[amit]

and all between....
Do you know if there is a possibility of mis diagnosis between these 2 syndroms?

[jannaw]

I just read today that there is a connection between fibro and PN, I was researching it because sometimes I wake up in the morning feeling like I was run over by a Mac truck. My muscles and joints ache so much I can barely move. I was blaming this on sleeeping wrong but I'm beginning to suspect that perhaps it is something more. My sister has fibro, for awhile they thought sjogrens and I wonder if it runs in families, it can be so confusing.

[mrsD]

My understanding is the Fibro is a central pain disorder.
It runs genetically in families (newest research)

It is triggered by a peripheral event... PN, arthritis, trauma (there are studies about car accidents),
surgery, war (there are studies on effects of war), vaccines, etc.

I went to a seminar about this 2 yrs ago.
That researcher claims that Fibro is experienced in the brain.
It is like having the volume turned up on a radio all the time that cannot be tuned down.

At that seminar Dr. Clauw said up to 8 times more cases are found within families. So he says the prevailing thought now that some people are susceptible to pain, and ratchet it up in the brain.

If you search Dr. Clauw on Google you will find him on some fibro sites, with interviews etc. He is very generous with his time and a great educator besides.

[amit]

The question was if - just in case - you have SFSN, but the doctor might DX it as fibro? the reason I ask is because some of my friends at work were DX with fibro. I suspect the work place as cause my PN (exposure to toxines) and keep asking myself if my friends were affected by the same things.

[mrsD]

Basically when doctors don't know what to tell you, they
use the FIBRO diagnosis. This really clouds the issue.

I think there are people who don't have it and their doctors are at fault for using this label inappropriately.

People love LABELS... so they have to have "something".

[nide44]

Originally Posted by amit

and all between....
Do you know if there is a possibility of mis diagnosis between these 2 syndroms?

Most definitely.
Ditto on Mrs D's evaluation of diagnostic 'labeling' when they don't know.
It has become an alternative to 'idiopathic' for them.

[LizaJane]

It seems to be turning out that a good number of people who carry the diagnoses of fibromyalgia and peripheral neuropathy actually have lyme disease. Not to belabor the point, but, seeing as that's where I've found myself after 15 years of dealing with this, do check out the sticky I've posted on this.

[nide44]

A very important statement in LizaJane's 'sticky' is :
"....Many patients with chronic Lyme disease require prolonged treatment until the patient is symptom-free. Relapses occur and retreatment may be required. There are no tests currently available to prove that the organism is eradicated, or that the patient with chronic Lyme disease is cured...."

[Megan]

This is an interesting topic and I have been asking myself the same question for some time.

Starting with fatigue in 2007, followed closely by parasthaesias/dysathaesias (PN), nausea, fasciculations then muscle aches and joint pains and general unwellness, which are all pretty well ongoing - I don't know what camp I sit in! Fibromyalgia or another condition causing Peripheral Neuropathy - sensory/motor/autonomic???

A recent Rheumatologist (who I didn't feel got the complexity of all my symptoms) as a throw away line says I have Fibromylagia.

Another specialist says "no that's just an end of the road diagnosis as they don't yet know what it is". He believes that there will be found to be several causes for these symptom clusters. He thinks I have something that fits in the MCTD (Multiple Connective Tissue Disorder) category but not sure which of the hundred or so conditions, in the absence of quantifiable testing. He at least was honest by saying they don't know everything yet by any means, but he thinks that in ten years time either genetic markers will have been found for some of these conditions or other more targetted testing will have been developed to reveal abnormal pathology.

I have no family members who have Fibromyalgia...and I categorically believe that I do not have heightened pain susceptibility as other things (injuries etc) can happen that are potentially very painful which I just brush off. It's confusing! Equally I do not believe I have Lyme as it is not endemic in Australia!

Meanwhile if it is Fibromyalgia, all we can do is "focus on what we need to do to get better, not on what caused our illness" and "look for treatments, not cures". As quoted from a Fibromyalgia site: http://www.med.umich.edu/painresearc...nts/advice.htm

[BlueMajo]

In my case, my Doc told me my PN is due to my fibro....

I actually was happy with that diagnosis...