Fibromyalgia Patients Please Read!!

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia recently. My symptoms are getting worse and I'm scared to death that I have something more serious! My doctor is running more test to rule other stuff out! Can you please let me know what your symptoms are and what test you may have went through before being diagnosed with fibromyalgia? I'm scheduled for surgery on Aug 17 but dint know if they are going to do it because of how I'm feeling!
Thanks

P.S. Here is some of my current symptoms.

Chills, hot flashes (no fever), flu like feeling, body aches, hurts to touch body, weakness, muscle weakness, feels like I have weights on my arms and legs, insomnia' heart racing.

http://www.anapsid.org/cnd/diagnosis/berne.html  Hi, go to this website; it is a checklist for symptoms.  There are 142 questions and I answered 82 of them.  It is for Fibro and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  So you can show this to your doctor and see what he thinks.  Sounds to me like you have the Fibro when it is finally at the stage where it is easily diagnosed.  Let us know what you think about the questionaire.   You also don't need a Rheumy doctor to diagnoise you either.  Your medical doctor can or a pain clinic can as long as it is noted in your chart that you have it.  doesn't matter who found it.  take care.
Try to get on meds now or you won't be able to function.
Kristy

Thanks Kristy!

Hi,
You are welcome for the website.  There really isn't a test to detect Fibro. It usually is diagnosed by what we tell the doctor and where our pain is located.  (In the four quads) Upper Arms, and Hips (left/right)  That is why so many doctors just say we have arthritis.  But I think there is a "Final" stage at which it is obviously Fibro.  As you can see from the list, it is more than just aches and pains.  Most people with Fibro are on an antidepressant as well.  Cymbalta isn't enough.  The doctor that detected your Fibro, hopefully put you on some form of medication.  Unfortunalty, we usually find that the strong narcotics work the best.  I use the Fentanyl patch 25mcg, Norco (as a break through med) and Cymbalta.  Plus an antidepressant.  I still have flare ups, but I don't feel like I did before it got diagnosed.  The hard thing for me that I have expressed with my fibro friends on here, is I have lost 90 lbs with the RNY 3.5 yrs ago, thinking I was going to be able to go hiking, riding bikes, and all the fun, healthy activities that thin people do.  Well, so I was badly mistaken.  Do to the turn of events in my life: my mom died 5 yrs ago, then wls, then I had uterine tumors removed (partial Hysterectomy) at 41, my mother in law passed away almost 2 yrs ago and my step dad passed two months later.  That is when I started to get the Fibro symptoms real bad.  So the medical world doesn't know what causes Fibro, but they do think it is from trauma in ones life, whether it be a mental trauma, (death) a surgery, or a car accident.  So long story short, I am having a hard time learning how to live my life around the Fibro.  I was not planning on being bed ridden for 3 months prior to being diagnosed.  It makes me sad when I think of the things I wanted to do post op vs now.  I am really trying to make the best of it now, but it is hard to come to terms with it.  If I do a lot of phy. activity I am paying for it for 3 days laid up, but I don't want this to control my life, but it does in a big way.  So, if you need some comfort you came to the right forum.  I love this forum, the support is incredible.  How has Fibro affected your life?  Kristy

I just found this forum tonite! Funny because I just posted on the R&R board about my Fibro....

Trauma - yep - mine was a really fast childbirth - and my hips were never the same!! I do really really well - found the right meds that work for me many years ago. I've been living with this since 1992 and I'm only 42 - but I manage to work 3 jobs, run a business, teach ballroom dance lessons, raise 3 kids and go to school full time!! I'm extremely lucky..

Having RNY and losing 77 lbs has helped with the pain but I know what you mean about doing too much - for me it's usually dancing combined with not sleeping - then I have to put myself into a Vicodin stupor for a day or so to recover. Exercise - can't do as much as I'd like to but I do dance and I try to swim every chance I can - keeps me limber and flexible.

I am fully convinced that Fibro hangs on sleeping properly and Magnesium for the muscles.

Glad to have found you all!

Hi Kristy,

It looks like you've been able to keep your weight down.  That's good!  That's what is worrying me the most right now. Lately I have been feeling so pained and tired, which sends me looking for the comfort of sweets or starches.  I'm so afraid that I will not be able to maintain.  I need to keep telling myself to be careful and watch what I eat.  

How have you combatted that in your journey.  I'm a year out this month.  You are a few years out and I'm wondering how you control your appetite and feelings.

Thanks,
Cindy

Hi Cindy,
That is funny you should mention that.  I was thinking about posting a question about how to gain weight.  But knowing that so many people do fight the food demon I thought I would leave well enough alone.  But actually, I eat whatever I want, and most of us that have Fibro will crave sweets and starches.  So, I eat all day, but I eat a little at a time.  I don't know if I have the dumping from the RNY when I eat sweets.  I wasn't always heavy, so mine just happened within the past 12 yrs.  So I went from 230 lbs to 140 and stayed at 140 steady for 1.5 yrs, then I had uterine tumors removed and lost 2 lbs.  So I am stuck at 138, and I can't seem to gain weight.  But my friends say, Oh don't worry about 2 lbs.  So, to answer your question honestly, I don't control my appetite, I don't eat garbage all day, but I do eat a lot of grain breads.  I can't really eat meat anymore, I don't like how long it takes to chew it.  So I am really a bad example of healthy eating.  I do stop when I am full though.  I think that helps.  I hope you were able to something out of my answer.  Hope to hear from you soon, thanks for the question. 

I'm glad to know that you don't follow the plan perfectly.  I am struggling with myself right now.  Between feeling crumby and stress and work, all I want to do is eat sweets and starch.  I didn't know that was a fibro trait.  I just figured it was me.  If I don't stop feeling this way I will likely have to get some therapy to quit.  I don't want to gain weight.  But some days I just don't care. 

http://www.anapsid.org/cnd/diagnosis/berne.html Here is a website that has all the symptoms of Fibro and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  There are 142 items, I checked off 82 of them for my symptoms.  I was wondering why all these weird things were happening to me like not being able to judge the distance (example: merging onto the highway, I can't tell if a car is in my lane or in the next lane over).  I never excercised with the weight loss either.  I thought I was going to get too skinny and lose too much weight if I excercised.  Plus I hate to excercise, I hate to sweat, I hate being hot and I have been having major hot flashes lately.  I was put into menopause when I had my uterine tumors to stop my period, so they could build up my blood again, but that was the worst experience of my life.  I have never dreamed of anything so horrible.  Dripping wet with sweat, that you can't control and I cried all the time.  Cuz I was so hot.  I am babbling, but this is how my life was.  Getting to the point now of my email, If you take the time to do a lot of deep soul searching to find out why you are struggling with yourself, you will be surprised at how well that works.  I am always doing soul searching to find out why I do what I do.  That list of symptoms I sent you is so important to read, because you might find why you are struggling with yourself in that list.  Let me know if it helped.  take care, I hope you are doing better soon.
Kristy  ps. I eat a lot of candy like sweet tarts, Mentos, Skittles and Mike and Ikes candy.  It isn't to sweet and I can handle it.  I don't dump with them and I feel okay.  So that is my sweet tooth trick.

HI, I am just checking in with you to see how you are doing with your Fibro.  Have you been put on medication yet.  If we can help you in any way, please let us know.  This forum is very helpful and full of support.  People don't understand us and they probably never will..................coming from my husband.  He just can't imagine what I am going through.  It is something that is hard to put yourself in someone else's shoes.  take care and hope to hear from you soon.
Kristy