AnJeL
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Hi Morgantaylor! I'm pretty new here myself. I know exactly how you feel with the denial stuff. I felt it, too. Still do somewhat, since everything else has not been ruled out for me. I got a heads-up that I might have FM a year ago after a sleep study detected Alpha-Delta wave disturbance. (I couldn't get enough restful sleep, even if I slept 12 hours + a nap, so the doc sent me for a sleep study.) Before the sleep study, the doc had me convinced that I had stress-induced depression and put me on Cymbalta, which helped for the first two or three months, but I had terrible side effects after being on it after that (stopped taking it soon after the sleep study results came in). This Alpha disturbance is comorbid with FM in a lot of people. Strangely, so is teeth grinding while asleep!?! (I use a tooth night guard.) Stress makes flare-ups worse. So, from there, my doc sent me to a rheumatologist for "official diagnosis". Only problem was it took 5 months for me to get in to see the rheumatologist! This past May, I finally got the appointment and the answer that I did have FM (he did the trigger point test and I had more than 11 of the 18 points). I'm going for another sleep study tomorrow night to see if anything has changed. I'm also seeing the rheumatologist next week again to go through all of my med records to see if there is anything else that my regular doc missed testing me for, to rule out all other possibilities (what fun). From what I understand, there are blood tests for thyroid disorders, pituitary and adrenal gland disorders that need to be done to rule those out, diabetes, MS, then there are nerve conduction tests which can be done through a neurologist to find out if there is a disorder there, etc. I've already had the bloodwork. I personally am not looking forward to the nerve conduction testing because I know it's gonna hurt, but I am going to talk to the rheumatologist about it anyway, so that I can relieve the curiosity in my mind if there is anything else at all that could be causing these symptoms! My symptoms started after a car accident when I was 9 weeks pregnant in early 2004. I hit my head pretty hard and had a mild concussion. A few weeks later, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which went away right after my son was born (he's 3 now). The pregnancy was horribly painful and tiring. Sciatica really bad. Anyway, I breastfed my son for a year, who wanted to eat every two hours so I never really slept for that year! After stopping breastfeeding and he was sleeping through the night, the exhaustion never went away. Neither did the weird pains that seemed to come and go at the oddest times, but always upon waking in the morning (esp. bad backaches), at least for the first half hour or so. One afternoon, I'd have my Achilles tendon hurt like I had run a marathon. The next day that would be gone, but my knee and hand would be hurting. All this and I had done nothing to bring it on. I thought I was going bonkers! The tremors and spasms can really suck, too (my thumb twitched on and off for a week at one point). I had headaches for a few months, then they just went away for half a year, but now they're back. My doc originally thought I was depressed and stressed, hence the Cymbalta mentioned above. It all snowballed from there. And I'm sick of my regular doc chalking up everything that I feel to FM! Example: I had swollen salivary glands for a month and she said that she thought it was just part of the FM. Sounds so silly to me! (I think I'm gonna change my primary doc.) Right now, I'm taking Valium at least a few times a week (settles nerves and relaxes muscles mildly), Darvocet when it gets bad, and Lunesta for sleep every night. If you don't find relief from over the counter meds and the doc's Rx doesn't help enough, you might try an antihistamine called diphenhydramine (Benadryl) if it's safe for you to do so. It's a bit unorthodox but helped me previously on rare occasions to relax the nervous system and to sleep more deeply. Non-medication help I've found includes soaking in hot baths, heating pads, massages, and meditation, as well as lots of pillows while I'm resting on the couch! I do tai chi from videos in my living room when I'm feeling fairly well (a few times a week), being careful not to overdo it or else I'll pay for it over the next 2 days! So that's my story. I suggest getting your doc to send you to a specialist, such as a rheumatologist or physiatrist (NOT misspelled!) and running further tests. It seems a lot of people in this support group have pain specialists, too. As far as getting family and friends to understand, try printing out the info you find on the internet from reputable medical websites, such as the NIH, and have them read it. I had to do this with my Dad to get him to understand moreso. It might work with some of your family. One example I used to help a friend understand: when I get a blood pressure check, I get tingling pains down my arm for hours afterward just from the pressure of the BP cuff. I explained to him that FM seems to be a nervous system overreaction to what should be only mildly painful stimuli. He got the point. Although, in my situation, my family understands fairly well but my hubby doesn't! He believes there's something going wrong with me but doesn't believe that it's FM at all, even with the rheumatologist's report in his face!  At least he doesn't deny the sleep disorder as well! I can be a little long-winded. Sorry! |
"I am so happy to be a part of the MDJunction family! Where I used to be alone, I now have friends whom inspire me, comfort me, support me, and do not judge me. My new life began October 17, 2008. I weighed in with severe depression, social anxiety disorder and avoidant personality disorder. I was born with complications but I am fighting for my life and I will survive!!" (apieceofwork)
How long has it been for you with the Fibro? Have they ruled everything else out, yet? I ask that because some docs like to blame everything on Fibro (even I do)!
!!!!
