Could I have Fibromyalgia?

[SealSong]

Does it sound like I could have fibromyalgia?

• a good 80% of the time I feel 'unwell' - like I have a cold / virus / or am going down with one, but it doesn't develop into a viral illness, I can feel better the next day only to feel ill again the day after
• cognitive 'cotton wool' - unable to think sometimes. This comes and goes
• frequent sinus problems, inflamed nasal passages and sore throat (possibly unrelated, as I do have chronic rhinitis)
• frequent headaches
• sensory sensitivity to bright lights and unpleasant noises particularly when not feeling well
• frequent aching body / aching muscles not caused by activity
• nerve pains, can be anywhere in body
• joint pain / pain 'in bones', can be sharp pain, or dull aching pain
• usually feel tired and knackered
• wake frequently in the night, can usually get off to sleep after. occasional insomnia however
• frequent mild IBS symptoms which swing from being constipated to having a bad stomach

I know nobody can diagnose me over the internet and I have a doctors appointment in a week but I know there are plenty of people on here with experience of fibro and I am interested in your thoughts.
I have experienced this for more than two years. I went to the doctors due to these symptoms last year and they took some blood tests that they said came back normal but didn't say what they tested for other than diabetes and thyroid problems.

Just sick of feeling like this, it affects the quality of my life. I do work more than full time in a very demanding job which is naturally tiring, but that doesn't explain how I feel. I'm so tired and yuck feeling in my non-work time that I usually just rest at home. I am not exercising as much as I should due to the tiredness and aches and pains but I do swim twice a week (and feel utterly knackered afterwards)
I am late forties and peri-menopausal, with no other known health problems or diagnoses.
I've been taking some supplements for a few months - vit D, vit C and zinc, and fish oil for a few months that seem to help a tiny bit.

Any thoughts are welcome, thanks.

Other symptoms include feeling slightly dizzy / unbalanced / slight vertigo feeling.

Please try to avoid going down the fibro route if you possibly can. It's a dustbin diagnosis and once it's on your record, eVery symptom you ever have will be blamed on it.

It's with getting your thyroid checked again, but it would also be a good idea to ask your GP to check vitamin B12, folate, ferritin and serum iron, vitamin D and serum cortisol.

Any of those at less than optimal levels could produce the symptoms you have listed. Raising my vitamin D level from 10 to over 100 fixed severe fibromyalgia and sorted out my poor sleep.

You are describing my exact symptoms about 3 years ago. My GP was reluctant to diagnose fibromyalgia (partly because I think you can claim disability with the diagnosis) but I got myself referred to a rheumatologist with my work medical cover... He was very quick to diagnose it as fibro and prescribed various meds. TBH anything they are likely to prescribe is pretty useful if you need to work and be alert etc. the diagnosis did nothing except let me know it was nothing more serious. Also as PP said if you get the diagnosis everything will be blamed on that.
Eventually I addressed my lifestyle and work situation (similar to yours) and took steps to address the symptoms. Read up on possible causes of fibro, such as lack of restorative sleep, prolonged stress, vitamin deficiency and foods that aggravate it. I wasn't magically cured but reducing stress from my job and life, learning to sleep better, having a better diet etc really reduced the severity and regularity of it.

I think the main vitamin supplements/to increase in your diet are Vit D, zinc and magnesium

avoid a fibro diagnosis!! look into all your blood results first. could still be thyroid (is tsh over 2? any antibodies?), ferritin (should be fairly high eg 90), b12 (should be over 500), vit d (should be over 90 i think, have forgotten )

I think I need to get more detail about the results of the previous blood test - or ask the GP to test me again if it was a while ago.

Really interesting comments about the bad side of being diagnosed with fibro, that it can be a 'dustbin diagnosis' that might mask other issues.

Thanks for these comments. I feel now like I should push for proper investigation of this. Also interesting re lifestyle. I don't know how I can change my work situation.

I find it so hard with GPs. I felt fobbed off last time, as in - blood tests all fine, off you go (slinks out of room with physical problems still present...)

Many thanks.

Hi, Sealsong

just let you know , that Fibromyalgia, or more exactly ,( the symptoms of fibromyalgia) are found very often ( 50 % of the time ) in those that are deficient in Vit d.

as Mrstweedie has indicated above.

IF he tested for vit d, when your doctor told you that your blood results were normal, he really means that the level you had was common. Not that it was optimal, (in the opinion of Vit D researchers worldwide) In the UK, we would commonly see blood levels of 30 - 60 , nmol/L for vit d, sometimes a bit higher in summer. These levels are not optimal. By taking an insufficient supplemental dose, you may not be helping yourself as much as you could.

Please have a good read over here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2421492-Vitimin-D-can-it-have-this-effect

  Whilst you may also have other deficiencies/problems,   by getting your vitamin d level up to a more "normal" level you will be helping yourself feel more able to cope with life etc. reduced bone pains , fatigue etc. and increasing your general health.

BTBH

I do concur with MrsT - I have thyroid issues but some dosing issues did not explain very similar symptoms to fibro. Only when ferritin was over 80 (up to 130) and vit d up have I been able to recover - even with really good thyroxine levels. Including being able to sleep.

It's been very slow though - takes a while to get them all up and then as I was so weak and lots of extremely painful joints, about 3 months since getting really good results for everything to heal. Sleep is definitely better and I have improving strength and energy. Had to do strengthening physio too as I'm slim and have hypermobility - however I notice the 'hypermobility syndrome' dx I was given is quite frankly getting better.

I'm not 100 hot on doing the physio; I really do think it's been the iron and vit d. (Plus I'm taking b vits, vit c and magnesium and a little calcium when I remember)

I started taking a 3000 vit d dose 3 months ago, I think that's helped a lot. Holland and Barretts .

Thank you everyone.

Better, very interesting re vitamin D. Thanks.

SealSong, I just posted this on another thread about unexplained pain:
My DH has had chronic unexplained pain all over his body (which we also thought might be fibromyalgia) specifically his joints, along with lots of other weird symptoms like vertigo and tiredness/restlessness - which was all kicked off (seemingly) by some major back surgery he had a couple of years ago. All his tests were clear. No explanation at all and GP was no help.

In desperation, he tried going gluten-free (unusual, as he is a real 'bloke' and not in to food fads etc.) but the change in him since has been literally astonishing. He is a new man. The effect was pretty immediate - I think by day 3 or 4 he said he felt completely different, not just physically but mentally too, like a 'fog' had lifted. Now 3-4 months or so on, he is doing press-ups every night, he can ride a bike again, he can do long walks without totally ruining himself, he can lift the kids up.

I don't profess to know the science behind it, but do feel compelled to tell anyone suffering with unexplained chronic pain, to at least try gluten-free, as it has been nothing short of miraculous for him!