Hello. I am new here on the boards today. I was officially diagnosed with Fibromyalgia by a rheumatologist on Tuesday of this week, after years of being bounced between doctors and treated for individual symptoms and illnesses. In many ways it is such a relief to finally have a diagnosis and a hopeful direction to go in. In another way it is very overwhelming and I still wonder if all of my conditions are solely due to Fibromyalgia, or if some additional things are still being overlooked that need to be treated as well.

Forgive me for my long post, but I would like to share my health history here in hopes that I might find someone who might identify with my story. I have only been getting used to this idea since Tuesday, and I have read enough now to know that everyone has a different story with this illness, but I am also wondering how much of my story is familiar to others here-- AND I am still, as I said wondering if ALL my symptoms and past illness have been connected to fibromyalgia.

I have nerve / muscle twitching and nerve pain throughout my body. I have joint pain and swelling in hands, wrists, knees, ankles, knees, feet, hips; wide-spread muscular fatigue and soreness; and muscle cramps in my legs and feet. I have been diagnosed with a vitamin D deficiency and have been diagnosed by an immunologist with a T-cell deficiency.

I have been diagnosed with Raynaud’s in my feet. I have a neuroma in my right foot and tarsal tunnel in both feet. This was diagnosed by podiatrist specialist after I woke up one night with very painful electric-like shocks in my toe, which continued to worsen over days. One dr. I saw for this actually thought it was Gout, but the test came back normal. When I saw the podiatrist, she did an MRI of my foot, found a neuroma and prescribed 300 mg of neurontin for several months, as well as orthodics. I quit taking the Neurontin in August of 2007, as my pain seemed better.

I have occasional vision disturbances (flashes and fluttering along with occasional loss of vision and frequent floaters). I have had recurrent vaginal yeast infections (over several years-- this was AWFUL); all-over itching (especially at night and in winter months); recurrent sinus infections; past recurrent throat infections; tonsil stones; periods of not sleeping well; periodic night sweats; severe cramps / head aches with menstruation; and chest area pain with impending menstruation.

As a child, I had a herpes simplex infection of the mouth at age three; impetigo at age six and Henoch-Schönlein purpura at the age of seven. While in college at the age of nineteen, I developed joint pain and swelling in my right wrist / thumb and was loosely diagnosed with RA (because it only showed in those joints at the time-- and this was not done by a rheumatologist, but a GP, so I am not sure what blood work was done).

In 2004-2005, I had several throat infections, which were treated with round after round of antibiotic. From 2005-2007, I had round after round of vaginal yeast infections and continued joint pain and fatigue. In 2007, a vaginal culture came back positive for Aspergillus Niger, and my dr. sent me to an Infectious Diseases dr. The Infectious Diseases dr. felt that the results were a false positive, and suggested I see a Rheumatologist for the joint pain and fatigue I was experiencing. The Rheumatologist ran several tests—no RA factor or elevated Sed Rate. My ANA was positive, but my Rheumatologist felt it was a false positive and referred me to an Immunologist (happened to be her husband) for the recurrent yeast infections and Raynaud’s. The Immunologist identified a T-cell deficiency and an abnormal Candida skin test, and had the opinion that my positive ANA test was an accurate positive result, pointing most likely to some “lupus-like” autoimmune disease that had not yet been diagnosed. I was treated with 30 days of diflucan and was given a pneumococcal booster. Yeast infection symptoms improved (still reoccur, now but in less frequency-- i have removed sugar from my diest). Raynaud’s / discoloring of my feet continues, along with fatigue, nerve, joint and muscular symptoms.

In January of 2008, my muscle and joint pain / fatigue worsened drastically, along with muscle and nerve twitches / pain. In May of 2008, a vitamin D deficiency was found, along with a low triiodothyronine (T3 thyroid) count. In May, I began seeing a neurologist, and last week, I had a nerve / muscle conduction test (EMG), which showed no obvious abnormalities. The neurologist had prescribed Neurontin for me at 300 mg per day for the nerve pain and twitches (which was not working at all) and so he increased it to 900 mg / day, and referred me to another rheumatologist for a 2nd opinion.

After hearing my history, reading the notes from the neurologist (he had already done all the blood work-- I forgot to mention, I had another low positive ANA), the rheumatologist did what I now know was a pressure point exam. I had all 18 pressure points. The rheumatologist said he has no concerns about Lupus or RA and feels that it is all Fibromyalgia. Rather than change me to Lyrica, he wants me to stay on the Neurontin and see if it makes a difference first-- but it has not helped with the twitching at all, only with the nerve pain-- and it knocks me out. I also worry about the low thyroid count and began taking a natural thyroid booster that an integrative dr. suggested-- just started taking it yesterday.

So very sorry this is so long-- just wondering if the twitching, yeast infections, neuroma and low thyroid count are common with anyone else here? I am so worn out from all of the things i have gone through with my health, and am so ready to feel better. I know with fibro, you have good days and bad days-- I guess I just need to feel secure that fibro is the complete answer.

Thanks for reading if you got this far-- and thanks for any help you can offer!

Lynn