I have a question for everyone. Does anyone else get swelling in the areas of pain??? Everything that I have read states there is no outward sign of FM. But I have swelling in most of my tender spots. Right now my left hand is so swollen that it is hard to do anything with it without sharp agonizing pain. My Dr says it is tendonitis or the beginning of carpal tunnel, but the Dr. at work says tendonitis, (of course the word carpal tunnel won't come out of his mouth.) I can't sleep either. Haven't slept more than 1 1/2 hours for the last 2 nights. I would like to know if anyone else has swelling with their pains, as I have had all the arthritis tests and come up negative. My Dr. says that I will probably get arthritis because of my degenerative disk disease and knee deformities, and arthritis is more known for swelling. Even the RX motrin is not making the swelling go down. Any thoughts?

Hi, Have you tried vioxx? It works for swelling. I do swell but, its my whole body. Some of my joint get mushy or spongy feeling. Good luck, Kim

Kat, one of my biggest pet peeves is the swelling. Haven't been able to wear my rings for a year now. What are you taking for sleep - anything? It's funny how some meds work for others, but not me. I took Vioxx and swelled up like a hippo. Seriously, from my toes to my knees, and from my fingers to my shoulders. That's when I went to a rheumatologist. He sent me for five blood tests, including lupus, thyroid, etc. and all came back negative. He confirmed the diagnosis of FM, and said if it were arthritis that there would be swelling around the joints, had me make a fist, and pushed on my knuckles and showed me what he meant. It's hard to explain what he meant, but I understood at the time. When I went off the Vioxx, the swelling went down, but it is still very bad in my ankles and feet, and my hands and wrists. Thought I would let you know that I share your pain!

I have been on Vioxx and have not noticed a difference one way or another. When I was on Naproxen I felt like I shrunk immediately. I do not always notice the swelling as much as I notice hot spots on my tenderest most points. Another symptom of other diseases, none of which show up in my bloodwork.
PS a good friend of mine has lupus and blew up like a balloon when she took Vioxx and Leviquin at the same time. Were you on antibiotics when you blew up?

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~Luv, Scoobs~

To anwer Elaine, I don't take anything for sleep as I can't handle the zombie feeling the next day when I have to work. Up until a month ago my sleep was getting better but I had knee surgery and when I quit taking the Vicotin this past Sunday, I quit sleeping again. I take Motrin 800mg 3x a day which has made my knee feel better than the Vicotin did, but the Vicotin helped with some of my FM symptoms like the aches in my shoulders and my back. I have not tried the medicine that you all mentioned and think I would be afraid that something would cause more swelling. The more swelling I get rid of, the better I feel and right now the only places that are swollen are the places that hurt. (left arm, wrist and hand, and right shoulder. Nothing that I have taken gets rid of the swelling in my left arm, wrist and hand. I can occasionally feel the swelling in my back by my herniated disk if I lean back just right. I think I need to make another visit to my doctor regarding my medication. Days like today I just feel like giving up. It is snowing outside and it hurts more when it snows.

Kattnap1, Please don't feel so down. It is so hard as we all know. At times you feel like saying I'm throwing in the towel. But, we don't we know that some doctor or someone someday (hopefully soon) will figure it out. Till then think about the song, hang on snoopy or do something that makes you smile. Or get on the board and let it out! We're all here and to help each other is what it's all about. So we care and have been there, Take good care of your self, Kim

Scoobs, When I was on the Vioxx, it was just the Vioxx and Elavil. I'm trying to remember how my meds went. I started on 10 mg. Elavil and Celexa. The Celexa didn't work, so he upped my Elavil and switched me to the Vioxx. Then off the Vioxx and over the the Arthrotec. I feel like I'm forgetting one. Oh, yeah. Soma! I was on Soma before the Arthrotec. That was awful! It made me slur my speech and I felt like I was a zombie. I would say things that in my head sounded sane, but when they came out of my mouth my friends would look at me like, "Are you on drugs?". Anyway, I am only taking 50 mg. Elavil per night, and the only thing I have for the pain is extra strength Tylenol, which does not help even though I take three of 'em. Sometimes Tylenol Arthritis helps. I know how Kat feels today. I'm a basket case. One of my bosses looked at me a while ago and asked me if I wanted to go home early. I always reply, "no". He said he could see the pain in my face. Which leads me to another topic...depression. When I liven up, I think I will post something on that 'cause I deal with it all the time. I'm even depressed because even tho I take the Elavil to help me sleep, it is a depression medicine, and taking a depression medicine makes me depressed. Is it 5 o'clock yet?

There have been so many references to depression that I started a new topic dealing with that subject.

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~Luv, Scoobs~