Very frustrated!

[sassygoat]

My 15 year old daughter has been complaining of a chronic headache since August.  The first of September, she started developing body aches, weakness, chills, flushing and loss of appetite.  I have had her to the ER twice, and her family doctor several times.  All lab tests are normal.  No staph infection, no lyme disease, no west nile virus. Had lumbar MRI to rule out diskitus-normal.  Had CT of head-normal. Had spinal tap-normal.  She is still having pain.  She feels that everyone things she is crazy.  She is getting no relief and I am not getting answers.  When she bends her neck towards her chest, she says pain runs all the way down her spine.  Her arms and legs feel like she has just got done exercising and her head feels like someone keeps pushing down on it.  
Can a 15 years get fibromyalgia?  Does this sound like she could have it?  Any suggestions on which my next step should be?  I would appreciate any suggestions anyone can give me.
Thanks,
A very worried mother.

[sassygoat]

I did have her to an ENT and he said that her ears were perfectly fine and she must have TMJ.  She has braces, so her orthodontist checked her and said she must grind her teeth at night.  I will tell my family doctor that I want her thryoid checked.
Thanks for all of your input.

sassygoat

[Ree4tu]

Yes, a CMP is completely different. A CMP looks at sugar level, fluid and electrolyte balance, kidney and liver function. For thyroid check Free T4, T3, TSH, and possibly have an Anti-Thyroid Antibody Profile.

In regards to her ruptured ear drum - a ruptured ear drum can cause a middle ear infection or a middle ear infection can cause an ear drum to rupture. An infection causes the other symptoms you are describing too.  Are they sure her ear is healing???  Did they look at the other ear? Maybe take her to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist to get another opinion. I am not a doctor, but it seems maybe they need to just treat her for an infection based on all these symptoms and see if she improves rather than doing nothing at all.   I understand why you are so frustrated!

Warm Regards,

Ree4tu

[sassygoat]

She has never had mono and she had the epstein bar virus titer done last week and it came back negative.  She complained of her ear hurting in April and my mom took her to the doctor and they said that at some time, she must have ruptured her eardrum because it was healing.  It just puzzles me that all her lab tests are normal but no one can find anything.  When I would back and looked at her labs last night, it looks like she did not have a T4 or TSH drawn at any time.  Isn't the thryoid test completely different from CMP?  Thanks for your help.

Best wishes,
sassygoat

[Ree4tu]

She would need to see a rheumatologist for a fibro diagnosis.  Just curious, has your daughter ever had any kind of infections like mononucleosis?  I ask this because I had mono when I was 14 and believe this may have somethng to do with my fibro.  Then an injury just flares the fibro more.  There are many theories of what causes fibro, but it seems there is connection to infections.

Warm Regards,

Ree4tu

[sassygoat]

Thanks for your feedback.  She has not had any injury what so ever.  She only had a lumbar MRI and a CT scan of her head.  What kind of a doctor would she need to see to see if she has fibro?

Thanks for all of your help!
sassygoat

[Ree4tu]

I believe you can get fibromyalgia at just about any age.

Did she have a cervical MRI?  Neck injuries can cause all kinds of symptoms like you are describing. I have actually had all of those symptoms following a neck injury, but then later was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Fibro. can occur after a neck injury.

My Best,  

Ree4tu