she wanted me on methotrexate. Her idea was that fibro was auto-immune in nature which I didn't buy.

Sed rate is elevated in polymyalgia rheumatica (this is all from memory so please forgive any errors). Look up sed rate and see what else is associated.

What are your symptoms?

Good luck on a speedy diagnosis.

I have never heard of Crest Syndrome but will look it up. It seems that most of us come back with mostly negative blood tests.. Did the doctor say how he came up with this diagnosis? I hope you get the answers you are looking for! Hugs GB

All of my blood work went to the Mayo Clinic and the results came back with "consistent with CREST syndrome" on the report. My doctor is an internist, but still isn't comfortable going much further, therefore the referral to the rheumatologist.

Believe me when I tell you I investigated every single result that came back abnormal. Polymyalgia rheumatic was on my short list but then, upon further study, that didn't make sense either.

Fibro matches nearly 100% of my symptoms, including how the pain started significantly after a traumatic injury 2 1/2 years ago.

A nurse friend thinks I may have gotten false positive readings, possibly due to a h. pylori infection (following surgery) earlier this year.

Crest Syndrome is a limited form of scleroderma. Raynauds is one of the many *perks* that can be associated with FMS and also Crest.

From what I read about Crest it seems that the other symptoms with t h e exception of Raynauds would be pretty apparent in addition to blood work to confirm it. I think that your nurse friend might be on to something.

Having a traumatic injury can be a precursor to FMS too. Most of us have a comprehensive panel of blood work done every year. FMS is pretty complex. It is not uncommon for other underlying issues to rear their ugly heads as time marches on. Better to be proactive than label every symptom as being FMS related. Take care.

BTW - I already knew that I had FMS when I saw the rheumy. My best friend was diagnosed with it and Sjogrens a few years before me. I recognized the symptoms after being subjected to high levels of stress for a few years. In addition, I have severe OA, degenerative disc disease with stenosis and TMJ. Clearly standing in the wrong line when DNA was being handed out lol. Take care.

Fantod, I am sorry you have to deal with so many different diagnosis.

I do fully expect to be a human pin cushion on a fairly regular basis from here forward.

I have studied CREST extensively and cannot find a single thing, other than the joint/muscle pain, that matches. As you said, the 5 symptoms that make up the acronym are pretty specific and would be hard to miss if they existed.

I have to admit that fibro never crossed my mind. I blamed my pain on worsening arthritis; my itching on allergies; my lack of sleep on the pain from the arthritis, etc. I am very good at finding reasons for things. **rolling my eyes** Fat lot of good that did me this time.

Anyway, I was just curious if others had auto immune issues along with fibro.

You all have a good night!!

Have Rheumatiod Arthritis and Type 1 diabetes (44 years). Also lots of tendonitis, enthesisis and bursitis. I think they are all interconnected

Stress can freak out our bloodwork in all kinds of ways, and honestly, that leaves us prone to immune issues in all directions. (As my doc always always reminds me as he tells me Take the dang Anxiety med!)

I've never in life heard of CREST, and I thought I'd heard it all.

"Consistent with" is... fudging. To be blunt, Nancy, my FIL is an MD and I'm a nerd. You see "consistent with" and it means "we're so confident of this diagnosis we aren't giving one that can't bite us in the a** in a malpractice context". Right up there with the old "indicative"... *eyeroll* Yeah,w ell, a rash is *indicative* of Lyme Disease, eczema, poison ivy, or a mosquito bite. So, yeah....

Good hunting on a solid dx.