Does fibromyalgia go along with M.S.?

[Rondi]

Is it common for those with M.S. to also be diagnosed with fibromyalgia? Thanks!

[karajo]

You are going through so very much.  My heart goes out to you.  I think that trials can either make us bitter or better.  I know being really sick for a year and half made me much more compassionate.  It has also made me more grateful for the little things in life.  

I really like this forum because it we can pray for each other and encourage each other to fight the fight of faith.

[Lori707]

Hi Kara,
I've been on prednisone and it does make me feel better but I'm not allowed to take too much and for just a couple weeks. I have latent TB infection and any meds that reduce the immune system can activate the latent TB. The doctors don't want to put me on the INH antibiotic for TB because it's very hard on the liver and my liver enzymes are already elevated. I have to take it for 9-12 months every day. Even if I had no illness, growing older reduces immune systoms and I fear that maybe - G-d forbid-it may activate. I am 59yrs old.

Thank you so much for your kind thoughts and I want you to know that you are in my prayers!!  You're a very kind person and you have such deep empathy for others.
G-d Bless you always!!
Lori

[karajo]

I'm so sorry to hear that you are still on the rollar coaster.  I know how difficult this can be.  It seems to really affect your outlook on life and your mood.  I know it really helped me to read my Bible and to listen to the Bible on CD and or teaching CDs.  I had to make a conscience decision that God was going to pull me out of this hole.  Psalm 27:13 really ministers to me. "I would have despaired unless I believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."  I really felt like I was dying and God was my only hope.  

Lori, I'm praying for you.  I would think they would try some prednisone to see if it would give you some relief.  Sometimes when we go through something tramatic, our body's immune system goes into overdrive.  Thus the makings of an autoimmune disorder like RA.  

Encourage yourself in the Lord and speak God's word over yourself.  Apostle Paul says "We have the same Spirit of faith as he had who wrote, 'I have spoken', we too believe and therefore we speak." 2 Cor. 4:13  Acknowledge every "good thing" that is within you in Christ Jesus. Philemon :6

God bless you,
Kara

[Lori707]

Hi there!  You have given me advise before. I hope you're doing well!!!

I have been sick for these past 3yrs. and am 59yrs old.  Was worked up by 2 large teaching hospitals and have gone to MANY different specialists! I was diagnosed twice for RA and also told I don't have it. I've been told I had a bad case of fibromyalgia and then was told it's not that. I have had MRI's of my joints which are all inflammed and an MRI of the brain which showed some white matter but nothing to worry about. I still have horrible headaches that I wake up to just in one area of my head which is where the white matter is. I have whole body parathesia, muscle aches,tremors,twitches and spasms. I get brain fogged and my cognitive function is not great. I had lost 50lbs without trying and had terrible malaise which is mostly gone now. I went on to Gabapentin (Neurontin) and I gained the 50lbs back with eating half of what I was last year. I have osteoporosis-last year I lost up to 10% of my bone mass. I was finally given EMG's and a whole bunch of other neurological tests. They found I have different kinds of neuropathies.

I had Lymes disease 23yrs ago with the typical bulls eye rash. I went onto 2 weeks of oral antibiotics. Two-three years after that I came down with it again but no rash. This time I had 3 weeks of IV antibiotic therapy. I was told that they weren't sure if I got bit again and didn't get the rash or if I was under treated and the parasites were latent. They thought the Lymes could have reactivated. Fast forward about 17yrs and that's when I got sick. (I think I did the math right). I remember feeling tired and had that familiar feeling of a stiff neck and my knuckles and knees hurt me. I said to my husband that I thought I had Lymes disease. I went to my doctor who is also an infectious disease specialist and asked him for a Lymes test which he said no to. Then my world came crashing down on me and all that pain and neuro problems. My RA Factor was elevated to 80.

In January of this year after asking so many doctors to give me a Lymes test, one finally did and it came out Positive! The next day I was getting a PICC line put in at the hospital and started a course of 28 days of IV antibiotic therapy. My doctor told me the parasites are dead and my neurologists said "Not so fast". They said I should have felt better neurologically if the parasites were dead. My most recent RA Factor is 156 and I went a low positive ANA-hetergenous. (1:40) My rhuematologist says I have Chronic Lymes. As to my arthritis, it's inflammatory but could be from the Lymes as well as all of my neurological symtoms. I was JUST diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis(autoimmune) and went hypo. Was just put on Synthroid. My endo doctor said this week that I most likely have been walking around for years with Hashi's and never knew it.

The doctors don't know if the Lymes set off autoimmune issues/diseases or if I happen to have both that came on at the same time. I almsot went on to Plaquenil and then had that put off. Now my rhuemy wants me back on it.

I have been having problems with low Vit.D.  My new (4th) endo took my Vit.D test and it was LOW  8.5.  I would like to know why NO doctor took my D level!!! That's probably why I lost so much bone mass and now I have osteoporsis. I now take Boniva. I'm up to 7,000 IU daily with calcium citrate. Nw my Vit.D is low normal. The endo doctor says I have a problem absorbing the D. She corrected my Calcium serum which was high and now normal but my parathyroid is high. Seems like as my D intake goes up so does my PTH when it's supposed to be the opposite but my PTH number did go down a little in the past 8 weeks.

Next week I'm having a Lumbar Puncture done so they can look for inflammation and any Lymes parasites in the brain. I'm also going to see a LLMD (Lyme literate doctor) who also has Lymes for the past 20yrs.

Wanted to update you and see what you have to say and possibly give me advise.

Thanks and Bless you!

Rondi-Hope you're feeling better and sending my blessing to you also!!

[karajo]

Yes, fibromyalgia often (if not always) accompanies major illnesses like lupus, MS, RA, lymes, cfs, etc.  I think the stress of the illness along w/ the crazy symptoms cause a disturbance in one's sleep pattern which in turn contributes to fibromyalgia.