Fibromyalgia- what does it feel like?

[Ludos]

If you have it, could you tell me what's it's like, day to day, how does it feel, how does it impact you?

GP has suggested this could be my diagnosis.

Mostly I feel like I have done a hard workout at the gym. Weak achy muscles. At worst, if I've been doing a lot, I can't lift anything remotely heavy, such as a casserole dish out of the oven. I've bought pre chopped veg as by the end of the day chopping veg for dinner would be too much.

I sleep every afternoon, feel shattered from 7pm but often struggle to get to sleep. When asleep pain in arms wakes me occasionally. When I wake I'm groggy for ages, and stiff.

I've been forgetting silly things. Where I've parked, what the speed limit is when driving familiar roads.

I'm 34 and feel like this is how I should feel when I'm elderly.

DH very unsympathetic over the years and having been told I make a mountain out of a mole hill when it comes to illnesses im worried this is all in my mind and im just moaning....

Have you ruled out a sleep disorder? It could be fibro, but there could also be some reason you are this exhausted. I have similar symptoms to fibro but very different causes, and if I hadn't pursued other root causes I'd have probably been on the sick for years (or all my life!) Mistreating it as fibro IYSWIM?

SIL and a good friend of mine have fibro and it sounds like your symptoms so I wouldn't rule it out. Has the gp tested for vitamin deficiencies?

Oh bless you. Have you had your thyroid checked?

I’m convinced that many diagnosed with Fibro actually have under active thyroid but it’s maybe not low enough that they they consider treating it as necessary.

From my own experience, even being a little bit out of range can feel awful. Push for full thyroid panel and ask for the results (along with reference range for each one so you can see where you fall within the ‘normal’ range).

Your symptoms sound just like me before I was diagnosed with Hashimotos - I was told it was PND, given anti depressants etc and told it was just having a new baby. It wasn’t, but it took me several visits to the GP to make them listen and finally test me.

I felt like I was wading through treacle all the time, everything was hard work, just like you say about chopping veg or lifting a pot.

GP has requested full set of bloods - including thyroid

That's how I feel. As though I ran a marathon yesterday.

If I find somewhere comfy and relax, when I get up I can barely stand afterwards because I'm so stiff. I'm feeling a bit blue at the moment because the advice on getting better is a bit demanding.

I've been treated for underactive thyroid, low iron and low vit d. And HRT. None of it has made me feel any better.

Hope this works. I saw this on a group I’m on, the symptoms side is exactly it for me. Some of them I didn’t know the ‘official’ title to, but when I looked up the terminology, it made so much sense.

I wonder, do you have any other chronic pain conditions? I have arthritis and am told often the two go hand in hand.

I’m also early thirties and feel like life has stalled almost

I am wondering if this is what I might have. I have low thyroid and have Levothyroxine tablets but still don't feel much better than before I got them. I am now supposedly in correct band. I don't sleep well either and I feel stiff and sore in my shoulders and neck. When I have to walk anywhere I feel totally exhausted and often have to stop to rest on the way. I take vitamin supplements and have a good diet and don't know what else I can do. I have had a MRI scan on my back and am going in for results on Friday morning. I used to have masses of energy but its just all gone now. I wake up late as don't get to sleep until about 4am. I fall asleep in afternoon most days for 30-40 mins. I have to set alarm to make sure I'm awake to get child from school.

The brain fog, the bone aching fatigue, the pain all over, the weird pins and needle type pain, the feeling like something is crawling all over you constantly... sometimes my speech is affected and I can’t form a coherent sentence.
I’m on a lot of medication for other medical issues but all are what would treat fibromyalgia also, and I think jeez if this is what it’s like medicated, I’d hate to be without it.

I also had the full bloods done, so this was a process of elimination although I’m now going for more testing due to worsening symptoms related to my arthritis.
I’m desperately sorry for anyone suffering this, as it really is an invisible illness that causes so much damage

Sounds like me, but I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis, hEDS and PoTS. I'm 33 but feel so old. Decent meds help, as dies maintaining a good selfcare routine--plenty of sleep, gentle exercise (I walk as much as I can), I find junk food makes me feel worse, meditation.

Make sure your blood calcium level is checked as part of the bloods. I have primary hyperparathyroidism which is very like fibro in symptoms. High or high in range blood calcium is usually how its picked up. It can be cured by surgery. My mum has had fibro for years and takes Lyrica for it. She won't get her calcium tested no matter how much I ask her to though.

Thank you everyone.

Ludos, I was recommended to stay away from general internet research. People have a lot of overlapping conditions, as this thread already shows. It can be counter productive to read about the huge array of symptoms, and the many theories and potential cures people push.

There is an element of noticing every twinge, and becoming a bit obsessed with it- I find I've enough symptoms of my own without acquiring other people's!