How would you know if you have fibromyalgia or lyme disease?

[QPmom]

Sorry - second question this weekend but how would you know if you have fibromyalgia or lyme, since so many of the symptoms are similar and blood tests are not reliable 100% of the time for lyme?

Would you have to go on antibiotics to see if you feel better? Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

[gibsongal]

i have nerve damage due to medication..neuropathy..so i think the quack that said fibro was an idiot. and when i got my medical records, she never wrote FM in her notes. She prescribed Lyrica, .I would never have tried Lyrica if i didn't think it was FM and would help. it did not help and was really bad side effects. took for 2 months. there are so many dumb docs. and lots of mis information on line. takes forever to get any answers.I  have a good big city doc now.. yeaaaaa...

[cave76]

Thank you, cyfer, for answering my question. You said you've been  "on and off treatments different Lyme treatments".

Pardon me for seeming nosy but did those treatments include antibiotics? )
You don't have to answer, of course.

I think blamom had the best (and simplest) answer. Whether you were treated fully or not and by what protocol ---Lyme and nerve damage go hand in hand. Of course other diseases can cause FM also, just one is diabetes.

[cyfer]

I have been on and off different lyme treatments. I'm currently off nd have muscle twitching muscle pain all over primarily in the feet legs hands. And fatigued.. So I'm probably confused as I don't know of I'm fully treated or just have fibro or some other issue:-(

[blamom]

you  have the fibromyalgia because of the nerve damage from the lyme

[cave76]

Your post didn't mention if you're through with antibiotics (treatment) for Lyme or not. What symptoms are worse?

I think you're a little confused about what FM is---- understandably because there's MUCH confusion about it. :)

It a 'disorder' that can come for many reasons---- not just Lyme.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fibromyalgia-symptoms/AR00054

[cyfer]

I have been diagnosed lyme and treated and now have fm symptoms. So I'm not sure whether I had lyme or fm to begin with. Since symptoms are worse now then before treatment......

[gibsongal]

thanks there cave76

[cave76]

Although FM can APPEAR in early stage Lyme it doesn't mean it IS Lyme disease.

Other diseases/conditions/disorders also have FM associated with them--- the list below is not the complete list.

"Rheumatic diseases. Disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome and lupus all can begin with generalized aches and pain."

Mental health problems. Disorders such as depression and anxiety often feature generalized aches and pain.

Neurological disorders. In some people, fibromyalgia causes numbness and tingling, symptoms that mimic those of disorders such as multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis."

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fibromyalgia-symptoms/AR00054

[mojogal]

In my case I didn't remember at the time I was bit by a tick. Fibromyalgia was just getting recognition. Not knowing what I had,  I was told I had FM but no medications were used to treat me.

Now looking back I realize, it was the Lyme. I read somewhere that FM is really early stage Lyme  once I did do the abx for my lyme, my FM symptoms went away.

[cave76]

I'll let mojo comment on your questions first, before I jump in.

I think there's some (a lot of) misunderstanding about what FM is, what causes it and how to treat it among almost everyone.

Some doctors will give that dx simply because they don't know what's wrong with a person who comes in with Lyme disease. (Or that doctor is determined to ignore Lyme).

Also, there's the matter of giving a dx-----[ no dx (by the doctor)---- no claim will be paid by the insurance company.]

Doesn't matter if it's wrong or not----- or just part of the picture.

Please read:
http://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/tc/fibromyalgia-topic-overview

[gibsongal]

hey checking in here.. you say "Many doctors believes fibromyalgia is Lyme because the symptoms are so similar. "

is what you are saying would FM be a residual syndrome, out come, after treated Lyme?

1. Say you had FM symptoms, suspected , perhaps had Lyme for a while and didn't know it.. then was treated ..the symptoms that remain are classified as FM?

2. If you had Lyme and knew right away (rash, flu and you test positive and treated the standard 30 days and feel great and normal and go back to normal living.. could FM appear years  later?

[mojogal]

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia years ago, among my many misdiagnosis.

Many doctors believes fibromyalgia is Lyme because the symptoms are so similar.

Sorry, I didn't see your other post this weekend but the answer would be to find an LLMD, take an IgeneX blood test and they could rule it in or out.

[cave76]

Fibromyalgia is not a disease but a disorder/syndrome.

Many people with Lyme DO 'get' FM but then so do others with other conditions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibromyalgia

But it IS real. Taking antibiotics for Lyme MAY help reduce some of the pain from FM.