To ask you to diagnose me? Fibromyalgia?

[Lizibetz]

Because trying to see a gp I’d like trying to arrange a meeting with the pope.

I have pain EVERYWHERE. It’s been going on for months. Random stabbing pains in my legs, arms, chest, hands, feet … even my vulva now.

It’s worse down my left side. The pains in my hands come on so suddenly it causes me to actually jump like it’s an electric shock. Same thing is starting to occur in my left foot. My jaw hurts, random regular headaches, extreme lethargy to the point where I could quite happily sit on the sofa all day doing nothing. I never used to be like this. 3 years ago I was at the gym 4 times a week, working full time and going out to martial arts training two nights a week. Now I barely have the energy to walk the dog and I’m only managing to work 2 mornings a week.

Dr isn’t interested and I can’t get a face to face app anyway. Any ideas what it could be? Has anyone experienced anything similar?

I’m thinking fibromyalgia / ME / cancer

Have you had any emotional upheaval recently?

Op ultimately you need to persevere with a GP because without the right tests you won't get an answer. No one on here knows, it will be a guess based on their experience. Please.keep trying your GP and persist .

You need to be firm with your doctor, ask to see another one and puzh for a referral...or go private. It makes my blood boil that doctors aren't interested in conditions like yours. Wtf are they getting paid for,?!

Push*

I’m thinking fibromyalgia / ME / cancer

Blimey op, you seriously want some random body on the internet to confirm one of those 3 major illnesses???

You need to speak to your GP. It might be a battle but MN isn’t a doctor!

I know, I’m just fed up. I barely have the energy to function, I certainly don’t have the energy to go into battle with the NHS. Can’t afford to go private.

Just wondered if anyone had experienced anything similar and what it turned out to be

Dr isn’t interested

Find another doctor!

There is no real test for fibromyalgia/ME but it’s diagnosed when everything else is ruled out. Mumsnet can’t do you a blood test or an x-ray, so you need to preserve with the doctor.

Sorry that you’re having such a shit time OP. You must insist on a GP appointment. Some of those symptoms sound very like fibromyalgia. You need a referral to Rheumatology, do not let them fob you off as it is clearly very debilitating for you.

Not sure about pain but fatigue could be hypothroidism. You will need blood tests for that. Some doctors refer to TATT (tired all the time) tests and they should cover a range of tests. Make sure you get thyroid panel and vitamin D tests and B12, this is the start in ruling things in or out,

Can you pay to see a private doctor so you can get referred to specialists.
Or pay for private blood tests?

You can change GP? You need to go for a diagnosis really, mostly so that you’re sure they have ruled everything out. I know how hard that is OP, I have a diagnosis of M.E and when I first got it I couldn’t function at all. Do you have anyone in your life that can help you with appointments? I know you can book most things online these days, that might save the energy of phoning in.

Along with this, you could really do with getting some benefits seeing as you’re unable to function. Whatever it is you have sounds like a disability.

I will say OP, when I had my M.E diagnosis they didn’t do many tests at all on me through the NHS. Normal blood tests were run but no stool sample, no sleep apnea test, no test for my POTS symptoms and no treatment for my migraines. This was 7 years ago now so maybe something has changed, but when I went private the first thing that happened was they ruled out all of those things, treated my migraines and pots and took a stool sample. The consultant couldn’t believe they had diagnosed me with M.E without even taking a stool sample and treating the things that could be treated. 🤷‍♀️

Honestly it could be loads of things as this is a symptom of so many conditions. But I would start with asking for blood tests and a referral to somebody who deals with at least one 'pathway' of conditions that it could be. That could be a neurologist, endocrinologist, rheumatologist or gastroenterologist but blood tests might point you in the right direction. Eg. If you have hormonal issues it would be endocrine, if you have inflammation without hormonal issues more likely rheumatology, if you have vitamin deficiency more likely gastro

Sorry, more likely gastroenterology is it's vitamin deficiencies, and if it is none but your reflexes are done and unusual that would be straight to neurology. A lot of these conditions are diagnosis of exclusion and with cancers they often 'get lucky' whilst ruling our other conditions, or more often new symptoms arise which help them find which cancer it is. Otherwise they would have to do a whole body scan for every patient and would do a lot of unnecessary surgeries for people who don't have cancer just don't have perfect scans.

As others have said, definitely persist with getting a diagnosis as no one else can do that alas. It could be anything from your list to hormones to environmental circumstances and so on. If you're interested, this is a very good doc on people who have CFS and their struggle to get recognition/treatment - www.netflix.com/gb/title/80168300 Not remotely saying that's what you have nor that you should watch it to self-diagnose, but more that you may find it relatable in more general terms which can help you feel less alone and there are some inspiring elements in there. Take care and I hope you find the answers and treatment that you need.