Should I see if I have Fibro?

[kuntrygurl78]

I was just talking to my bf about my shoulder. She just called to see how I was doing. She said her MIL was worried that I might have fibro. I looked up the National Fibro association webisite. My mom and her sis both have fibro. Here is some info from the page.

I found this info from the National Fibromyalgia Association

The red is my comments within theirs


What are the Symptoms?



FM is characterized by the presence of multiple tender points and a constellation of symptoms.

Pain
The pain of FM is profound, widespread and chronic. It knows no boundaries, migrating to all parts of the body and varying in intensity. FM pain has been described as stabbing and shooting pain and deep muscular aching, throbbing, and twitching. Neurological complaints such as numbness, tingling, and burning are often present and add to the discomfort of the patient. I have this as far as my shoulder is concerned. The severity of the pain and stiffness is often worse in the morning. Shoulder also. Aggravating factors that affect pain include cold/humid weather, non-restorative sleep, physical and mental fatigue, excessive physical activity, physical inactivity, anxiety and stress.


Fatigue
In today's world many people complain of fatigue; however, the fatigue of FM is much more than being tired. It is an all-encompassing exhaustion that interferes with even the simplest daily activities. It feels like every drop of energy has been drained from the body, which at times can leave the patient with a limited ability to function both mentally and physically. Dont really have this unless I dont sleep well.


Sleep problems
Many fibromyalgia patients have an associated sleep disorder that prevents them from getting deep, restful, restorative sleep. Medical researchers have documented specific and distinctive abnormalities in the Stage 4 deep sleep of FM patients. During sleep, individuals with FM are constantly interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain activity, limiting the amount of time they spend in deep sleep. I have sleep problems, but they are IC related. Tho many people with IC also have FM.

Other symptoms
Additional symptoms may include: irritable bowel and bladder YUP, headaches and migraines, restless legs syndrome (periodic limb movement disorder), impaired memory and concentration Mabye?, skin sensitivities and rashes, dry eyes and mouth, anxiety, depression YES!!!, ringing in the ears, dizziness, vision problems, Raynaud's Syndrome, neurological symptoms, and impaired coordination Is this why I always bump into things?.


To receive a diagnosis of FM, the patient must meet the following diagnostic criteria:

Widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body for a minimum duration of three months
Tenderness or pain in at least 11 of the 18 specified tender points when pressure is applied
Maybe I can have a friend press on the spots for me tonight.


What do you guys think? Am I being a hypochondriac?

[mlzippy7]

I would get it checked out. I had suffered with it for years before finally seeing a rhuematologist and getting the official diagnosis!
Good Luck!

[verdicries]

hey!
if the pain is ONLY your shoulder, i would say you're pretty safe. i've had fibro since 1993 (ugh). it's WIDESPREAD, sometimes BONE CRUSHING pain and definite sleep deprivation (fm patients rarely reach REM sleep). if you're concerned, i would go to a rheumatologist to be checked for trigger points. however, i think you're safe.

depression/anxiety (which you admit to) can manifest itself in ways like "fog" and forgetting stuff, etc. keep us posted!

[ICNJess]

I would talk to your doctor about this. Physical examination and symptom discription are basically the way to diagnose it and if it is, there are medications available to help ease the symptoms. I was dx'd with it not too long after my IC and for me, gentle stretching and the heating pad are my best ways to treat it, though somedays just my bra strap resting on my shoulder makes me want to scream! Lyrica and Neurontin were the meds that helped me the most with my fibro and my horrible sleeping problem. I would wake up after a full night's sleep feeling more tired than when I went to sleep!

[GriffsMommy]

I don't think it hurts to talk to your primary dr about and then they can tell you if they think it's worth you seeing a specialist.
I have often wondered if I have fibro as well. I actually had someone else suggest it to me as well as something to look into just from hearing my daily aches and pains. I pretty much came to the conclusion that for me I don't even want to know at this point. This is probably due to the fact that I have a lot more diagnosis than you do at this point and am already on a ton of meds. That's just me though. My bladder and endo are making it very clear that they want to be center stage at this point. Maybe if I can ever get them calmed down and still noticed some fibro like symptoms I would want to get them checked out them.
I hope you don't have fibro, but you're right, a good number of people who have IC also have fibro. It seems some of these things just cluster themselves together and it seems it is rare to find someone who just has one. I sure hope this isn't your problem though.