Hi Aggie!

Welcome to the club! I'm sorry you have the confusion on top of the pain and other symptoms. The ambiguity and unpredictability of autoimmunity takes some getting used to. But the short answer to your question is that fibromyalgia can co-exist with lots of other symptom-causing processes in our bodies. Not all can be specifically tested for a diagnosis, and a negative test on some of the others doesn't mean the illness is definitely ruled out. Some folks get a positive hit at sometimes and at other times the same test will be negative.

I also have been tested for everything under the sun. Since I have seen several doctors over the years, I have collected a whole pack of DX's: Hashimoto's thyroiditis, chronic EBV infection, primary Sjogrens, chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia with sicca and Raynaud's, etc. Some docs will insist that once a fibro Dx is in play, any and all symptoms must be attributed to that one diagnosis. There are also some Docs who will not Dx an illness without positive lab tests to back it up. Then there are some Docs who will make a Dx on the basis of history and exam even when not supported 100% by lab results.

At this point, my fibro is under control. I take some anti-depressant meds to regulate my sleep cycle. I exercise as much as I tolerate, and I have found accupuncture helpful for the tenderpoints and trigger points. Basically, as long as I sleep well, I have very little pain. Learning to manage your symptoms will take some time, but it can be done.

However, you need to be firm about your experience of symptoms. Most docs are test-dependent. That makes them reluctant to give a Dx or prescribe certain treatments without positive labs, even though they will admit that sero-negative forms of many autoimmune illnesses exist. Once you find out what works for you, insist on it. For example, I have learned from experience that I need plaquinil. Every time I get better my docs try to reduce or discontinue the plaquinil, and every time I get worse. Then they put me back on the plaquinil, and I get better again. So this is important advice: keep a symptom log up to date, including changes in meds and activitites. For me, d'cing plaquinil takes several months to show worsening, and then several months to show improvement. Having to go through this time and again to prove to different docs that I need it has cost me hugely in time and suffering. If I had documented properly, I might only have needed to make the trial once.

So, that's it for useful stuff I can think of right now. This is a great site for information and moral support. We all understand, and we all have our little tricks to help us cope. Just hang in there.

Shari