What is this?

[Emmy37]

Hi there, I don't even know if Fibromyalgia is what I have, if anything!. I am aching all over my body right now, it is not what I would describe as painful as such but very uncomfortable. I have had this for a number of years and is something I have simply learned to live with but it seems to have worsened in the last few days. I am a light sleeper, however I do feel I get enough sleep (even if it's not deep/proper sleep) I usually average 8 hours or so however, I am extremely stiff when I get out of bed in the morning, My back and feet are the worse. I can't walk properly (sort of flat footed!) until I have been up a while and have 'loosened' up!. The same thing happens when I have sat for a length of time but I have noticed that when ever I have a hard day grafting, such as last Thursday, I cleaned my house from top to bottom, literally was on my hands and knees scrubbing the skirting boards!! (The in laws were coming down for the weekend!) and now, 5 days on... I am still suffering! I have been aching all over my body ever since then, my hands and fingers and feet in particular but generally all over, shoulders, neck etc. I feel totally exhausted and in need of sleep constantly!. I would put it down to the fact I probably over done it as I was on my feet cleaning all day until the evening, however there seems to be a pattern here. Whenever I do anything such as this, any hard manual work, I can barely walk by the evening!. It's bizarre. I do not feel at all depressed, I feel very happy and content with my life and as I said before, I feel as though I get enough sleep, even though I sleep lightly and wake at the slightest noise. As I said before, I have been suffering like this for years but as I am not always in any actual pain, I just get on with it but I this time, I feel dreadful. I never feel refreshed when I wake in the morning, driving my husband to work this morning, I felt achy all over and felt like I wanted to lay in a hot bath or go back to bed and sleep, I still feel the same. Since I did that one day of cleaning, I have barely had the energy to do anything else since!. My wrists feel weak and feeble, my hands & fingers ache, my back and shoulders, legs, knees & ankes and iin addition I have absolutely no energy, feel totally exhausted and can barely do a thing. What could this be?. I am 37, I also have extremely bad headaches. I have recently moved back to England from a hot country where I had lived for a few years but since this is something I have suffered with for a number of years, I do not feel it could be this. I just can't put my finger on it. I am slightly over weight but I am also quite fit and get plenty of exercise, I walk my young son to school most days instead of driving and I am active (not a couch potato!) I am always gardening, cleaning, doing housewrok, out shopping etc. I have a very supportive husband and happy marriage so I really do not feel as though I am depressed in any way which some people have suggested may be the cause, I am optimistic, have exciting plans for the future and I feel happy and content right now, probably for the first time ever actually!!! I just feel as though my bidy is failing me and there is nothing I can do, it's as though I am in my 30's with the body of an elderly woman. Does anybody have any ideas as to what this could be and why I can't seem to do strenuous tasks that I once could without exhausting me and my achy body!.
I would be grateful if anybody else has the same symptoms.
to clarify: EXTREME stiffness in the mornings especially in the feet and ankles where I can't walk properly until I have been up  a while and loosened up, the same symptoms when I have been sitting down for a while, Feeling as though I could sleep again after being up for a couple of hours, achy body from head to toe but always in my hands, fingers, feet and ankles the most, followed by in my back and shoulders, knees and limbs, seizing up, extreme stiffness, aches, pains, tiredness and extreme exhaustion after doing anything strenuous and finally one I didn't mention above: I also get a restless leg at times.
I am not a hypochondriac, I don't always whittle about my health .. I am very active and have a positive outlook on life. These symptoms are actually happening, have been happening a long time and more recently are worsening!. I would appreciate any advice.
Thanks!

[Emmy37]

Good for you!! I can identify with many of your symptoms and therefore feel for you but I commend the fact that you are being positive about it. I, like you, try not to let these symptoms get me down. I have made the decision to lose weight, take regular gentle exercise (it's all I can manage!) such as swimming and am making a few changes to my diet!. Will see how it goes!
Good Luck and take care
Emma

[PRoy]

Sorry it took so long to get back to you.

I have what I consider to be a mild form of FMS, as I can still function pretty normally. If I rest I do not get stiff, only when I overdo it. I drive for a living so I spend alot of time sitting. I do get stiff, mostly my arms, when I drive one of the two trucks I drive, I just don't seem to be able to get comfortable in it.

If I work a long shift, or an especially busy one, (I tow cars) then I will pay for it the next day. It also seems that I have more of a problem with weakness in my muscles rather than stiffness. I just don't have the strength I used to.

One thing I make sure I do is get out of bed everyday no matter how much I hurt, (again I don't hurt as much as some, I'm lucky I guess). I get my inspiration from my oldest sister who has a very severe case of RA and has had it for years. No matter how she feels she gets up and goes to work and she feels better about herself. I alsofind by getting up and out that I actually feel a little better (mentally). i won't let FMS get me down, I will try to be stronger mentally than it is.

[Emmy37]

Hi Alicia,
Thanks for your response ... well at last I seem to be getting somewhere although still no actual diagnosis.
My doctor had booked me in for a variety of blood tests which I had done around a week ago, I guess it is now a process of elimination!!!. My bloods came back all normal except I had raised inflammation in the blood, there were some bloods that hadn't come back when I had my appointment and so I have to go back in two weeks for more blood tests and a chat about the results of the ones that have been taken already pending the results. I have googled inflammation in the blood and have discovered that raised inflammation in the blood cells can be many things, some more serious than others. The doc did tell me that these blood levels were only slightly raised which is why I guess they want more bloods in a couple of weeks time and so, I am not going to worry anymore until I have a diagnosis! The doc also mentioned Fibro and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Meanwhile I am still in so much pain and aching all over, my feet and ankles/hands and fingers are particulary achy and painful at the moment. I feel for you Alicia as it sounds as though you are going through exactly the same as me but you really should try to get to the docs as soon as possible. I understand you have other demands in your little baby but go when you can. I feel so much better just for having somebody take me seriously and start the ball rolling in the process of a final diagnosis.
Warm baths with lavender oil, foot spas and massages from my hubby are helping me on a daily basis at the moment!.
Good Luck and I will let you know what the final outcome is, hope you feel much better soon Alicia .. take it easy!

[RNMommyof6]

In response to this statement:
Can I ask you Paul, Do you get stiff muscles when you have been inactive for a while as well as when you have done anything strenuous? I seem to get both!! I can't win! If I sit down and relax I get stiff & seize up when I get up and try to move around and if I spend the day out in town shopping, walking a dog or cleaning (or anything active) I also seize up!!! it's hopeless!.


I do the SAME thing.  I am so tired of hurting...I cleaned the house yesterday and now in pain.  I haven't been to the doctor as my 9 month old is going through some things that require my full attention.  I just decided to read a few posts and came across yours..I had to read it 3 times to make sure I didn't write this!  It's me to the T!  I can't believe it!  So, when you get a diagnosis, please share.  That way I will have something to present to the doctor.  Thank you and hope you feel better, Alicia

[Emmy37]

Many thanks for that!, I am off back to the health centre tomorrow so will keep you posted. I have a feeling that this might not be something I get an answer to straight away as it looks as though it may be a process of elimination for a while before a diagnosis might be made. I don't want to convinve myself that Fibro is what I have but after all the research I have been doing for weeks and weeks on my symptoms, this condition presents symptoms which are most like the ones I have!.
Yes, I did wonder if it might be the climate change that's brought this on but I have been back since December and only recently have my symptoms worsened. I also had these symptoms (although no where's near as bad or severe as now!) before I went to live abroad but you could be right there and the move certainly WAS stressful!.

I actually had a free day today so instead if busying myself with housework etc which is what I normally do and then suffer the consequences later, I laid in bed ALL day! (I did have a headache too and fewlt generally unwell today!) and surprisingly, I feel ok this evening!. I only have a few aches in my arms and feet but nowhere else so obviously resting today has helped the symptoms to ease off for the first time in over 2 weeks, but for how long?!! This is certainly not the solution and definitely not practical for anyone to spend every single day in bed just so they can feel 'ok' in the evening!. I am enjoying it however as I am usually exhausted at this point and in alot of pain!.

Can I ask you Paul, Do you get stiff muscles when you have been inactive for a while as well as when you have done anything strenuous? I seem to get both!! I can't win! If I sit down and relax I get stiff & seize up when I get up and try to move around and if I spend the day out in town shopping, walking a dog or cleaning (or anything active) I also seize up!!! it's hopeless!.

Let's hope I get some answers tomorrow and yes I'm sure we will continue a journey of learning here ....

Many thanks again for replying!

Emma

[PRoy]

Hi,
I have just recently been diagnosed with FM. My story is much like yours, I have had symptons for several years now but always attributed themto just getting old. I have always work in harsh enviroments which I thought was what has caused my problems.
It is my understanding that a change in enviromental factors such as you moving form a hot to a cold climate, could make your FM worse, as well as the stress of moving. That is of course if Fibro is what you have.
As far as the fingers hurting, yes, mine do at times as well as my hands. I am learning that nothing sounds ridculous about Fibro. The more I read about it, the more I understand that there are alot of symptoms. Just be sure to test for other things as well, like lupus, lyme, RA, etc. just to make sure it isn't something more "serious", and by that I mean not life threatening.

Perhaps we will learn about our conditions together.
Paul

[Emmy37]

Hi there, thanks for the reply. I have had a doctors appointment since and she has set up another appointment with the nurse on Weds for blood tests but she also talked of the B12 deficiency that you have spoken of as well as discussing the possibility of Fibro. She said there is not alot you can do but lifestyle changes, diet and gentle exercise ( which I did tell her I get plenty of exercise but she receommended swimming as an alternative to more vigourous exercise as it keeps the blood flowing around the muscles helping them to stay active ) so I guess I will have to wait and see what the results are.
In the meantime, I am still suffering!, it had eased a little since I wrote my post butI took a friends dog for a long walk yesterday as we were dog sitting and I am now suffering terribly as a result!!! I am aching absolutely everywhere and I am stiff in my legs and back.
I have had these symptoms for many years but was always able to carry out daily tasks such as walking a dog and housework, I used to get on with things as it was reasonably mild, I don'y know what's changed but it seems to have worsened to the point that anything like this has a major effect on my body!! I know longer consider my symptoms as mild hence posting on here and making the doctors appointment.  I hope I get to the bottom of this soon as I feel I am letting my family down especially my poor hubby who is constantly listening to my moans and gripes about my aches and pains!.
Just out of interest, did you also get achy fingers? I know it sounds ridiculous but even my fingers ache at times!
Thanks so much again for your repsonse, it's just nice to speak to others.

[maky158]

Oh and Lymes desease is another test you can get. I was tested for all these and they all came back negative and was diagnosed with fibro.

[maky158]

Have you been tested for anything? Rheumatoid Arthritis, B12 deficiency, Lupus? It also sounds like Fibro to me. I would definately ask for testing to rule all others out.