Question:
The title sort of says it all... My doctor has bounced this word off of
me as a possible diagnosis for my joint pains. I've done a minimal
amount of reading about it and still don't feel that I know enough.
Besides the basic muscle pains from scoliosis, I get alot of arthritic-like
pain in my right heel, knee, and hip, shoulders, and hands/fingers. My
blood tests show no signs of rheumatoid and I haven't gotten x-rays for
osteo yet. But, my blood does show high levels of inflammation. This is
why my doc. said fibromyalgia. Supposedly the only sign of fibromyalgia is
being negative to all arthritis testing but still have high levels of
inflammation.
Answer:
Some time ago someone asked here about fibromyalgia and I gave
them the address to get on the mailing list about it (saw mention
of it in sci.med at the time.) Then, it wasn't of interest to
me personally, but after the visit to my rheumatologist last week...
I'd like to get the e-mail address myself. If anyone has it, could
you post it? I'm probably not the only one interested...
For some ten years I've had problems with my tendons/connective
tissue, that would put my on crutches and keep me bedridden. Once
the attack went away, I was without pain. They came on suddenly,
lasted several days to a week, and then I lived normally until the
next one. In the last year, this has changed, and though I still have
the attacks, they are less frequent, but I have whole-body aching and
pain, and my fingers and hands and feet and knees hurt or ache almost
all the time.
My rheumatologist says I have 2 things going on: the tendon/connective
tissue problem which could now be fibromyalgia, and the joint problems
with my hands and feet which could be early stage RA or lupus.
Someone recently posted that s(he) was diagnosed with RA a year ago
and is beginning to see some deformity in her hands, and aske dhow
the progression of the disease manifested for others. I know everyone's
disease is different, that arthritis of all types can be maddeningly
mercurial, and our stories are all merely anecdotal. But still....
still....
I'm very interested in everyone's story: how long we've had the disease,
the progression, the symptoms, and personally would love to encourage
more of that. If we were sitting around in a room, a la support group,
I imagine those stories would come out. It would be wonderful, and
helpful, to hear more of them here. Some of the group who are in the
earlier stages of some form of arthritis, might benefit greatly from
all the input was receive.
I fall in both categories, as I've had this for many years, but it's
now changing its face, or adding a new one.
