Hi Matty,
Fibro is MUCH more common in females, so the average doc may instantly disqualify you based on your gender. Not that your doc
should do this, it's just the way medicine is practiced, more & more these days.
I have both osteo & fibro. Osteoarthritis is more in the joint itself. There is often swelling that you can see, esp. later in the day. There may be redness. Sometimes osteo is particularly severe in a joint that was injured, or in one that had a lot of use in the past, athletic or otherwise.
W/fibro, the muscles, tendons & ligaments are usually painful, sometimes also the joints. But IME, there is much more of a soft tissue component. Usually there are "tender points" on soft tissue, in all 4 quadrants of the body. Pain is more allover & symmetrical than in osteo. Everyday activities can cause severe, burning muscle pain that lasts for days or longer.
Fibro is notorious for "flaring" and being very severe at times, whereas osteo can follow a much more predictable daily course. When my fibro flares, I often need to use a walker for a couple of weeks.
The most definitive dx for osteo,
AFAIK (as far as I know) is xray, where various degenerations of bone & cartilage can be seen as the osteo advances. Bone spurs & deteriorating cartilage are not typical of fibromyalgia.
AFAIK, blurry vision is not a typical osteo symptom. Nor have I experienced this w/fibro. Have you seen an ophthamologist?
I don't know much about spinal disc degeneration, sorry.
Best wishes.
