Fibromyalgia - diagnosed

Bethankim

Hi all,

i posted last week about my symptoms of lots of pain etc and a few of you suggested fibromyalgia - so a big thank you for suggesting i kept a diary ready for my gp visit. i saw my my regular doctor today.

she listened and went through everything and then pressed on my neck, shoulders, back, elbows, knees, hips etc and everywhere was tender - i almost hit the roof a few times.

she went on the GP's website thingy and said i think you have fibromyalgia -printed off a load of info - she wants to double check and wants to see what the blood tests say first but is fairly sure i have it.

i didnt have to say what i thought, i just told her everything, she was fab and assured me i wasnt going mad.

I have new anti depressants and pain killers, and im seeing her in 4 weeks where she will have the blood test results back.

im going to read up on it, but if anyone else has it id really appreciate some knowledge about what living with it is like, although after the last 18 months (looking back) of feeling pretty rubbish i have an inkling but any help would be brilliant.

im just so glad my GP didnt dismiss me and is willing to help

jazabelle

I'm so pleased your GP listened to you and was supportive. It's a great step! A concern I have is that a GP can't officially diagnose Fibromyagia, only a Rheumatologist can do this. Your GP should have referred you to one, when Fibro was discussed.

The blood tests will be ruling everything else out, as it's a process of elimination.

Is there any specific questions about Fibro?

Most of us have the same kind of symptoms - pain all over the body, tiredness, mental exhaustion, depression, some form of IBS, sensitive to the cold/heat, etc. There is no one cure for people, some people find certain things help them like massage, acupuncture, osteopathy, heat/ice, TENs machines and things like that.

Never push yourself too hard, pace yourself and listen to your body.

Ruby_Moon

jazabelle wrote: »

I'm so pleased your GP listened to you and was supportive. It's a great step! A concern I have is that a GP can't officially diagnose Fibromyagia, only a Rheumatologist can do this. Your GP should have referred you to one, when Fibro was discussed.

The blood tests will be ruling everything else out, as it's a process of elimination.

Is there any specific questions about Fibro?

Most of us have the same kind of symptoms - pain all over the body, tiredness, mental exhaustion, depression, some form of IBS, sensitive to the cold/heat, etc. There is no one cure for people, some people find certain things help them like massage, acupuncture, osteopathy, heat/ice, TENs machines and things like that.

Never push yourself too hard, pace yourself and listen to your body.

Why can't a doctor diagnose Fibro then?

jazabelle

No idea, but I've been told by three different GPs, at three different practices that a clinical diagnosis is needed, and so GPs can't do it.

It may be there are other specialists than Rheumatologists that can do so, but all three referred me to a Rheumatologist.

It may be they have given me the wrong information, but not sure why all three would lie to me.

Ruby_Moon

jazabelle wrote: »

No idea, but I've been told by three different GPs, at three different practices that a clinical diagnosis is needed, and so GPs can't do it.

It may be there are other specialists than Rheumatologists that can do so, but all three referred me to a Rheumatologist.

It may be they have given me the wrong information, but not sure why all three would lie to me.

If three docs sent you to three specialists and you still haven't had a diagnosis, how come you say you have Fibro then?
My GP diagnosed my Fibro btw.

jazabelle

I don't have the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia from a Rheumatologist either, but I know I have it. All three GPs agreed with me that it's Fibro (so the same way you have been diagnosed) but said I would need to see a rheumatologist to confirm it.

The first rheumatologist said he didn't want to put a label on it, but I would grow out of it. (Very helpful, and no, I did not!)

The second said it wasn't arthritis, changed my medication and said he would keep an eye on it (then retired)

The third said he thought it was Hypermobility syndrome, but didn't do any of the tests for Fibro, even when asked. (I mean the 18 point trigger test). I think I do have Hypermobile joints, and that this has caused the Fibromyalgia.

I wasn't saying the OP didn't have Fibro, or anything like that. I just was under the impression GPs referred to Rheumatologists for official diagnosis of this condition, so wanted to pass this on. Getting the Rheumatologist to actually listen to you is another thing entirely!

I am waiting results for an MRI at the moment (it's only taken them 11 years to do one!) so I guess I will see what they say, and go from there.

willa

She was just saying that the GPs would not diagnose and referred her to a rheumatologist. Fybromyalgia seems to be an umbrella term for a syndrome - a number of symptoms which others here have already described here, and although I get the impression it is one of those 'not really completely understood yet' conditions, it seems to be a rheumatology speciality. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia by a rheumatologist.

willa

Bethankim, it's a weird one, many symptoms and they can vary in severity and come and go. Give yourself time to get to know if there's any triggers and to know how to cope with it all.

jazabelle

willa wrote: »

She was just saying that the GPs would not diagnose and referred her to a rheumatologist. Fybromyalgia seems to be an umbrella term for a syndrome - a number of symptoms which others here have already described here, and although I get the impression it is one of those 'not really completely understood yet' conditions, it seems to be a rheumatology speciality. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia by a rheumatologist.

Yes, very much so. Everytime I see my GP she gives me a long talk about how doctors just aren't clever enough to know exactly what causes Fibro, and how to treat it, and hopefully in the future they will be able to break up everyone that has it into specific groups and therefore treat them.

Also, even though my GP wouldn't diagnosis it and sent me to a rheumatologist, she is still happy to let me try medication for Fibro like Lyrica and things like that - so I guess who diagnoses it isn't that important. It's probably just down to the individual GP.

willa

I would recommend Bell's muscle rub to anybody! It is absolutely brilliant for stiff/sore joints and muscles.

izzy65

Hi having read back on your last post re symtoms it is possible that you may have SLE commonly known as Lupus, a difficult condition to diagnose but blood test help. This is in the same genre as Fibro so you would see a rheumatologist initially.What ever the results say do not give up I was diagnosed after 11 years of symtoms and I thought I was going loopy