Could I have it?

[recycleanimals]

Hello everyone, I just joined because I think I have fibromyalgia. I have had unresolved back pain for about the past four or five years (I'm currently 17), and have been to pretty much every specialist known to man and no one can seem to figure out why I'm in so much pain. My back has the most amount of pain in my body, but I have aches and pains

Comments

[slartibart]

I don't think any of us here are doctors, though your symptoms will sound very familiar to all of us. The one thing that doesn't sound familiar to me, though, is your leg pain depending on your back position. Positional pain in your legs could very well be referred pain from your spine. You MAY want to try a neurologist and/or a pain management specialist, depending on what your rheumy tells you, but it sounds like you're doing the smart thing in talking to your doctor and re-visiting your rheumy.

Best of luck to you.

[recycleanimals]

I've already been to both a neurologist and pain management specialist. The leg pain radiates from the inside of my knees, which I thought was one of the pressure points used to diagnose fibromyalgia.

[bleakoptimism]

A lot of those sound similar to symptoms I suffer, but also I am very new to being diagnosed myself, but I do suffer a lot of back problems, I have a slipped disk that keeps going out, but this time never went back in propperly, so I have an added pain from that, it runs down one leg like a burn and that can depend on my back position, apparently it presses on the sciatic (nopt sure of the spelling there) nerve, which spreads the pain down my legs, I also get extra pains from trying to favour that. But I must say I have never had had something so tender that putting it on the matress hurts, I have found with my fybro that some positions can help ease the pain slightly, but it is more or less just there, but I feel it inside, not so much of a nerve problem. I do get a lot of random pins and needle like tingling/pressure in my limbs. I assume you have seen back specialists and/or chiropractors. One problem with fybro is there are no real tests that say "yep, you got this" but it is worth getting someone to check out, though your

[recycleanimals]

I've tried basically every treatment there is. I did physical therapy for 3 months and felt no change, I had two epidurals injected into my lower back and felt no change, I've had 6 MRIs done (4 spinal, 1 pelvic, and 1 brain scan) which all came back normal, I had an EMG done on my left leg... I quit horseback riding for 2 months since every doctor was CONVINCED that was causing the pain... basically, it's been hell for the last 2 years. I just want a diagnosis, and the symptoms of fibromyalgia fit the most than any other disease doctors have thought I could have.

[sellthemdreams]

i dont know if what youve got is fibro or not, but i ADORE your Lolita icon!

[recycleanimals]

Thanks! I just love that movie. It moves me to tears every time I watch it (which is at least once a week). XD

[xopinkmoonxo]

It's very possible. I would agree with your doctor's recommendation to get a full Fibromyalgia consultation from a rheumatologist. Remember that Fibro is often an illness of exclusion - they have to put you through a lot of blood tests and rule many things out before they can give the official diagnosis. But that shouldn't change anything about how you're being treated. A rheumatologist or a pain management doctor with experience treating fibro should be able to still work with you and get you on some meds to try to improve your quality of life. Did the Vicodin help with the pain? You might have a hard time getting a rheumatologist to prescribe that, in my experience they only want to stick to anti-depressants (Elavil, etc) and maybe light pain meds like Ultracet or Ultram. Pain management doctors with fibro experience are generally more willing to try the other pain meds in combination with other treatments.

Good luck! I know it sucks being a young person with fibro. I was diagnosed around 16.

[recycleanimals]

I luckily got into my rheumatologist's office tomorrow afternoon. And I know that fibro is an illness of exclusion, and since the 9 doctors I've seen have pretty much ruled out everything else, I think there's a good chance I have it. I've already had blood tests for lupus, MS, and many other various disorders.

I actually had the opposite experience with my rheumatologist and pain management doctors. The rheum. was very supportive with the pain meds and prescribed Vicodin whenever I needed it (I was going through 30 pills every 10 days or so), and everything was great for a while. He decided to refer me to a pain management specialist, whom I had a very bad experience with. He refused to continue my pain meds and didn't take me seriously when I told him how much pain I was in simply because of my age. He blamed my back pain on the fact that I ride horses and referred me to physical therapy just like every other doctor has.

[xopinkmoonxo]

Hm, well I guess it depends on the doctor! My P.M. doctor has a lot of experience with Fibro, so maybe that's why he's more willing to try pain meds. My rheummy just kind of gave up on me when I didn't respond to the handful of drugs he was willing to try for Fibro.

I rode horses for a long time too, until my pain and weakness got too severe for me to do it safely. I'm still hoping I'll be able to get myself back to a point where I can at least do some light riding.

Good luck at your appointment ♥

[auburnfaerie]

It sounds very much like Fibro; but get a diagnosis from a rheumatologist.

[recycleanimals]

That's what I plan on doing. I called the office today and they had an opening tomorrow afternoon, so I'll know soon.