O.K., for years I have blamed fibromyalgia for many aches and pains. This time I blamed the lower back, hips, legs aching 24/7 to be caused by fibro but it is not. I am low in calcium, now have osteoporosis according to recent bone scan. After going back on calcium with vitamin D and magnesium my legs are beginning to feel better.

Word of warning, please do not always blame fibromyalgia for your aches and pains, it could be something else that can be treated.

Marie

I agree. Its mostly the doctors who are just diagnosing fm to people because they run so many tests and find nothing so they call the aches and pains fm. Seems convenient dont it.

what were your aches and pains like? mine are in legs alot. like a dull aches thats worse with weather and stress. they are more muscular. would lack of calcium be more joints? thanks for that, love april xx

Yeah, my mom had horrible abdominal pain for months and blamed it on the fibro...turns out she needed her gall bladder out. It was SO full of stones (500-600) that they couldn't even see it on the sonogram. Worst case the doctor's ever seen... it was crazy. She feels way better now.

Hi marie, sorry to hear that you have osteo.

After 9 yrs of fibro, last year my knees started hurting. Of course I put this down to fibro..haven't even mentioned it to dr. My knees just make that crunchy noise now when going up and down the steps, and they hurt.

Another somewhat new thing for me that started awhile ago is lower- back spasms-pain when washing the dog, washing my face over bathroom sink. My lower back muscles just tighten up and the pain is bad. I have to stand up straight to loosen it up.

I didn't have these problems in the beginning. I'm only 34 and feel like I'm 80!!!

The first time I took magnesium, it was like taking a miracle pain pill. I couldn't believe it! Also, my knees are hurting also and they creak and grind. Staying off the stairs helps. I also started taking the Chondroitin and Glucosamine which should help with 3 to 4 weeks. I will let you know.

Jeremy, I wish you could go to a special clinic that could make a definite diagnosis. Maybe it would be worth it to travel a ways to find out for sure. (Excuse me if you have all ready done this, I haven't read all of your posts) Sometimes I think I don't have it. I feel just fine and the bam.

Donna

Hi Donna,

I too have noticed a difference with magnesium, and also with malic acid. The chondroitin and glucosamine should definitely help as well.

KC

Marie and all,
I am sorry to hear about your osteoporosis. I find that not only do I blame my pains etc on the Fibro, but so do the doctors. It seems I can go to any type of doc for any reason and as soon as they hear I have Fibro, they don't listen to my symptoms and say it's from the Fibro. It's frustrating and scary because one day they may be wrong and I may have something serious, and I would never know ;) !
I hope everything works out well for you.
Hugs,
Maria

Apriltones,
Low calcium affects the muscles as well as joints and bones. Muscles need calcium and magnesium.

The ache I felt was a thru and thru ache, not on surface but within.

Weather and stress also increases misery.

how do i get tested for low calcium? cheers, april x

Blood work called "Comprehensive Metabolic Panel" will include test for calcium. However, my test indicated my calcium was 104 and the range is 95-109. Kinda a false result if you ask me since I now have osteoporosis. Test I am looking at was taken 1 year ago. Do not have copy of my recent lab work. Will compare previous with current when I get a copy and see if I had a sudden drop of calcium.

Be sure lab work is done after "fasting". The comprehensive metabolic panel is usually done at time of annual physical. This panel covers many important things such as glucose, potassium and many others.

A "bone scan" is how they determine whether you have osteoporosis or not. Results are based on your age, etc. in comparison to a model chart. Some insurances pay for bone scans and some don't. Medicare pays for a scan every 2 years. It had been 5 years since my first/last bone scan and I do not know why doctor waited so long to do another one.

Internist has recommended Citrical +D. Your body does not absorb very much calcium at any one time so it is best to take 500 mg. 2 or 3 times a day after meals. Calcium needs magnesium in order to absorb. One-half amount of calcium is suggested for magnesium. I take Citrical+D 500 mg. 3 times day plus 250 mg. magnesium 3 times day. I now have increased calcium foods. Hope I don't gain any more weight as a result of adding more food with calcium. Dairy products are high in calcium and so is kale, and some other veggies.

Last year I started omitting various supplements doctors had me on for so many, many years trying to detox from chemicals and I decided to drop the Citrical+D and magnesium too along the way. Know the past 6 months I did not take any calcium supplements and that was definitely the wrong thing for me to have done. Wish I had know earlier I was low in calcium.

I have been off HRT (Premarin) for about 2 years after taking it for 27 years. Have to weigh the risks of HRT versus other risks. I understand long term HRT is very high risk. I gradually went off HRT and it took me several months. I did not want my body to have a sudden withdrawal and backfire on me.

My legs have ached for the past few years big time and were getting worse. Just a couple weeks taking calcium/magnesium again has helped the ache, not a cure but definitely relief to some extent. I still have trouble being on legs for too long at a time without sitting down. Not sure how long I have had osteoporosis, less than 5 years.