Today I was diagnosed with fms should I get a second opinion?

[CityChick1985]

Hi all I was diagnosed with fms. I don't think that's what it is. I think its something else. I went crippled in my legs along with severe lower back pain not caused by accident injury or being obese this happened when I was 19, 20 and pain went away ech flare up after I was given cortizone epidural the lower lumbar MRI showed discs slippeds. for a couple years now I've been fine I just turned 24 and I've had a multitude of symtpoms recently for the past few month. I was told I needed a muscle biopsy and to see a specialist. The specialist is a rheumaologist who dismissed many serious symptoms and just diagnosed fms. Deep down something keeps telling me I need another MRI couldn't my recent pain be from the discs in my lower spine or something else. What do I do now?  

[cjruz]

I am in the same situation but worse and realize suicide would mean that it wins.Fight it as hard as you can and if you drop dead at work you will be at peace.Good luck with your appt. at Penn let me know how it goes,and keep fighting on.

[PlateletGal]

If you've had lyme disease, parasites and mono.... the chances are very likely that you could still have an underlying infection. There are co-infections that can go along with lyme disease that you might want to check out.

Please feel free to send me a PM. I spent years bouncing around from physician to physician without any answers. I now am on a treatment that is working for me.

Hang in there,

~Sherry

[CityChick1985]

I have considered parasites, cancer, mono, lyme (even though the tests have been negative)  I was actually suicidal the past ten days.  It's been rough.  I'm experiencing mania and I called a suicide hotline this week.  i have a dr appointment wih my new primary care physician at the University of Penn tomroww so i will tell her EVERYTHING from feeling suicidal and extremely dpresed anxious and i feel that this is due to being single again, health issues mis/undiagnosed and extreme pressure from my job.  i feel i am on the verge of a nervous breakdown.  ive had depression and anxiety before but i dont know what is wrong with me im starting to think i might be bipolar.. in extreme cases people experience fever and physical pain... *sigh*

[cjruz]

ever consider the posibility that fms is realy caused by parasitic worms?

[karajo]

Hey girl, the fever has to be something they look into.  I wouldn't think that a slipped disc could cause fever.  That's what makes me think you might have more than one thing going on.  

Have they checked you for mono?  Also, what exactly did they do to "rule out" lupus?  Are you having joint pain?

Did anyone do surgery to correct the slipped disc?

What other symptoms do you have?

[patsy10]

I knew I was misdiagnosed as well.  Mine ended up being probably lyme disease.  People are often given the diagnosis of FMS when the practitioner does not know what is wrong but feels a need to give a diagnosis.

[CityChick1985]

Thank you so much for the response. Today has been so hard for me. I had hopes of answers today but got misdiagnosed. I know it in my gut. He did NOT check all of ny points he checked mobility strength and didn't listen to me when I tried to tell him alarming occurances in the past month since I've seen him. I have had 4 blood tests in the past 2 months and one they took so much blood I needed and IV. They ruled out Lyme lupus, rheumatoid arthritis (I just turned 24!) and other random things I suppose they haven't even mentioned they were checking for in the first place.  I asked him why he thought fMS even though I have had cortisone epidurals for herniated discs ( the same doctor a month before told me he thought I had MS because of the severity of symptoms and no injury related to at least 3 flare ups that required epidurals) I started to get upset and he closed his folder. My parents want me to get a second opinion I don't know where to begin because my primary physician is a little flaky too : (  my boyfriend and I just broke up but that was 5 days ago and I've had symptoms for months. Also I've had a fever everytime I've been to ANY doc since January. I told the rheum who I don't know if he didn't hear me or if it's nothing or what. I'm just really bummed confused recently heartbroken and now alone. I really appreciate your reponses. It means a lot.  

[patsy10]

You have to have 11 out of 18 tenderpoints for a diagnosis of FMS.

Have you had other diseases ruled out?  Have you been tested for lyme disease?

I know of people who have had disk problems in their lower backs and had leg weakness.  I would think an MRI would be helpful to check the status of your back.

[karajo]

Hi there,

sorry to hear about your problems.  Sometimes fibromyalgia can come secondary to other things.  Usually after a trama.  For example, you get really sick with maybe mono or the flu and fibromyalgia can come as a result of the trama.  Or there was a sudden death of someone you loved dearly.  The emotional trama could cause the onset of fibro.  Did the dr. that dx you check you pressure points?  

The legs giving way sounds like a disc problem.  Did you ever have surgery for that condition?