Fibromyalgia Support Group

As of April 2008 I started visiting a Rheumotologist, and I see him once a month.

On Monday I will start a series of allergy shots just to see why I get recurrent upper respiratory infections. What should I look for in a way that will tell me if I have allergies. Or is my Myalfacial pain diagnosis(Fibromylgia) something I have to figure out by myself????

Please help.

Welcome to our fibro family oroman, when looking for allergies, you should do the trial an error method. I noticed that every time I eat tomatoes or something made of tomatoes, I get them little white blisters on my tongue. Eating bread made with bleached flour causes my head to stuff up so I have to find bread that has unbleached flour. Are you going to allergy shots or allergy testing? There are so many forms and conditions associated with fibro that you might want to go back thru some of the threads. Just scroll up to the top of the page then over to the right as far as you can go. There is a blank area with search after it. Just type in what ever you want an answer for and it will take you to the threads that have been started for that subject.

Feel free to PM me anytime you wish.

Jan

I will be going for allergy testing with needles on my skin. But you are right about trial and error. But I know of some of my allergies at this time. In the mean time I continue to get upper respiratory infections. And I don't wish to continue on antibiotics.

Oh, thank you for showing me on how to use the this menu screen.

oroman: I am ummmm, 47 going on 20 LOL - anyways, I started getting severe allergies at the age of 30. I went for allergy testing and found that I was allergic to cats, dust, dust mites, tree pollen, grass pollen, and mold. Am also highly chemically sensitive to perfumes, fragrances, chemicals, etc... I just had food allergy testing done because I have severe stomach issues, IBS and Gastroparesis and it showed that I am allergic to about 6 categories of foods.

When I first started getting the environmental allergies, I went from doctor to doctor to doctor. Tried every antibiotic you could imagine. It would work for a week and then I was sick again. I had Bronchitis for six months one time. I just kept the cough syrup bottle next to the bedstand and would just open it up and drink from the bottle.

About 4 1/2 years ago, I went to an allergist and had the testing done. I started on shots and only up until about 4 months ago, did I not need them anymore. Don't get me wrong, I still have allergies, but not to the severity I did before. The allergy meds I take now do the job, where as before the shots, it was like taking a baby aspirin for a migraine. I don't regret those shots ONE bit.

Good luck on your testing and please let us know how it turns out,

Hugs Kay

**Oh and by the way... in regards to your Fibromyalgia - allergies, chemical sensitives and low immune system all play a part of it.**

Post edited by: KayDesigner, at: 01/02/2009 14:03

I am really quite impressed with the feed back I've received. And I wish to thank you all. Its been quite time consuming for m, But it seems like I am putting my life in order. So far I have been my own advocate in the process of getting a diagnosis and learning a lot on this syndrome.

My wish is for all of us to hang in there, and receive all of your comments and support. This is so good for me, because I have days that I just wish to have it all end. Believe me its not that I will do it, but its such a lonely thing to go thru it alone.

On Monday I will be going to the Rheumotologist/Allergist. Thank God for my health insurance thru my job. I am also receiving counseling, but that really doesn't help since she doesn't quite get it either.

So far I will continue so search on the internet for more information. And also continue to look forward to receiving emails from everyone thats being so supportive towards me. I feel like I finally have found the moral support that I need. Thank you ladies for your kind acts of faith and all of your great insight in this journey.

Welcome Oroman, I am sorry you're dealing with people that don't get it, I think we should be equipped with the power to relay this condition so nobody has any doubt about our limitations. I think it scares people to see someone who looks well claim to be so unwell. If they admit that it is possible then it means it could happen to them, JMO.

As far as searching the net I happen to know that KayDesigner, our newest group leader(YAY KAY!) has many links that are extremely helpful. I'm sure she would love to share them with you if you just PM her.

What they are doing with the skin testing is injecting a small amount of the suspected allergen under the skin and watching for a reaction. This is fairly accurate but there are always exceptions. Sometimes the only way to diagnose allergies is by trial and error. Even the blood tests for allergies can give misleading results. It's a good place to start though. Some of the things that I tested positive to don't seem to cause me any symptoms, others do immediately. It's a very individual thing.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR MESSAGE. I FEEL THAT I COULD USE ALL THE HELP I CAN GET. PLEASE PUT IN TOUCH WITH JAY KAY. IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S ALOT FOR ME TO LEARN, AND I AM UP FOR IT.

THIS SYNDROME HAS BEEN A PART OF MY LIFE FOR ABOUT 5 YRS. AND MANY VISITS TO THE DOCTORS, UNTIL 4/08 WHEN I FINALLY WAS TOLD TO SEE A RHEUMOLOGOST AND SO FAR ITS HELPED ME B U T ONLY UP TO A CERTAIN POINT.

I PRETTY MUCH TELL HIM WHAT I FEEL HE SHOULD BE DOING FOR ME. YET HE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH PATIENTS LIKE ME FOR TEN YRS NOW. WHY CAN'T HE HELP ME MORE. I SUGGESTED THE ALLERGY TESTING AND HE WENT ALONG WITH IT. HE HAS THE ALLERGY TESTING DONE IN HIS OFFICE SO HE CAN HAVE THE INFORMATION RIGHT AWAY.

I'M I ASKING FOR UNNECESSARY TESTING????? WHAT DO I DO?

I KNOW SOME OF MY ALLERGIES FROM PREVIOUS VISITS TO ANOTHER ALLERGIST YEARS AGO. BUT SINCE LEARNING OF THE FIBROMYALGIA THATS AFFLICTING ME I AM REALLY TRYING TO DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING POSSIBLE THAT WILL HELP.

YET SOMEHOW I DON'T FEEL LIKE I WANT TO BOTHER WITH THE TESTING. I GET UP AT 5:OO AM MON - FRID AND GET TO BED BY 8 - 9 PM, SO THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO IS GO VISIT A DR. AT 5:30 - 6 PM WHEN I WOULD MUCH RATHER BE HOME HAVING DINNER OR STOPPING BY AT THE YMCA AND SWIMMING FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

ANY IDEAS FOR ME OTHER THAN THE DR'S???? I REALLY AM READY TO STOP WORKING, BUT SO FAR I AM ON A ROLLER COASTER WITH MY CURRENT EMPLOYER. ONE DAY I'M TOLD I WILL BE MADE PART TIME AND THE NEXT I'M TOLD NO NOT YET OR MAYBE IN MARCH OF THIS YR. AND THIS HAS BEEN ON GOING SINCE SEPT 08.

Oroman, so sorry you are dealing with allergies on top of Fibro. I have had allergies my whole life and am always sick. I also get migraines that the sinus headaches just love to form into. Anyway for 20 yrs I have looked for something that worked. I tried so many OTC's and script meds I think I supported the drug companies by myself. Last Oct, I tried Zirtec and it worked for me. NO more daily headaches and allergy symptons. It took about 2 weeks to start working and as long as I take one every night I'm okay. I still had a sinusitis infection in November but if I make it thru the whole winter with just that 1 I will be in heaven.