Originally Posted by Shelley

Hi Piperswife,

I have been told among other more primary things that I have a dx of fibro. What I do know is that my muslcles ache and spasm alot.

I also have TOS and a c-spine issues and the muscle issues of fibro cetainly do not help those. Where I focused my main effort the last year or so was with my metabolic or endocrine issues. Sometimes to me it felt like my muscles just were not getting enough oxygen and were just always tired.

I have a thyroid dx and sometimes if your thyroid is off it affects your muscles so afetr I had my thyroid taken out we worked to balance my levels with medication. Have you had your thyroid checked. Thyroid issues and fibro are often found together.

So going on with my story, even though I balanced my thryoid issues it still felt the same my muscles felt deprived of oxygen and I was tired. And the mucle pain...ugh. But everything came back pretty much balanced except one thing that my endo checked on a whim. I was iron deficient, had iron deficiency anemia. I was not toally anemic because my hemoglobulin looked good but boy was my iron low. And so was my vit d which also if low leads to muscle weakenss and pain.

I have worked very hard to correct both of these metabolic problems. Part of it is I lose too much blood with each of my periods and after years of that I did not have enough iron and was not replacing it. And the thyroid problem doesnt help because it makes my periods heavier leading to low blood loss.

There is a proven connection with fibro and iron deficiency anemia. I mean why wouldn't there be. Your muscles need iron to make blood that can carry oxygen. Did you know that restless leg syndrome is a sumptom of iron deficiency. As are heart palpitations (although this can be a symptom of thryoid and other conditions so please get it checked out by your doc). A frontal headache is a symptoom lof low iron and fatigue as well. And funny but that my IBS, alteast the diarrhea was patially related and has diminished with iron treatment (lol it constipates you at first but now I am no longer panicked to know where every bathroom is) I will also add that being over estrogenated (birth control pills in my case) also contributes to IBS from some of the reading i have done.

I would tell you to ask your doc to do a blood panel of total tion, iron binding capacity and ferrtitin. Also ask him to test your vit d 25 hydroxy. Vit D deficiency is a very hot topic right now and docss are starting to pay attention. I just wish they were all educated about iron deficiency which is underdiagnosed.

If it comes back low you can try over the counter iron supplements but it just made my ibs worse and the blood test showed i was not absorbing it as well.

So I take repliva, a precription iron pill that is very easily absorbed. Its funny this week I went to my endo doc and the drug rep for repliva was there and my doc introduced me to her and said I was the reason, because I found the literature via the internet and told my doc about repliva. I was the reason that she is better educated about iron issues and that she now checks all her female patients.

I still have fibro and those tender points, but atleast for just me the iron connection has helped. I am now exercising and working out with a trainer and I can deal with those sore muscles much better now. The headaches are gone as is the fatigue.

So I urge every fibro patient to look into your iron and vit d levels.

Please dont try to treat any iron problem on your own. You do want a doc to do it with you.

And please do not forget the vit d. Low vit D is definitely connected to muscle pain and weakness.

Hope this helps and keep us posted.