Hi in dec 08 I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and have had several opinions from different Health Professionals I have come across through the referral and consultation phase, that I am VERY VERY confused about - if anyone had any thoughts?
I was orginally referred to the hospital consultant with a GP diagnosis of throchanteric bursitis (inflammation of the bursa sacs inbetween the hip joints) and because I am asthmatic my GP wouldn't prescribe anti-inflammatories so referred me to the rhumatology dept for a steroid injection straight into the joints. All the blood test came back negative, apart from showing I am low on folate which could cause anaemia if left (which GP said would prob have been reason for feeling tired/lethargic).
At the 1 and only consultation at rhumatology dept they asked brief (very brief) history of the pain in my hips/thighs, did the point pressing test, asked how my sleep was and then told me it was fibromyalgia, gave me a nice bonny leaflet to read, told me there was no further help and prescribed me amitriptyline.
Whilst waiting for this consultation I had asked about physio and since diagnosis I have asked the 2 different physios their thoughts also on fibromyalgia. The 1st physio felt that my hip pain was because the smaller muscles in my legs and hips were doing all the work of the large buttock muscles, as these weren't firing when they should when I walked etc. The 2nd physio felt that my stature was that of a pregnant lady with my pelvis dropped forward and stomach drooping, which he said since my daughter was born by C-section 5 yrs ago would make sense as the stomach muscles would have been stretched by pregnancy then cut by C-section so be weak and cause my pelvis to roll forward, my hips to be out of realignment and subsequently my knees, ankles and feet to be the same - all possibly causing the pain in my hips and legs.
So I am left feeling quite shocked and confused that a quick referral and 1 consultation can say I have fibromylgia that I will have forever, of which there is no cause or reason for and that's that. To 2 different physios giving me VERY plausible and logical reasons why I have this hip and leg pain. I also discussed with the physios their thoughts on fibromyalgia and they felt very much the same as me that it feels like an excuse - (i) an excuse by Dr's who can't be bothered to find the real reason for peoples very real pain and discomfort so invented the word fibromyalgia for all those patients that they see regularly that they then don't have to help anymore, by passing over treatment to the patients and (ii) it feels like an excuse for some patients to actually say they have some kind of illness if they're tired or aching that day.
I don't mean for any of this to purposesly upset anyone, I'm just trying to get answers so I'm not confused about all the different thoughts of different health professionals.
When I read the bonny leaflet the consultant gave me, the symptoms were familiar to me with regards to fibromyalgia i.e. the disturbed sleep (although we've had a horribly stressful 2 yrs as a family and have had none stop upsetting events one after the other without being able to deal with the previous event, so presumed this stress was cause of sleep disturbance), IBS, feeling tired all the time (although I am overweight so just have accepted over the years that I will feel tired until I get my finger out to lose weight) etc. But I have had a plausible reason (as above) for each of these symptoms and as my husband rightly pointed out, the symptoms in the leaflet were very broad and covered almost everything and could be stated for symptoms of a lot of other medical problems too, as quite general.
Again I want to reiterate here that I'm not trying to be rude to anyone about this illness, I'm just trying to outline my struggle with accepting the consultants diagnosis after 1 consultation and trying to find answers to whether (i) this illness actually does exist and its not just a Dr's excuse for not trying anymore to help patients where test results all come back negtaive (ii) that I do infact have this illness without any other plausible diagnosis being considered for anything else or without a reason and (iii) do the physios have a point about why I have the discomfort i.e. muscles not working properly and possible results of a C-section delivery?
ANY information and thoughts from anyone would be greatly GREATLY appreciated, so I can move away from the no mans land I feel in at the minute.
MANY thanks
Em