Life with Endometriosis
By LorettaB
FIBROMYALGIA SYNDROME
I have prepared this for those who may want to learn a little more about Fibromyalgia, or may have Endo and are experiencing body pain and fatigue that they are unaware of it’s origins. Many may be having many symptoms that they feel may not be related to Endometriosis, many of us suffer from more symptoms that don’t seem to make sense on that diagnosis alone.
Many women who have been diagnosed with endo and are prescribed Lupron and other such drugs for their endo treatment, the effects of these drugs alone can mimic Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptoms, but with or without these drugs the unfortunate reality is it very likely if you have severe and ongoing muscular pain it may be Fibromyalgia. Fibro effects many women who have endo, the reasons are still as unclear as the initial cause of fibro, or for that matter endo, but there seems to be a relationship that makes having one more likely you will have the other too. Fibro causes body pain and tiredness and although Lupron and these drugs DO carry all those effects as well, endo and fibro can be closely linked, so don't dismiss it just b/c you took Lupron for any amount of time.
link, at last someone believed in I was plagued with more ongoing pain and complaints that could not be explained by endo alone, and often thought and was looked at as being a hypochondriac by more than a few, when you have this many symptoms and no test reveals much of anything it tends to make you be seen in a suspicious light, and often leads to counselors instead of Dr's who may help.
I had so many different and severe pains and fatigue that I felt were wrong, things I could not easily explain away, this lead me to many GP's over the years, a select few mentioned fibro in passing but never really explained it, "You likely have Fibro but there is nothing you can do about it anyway" was the advise I got, others immediately challenged my emotional issues, asked about my relationships, home life, drug or alcohol use, past abuse.... and offered immediate anti depressants, even though there was little wrong there.
Finally during a visit with a new GP, he said he was very sure I had fibro and told me of the fibro-endo relationship, he was willing to at least look into it which made me feel better. I had heard little about Fibro in detail, beyond that it was in womens heads and was more a mental issue than a real and valid illness, so having this Dr say he thought I had it, coupled with the speed and ease of others offering anti depressants and asking personal questions I was concerned I may actually have some mental issue that was causing me to only think I felt this pain.
But I KNEW it was REAL, I knew with all I was that this pain was severe, it cycled, it caused me to not have the ability to carry out a normal day to day activities, separate and aside from the endo. One day I felt OK, the next I had problems getting out of bed and would feel I had been beaten or run a hundred mile race, when I had done nothing out of the ordinary the day before, all I wanted was to get to the bottom of it because I was starting to worry that I had some major disease that was eating away at my system, it had been a long time now that I suffered in this pain and I was getting really scared.
I was sent to a Rheumatologist, where in 2000 I was finally officially diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, I was counseled on the connection between fibro and endo as well as chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, and a host of other illness’s, although no one wants to be told they have any illness, and especially another on top of endo that has no known causes, no cure and few treatments, at least it gave me something to start researching so I could take a proactive stand against it.
Having a diagnosis also helped me to settle in my mind that I was not crazy, nothing pleased me more than to know I had not started taking the anti depressants for nothing, so please don't just dismiss any signs, talk to as many Dr's as you have to and get to a Rheumatoligist for a definitive diagnosis, you never know what is really going on.
Not to long ago my body pain got the the point that it makes it very difficult to even walk, this can come on out of the blue, mostly when I am over tired or run down, my body will feel like I was in an accident and black and blue all over, hurting severely where no injury is present. I can't stress enough how bad this pain can get, when I had a flair and that one focused in the middle of my chest, it came on like a heart attack. This lead me to my local emerg dept where they did a stress test, ECG and all the other heart attack tests, only to reveal nothing. This pain had me bed ridden for days, breathing as shallow as possible and sleeping sitting up, in the end I was told that the fibro had effected the soft tissue in between my rib cages, I have had it several time since then. I get swelling, although I am told there usually is no swelling, possibly puffiness however, but I swell bad enough that I cannot wear rings when a flair comes on, and my feet can swell like pop cans making it impossible to walk, my lower legs swell to tree trunks and boots or shoes never fit, so yes, some can swell badly too.
In living with both Fibromyalgia, and Endo, as well as the other things endo has given me to deal with, I have had to make MAJOR changes to my life, and lifestyle. These have included changes to my diet, thinking, exercise and a host of other things. All these together have made living with these things tolerable. Shortly I will also post my health regime for you to take a look at. This will include the plan and vitamin therapy devised by myself and a Naturopathic Physician, I have studied this at length in order to devise a working plan. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask’ I hope this helps to answer some of your questions regarding this syndrome, and perhaps you will find it too explains some of your complaints and lead you to being diagnosed and helped through it.
Below are explanations, symptoms and links to sites that explain further, fibro has no tests that say you have it, the only was to have a diagnosis is through symptoms, history, and a couple tests they do finding painful "trigger" points throughout your body, there are 11 points they look for, I had all 11.
There are no blood tests or markers to confirm Fibro and the only one who can properly diagnose you is a through a Rheumatoligist,
NOT a general practitioner.
I have also provided more links to very good sites throughout this site, you are welcome and encouraged to refer to them for more information.
REMEMBER
The only QUALIFIED person to definitively diagnose Fibromyalgia is a Rheumatologist or Neurologist, never settle on anyone else's diagnosis.
***Fibromyaligia is often misdiagnosed and mistreated, it is best to have one who has studied this in depth looking into your symptoms.
Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Although increased sensitivity to pain is the main symptom of fibromyalgia, fibromyalgia syndrome and other types of chronic pain diseases form a family of overlapping syndromes. Therefore, even though the most common symptoms are pain and fatigue in muscles and tendons, often it is seen that those suffering from fibromyalgia will have other associated conditions and symptoms. It is because of these overlapping symptoms that fibromyalgia came to be categorized as a syndrome rather than a disease.
The Pain of It All
The pain of Fibro can range from aching, to severe and debilitating.
Fibromyalgia's main symptom is widespread musculoskeletal pain.
This pain affects the ligaments, tendons, and muscles throughout the body. Ligaments are made of tough tissues which attach to the bones in your body. Tendons help to attach muscles to your bones. Muscles allow you to stretch and flex various body parts.
Fibromyalgia patients often feel like they are aching all over; muscles feel sore, stiff, and overworked. Muscle twitches are also common in fibromyalgia, adding to the pain of the illness. Sometimes muscles can even feel like they are burning.Fibromyalgia syndrome is a very frustrating illness to have. This is because so few people truly understand the condition.
It may be difficult for you to relate your pain to your friends and family. To help them understand, ask them to think back to when they last had a bad bout with the flu. The memories of constant aches, pains, and fatigue may help them to understand what you are facing
A Chronic Disorder
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder, which means that pain can continue for months and even years. Unfortunately, fibromyalgia treatment is often difficult to come by and many people must suffer in silence. However, fibromyalgia pain generally does not worsen over time, and it doesn't cause inflammation of the internal organs or muscles.
Many Other Symptoms
Though pain is the foremost symptom of fibromyaliga, it is by no means the only symptom.
Among other symptoms, fibromyalgia sufferers often experience:
*sleep disorders
*fatigue
*stiffness, may be worse in morning
*irritable bowel syndrome
Though it affects millions of people throughout the United States, fibromyalgia is still one of the most commonly misdiagnosed illnesses.
Researchers, scientists, and health care providers alike, are often stumped by fibromyalgia and its symptoms, confusing it for dozens of other illnesses.
In fact, this is why fibromyalgia is often referred to as the Great Imitator: because it's symptoms mimic those of many other illnesses.
If you are currently being diagnosed for fibromyalgia-like symptoms, it is especially important that you be aware of the illnesses that are commonly confused with fibromyalgia.
HOW HELPFUL WAS THIS POST IN DESCRIBING THE SYMPTOMS OF FIBROMYALGIA?
Helpful Links
Therapy Insight: fibromyalgia--a different type of pain needing a different type of treatment.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=16932722
CFS and Fibro, From Fatigued To Fantastic
http://www.endfatigue.com/Newsletter/sample1-interview.html
What is fibromyalgia? From the Arthritis Asso
All signs, symptoms and info
http://www.arthritis.ca/types%20of%20arthritis/fibromyalgia/
Many women who have been diagnosed with endo and are prescribed Lupron and other such drugs for their endo treatment, the effects of these drugs alone can mimic Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptoms, but with or without these drugs the unfortunate reality is it very likely if you have severe and ongoing muscular pain it may be Fibromyalgia. Fibro effects many women who have endo, the reasons are still as unclear as the initial cause of fibro, or for that matter endo, but there seems to be a relationship that makes having one more likely you will have the other too. Fibro causes body pain and tiredness and although Lupron and these drugs DO carry all those effects as well, endo and fibro can be closely linked, so don't dismiss it just b/c you took Lupron for any amount of time.
link, at last someone believed in I was plagued with more ongoing pain and complaints that could not be explained by endo alone, and often thought and was looked at as being a hypochondriac by more than a few, when you have this many symptoms and no test reveals much of anything it tends to make you be seen in a suspicious light, and often leads to counselors instead of Dr's who may help.
I had so many different and severe pains and fatigue that I felt were wrong, things I could not easily explain away, this lead me to many GP's over the years, a select few mentioned fibro in passing but never really explained it, "You likely have Fibro but there is nothing you can do about it anyway" was the advise I got, others immediately challenged my emotional issues, asked about my relationships, home life, drug or alcohol use, past abuse.... and offered immediate anti depressants, even though there was little wrong there.
Finally during a visit with a new GP, he said he was very sure I had fibro and told me of the fibro-endo relationship, he was willing to at least look into it which made me feel better. I had heard little about Fibro in detail, beyond that it was in womens heads and was more a mental issue than a real and valid illness, so having this Dr say he thought I had it, coupled with the speed and ease of others offering anti depressants and asking personal questions I was concerned I may actually have some mental issue that was causing me to only think I felt this pain.
But I KNEW it was REAL, I knew with all I was that this pain was severe, it cycled, it caused me to not have the ability to carry out a normal day to day activities, separate and aside from the endo. One day I felt OK, the next I had problems getting out of bed and would feel I had been beaten or run a hundred mile race, when I had done nothing out of the ordinary the day before, all I wanted was to get to the bottom of it because I was starting to worry that I had some major disease that was eating away at my system, it had been a long time now that I suffered in this pain and I was getting really scared.
I was sent to a Rheumatologist, where in 2000 I was finally officially diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, I was counseled on the connection between fibro and endo as well as chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, and a host of other illness’s, although no one wants to be told they have any illness, and especially another on top of endo that has no known causes, no cure and few treatments, at least it gave me something to start researching so I could take a proactive stand against it.
Having a diagnosis also helped me to settle in my mind that I was not crazy, nothing pleased me more than to know I had not started taking the anti depressants for nothing, so please don't just dismiss any signs, talk to as many Dr's as you have to and get to a Rheumatoligist for a definitive diagnosis, you never know what is really going on.
Not to long ago my body pain got the the point that it makes it very difficult to even walk, this can come on out of the blue, mostly when I am over tired or run down, my body will feel like I was in an accident and black and blue all over, hurting severely where no injury is present. I can't stress enough how bad this pain can get, when I had a flair and that one focused in the middle of my chest, it came on like a heart attack. This lead me to my local emerg dept where they did a stress test, ECG and all the other heart attack tests, only to reveal nothing. This pain had me bed ridden for days, breathing as shallow as possible and sleeping sitting up, in the end I was told that the fibro had effected the soft tissue in between my rib cages, I have had it several time since then. I get swelling, although I am told there usually is no swelling, possibly puffiness however, but I swell bad enough that I cannot wear rings when a flair comes on, and my feet can swell like pop cans making it impossible to walk, my lower legs swell to tree trunks and boots or shoes never fit, so yes, some can swell badly too.
In living with both Fibromyalgia, and Endo, as well as the other things endo has given me to deal with, I have had to make MAJOR changes to my life, and lifestyle. These have included changes to my diet, thinking, exercise and a host of other things. All these together have made living with these things tolerable. Shortly I will also post my health regime for you to take a look at. This will include the plan and vitamin therapy devised by myself and a Naturopathic Physician, I have studied this at length in order to devise a working plan. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask’ I hope this helps to answer some of your questions regarding this syndrome, and perhaps you will find it too explains some of your complaints and lead you to being diagnosed and helped through it.
Below are explanations, symptoms and links to sites that explain further, fibro has no tests that say you have it, the only was to have a diagnosis is through symptoms, history, and a couple tests they do finding painful "trigger" points throughout your body, there are 11 points they look for, I had all 11.
There are no blood tests or markers to confirm Fibro and the only one who can properly diagnose you is a through a Rheumatoligist,
NOT a general practitioner.
I have also provided more links to very good sites throughout this site, you are welcome and encouraged to refer to them for more information.
REMEMBER
The only QUALIFIED person to definitively diagnose Fibromyalgia is a Rheumatologist or Neurologist, never settle on anyone else's diagnosis.
***Fibromyaligia is often misdiagnosed and mistreated, it is best to have one who has studied this in depth looking into your symptoms.
Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Although increased sensitivity to pain is the main symptom of fibromyalgia, fibromyalgia syndrome and other types of chronic pain diseases form a family of overlapping syndromes. Therefore, even though the most common symptoms are pain and fatigue in muscles and tendons, often it is seen that those suffering from fibromyalgia will have other associated conditions and symptoms. It is because of these overlapping symptoms that fibromyalgia came to be categorized as a syndrome rather than a disease.
The Pain of It All
The pain of Fibro can range from aching, to severe and debilitating.
Fibromyalgia's main symptom is widespread musculoskeletal pain.
This pain affects the ligaments, tendons, and muscles throughout the body. Ligaments are made of tough tissues which attach to the bones in your body. Tendons help to attach muscles to your bones. Muscles allow you to stretch and flex various body parts.
Fibromyalgia patients often feel like they are aching all over; muscles feel sore, stiff, and overworked. Muscle twitches are also common in fibromyalgia, adding to the pain of the illness. Sometimes muscles can even feel like they are burning.Fibromyalgia syndrome is a very frustrating illness to have. This is because so few people truly understand the condition.
It may be difficult for you to relate your pain to your friends and family. To help them understand, ask them to think back to when they last had a bad bout with the flu. The memories of constant aches, pains, and fatigue may help them to understand what you are facing
A Chronic Disorder
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder, which means that pain can continue for months and even years. Unfortunately, fibromyalgia treatment is often difficult to come by and many people must suffer in silence. However, fibromyalgia pain generally does not worsen over time, and it doesn't cause inflammation of the internal organs or muscles.
Many Other Symptoms
Though pain is the foremost symptom of fibromyaliga, it is by no means the only symptom.
Among other symptoms, fibromyalgia sufferers often experience:
*sleep disorders
*fatigue
*stiffness, may be worse in morning
*irritable bowel syndrome
Though it affects millions of people throughout the United States, fibromyalgia is still one of the most commonly misdiagnosed illnesses.
Researchers, scientists, and health care providers alike, are often stumped by fibromyalgia and its symptoms, confusing it for dozens of other illnesses.
In fact, this is why fibromyalgia is often referred to as the Great Imitator: because it's symptoms mimic those of many other illnesses.
If you are currently being diagnosed for fibromyalgia-like symptoms, it is especially important that you be aware of the illnesses that are commonly confused with fibromyalgia.
HOW HELPFUL WAS THIS POST IN DESCRIBING THE SYMPTOMS OF FIBROMYALGIA?
Helpful Links
Therapy Insight: fibromyalgia--a different type of pain needing a different type of treatment.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=16932722
CFS and Fibro, From Fatigued To Fantastichttp://www.endfatigue.com/Newsletter/sample1-interview.html
What is fibromyalgia? From the Arthritis Asso
All signs, symptoms and info
http://www.arthritis.ca/types%20of%20arthritis/fibromyalgia/
