Hi Again,

I posted about the mapping versus tender point diagnosis. The mapping method was created by Dr. St. Armad who also uses an over the counter medication called Guaifenesin Protocol. There is a support group here where I live who used the Guaifenesin and they swear that their symptoms have subsided by 90%. That lady who came to my house and did that mapping method on me I didn't feel very confident with her diagnosis. This is what she did. I laid on a massage table. She manipulated my muscles and felt for so called bumps and lumps which she said are significant of fibromyalgia. She said she was trained by Dr. St. Armad and has done this mapping method on hundreds of people and have never been wrong. She said the bumps and lumps I had on certain areas of my body are that of fibro. I just didn't feel much confidence in her diagnosis and I did pay her $40. The only symptoms I have are tmj of the jaw, and stiffness in my neck due to a bad disc in my neck which is turning to arthritis. But I do not have any other pain what so ever. I don't feel tired because I do have insomnia which I blame due to drinking too much caffeine. Maybe I am just a worry wart and have some symtoms that mimic fibro. Who knows what I have. And I did see a Rheumotologist already and a neurologist and they both said if I had fibromyalgia that I would be in a lot of pain besides having tmj. The Rheumotologist did the tender point diagnosis on me and I didn't feel anything. I wasn't tender nor sore in any points she touched. I would appreciate some input into this matter.

Kikaida

As I understand it, pain in at least 11 of the 18 tender points is required for a diagnosis of fibromyalgia (after ruling out RA, lupus, or any thing else.) It's not the only requirement of course, but I thought that the "trademark" (if you will) of FM was pain in those "tender points".

I'm going to go google Dr. St. Armand and see what I can find. :)

Well, I looked it up. I'm still new here and not sure of the rules, so I won't post a link but according the site I found, that study was unpublished and his results with that guaifenesin were no better than those with placebo. If you don't have the wide spread pain and the tender points, then according to the doctors who agree on the diagnostic criteria, you do not have fm.

Since so many different things work for different people, it wouldn't surprise me if someone out there swears by guaifenesin though. What works for one of us doesn't always work for the rest.

I am on another message board and people swear by Guai protocall. I have the pills to start the program and the Dr.'s book. The pills are pretty inexpensive too. I had been feeling pretty good so I didn't start it, but I woke up this morning not feeling so well. I am going to give it a shot!