kcimonette
11-12-2004, 03:25 PM
:confused: Hi, hoping someone can help. For about the last 9 months I have had allsorts of problems with pain. First it sarted in my elbows. My hands would fall asleep at night when I was sleeping. I have pain/cramping in both of my hips which causes me to turn constantly during the night. I do not sleep well. I then started having problems with one of my knees. Pain on the inside of rigt to be exact. From there I have had acute pain in my right ankle. When I get up in the morning I can barely walk. I shuffle. The same if I have been sitting for awile. The first few steps are painful. Once I have been up the pain subsides. I have gone to doctor after doctor. They cannot find anything wrong except that there is swelling in both my knee and ankle and the schilles tendon is swollen and thickened.Over the past few weeks I just find myself crying all the time and when I not crying, I am on the verge of crying. My life has come to a stand still. Someone I work with mentioned Fibromyalgia. I spoke to my doctor and he ruled it out because it was only my elbows and he said Fibromyalgia doesn't affect the ankles. Should I pursue this? Who would I go and see. Is it worth my time? From what I have read on it the treatment consist of Tylenol. Please help.
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Cherio
11-12-2004, 04:04 PM
Hi!
I'm so sorry you are feeling so bad. You have come to the right place for help and support here. Your symptoms you have had are definitely those of fibromyalgia. Most everyone on this board has complained of one or more of what you are having. Myself, my symptoms started in my elbows with tendinitis, went into my hips with bursitis, then my wrists, arms, inside of one knee, and both feet, including the left ankle. I, too, hurt in my feet and hips when I would walk after getting up in the morning and after sitting for any length of time. I also was having sleep problems, waking in pain throughout the night and never sleeping very deep. My primary physician referred me to a rheumatologist who examined me and found that I had numerous "tender points" on my body, indicative of fibro. They did blood work to rule out anything else, and then he put me on a new drug called Cymbalta which works on the serotonin and norepinephrine levels in the brain. I am doing much better. The pain is reduced a lot and I am sleeping much better now.
I don't know why your doctor would say that you can't have fibro if you hurt in your ankles, and you certainly have other symptoms that are definitely fibro. My suggestion would be to ask for a referral to a rheumatologist where you can be examined properly. Be sure and request to have the proper blood work done to rule out other arthritic conditions. Ask for a rheumatoid factor, ANA, sedimentation rate. Also have them check your thyroid which can often mimic fibro symptoms. Have them do a TSH, free T3, free T4.
There are many medications besides Tylenol to use for this condition. Read through the posts here or go to any site on the internet for more information about treatment of fibromyalgia. Your rheumatologist should be up to date on the newest treatments available too.
Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
Cherio :wave:
I'm so sorry you are feeling so bad. You have come to the right place for help and support here. Your symptoms you have had are definitely those of fibromyalgia. Most everyone on this board has complained of one or more of what you are having. Myself, my symptoms started in my elbows with tendinitis, went into my hips with bursitis, then my wrists, arms, inside of one knee, and both feet, including the left ankle. I, too, hurt in my feet and hips when I would walk after getting up in the morning and after sitting for any length of time. I also was having sleep problems, waking in pain throughout the night and never sleeping very deep. My primary physician referred me to a rheumatologist who examined me and found that I had numerous "tender points" on my body, indicative of fibro. They did blood work to rule out anything else, and then he put me on a new drug called Cymbalta which works on the serotonin and norepinephrine levels in the brain. I am doing much better. The pain is reduced a lot and I am sleeping much better now.
I don't know why your doctor would say that you can't have fibro if you hurt in your ankles, and you certainly have other symptoms that are definitely fibro. My suggestion would be to ask for a referral to a rheumatologist where you can be examined properly. Be sure and request to have the proper blood work done to rule out other arthritic conditions. Ask for a rheumatoid factor, ANA, sedimentation rate. Also have them check your thyroid which can often mimic fibro symptoms. Have them do a TSH, free T3, free T4.
There are many medications besides Tylenol to use for this condition. Read through the posts here or go to any site on the internet for more information about treatment of fibromyalgia. Your rheumatologist should be up to date on the newest treatments available too.
Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
Cherio :wave: