Fibromyalgia causing pelvic pain or pelvic pain causing fibromyalgia

[sweetkitty]

I'll try to keep this quick but I need some advice as I'm on a lot of pain every day.

Had really bad SPD in all pregnancies (4 in less than 6 years, youngest now 7) it went away once the baby was born although I would always get niggles especially in my right pelvis/hip.

2 years ago I decided to get fit and start to run, got up to 10K 3 times a week but at the end was taking painkillers as my knees and pelvis were so sore so gave up.

Went to the GP with this and a few other issues and told her I thought I had fibromyalgia which a rheumatologist confirmed, I was on pregabalin but it did nothing apart from put weight on me.

The worst pain is in my pelvis, especially my sacroiliac joints, in the morning I can hardly get out of bed, go to the toilet or dress myself unless I've had painkillers. I have loads of other classic fibromyalgia symptoms my ribs hurt a lot too but it's mostly my pelvis, tramadol makes it bearable but doesn't completely take away the pain.

My question is - is my pelvis really bad because of the fibromyalgia (I'm really sensitive to pain and touch) or is there something wrong with my pelvis and if there is what can be done about it?

The GP was so dismissive, I just get tramadol on repeat prescription now, I would love a MRI on my pelvis just to know what is wrong if anything but feel I can't just rock up and demand a MRI. I'm in so much pain with it.

Anyone got any ideas?

Did the rheumatologist check you for hypermobility syndrome or Elhers Danlos Syndrome? I was diagnosed with PGP/SPD in pregnancy but symptoms for worse not better when I gave birth. More symptoms in other joints and I was eventually diagnosed with hypermobility, EDS and Fibro.

Hope you start to get better pain management/answers soon

I don't know if she did or not?

Check out the Beighton scale as a starting point. You may remember her asking you to do some of these moves. Have a read of the major symptoms for joint hypermobility syndrome. Doesn't it fit for you and your experiences? There are symptoms you might never connect or put together that may fit with this.

For me: I always had joint pain and was clumsy throughout childhood. More pain when I exercised and lost weight rather than less. Fainting spells. Fatigue. Then dislocations in early 20s. Increasing fatigue with age. Anemia. Vit d deficiency. Very painful periods. Infertility. IVF resulted in pregnancy where PGP was diagnosed. Fingers dislocating every day. 6months seeing different specialists before hypermobility and EDS were diagnosed. Then fibromyalgia a year later. I have continued to get worse and have a few more symptoms to add but they are all so random and innocuous by themselves. Forgot bruising easily from childhood!

There are so many, but try not to diagnose yourself. A call to the rheumatology secretary to ask the question, I'm sure the de you saw would confirm if they considered the EDS criteria when examining you. Best of luck.

Have to admit, at my first rheumatology appointment the dr asked if I was hypermobile. I said no. Few appointments later the consultant moved my joints about, gave me a booklet to read and then asked me what I thought. It was all normal for me so I didn't realise until that day. It's meant my nephew's hypermobility was picked up in primary school because I knew what I was looking for. I guess that's something.

It's a chicken and egg thing with fibromyalgia sometimes though. The best thing to do is try and push for help with your pelvis and see what happens.

My physio thinks it's the si issues causing the pain / fibro symptoms. He has repeatedly demonstrated how the lower back issues affect the upper back causing pain! I could have easily been diagnosed by the rheum, but misunderstood a question. She said I was very hypermobile so I looked for a physio who understood this.

When I do do his exercises (mainly clams, side planks and leg raises and a nice upper back stretch on a rolled up towel) it does help but I'm shit at doing them. I have found some yoga poses down ward dog for e.g. Helpful and twists, and Pilates bits too. Rolling on a spiky ball in painful stiff bits helps. Pigeon pose is also really helpful for me (physio prescribed).

My hypermobility was picked up by a chiropractor I went to see about my SI joints and pelvis. Turns out they subluxate all the time.
He recommended I went to see rheumatologist who confirmed EDS.
The chiropractic was quite good in some respects, but not in others, as every time he realigned me I slipped straight back again, because of my loose ligaments.
I'm now training my glutes and hips hard to try and gain stability side effect, shapely bum

I really don't think I have hypermobility or EDS I'm the opposite very stiff with limited movement especially in the morning.

I think it's time for another GP appointment maybe push for some physio