Hello Nadine2!

It could be fibro and it could be that you are stressed and your body is out of alignment and is in need of some TLC. Have you been to a chiropractor? How bout a therapeutic massage? These two things combined could give you some much needed relief. When symptoms present themselves, it is the body's way of telling us that there are some underlying issues that need our attention. Are you stressed? How is your diet? Are you active? Feel free to go to my page and read some of my journal entries.
If I can be of further help, please don't hesitate to contact me!
Love, Hugs & Blessings! PAM

You might want to see a chiropractor sounds like it could be sciatica..They would know right away.

I was in the same boat as you regarding doctors just shrugging their shoulders for years, one even tried convincing me that I was depressed. HA! Anywhoo, I think if you have the option try to find a different doctor and explain to them that this has been with you for years.

It took me 6 long years to even find a doctor who would listen and try and get to the root of the problem instead of fluffing me off. I'm now going to my second Rheumy appointment to get my final diagnosis (either RA or fibro).

Good luck and don't give up!

Welcome to our group, nadine. For your sake, I hope its not FMS but if that is what your problem is, this is a great group. Lots of info and very supportive.

The best thing for you to do is to check out the web.....

www.fmaware.org.

Also go to www.webmd.com and search for fibromyalgia.

I was diagnosed about 3 yrs ago after I was in a bad car wreck and had to have cervical surgery but think I have had it for about 15 yrs ago when I was diagnosed with Chronic fatigue. The problems are multiple and everyone experiences different things.

Personally, mine centers in my neck and shoulders for the most part. Creating headaches, numbness in my arms. I also have some thoracic pain and pain in my low back. I get bad muscle spasms. Sometimes my feet feel like they are on fire. Some nights sleep just is not to be found which really makes it hard to deal with the general pain I deal with every day.

My chosen treatment....after going through 10yrs of pain clinic....is my D.O. and acupuncture. I take norco for pain when I need it. A 5 mg valium at bedtime. And I have a whole array of Chinese herbs that I use. It works well for me. I never have any pain free days but it is at a level that I can deal with and still function.

If I get stressed out or over do, then I pay for it by having from a few days to a month or more of bad days.....days I don't do anything that I don't HAVE to do.

I hope this answers some of your questions. Thoughts and prayers for you. Gentle hugs.... Basket

I have pain mostly in my neck, back, L elbow, both hips and knees. I get jaw pain sometimes. I have skin complaints (dryness and rashes). Depression, morning stiffness, sleep disturbances, headaches, really painful periods, muscle cramps, twitches and weakness, fatigue, irritable bowel and bladder, cognitive impairment, anxiety. Sensitivity to bright lights, loud noises, heat and cold. Tingling in my extremities, and dizziness. That's about all I can think of right now. LOL

Take this test FIBRO SCREENING QUIZ

http://arthritis.about.com/od/fibromyalgia/l/blfibroquiz.htm?lastQuestion=14&answers=1&submit=Next+Question+%3E%3E&ccount=12

Thank you all so much since being on the DS site I've never encountered a nicer or more helpful group! I alos have dry eyes and one doctor said that was a symptom. I am under a lot of stress you see I went suddenly deaf a little over 13yrs. ago and with it came tinnitus, I have to use a cochlear implant and it can't be programed to work for me very well so yes I'm stressed big time, but had the neck muscle problem a while before that. I have a ADHD child that's challenging and I had to put to put my mom in nursing home for alzheimers and that worries me but I really can't get a pill for that although I don't like to take anything anyway, but I did go for a consultation visit to try accupuncture and found out I wouldn't be able to afford that, I had help with the other doctors but my card won't pay for chiropractor or accupuncture I haven't tried massage but would like to. Do I need a certain one or do they all have knowledge in what kind of massage to give you for a certain ailment?

Welcome Nadine2. Some of it does sound like it's stress related. I have RA for 20 years and since I hurt so much from it I tend to blame it for every ache & pain. However when I started hurting all over (like flu symptoms but worse), started having sensitivity to cold air, fatigue etc I talked to my Rheumatologist and she diagnosed Fibro. My sister also has it and I have found it does run in families. Massage is actually wonderful for you and also I do lite yoga stretches and try to do relaxtion techniques at least once a day. Just know we're all here for you.
Gentle hugs,
Tricia

Welcome to the group nadine, I have had a similar experience as you. The group has given you lots of good advise all ready and lots to read up on. For me that was the biggest thing I had done for myself, Read and read some more.
My Dr. over the last 18 years with the same types of symptoms as just kind of said it is living pains and we all get them. I all so had
problems with cysts and stuff like that, I was having to have laparectomy every 2 months for about a year before they said sorry but you need to get that hyst. we been talking about and ever since the hyst. my symptoms have kept me from working. I tried and lost 3 different types of careers, because I just didn't have the energy or mental stabilities to do them every day. So I have been out of work for over a year now and really want to go back. I think I miss that the most and is want causing me lots of depression. I had both my ovary removed and can not take hormone therapy. I am still trying but no luck so fare.
Early this year some one I know that had a hyst. said I was diagnosed with fibro maybe you should mention it to your Dr. and when I did, it was a like a light bulb going off, she sent me to see a Dr. that specializes in fibro and did all the test, and was diagnosed wit it in April of this year.
This group is a life line for me, with out I am not sure how I would manage.
I get support and understanding here like I would no were else.
You guys all rock.
Best of luck to you and hoping you find some
answer soon and some relief.

Gentle hugs, Sherrall

I had this problem also when I first started painting.. I started using resistence bands to exercise. It hurts and is not easy at first but I kept it up and got at least a measure of relief.

Maybe over use caused it but when I was first diagnosed a Physical Therapist said the shoulder muscles are the hardest working muscles in your body due to holding your head up all day and so they are the first muscles to start screaming and rebelling.

My list is almost identical to ivegotfibro. I have lots of pain in my shoulders and upper back, debilitating fatigue, numbness and tingling in my arms/hands and legs/feet, headaches almost daily, sleep problems (either too much or too little), anxiety, super sensitivity to temperature, noise, and odors, and lots of fibro fog (I can't always concentrate or stay focused). Hope this helps and hope you feel better soon! HUGS,
Suzanne

your dr said "living pains" and we all get them, LOL sherall what a crock! the only people who get 'living pains' are people with real conditions like fibro. i love that, have never heard that one before

to answer the original question, yes i have the similar set of symptoms, particularly 'widespread pain'. i used to just describe it as 'everything hurts'. the fatigue is major - i will spend days in bed, not even having the energy to shower. a 2 hour shopping exercise wipes me out for 2-3 days, its not worth it.

i believe that in my case it started with a sleep disorder - not getting the restorative stage of sleep... that then changed the central nervous system response to pain. i also have had endometriosis for over 20 years, with 3 surgeries. i am pretty sure i have pelvic nerve damage now.

there are 2 parts of the body where major nerve communication takes place - the brachial plexus, which is the very top of the back, just under the neck, and the sacral plexus, at the lowest part of the lower back. i think most of us with fibro have trapped or irritated nerves in one or both places. yes we can improve the function of these areas, but i dont think i can get my central nervous system to behave the way it was meant to, after all this time. i rely on strong painkillers to cope.

i knw you have lots to read, but this article is very good - it talks about how fibro develops over time:

http://journals.aol.com/kmc528/Lifeasweknowit/entries/2007/08/26/dr.-pellegrino-and-dr.-yunus-on-fibromyalgia/1652

i don't sleep well, and that started when I lost my hearing and have serious tinnitus the noise won't let you sleep and also I'm used to getting up early for husband and kid to go to wok and school and been doing that so long it messed with my sleep but like I said the hearing loss and tinnitus is the biggest culprit.I had to go to the rheumatologist back in april and he gave me a shot of steroids in my feet because I have morton's neuroma which is tumors on the nerves of my feet and I think that might have been what made my problem worse (maybe) because I know I can't stand or walk or sit for any length of time without freezing up in my joints and muscles it's so much worse now (what do you think). I have been bombarded in the last few years with health problems it just doesn't seem real something is going on but can't seem to find a doctor to put 2and2 together I don't know where to turn to find out why I'm being attacked by my own body. AHHHHH! I don't even recognize myself (I don't mean my looks), I went from 35 when it all started and now just turned 49 but feel like poor health 80's or 90's there's actually old people in better shape and I don't smoke ,drink or really abuse myself in any way and still ended up like this. I'm going to have to get off the computer because my shoulders are hurting so bad, talk to you later. bye,bye.

You could get a full lab panel done and especially get checked for B12 deficiency, intrinsic factor (how your body absorbs B12), iron and vitamin D. Other lab work to get is to check for Lupus, Epstein Barr, antistreptolysine ASO, Lyme (past and present) and arthritis (although you can be sero negative and have arthritis).

I take 5 grams of D-ribose a day. It gives me energy.

Other supplements I take are: kyolic garlic, liquid calcium, magnesium and vitamin D, L-glutamine (for leaky gut), acidophilus/bifidus (20 million live cultures), 5-HTP 100mgs, Melatonin 3 to 4 mgs a night for sleeping, OmegaMD fish oil and CoEnzymeQ10.

I try and eat fresh ground flax, hemp hearts (energy) and either cranberries, dried cherries or other goji berries every day or so.

I get a nightly massage by my hubby as well as get professional massages when I can. I started to go to a Reflexologist and in the past, have gone to chiropractors. I bought 450+ thread count sheets which are so soft.