Fibro, CTD, Arthritis or All?

My name is Ali and I am 37 years old. I live in Gahanna, Ohio which is a Suburb of Columbus, Ohio (Go Buckeyes!) I am new to the boards and am sure will have tons of questions. The reason why I started looking for a forum to discuss my problems is due to a recent visit to my PCP. I had brought a list of "ailments" that I have been complaining of for years in the attempts to start getting these issues addressed. After speaking to him about various pains and problems I was continually having, he suggested that I may have connective tissue disorder, or some form of arthritis.

Okay, okay, I have heard this for sooooo long, "you may have this" or you "may have that". After batches and batches of tests and different doctors, I still cannot get a diagnoses. On the positive side, I at least have a PCP that is very agressive and sympathetic to me and my pain, but he is only a PCP and not a specialist. I have asked to see a endocronologist but he really wants to continue treatment by specific tests until he gets closer to the cause. He believes it is seronegative arthritis, connective tissue disorder or some type of arthritis. He is also 100% positive I have Fibromyalgia on top of everything else. After doing some research on my own, I believe I may have Cushings syndrome, as I have many of the same symptoms of this disease.

Honestly, I don't have any answers after 5+ years and I cannot keep going on like this. It is a neverending circle of pain. I was hoping with some of you that you may be able to relate to some of my "ailments" and help me sort or narrow down possible diagnoses. I know we are not doctors, but we know
ourselves better than doctors do and what are symptoms are. Okay well here is some of my list, believe me it is long....

What I know I have (been diagnosed)

* Sleep Apnea (not under control)
* Fibromyalgia (Doctor will not give me anything to eleveate pain until after my bloodwork comes back)
*GERD
*Barrotts Esphogaus
* I am overweight, 254 LBS to be exact and am having a very hard time getting the weight off. I have been attempting to lose the weight by doing the Slim Fast Diet, along with taking Adipex and also joining Jazzercise in my area. (weight is still not coming off)
*Pre-diabetes
*Ulna Nerve Damage
*Anxiety
*Osteopenia

Not been diagnosed and symptoms of the following:

*Horrible joint pain, especially in my elbows, hands, wrists, hips and knees. When I exercise it becomes so much worse, cold makes it worse and stress
*Reddening of the skin, on arms and chest, looks like I am sunburned all the time (no one I have talked to knows what this is caused from)
*Reddening of the index finger on the inside, it forms a distinct line that get very red when I am emotional or tired. Very swollen.
*Burning feeling on skin all the time, at times my husband cannot even brush his finger tips over a certain area of my arms or shoulders without me tensing up and feeling a huge jolt of pain.
*Feeling in bones as I describe like when you were a kid and someone gave you an "indian burn", a sort of twisting, tight pain.
*Extreme Fatique
*Major Irritability
*Loosing my strength in my hands and wrists, unable to hold anything heavy for a short amout of time, hard time grasping things without dropping them.
*If I hold my arms straight up in the air to brush my hair, my arms and hands start becoming numb.
*Unable to sleep at night
*Recently loose bowels and and unable to hold urine for a extended period of time without leaking (sorry if TMI)
*Buffalo Hump
*Aching in my legs and knees at night while in bed especially when it was cold or rainy and in my fingers too. My fingers lock up when i am writing, and when I am sitting and my legs are out straight, I become very uncomforable in my thighs and feet, they ache with irritation, not aching from overuse, I suppose you could even catorgirize as RLS?

This is all I can think of right now. I truly hope some of you can relate to these pains and let me know what you have been diagnosed with or how you have remedied yourselves along the way. I can tell you that I will be getting more bloodwork taken this coming Wednesday, I am sure it will be negative like every other time, but who knows. The only positive test results I have gotten to date that is high is alkaline phosphote levels, high liver enzeyme levels, and high cholosterol. My doctor also wants me to take a 2 hour glucose level test and see how I tolerate that, and also I have scheduled an MRI of both of my hands to check for Synovitis. I have had an xray done in the past which turned out normal, but he believes an MRI may show something different.

Alright, I am sorry for all the rambling, I just really need support and I hope to learn a wealth of information from all of you along the way. Thank you for listening and take care!

Ali

[AmyCarol]

Ali,
  I'm sorry that I don't have any medical advice for you...but, I did just want you to know I hope that you'll find some relief soon.  I will keep you in my prayers...I too have suffered with pain and find myself irritable almost constantly and it seems it's always to the people we love the most.  My husband has been very patient with me...hope you have a good one too.  Anywho...hang in there and don't give up hope!!  

  Take care,
    Amy

[Mercy_]

I also wish you the best of luck.  Make sure that they check for MS.  My doctor sent me to a neurologist to check for ms to make sure it wasn't behind the cause of the motion sickness problem I complained of, since my ears checked out as perfectly balanced.  The neurologisted refused an mri on the grounds that I dance, therefore I can't have ms.  I have two dancer friends who have ms, so what does that tell you?  I also have two friends who suffered ms symptons for years before being properly diagnosed.  One had dizziness, the other had pains in his feet and walked with a limp.  The first one was told it was due to menopause, the other used to say "I've been diagnosed with every kind of ..itis there is".