6 Responses

1. wayward_morri

   November 7th, 2009 at 1:14 am

   1

   check out the what is it, do I have it etc pages of this web portal http://www.fibromyalgia-support.net

2. sideline2084

   November 7th, 2009 at 4:44 am

   2

   http://www.fibromyalgiasource.com has lots of information about Fibromyalgia and may be able to provide you with some assistance.

3. bodmodangel

   November 7th, 2009 at 5:03 am

   3

   With the sensitivity to the weather; it sounds like Fibromyalgia. My mom has had Fibromyalgia for about 5 years now. She takes natural herbs (go to a natural food store) and they really help b/c she could never get relief from the drugs that doc gave her. Good Luck!

4. cuteloz4646556

   November 7th, 2009 at 2:39 pm

   4

   hi my gran has fibromyalgia put she has it in her legs so some times she struggles to stan up bcause of her legs so i think its the fibromyalgia in your arms.

5. Julie_D

   November 7th, 2009 at 6:49 pm

   5

   I have fibromyalgia as well. I would say that it is probably the FMS. I don’t know how much you know about FMS, but it can do crazy crazy things to you, and the symptoms for everyone are different.

   Make sure you get all the tests done that you can to double check that it isn’t anything else and, if they can find nothing, you can then assume it is the FMS.

   I also suggest that, if you have not already, you find a rheumatologist that specializes in FMS.

   There is also http://www.healthboards.com that has an FMS board that I belong to. There are bunches and bunches of sweet ladies on there that have battled FMS for many years. They might be able to answer you better as they are very knowledgeable and have been through so much.

   Also, here is a checklist (from that board) of every symptoms FMS CAN cause. FMS differs from person to person significantly, so symptoms can range from mild to severe and include any of the following:

   GENERAL
   ____ Fatigue, made worse by physical exertion or stress
   ____ Activity level decreased to less than 50% of pre-illness activity level
   ____ Recurrent flu-like illness
   ____ Sore throat
   ____ Hoarseness
   ____ Tender or swollen lymph nodes (glands), especially in neck and underarms
   ____ Shortness of breath (air hunger) with little or no exertion
   ____ Frequent sighing
   ____ Tremor or trembling
   ____ Severe nasal allergies (new allergies or worsening of previous allergies)
   ____ Cough
   ____ Night sweats
   ____ Low-grade fevers
   ____ Feeling cold often
   ____ Feeling hot often
   ____ Cold extremities (hands and feet)
   ____ Low body temperature (below 97.6)
   ____ Low blood pressure (below 110/70)
   ____ Heart palpitations
   ____ Dryness of eyes and/or mouth
   ____ Increased thirst
   ____ Symptoms worsened by temperature changes
   ____ Symptoms worsened by air travel
   ____ Symptoms worsened by stress

   PAIN
   ____ Headache
   ____ Tender points or trigger points
   ____ Muscle pain
   ____ Muscle twitching
   ____ Muscle weakness
   ____ Paralysis or severe weakness of an arm or leg
   ____ Joint pain
   ____ TMJ syndrome
   ____ Chest pain

   GENERAL NEUROLOGICAL
   ____ Lightheadedness; feeling "spaced out"
   ____ Inability to think clearly ("brain fog")
   ____ Seizures
   ____ Seizure-like episodes
   ____ Syncope (fainting) or blackouts
   ____ Sensation that you might faint
   ____ Vertigo or dizziness
   ____ Numbness or tingling sensations
   ____ Tinnitus (ringing in one or both ears)
   ____ Photophobia (sensitivity to light)
   ____ Noise intolerance

   EQUILIBRIUM/PERCEPTION
   ____ Feeling spatially disoriented
   ____ Dysequilibrium (balance difficulty)
   ____ Staggering gait (clumsy walking; bumping into things)
   ____ Dropping things frequently
   ____ Difficulty judging distances (e.g. when driving; placing objects on surfaces)
   ____ "Not quite seeing" what you are looking at

   SLEEP
   ____ Hypersomnia (excessive sleeping)
   ____ Sleep disturbance: unrefreshing or non-restorative sleep
   ____ Sleep disturbance: difficulty falling asleep
   ____ Sleep disturbance: difficulty staying asleep (frequent awakenings)
   ____ Sleep disturbance: vivid or disturbing dreams or nightmares
   ____ Altered sleep/wake schedule (alertness/energy best late at night)

   MOOD/EMOTIONS
   ____ Depressed mood
   ____ Suicidal thoughts
   ____ Suicide attempts
   ____ Feeling worthless
   ____ Frequent crying
   ____ Feeling helpless and/or hopeless
   ____ Inability to enjoy previously enjoyed activities
   ____ Increased appetite
   ____ Decreased appetite
   ____ Anxiety or fear when there is no obvious cause
   ____ Panic attacks
   ____ Irritability; overreaction
   ____ Rage attacks: anger outbursts with little or no cause
   ____ Abrupt, unpredictable mood swings
   ____ Phobias (irrational fears)
   ____ Personality changes

   EYES AND VISION
   ____ Eye pain
   ____ Changes in visual acuity (frequent changes in ability to see well)
   ____ Difficulty with accommodation (switching focus from one thing to another)
   ____ Blind spots in vision

   SENSITIVITIES
   ____ Sensitivities to medications (unable to tolerate "normal" dosage)
   ____ Sensitivities to odors (e.g., cleaning products, exhaust fumes, colognes, hair sprays)
   ____ Sensitivities to foods
   ____ Alcohol intolerance
   ____ Alteration of taste, smell, and/or hearing

   UROGENITAL
   ____ Frequent urination
   ____ Painful urination or bladder pain
   ____ Prostate pain
   ____ Impotence
   ____ Endometriosis
   ____ Worsening of premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
   ____ Decreased libido (sex drive)

   GASTROINTESTINAL
   ____ Stomach ache; abdominal cramps
   ____ Nausea
   ____ Vomiting
   ____ Esophageal reflux (heartburn)
   ____ Frequent diarrhea
   ____ Frequent constipation
   ____ Bloating; intestinal gas
   ____ Decreased appetite
   ____ Increased appetite
   ____ Food cravings
   ____ Weight gain (____ lbs)
   ____ Weight loss (____ lbs)

   SKIN
   ____ Rashes or sores
   ____ Eczema or psoriasis

   OTHER
   ____ Hair loss
   ____ Mitral valve prolapse
   ____ Cancer
   ____ Dental problems
   ____ Periodontal (gum) disease
   ____ Aphthous ulcers (canker sores)

   COGNITIVE
   ____ Difficulty with simple calculations (e.g., balancing checkbook)
   ____ Word-finding difficulty
   ____ Using the wrong word
   ____ Difficulty expressing ideas in words
   ____ Difficulty moving your mouth to speak
   ____ Slowed speech
   ____ Stuttering; stammering
   ____ Impaired ability to concentrate
   ____ Easily distracted during a task
   ____ Difficulty paying attention
   ____ Difficulty following a conversation when background noise is present
   ____ Losing your train of thought in the middle of a sentence
   ____ Difficulty putting tasks or things in proper sequence
   ____ Losing track in the middle of a task (remembering what to do next)
   ____ Difficulty with short-term memory
   ____ Difficulty with long-term memory
   ____ Forgetting how to do routine things
   ____ Difficulty understanding what you read
   ____ Switching left and right
   ____ Transposition (reversal) of numbers, words and/or letters when you speak
   ____ Transposition (reversal) of numbers, words and/or letters when you write
   ____ Difficulty remembering names of objects
   ____ Difficulty remembering names of people
   ____ Difficulty recognizing faces
   ____ Difficulty following simple written instructions
   ____ Difficulty following complicated written instructions
   ____ Difficulty following simple oral (spoken) instructions
   ____ Difficulty following complicated oral (spoken) instructions
   ____ Poor judgment
   ____ Difficulty making decisions
   ____ Difficulty integrating information (putting ideas together to form a complete picture or concept)
   ____ Difficulty following directions while driving
   ____ Becoming lost in familiar locations when driving
   ____ Feeling too disoriented to drive

6. deb

   November 7th, 2009 at 11:39 pm

   6

   Its not unusual to have both arthritis and fibromyalgia. In fact I don’t know many people who have fibro who don’t have arthritis also.

   Seek a rheumatologist for your fibromyalgia and they will get you on the right meds for your other arthritis problems. You really need a doctor who understands fibromyalgia.

   I have fibro and arthritis and yes they can overlap. I only take the arthritis meds when I feel its arthritis that’s causing the problem. In time you will learn the difference in symptoms . It just takes time.