could this be fibromyalgia?

[definatelymaybe]

I have name changed for this.

I know there was a recent thread about lupus vs fibromyalgia and I am waiting to see the rheumatologist regarding this. If I read up on both I can make my symptoms fit either. I am hoping its fibromyalgia in terms of its not life threatening, but also then scared that I would be feeling like this with no definate treatment!

Anyway briefly I want to know if fibromyalgia can make you feel like this. I am so so tired, lightheaded, tearful and irritable. My wrists, feet and ankles hurt so much but it move around on an almost daily basis. I have intermittent tenonitis and my muscles just ache as if if I have a viral illness. For example when dryig my hair my arms ache and typing this now they feel heavy and tired. It is both my arms and legs though. This all started several months ago but only in the last couple of months have I actually felt unwell.

I am forcing myself to keep going. I work and have 3 young children. I am making myslf go swimming 3 times a week although its a struggle. I am scared of either diagnosis. One because it can be dangerous and the other becuase it will just make me feel like I am going mad with no known cause. I am not depressed but am getting very worried and stressed about the way I feel.

Thanks for you help!

If the pain is in your joints, then it's not Fibromyalgia, as it affects the tendons, muscles and ligaments.
I have it and got diagnsoed, eventually, in 2005.

I have widespread pain, sometimes my whole body aches and everything is an effort. Sometimes, like today, it's just my arms, or it could even be just one hand.
I sadi to my DH once that 90% of the time I am in pain. I get hellish fatigue, which just creeps up on me, and there's nothing I can do but rest. Some people with it get fatigue all the time. I worry that the rest of my life is going to be spent in pain, but you need to start looking at some of the websites, such as this one which has a really good forum with lots of advice.

Thanks. I think it is my muscles tendons and ligaments not my joints as I get no joint swelling. I didn't know fibromyalgia could cause tendon problems or that I could feel this dreadful. If this is it then I can't imagone living with it forever? I wondered if just having something serious excluded would help some of the symptoms? I do have good and bad days but my arms ache all the time now.

I am popping out now but will be back later.Its a shame it has such stigma attached as I would feel that most people I know would not accept it as a true diagnosis. Will look at that forum later.

I get swelling in my fingers and toes during a really bad flare up - but the whole thing not the joints.

Do you have any other symptoms? I get tingling and numbness, eye and sight problems, memory problems, IBS, sleep issues. I also get this weird thing where I ma typing or talking and it looks or sounds fine, but it's actually gobledigook. Happens on here sometimes where words look fine when I type them.
I gave up full time working ages ago (I did a 7 hour shift in a nursery on Monday and felt awful afterwrads) and just do part time, and rest as much as possible

I feel tired and tearful. Slightly as if my head is filled with cotton wool. I get lightheaded and can't concentrate. I have pins and needles down my R arm.

One other question. Can the symptoms change rapidly? I might be sitting and suddenly get pain in my feet and toes for example and then a couplf of hours later that is gone by my hands and wrists really hurt and so on. very odd. Also can it go away or do you have it for life?

I really hope that one day they find a cause for it as there must be one.

Just thought I get terrible jaw problems. Some days I can ahrdly open my mouth.

OH yes they can change rapidly. They can come on from nowhere too. I have woken up feeling slightly flare up free and within an hour it starts. I have what I call background pain, which is a niggly pain all over all the time. Then there's my flare up pain which is chronic, really bad. The flare ups can move round my body - one minute my feet are sore, the next its my hands.

The cotton wool head is another symptom - Fibrofog it's called here's an article about it It's awful forgetting things, and feeling like even thinking is an effort.

I think it can go away, but equally can be around for a while. That website I linked to at the start is good, especially the forum, the people on there give a lot of good advice.

Thanks. I am certain its probably what I have. A releif if its not lupus obviously but I just quite simply can't imagine living like this for the rest of my life.

It could also be M.E./CFS. The symptoms are very very similar and I certainly recognise a few from your list.