I haven't been diagnosed with fibromyalgia but I wonder ...

Bones, joints and muscles
1

I haven't been diagnosed with fibromyalgia but I wonder if it's what I have? Currently I'm 43. Growing up I was very active- always outside playing, climbing trees, bicycling everywhere. I am one of those people who cannot sit still. My husband sleeps in one spot all night and he is capable of sitting in a chair for hours on end while reading a book. Any position I get into may feel good for up to 10 minutes, but then I have to shift. Motion and change seem to be the key to pain management. Most of my pain is in my right sacroiliac joint area- the muscles and ligaments associated with that, all the way up my spine on either side and trigger points (I think) at my shoulder blade area, under my collarbone, at the base of my skull on the right. There are other small points around my knee joints, shoulder joints and skull that on and off radiate a sharp pain if I lightly touch the area. Alternating moist heat and ice, a form of hydrotherapy called fluxion, has been very effective in relaxation, better than any massage I've gotten (and I've a lot- including rolfing..) Does anybody out there feel like their ligaments are wound up like a rubber band gets wound up in order to send one of those balsa-wood toy gliders across the room? Mine feel over wound, craving to be released but incapable of doing so. An angle I'm revisiting is to find any connection my symptoms have with my attitudes about life; like, am I wound up inside, full of suppressed feelings? Aughhhh! Anyway...I'm starting to look for others who can relate... Thanks,

Hilary

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2

I haven't been diagnosed with fibromyalgia either - but I can identify with everything you say. I had some Shiatsu treatment to try and ease my back pain and it seemed that 'everywhere' she touched, albeit gently, it felt as if she had red-hot tin tacks on the ends of her thumbs/fingers. I work in a Hospice and a Complementary Medicine practitioner has been giving me Bowen technique treatments to help with my tight hamstrings. I've been given a chair that it 'tailor-made' to make the sitting position more comfortable but I am as stiff as could be after only 15 mins. Mornings it takes me a while to get moving and my sleep patterns are terrible. I have GORD, IBS with severe bloating, tinnitus and a variety of other relativelt minor ailments. Like you, I was always very active, up until about 5-6 years ago -walking, dancing and generally leaping around like a 2 year old. My husband left me for another woman 4 years ago (finally!) and the symptoms have been increasing since. There have been a lot of problems since, both financial and emotional and I wouldn't be at all surprised if an 'expert' said that the symptoms were all linked with my 'experiences' in my marriage. I'm delighted to be finally rid of my husband's presence but the strain of sorting out the finances (he doesn't want me to have any!)will definitely be the main reason for all these flare-ups - they get worse every time I have to speak to the solicitor. I'm really really hoping that once everything is settled for once and for all that my symptoms will gradually subside and let me get on with my life again. Until then, I'm investigating the benefits of juicing so that I can still have the nutrients from vegetables without the guaranteed bloating after eating. I take Normacol to give me the fibre content I need but juice all vegetables and avoid high fibre foods. I'm working on cutting out dairy foods but I'm finding that difficult. However, some positive things are starting to happen so I'll stick with it for as long as I can and if juicing has to become a way of life, so be it. Who needs chocolate anyway? (ME! ME! ME!). I hope you find a good solution for your pain. Good luck vibes heading your way :-)

Marilyn:magic:

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3

I have not been diagnosed with fibromyalgia but i have had the symptoms for just over a year now.

It started in May 2005 when i had just finished doing a GCSE retake. My back was in agony for about 4 weeks untill it died down but since then i have had varying problems with headaches, knee, lower back, hip pain, stiff neck and also costochondritis whcih is chest pain. I have always had sleep problems as far as i can remember. My back is the key problem at the the moment as it seems to get very painful around my period and lasts for up to a week afterwards. Since last year i have been feeling very low as a lot of family problems erupted in January 05 which may have caused it. (curse my dad who was the source of it all).

I am currently under going physio for my back as i began tilting to to the left over easter and they think its poor posture!!!!!

I used to be a happy, active and always had loads of energy. I did dancing, helped run an after school club and pre-school in my spare time as well as doing everything a girl loves, going out and shopping and generally acting like a 3 year old. Like Hillary i was always on the go and couldn't just sit around and do nothing as i would get bored easily. One of my close friends has been diagnosed with fibro and he said that i should check it out with my doctors as his symptoms are like mine.

Good luck to you and hope you find out what is causing this pain. I can fully relate to what you are saying and just wish i could wind back a few years and start agian without all this agony.

All the best

Susan

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4

This all sounds so familiar! During the winter of last year, I awoke with aching hips on a couple of occasions. I didn't worry too much about this and thought it was maybe just the cold weather.

In March of this year I couldn't get out of bed, the middle of my spine felt as though it was in a vice. I made an appointment to see the GP after the weekend. On the Saturday morning trying to get out of bed was even more difficult, my legs had stiffened and my shoulders were hurting. I managed to get to the chinese medicine doctor, his opinion was that I had damaged a disc, arthritis in my shoulders and rheumatism in my hips. I had a few sessions of acupuncture, which did help, but only for a short time. The GP felt that the muscles around the painful area in my spine were so tight that I had injured my back. I was prescribed ibuprofen and soluble paracetamol.

The pain continued to spread, it was mainly affecting my right side, shoulder, arm to my elbow, hip and down to the back of my knee.

I was then prescribed declofenac and co codamol. These worked for the first 24 hours but then became ineffective.

In June I requested blood tests. These showed that my esr levels were at 33, ( I understand that the normal range is between 3 and 15) no other abnormalities were recorded.

In July I had the blood tests done again esr was at 30 and crp levels were up. I suggested to the GP that I may have polimyalgia, but she didn't think this was likely.

By this time the pain was spreading further, the whole of my ribcage had begun to hurt, including my collar bone, so breathing, coughing or sneezing is really painful. The pain has spread from my neck into the back of my head. The pain in my elbow now runs down my arm across my wrist and up my thumb. The left side of my body is becoming as painful as the right side.

I have been having physio, this doesn't seem to have any long term benefits. I have had another lot of blood tests and will see the GP and hopefully be referred to a rheumatologist and the pain clinic!

I feel so frustrated, the quality of my life has deteriorated so much. I used to enjoy swimming, walking and cycling.

I manage to get to sleep ok, but I knnow I cannot move once I lay down and the quality of sleep is affected, I wake every couple of hours and feel tired on waking. In the morning I have to try and pull my knees upto my stomach and stretch them as they spasm. I get hold of my jaw to straighten my head. I have to rock myself on the edge of the bed into a sitting position, this is the most agonising pain! I have started to get pain in my jaw near my ear and tingling in my left cheek.

I feel that if I could just have a diagnosis, I would feel happier so that I could seek out the correct support.

I hope you, too, are able to receve the support and pain relief you need.

Good luck with it all

Jean :?

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