neuro exam

My doc says I have fibromyalgia but did terrible on neuro exam....such as jumping on one foot, I tried really hard but no matter how hard I tried it was like I forgot how to do this. Walking with one foot in front of other not good at that either and when he ran his finger up the bottom of foot, my toes went up. He sent me for a MRI, possible MS, on head and was normal Thats when he said I had fibromyalgia. I wake up every morning in terrible pain. I don't sleep at night very well, I toss and turn with pain, shoulders hips back legs. My muscles crawl under my skin and you can watch them. And other times it feels like they are being ripped apart. My problems with muscle twitching, cramps pain has gotten extremely worse, RLS is a problem all day not just a bedtime. I can't set down for very long which makes my legs hurt even worse by doing alot of walking.I notice that muscles are tensed all the time and I realize it and tell myself to relax, works for a minute, but they tense right back up. Last Sunday I had something new happen my legs, ankles and feet swelled up suddenly, which for some reason made my joints hurt really bad they stayed swollen for 4 days and now there fine. I have problems with my eyes, extremely dry and painful when moving them around and to the touch, my eye sight is getting worse. Oh yea and I have fallen down walking through my house 2 times this month. The first time I walked in from the grocery store and bent over to set the groceries on the floor and fell over and the second time I was just walking and I guess tripped over my own feet because there was nothing in the area. I am not a very good complainer and when I get to the doctor I freeze up, should I go to a neurologist or go back to my reg doc?  Should they have done MRI on spine? I am getting a migraine so I have to get off.

[ggreg]

Here is a website that places the symptoms/tests of both fibromyalgia and MS side-by-side on the same page, very useful for your situation:
http://en.diagnosispro.com/disease_comparison-for/fibromyositis-fibromyalgia-syndrome-versus-multiple-sclerosis/13924-16822.html

I'm thinking more like you, that MS hasn't exactly been ruled out... there are blood tests the neuro can do, and if he did some, that can also help narrow down the diagnosis.  And yes, so can a spinal MRI.  But there is also a chance you don't have EITHER disease.  So, I think you should go back to your regular doc, tell him your doubts about the neuro's diagnosis, and that perhaps you'd like a second opinion.  If you get one, be sure they draw blood this time at the very least, and also consider a possible third diagnosis other than the two you're considering now.

In the meantime, since you have RLS, I hope you are receiving good treatment for that, and I hope you can get some new medicines for all your bodily miseries... it really helps to get a handle on pain.  One of the medications they'll prescribe for fibromyalgia, like gabapentin or one of its cousins, will help with whatever pain you got, and since you have that as the current tentative diagnosis, I'd get whatever drugs the neuro has prescribed or suggested on board.  I have RLS and back problems and symptoms of fibro, I take a raft of medications, including pain drugs, pregabapentin, tranqs, the whole nine yards, and I swear I could not get thru a day without those treatments.

But in general, I think you should definitely get a second opinion, because the sooner they can drop the MS drugs on you, the better chance you got at living a longer and more comfortable life.  So, go back to your general doc for a referral to a new neuro.  And see can you get SOME kind of additional pain medication in place now while you wait for your new appointment.  I feel for you, health issues are such a shock and so hard to deal with.

[melmort]

Thanks for your help I am not very good at complaining. While growing up my mom never complained about anything all thought I guess, she was sick for several years and never complained. She got so sick she had to be taken to the hospital. She ended up having cancer 5 months later she past away. This was almost 3 years ago. She never talked about her health and never went to the doctor.No telling what else was wrong with her and we will never know. I am a lot like that, I don't like telling people I don't feel good, it is hard to admit that. But I am finding that when it gets so hard to function in daily life something has to be wrong.  Thanks for your help.